Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-11-28


arrived, CoIani passed around pieces Of sugar,
and pouring on each piece, as usual, Kirsch-
wasser. After short halt he ordered as TO
proceed. but foroidd,ne walking faster than }.
ahead. Zach one then took hrs place in line;
Afer j. p. cousin Salle, then myself, then
Mrs. w then cousin James, then Mr.. w and
lastly Colsni. the guide. It was, however, not
long before Colani took Mr.. w. by the arm. so
as 10 assist him, the latter's strength barely
being mp 10 it's task. II was slow walking, or
rather climbing, but with AL her endeavors
cousin Sallie coulo not accelerate the pace OF
painting J. p. On We went, passed through
what is called the doorway" where an i'm
meDse rock is cleft in two, and one has 10 pass
through the defle. Up, mp, at last another
small plateau, q halt, and In Its course the ever
ready "Kirschwasser." Here The scenery in one
pate. At one end Of this plateau stands a small
stone hut, where the German artistic '.Georgy'
dwelied most OF a summer and autumn
studying the grandeur Of Nature around his
solitary abode His pencil, however, in vain
sought 10 iransfix il on canvass. .ln fifteen
minutes more" said Colani, .we can reach
ascent OF the last tier Of the rocky Vanguard
Pyramid. On we started as before; but he
path way ceased after the first few PAGES, and
regular stone stairway, constructed wide
enough Tor TWO persons 10 walk abreast, com
menced. No bannister; ones staff the only
safeguard; on one side q preeipitous wall of
rock extending down hundreds of feet; on the
other, the eye in vain seeks a resting roint.
The stairway is perfectly secure, and there
cannot possibly be any danger with ordinary
care, nnless one should be subject to dizziness
and that would have manifested itself before
at a far lesser altitude. However 10 laud each
others courage, we ascepded by direction of
onr guide this stairway, called Jacobs Lad
der" TWO abreast. As TO myself and Mrs w
we kept our eyes so rivetted on the stems we
were ascending, that not even a glance was
ventured into the almost fathomless depths on
either side. Self-preservation has a wonder
fnl control over curiosity in such places. In.
tently gazing on cur steps, we barely had any
idea OF The progress we were making. Sud-
denly, we heard cousin Sailie excIaim. There
now"' and breathless, J. p. with a heavy sigh,
utters ''At last,'' We had reached our goal
We were on the summit of Piz Vanguard
1868 feet above the level of the sea; ana 'what,
area has this summitl' you might ask, and the
reply would be, "Just about enough for twen-
~ persons comfortably TO stand upon at one
ard the same time" 1t was fully eIght or ten
minutes before any one in our party gave a
vent TO feelings of wonder by exclamat ions
All excepting poor Mr.. w. remained standing
despite our fatigue. All were gazing around in
silent astonishment; struck as though 1t were
dumb, by grandeur so far beyond all powers
OF description, that the heart felt but too keen
ly the futility of endeavorIng in language TO
portray It's feelings. 1t would be useless
TO go through range of adiecuves, etc
ETC., that at last. for want of anything
better, broke the eloquent silence Near
by is flag g-staff, and excellent
instrument, "Orien urungs compass, TO des-
lgnaie accurately on large brass dial the
numberiess mountain peaks. glaciers, etc etc,
seen IRON here. On the northern end OF the
summit Is rude chest, and within it. in
tin case. a small register, wherein all visitors
register their names. A rude wooden table is
also provided, with improvised benches of
stone. a very small recess on the eastern side,
where two persons can be seated, is termed
the parlor." The two Englshmen are get
ing ready 10 leave and only await II O'Clock.
as Prof krettli at noon precisely, is 10 make
certain meteorological observations with in
struments he has brought with him for the
purpose; IN order that, on his arrival at Pou-
ireslna, he can telegraph TO Luricn the result,
from whence they are transmitted TO Paris.
