The Portland daily press., 1870-04-16

tors, is surrounded by substantial wall wIlc na
was erected nearly five centuries aso o., iaieas
took the steamer and passed over 1nI Ia ~,
of the Four Cantons 10 rieu tbe conticnous
opnortunity OF contrasting tne contiguous
scanarv With that of Thuu which 1t claims 10
,ivaIEand think justly; for, whilst the out
ek;rtino mountains may not be so lofty, owing
70 the convolutions of the water, the diversity
of the prospects is greater. But indeed, one
has not completed an inspection Of Switzer-
land until he has seen both.
Near the head of Lake Uri, at the waters
edge, foot of an immense precipice, is small
picturesque building called Tells Chapel,
erected, we were informed, in 13SS-thirty-
one years after the death of Swtzerland's
great hero, on the very spot where he sprans
out OF Gessler's boat in the tempest, when
the Oppressor was obliged to trust the craft to
him az pilot. At certain season every
year mass is performed here, a patriotic ad-
dress is delivered, and the inhabitants OF the
neighborng shores all attend in boats which
are gaily decorated for the occasion.
Arriving at Fluelen, l took diligence for AL
tori, famous as the scene OF some of Tells eX-
ploits, which eventuated in the severance OF
the country from Austria. Here there is a
gigantic but somewhat diapidated statue OF
of the lberator; the exterior OF the nelghDof-
ing to,on-t0,,ey is embeilished with paintings
of his exploits; and the place is pointet out
where he shot the apple from his sons head.
From Fueen to iBrunnen the Urner See
on the east, is lined with almost perpen-
dicular precipices, two or three thousand feet
in hight, through the gorgcs of which you get
views of far away snow clad submits hea1ed
up INTO the blue heavens in every variety of
form. Along the face of these precipices a
road or gallery is cut in the solid rock, eight
miles in length which ought to be esteemed
as aiding another TO the recognized wonders
OF the world 1t commands SPLENDID views
OF the lake and opposite mOuntains-is pass
able for carriages. but the pedestrian can bet
ter examine the fine and even varying pros
pects through the openings made to admit
the light.
Continuing ON from Brunnen by diligence,
skrting the Rigi mountain, a ride of four hours
brought me to the great landship Of Goldau.
had had in mind this great disaster-I be-
lieve in my boyhood days it was described in
the school books; and our townsman John
Neal, in his poem upon the subject hid en-
stamped 1t with indeible power upon my
memory-how, away back lat the beginning
OF the nineteenth century, an immence pOr-
tons Of the Rossberg mountain mad caved
down, and laundering, grinding, crashing and
shaking the surrounding region tor many
leagues as with the thrOes of an earthquake
the mighty mass had rolled onward, cra.s
boulders, forest trees and gravel, and over.
whemed the fertile and beautiful valley be.
low, with Geldau and three other villages and
their Inhabitants, filling up one third OF the
Lake OF Lowery, and surging far up the side
OF the klgi mountain opposite.
OF course the tremendous debris could not
be removed; md saving that some of the
rougher features OF the slide have been par.
italy concealed By growing trees and vegeta-
ton, and that roads have been made over il
(not without great labor and expense,) the
scene remains the same as ON Sept. 2, 1908
when it took place. You see the huge gorge
in toe Roasberg, whence came the "slip," an6
stretch across the valley to the Rigi where
they eliminated in spray of shattered rocl
and bowlder ar up the mountain side!
new !iaee, retaining the name of th,
old has bee built some two or three mile
from the scene of the disaster and on tw,
large marble slabs, built into the front of tn,
church, with questionable taste, under ghastly
devices of deaths heads and cross bones arr
recorded the names of two or three score o
the most prominent individuals who still liz
buried amidst the wrecks of their dwellings
many hundreds of Ieet under the earth-wave
Frou Godau went TO Arth or Art at the
southern end Of the lake of Zug; and thence
skirted the lake to the town OF Zug at its
northern extremity, amidst scenery that al.
ways interested me; here took to the rail
and went on to Zurich.
Zurich Including suburbs, $4,000 inhabi
tants) is largely engaged in silk and cottor
manufactures, and is the most fourishins
manufacturing town in Switzerland. Per
haps might with all Difference TO truth ais,
say that in regard to natural scenery, and t,
educational and scientific advantages, it ha
norival. Here met Prof Stocker Of the Poly
tecnnlc institution, who had been one of m,
most intimate companions in Egypt, and who
l am afraid, temporarily neglected his dutie
in order to point out to me the various oh
jects OF interest connected with the city. w
visited the extensive and admirably arranged
collections of natural history, several of The
public schools, some of which far surpass an,
OF ours in affording privileges for the highe
branches OF education at the public expense
and was enchanted with the views of lake
river, mountains and valleys, from the com
mandng points to which he conducted me
Indeed is Zurich model city.
From this section | went to Aarau, capita
OF the canton Of Aargau, a pretty thrivin
town OF i've or six thousand inhabitants
whence our excellent citizens, the Messrs. God
frey and Gabriel Marks emmanated. 1t sill
uated on the river Aare, at the foot of tn
Jura mountains, and among other objects &
interest, has an uncovered tower, built {
hint nodules, whose foundation dates bac
more than two thousand years.
- But, find myself forced to close this cor
espondence-having been induced from vi
gent requests and the exigencies of bushes.
to return to America. In conclusion 1 viii
simply say that from Aarau proceeded t.
Basic, thence to Meyance, and followed dow
the romantic scenery of the Rhine to Collosn,
IRON which city L went to Brussels, an(
thence to Paris.
In concluding will only say that the writ
ing OF the seletters served to while away not 9
few hours OF delays on the road and of stormy
weather, which might otherwise, have proved
wealisome; and l must thank your numerous
readers for the favor, in many Instances cor
daily expressed, with which my rambling
notes have been received.
Yours, &c. S.B.B.