Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-04-16

Vefiiasmenia mustbe paid forin advance.
On our way down the valley we passed
through two or three little villages, each coml
posed Of twenty or thirty one-story cottages
and having nothing ~ al prepossesaing about
them except their situation The most Of thol
old men and women we saw, had the hideous
excrescence on their necks which is called
or originates from the geitre, and the poorI
imbeciles called cretnfs, looking and acting
more like balloons than human beings we're
lrghtfnlly numerous. The other men were
generally sturdy looking fellows, but dirty aud
Ugly, and the women we're course featured and
hard favored Considering the fact that thel
women DO most OF the hard work their lack
OF beauty Is not to be wondered at We saw
on an average, twenty women to one man at
work in the harvest 6ed and meadow. The
little children--God bless them are here, az
everywhere bright and interesting, and-as
they are not everywhere fat ruggek and POI
lite. wa
II seemed long ride from the foot Of the
mountain to the little village OF Chamouny
where we were 10 rest for the night, and in
our impotence, G. and l spurred our lazy
mules into brisk trot and got over two or
three miles at a much more satisfactory gait,
but. stopping for a few moments 10 look At
more than usually beautiful waterfall, we saw
far behind, our guide coming at full speed
beckOning a. he ran. The poor fellow was
very red in the face when be reached us, and
upon our enquiring his object in following so
closely after us, he said that he would not dare
let us 90 into ChAmouny without, him. 1t
would subject him TO SONS dreadful penalty,
tho precise nature of which be could not make
al 20 buN do tIu
something to be feared, or he never would
have run three miles after US at full speed at
the end Of days march Of twenty-five miles,
to avoid it. We telt lepentant and allowed
the mules TO 60 so slow as they pleased the
balance of the way, and drew on him for
amusement.
He was a pleasant felloW-A French Swisa
who had spent year or two in the German
cantous and had picked up a very tolerAble
knowledge OF that language. He was like
real Frenehman in his smiles and poIiteness,
and tried to convince me that | spoke better
German than he did. looked him full in the
eye while he was attempting this and he
laughed like a very honest rascal when he
found did not take it down. A compliment
to our horseranship, however, we did receive
as genuine, because, compared with that OF
the majority of the Englishmen who swarm
at this season on every mountain and in every
valley and hotel in Switzerland, we were sat
isfed that 1t was at least respectable About
Eve o'clock We reached the halfdoEen 6ne ho-
tells which, with their dependeac make the
modern village of Chamouny, and found
rooms by great good fortune in building be-
longing to the Hotel Royal The days ride
had been severe one, bat after bath and 4
dinner we sat out in the little garden and for
got,our iAtigues over our cigars and late copies
Of GalgRani and the London Times
The sun was still.above the horizon when We
we're startled by the sound OF cannon. Il
was the signal Of the arrival OF party from
the summit of Mt Blanc, and in a few min
utes they made their appearances; aud for
once in their lives we're full grown lions A
crowd Of tourists throngsd about them listen
ing 70 every word, and examining their pro-
portions TO see IL there was anything in their
construction indicaiog the almost superhuman
powers which the ascent is popularity supposed
to require. But although they were active
looking fellows they we're much like other peo.
ple and professed 10 have accomplished the
| feat with no serious Inconvenience, except
from the heat Of the sun which burned them
almost black
Again and again The cannon pealed forth
lis salute, and party after party we're welcomed
into the open space in trout of the hotel in tho
same way Counting the guides, twenty-two
persons arrived from the summit that evening
at our Hotel alone "Why, said our friend
Il, "the thing Is getting so common. ! guess
won't 70 up
Its journey Of two days. The ascending
party sleep the FIRST night in hut under those
peaks Of black rock which We can see shoot.
IN "a N from the annw callad the GraNd M l.