Evening star., 1869-09-10
FROM SWITZERLAND.

Icicles and Snow. storms i'm August-The
Ascent Of the Grmmi Pass-tnterestiug
DescriPtion-A Frishtful PreciPice-The
Path Down the Bernese side-1he Ber.
nese Oberland.
Foreign Correspondence OF the Star.l
LAKE OF THUN, SWITZERLAND, August IL,
166o.-Is II asgravating to write Of cool snow.
storms and frozen icicles TO Washington ans at
this mid summer time Or would warm rains
and ripening clusters Of grapes prove more
acceptable subjects OF contemplaton9
So various Is nature in her higher and lower
phases In this mountainous land that one can
SUIT nimsslf as to climate with little difficulty
bound winter.
Setting out yesterday morning with two
muIes, Two guides, and third man to carry a
small trunk on his head, our party of three
bade good bye to Leukerbad and bsgan the as
cent OF the wild and once dangerous Gemmi
fass. Leaving green fields and pastures be-
.,S nno Us, we made our way slowly up tortuous
olste 1rOnt and seemed TO be shelved into the
side OF an almost perpendicular precipice. In
the course of an hour we had gained an eleva-
tion OF fifteen hundred feet above the village
whence we started, and the retrospective view
was one OF combined beauty and grandeur.
Above us lowered the snow.cappsd peaks
and glaciers, seemingly near, but actually
thousands of feet Distant below nestled the
pretty town, the houses of which looked even
smaller than the toys with which children
entrance of the valley OF the Dala painted its
green sides with gold and silvered the snow
peaks with glory that was too dazz,ing for
mortal eyes TO endure A heavy storm had
passed over in the night-snow in the moun
talns and rain in the valleys-the lingerIpg
clouds Of which hung most beautifully on the
white easements OF the blue windows of
heaven above us.
But mountain climbers care not to liuger
long when the summit is yet unattained, and
we pressed on for another hour, the road being
abyss, into which plumb line might be
dropped for a thousand feet and swing unite
clear of the side. On our left, almost touching
our elbows, and over our bending heads were
the oeetling rocks into which our pain had
been cut at immense cost and labor; and al
though the pass is now called quite SAFE we
eonid not forget the French lady who lost her
balance Just here few years ago, and fell from
her mule TO the bottom of the chasm.
But we reached the top In safety, plucking
iclcles for the 9penching of our thirst, while
we gatnered at the same time Alpine roses for
the leaves of our albums.
From the summit of the pass, our way lay
along the border OF pretty lake and by the
loot OF the glacier whence it is supplied with
The weather seemed like January in Wash.
ington, and we gladly dismounted from our
mules to make ourselves warm by walking and
running.
After an hour of level travelling we began the
descent. This, though less grand in its scenery
thsn the ascent, furnished a much greater
especially when al a distance; perhaps one,
third the way down tlco vallies, forming an
acute angle with each other, were revealed
suddenly to our gaze.
The path down 10 kaudersteg, on the Bernese
side OF the mountain, was one of rare beauty-
lovely waterfalis-beautiful wild fiowers-en-
Chanting views, varying with every turn.
made US forget the fatigue Of our walk, flor IL
was not pleasant 10 ride down, and We dis.
carded our mules } while Alpine strawberries
which grew abuDdantly along the sides of the
lower portion OF our walk, served TO stay our
appetite for dinner, which, however, we were
able fully to appreciate when we reached the
village OF kaud-rsteg,at at the foot Of the pass
Here we took carrIage and enioyed most
Charming ride Of twenty miles during the at.
terLoon tnrouga that most beautiful aud thrifty
portion OF switzerland, the Bernese ObarIaud
Reacnlng Thun, at the head of a romantic lake
OF that name, we rested for the night, weary
but by no means overcome with fatigue, tor the
morrow found US fresh for Interlaken Lauter.
brunnen and GrIndelwold OF which L will tslI
You somewhat in my next.
ours faithfully, q.