London, Berlin, St. Petersburg, etc Prof
hreth has finished. and bids us good by,
with his two austere looking Englishmen Co.
lanl Is seItlng the table: the wine put in snow
10 be froZen-plenty of freezers ALI around
among the rocks; dried meat bread. cheese
why, yes, even roasted chicken is placed on
the table
Whilst our companions are enioying their
feast-drinking the health of Uncle Sam with
"Nelleliner," and doing the American in gem
eral-let me endeavor TO give you some faint
idea of the view spread before ms. Directly 10
the south-one would think within gunshot
range-looms up the loyeliest and grandest of
all Alpine groups OF glacier monarchs Piz Ber-
nina, (l2,47i feet high,) with her satellites Piz
Carvatsch, Caputschin, Sella, Rosegg. Nor
teratsch and Tschierva, the least of them lU.i46
ieet, but mostly ranging upwards Of 1I,OOO and
l2OOe feet, all covered perpetually with snow
This group of giants nourish two immens Sc gla.
cIers-one the Rosegg, with its rocky IsIet
" "AgagilouIs," and Monteratsch, with another
rock island. Z" lie Prese," the last-named gla-
cler being upwards Of six miles in length
Then to the southeast two lakes-one appro-
priately named " Lago Nero" (black lake, the
other equally appropriately, Lago BIanco,"
white lake, They are both quite near each
other. on the summit Of the Bernira Pass the
waters however, flowing in different direc-
lions. The last-named lake is fed solely by
the great Camorena glacier and hence its water
has a milky white appearance; the other is
solely led by springs, hence looks dark
These two lakes are on a nearly level plain,
q ON Dc
TO the danube and Black Sea, the other 10 the
river AIDA, and thence into the Mediterranean
Eastward and northeastward Is tar as the eve
can reach the snowy peaks OF the Tyrolese
and BavarIan Alps, dense as houses in Paris
To the north the most symmetrical of snow
pyramids, Piz Linard, nearly 5OO feet higher
than Vanguard, beyond the inviting plateau Of
the Slyeretta Glacier, con tanning area OF fully
four square smile. Far in the distance the
noted ..Santes." The Rigi is barely discerna-
Bile. Then towards the northwest looms mo
the Todi and other giants. To the west Pig
hesch" and the twin brothe er 10 Vanguard Piz
Ott. Far in the distance the highest peaks of
the Bernese Oberland, and 10 the southwest
along the horizon, one traces far in the dis
tance the familiar outlines of Monte Rosa with
little 10 the right the dim outlines of Nj
Blanc, $50 miles distant. Nearer several
lakes-yillages but one, st. MoritZ IL is with
out exception the grandest circular panorama
OF purely Alpine scenery accessible 10 man
SO ueToio OF Danger and attained with so tri-
fling labor. The ensemble as the French
would say, is far superior 10 anything an ives.
tern Switzerland.
We tarried some TIVE ho~rs aud descended
rapidly 10 The second plateau or landing, from
whence 10 the first. one can try has skilI with
the stan ana slide down over the snow TO the
bottom where the horses are kept IN waiting
TWO and two were TO make a race. but scarcely
had one started before the awkward handling
OF the stan tripped one and down you went on
your backslde. sliding al rate of speed Dexter
has not yet attained. The ladies, TOO, were
bound 10 slide down rather than walk ar0uud
by the pathway, and il was comieal TO see how
Coianl arranged them for the trip First h..
spread down has oNercoat then he took Cousin
Saliie and seated her fiat en- IL, with her feet
apart and pointing down hill: Mrs w. he
then took and seated in Cousin Sallle' $ lap in
IKE position: lie then put his knapsaek dow
In frort OF them, seated himself on IL and a
portion OF the coat tucked the feet Of the ladies
on eithei side under his arm. aud Gh us arranged
commenced 10 work himself and load along
win his feet until fairly started: soon their
speed increased, and down they came with the
rapidly OF an arrow and landed safely amongst
us amidst shouts and hurrahs for CoIaui 4
Z. ever SINCE invariably commences 70 laugh
when you mention Piz Vanguard The ladies
soon remounted their horses aud we returned
10 Hotel Stelnbock from there in a halftrot. Ar.
irving In less than an hours time. and finding
a most su stantial dinner awaiting US
-.