St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-09-24

CllOrUl. TIOul lIle ucl9S us tiDONc lto iOi III
is well defined. The main body of the
lake seems-to state it rOughly-in
north-westerly and south-easterly direc-
ton. At the lower end of this lake there
is IL sharp turn directly to the south.
This portion is called the lake OF Cri.
Near the extremity of the two arms of
the lake, the transverse Of the cruciform,
lie two well known mountains, Mt. Pr
latus on the right, looking from Lucerne,
between 1000 and 5000 feet in hight,
and the Rigi, on the left, between 5000
and 5000 feet. These are the nearest
and the salient high points of the grand
panoramic scene that lies before, one look
inc down the lake from the town. Be
tween these two extreme points runs, in
the nearer background, east and west,
line of lower mountains, flung up and
about in wild confusion, some tolerant Of
verdure 20 their SUBMITS, fresh and grace
| full As our Vermont hills, checkcred with
tarm-plots and forest-patches, the high
homes of cheerful shepherd boys; some
wild and bectiing with crays, and in the
cleaning Of the morning and evening
dark and gloomy as caverns, and other
some gray and dreary as those ineNprcs
sibly dismal mountains along the borders
of the Dead sea In this hither back
ground there is enough of the softncss
and severity to yield the impressive ci-
fleets of what we may call the grandeur
OF the picturesque. In the remote back
around run the towering heights of the
snow-capped glacial mountains, most CON
spicuous of all some of the Berncsc Alps.
Stand there at the verge of the lake in
the early morning, while the lower
mountains lie still in the shadow and the
sun is touching up the snow-hcights be
yond or al evening aS the sun filings his
latest Splendor across them or, rs | did
iir-t of all, iii the later evening beneath
the almost magic light OF the clear full
moon. If you wish TO study your posi-
ton here i the sc"mcnt OF 4 circnlar
marble slab, mounted upon a pedestal
inscribed, very ingenlously, with the
names OF the mountains. with pointers to
Indicate their position and relation to the
great central points that lie far beyond.
Or if rather you wish t. -aze and rather
in the whole GRAND scene, here it is:
The lake 50 fair the cultured shores.
cra99v Pilatus. and with one sweep of
vision across that wild background OF
maTniicence. your eye rests upon the
noble, yet graceful and gentle form of the
Rigi. 1t i this panoramic Splcndor that
attracts between Goo and 200 strangers
mere tonight
Many 90 to the Ri-i. few 90 to Pila-
tuS. For the most these strangers are
content to stay and look, or glide about
from port to port alon- this delightful
lake. They know too that this WAS the
home of William Tell. These waters
wooed that shcphcrl-warrior. Amld
these mountains lie used TO hear the
hunt,man's horn. These mountain storms
he bravod. 1t was here that he deliver
ed Switzerland Here near by * the
spot where tradition says he shot the ty-
rant Gicslcr there on the Lake OF Uri
the traditional spot where lie lcapcd
ashore and pushed the tyrant's boat back
INTO the storm and there beyond, two
mile, FROM the foot of the lake, where he
shot the apple from the head Of his boy.
The traditions are pleasant, especially ii
correct.
These lakes, and these mountains from
below are very rich and rrlnd, but | as
pre- to the heights. have tried Pilatus
and the R-i. Pilatus is difficult OF as
cent. The summit Is prccipitous. He
usually has his niGht-cap on. 1t Is not
usual 10 find him tolerant ola good new.
Yet | was grandly successful stood
upon his head. The day was spotlcss.
y world Of wonder lay far below. And
sill above me those awful snow-pinnaclcs
the pointers OF the Bernese Alp~,-Jung
frau, the maiden mount, 80 spOtless pure
with snow her crest and brow, Fiustcr-
aarhorn. the dark home of Aar, the
Gloomy ice-homc of the river Aar, that
dashcs turiously down the Grimscl Pass,
the Wctterhorli, the Wcllhorn, the
Schrcckhorn,-that Is the Frightiulhorn,
the more frightful since the untimelv
death Of poor Elliott, the brighton
clergyman, a few weeks since. Perhaps
you have heard of it Near the summit,
within 4 few feet OF it, upon 4 Steeply
slipping Glacier, he sprang forward free
from his guide, flag in hand eager to
crown the summit with it. He slipped.
and in moment was zone past all re-
covcry, and down 2OOO feet he went to
find a grave in Grindclwald
li'atus is the gloomy retreat which a
tradition has assigned to Pontius Plate
Here in remorse he dwelt about q lake
near the mountain summit, and found at
last his grave there. The storms that
rage about Pilatus, the peasants used to