Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-02-11

putting on their brown and varied garb, and
sncw lay upon the inner and higher sum-
mts of the Alps, yet the grass was brightly
green in the valleys, many flowers were sill
brilliant, the oianges we're in full fruitage,
the olive and the fig in leaf, and much of
the sLrubbe,y in the perfection of foliage.
| made visit to Monaco, the celebrated
gambling place of Southern Europe, and
one of the most charming of places in its
situation, and thence took ride over the
celebrated Cornichy road that runs along
the shore OF the Mediterranean, and displays
to the traveller over it, perhaps more lovely
scenery than any route in Europe or the
world. We went to Mentone, within mile
or two of the Italian frontier, passing
through orange groves of great extent, and
covered with blossoms, and at the same
time fruit in all stages of ripening, and get
ting glorious views ever the sea, and the
many beautiful bays, and promontores and
picturesque rocks, and back over the noun
tains that came close down to the sea, and
present every charm Of rugged form and
rocky face. But could occupy all the
contemplated limits Of this letter in detail.
ing the charms Of this locality, which re.
call with additional pleasure after the month
of dreary, rainy weather which We have ex-
perienced away from it and which we are
still experiencing. Including this trip to
Mentone, have traversed the Medterane-
an coast from Italy to Marseilles, or to the
embouchme of the Rhone; and west as far
as Toulon, where the mountains terminate,
and over which the Mistral blows with all
it power, is the same beautiful land i'll seen
cry, in shrubbery, in frultage, in climate,
in beautiful villas, i'll cities, and towns, and
villages made interesting by their history.
We left Nice on Sunday, the 7th of No
vember, on the trip which | ain still max
ing, and went to Marseilles over this de-
ligh,ful route. Marseilles we found inter
esting mainly from its modern energy and
commercial enterprise. Its great harbors
were packed with shipping, and large
steamers could be numbered by scores. It's
storehouscs and docks are upon u vast scale,
and finer than any have ever seen, not ex-
ceptng those of London. It's business
streets are very fine, and its stores full of
that rich variety of beautiful goods for
which France is noted. From thence we
went to Aries, up the valley of the Rhone,
once noted city in Roman Gaul, and
whose only attractions are the remains Of
Roman occupation. One of the largest
and best preserved Roman amphtheatres
outside Of Italy, is to be found there, built
43 years before our era. The ruins Of a
vast theatre, catacombs, forum and cele-
bratcd metropolis or burial place, are also to
be found, and proved interesting. From
thence we went to Avignon, oEce the rival
of Rome as the seat of Papal power, for
here in the 18th century; from 1905 to 1873,
seven successive Popes lived and reigned.
Their vast palace still stands, grim and SOL
id as an old fortress, which it more resem-
bles than palace, and in it we saw the dis
nal dungeon where they imprisoned Rien-
ri. They left many other buildings and
memorials OF their occupation that make
the city interesting to visit. From thence
we went up the valley Of the Rhone, beau
tiful and fertile, and bounded by hills and
mountain spurs, upon which castles, chat
eaux, monasteries aud hermitagcs, noted as
theatres of interesting struggles and events,
were everywhere to be seen, now masses of
ruins. Old towns that Caesar, and Pompey.
and Augustus, and Julian, and scores Of
noted Roman generals and emperors had
traversed, and occupied, and fortified, and
embelished, we're TO be seen in plenty, and
added by their association with the beauti-
ful landscape, additional, if they did not
make the chief charm of the journey. We
stayed day or two at Lyons, a beautiful
city built Oh both sides of the Rhone and
the Soane, the second in point of popula-
ton in France, whose prosperity comes
through that much bewailed passion Of
your sex for silks and beautiful articles Of
ornament, for the production Of which the
city is noted. l could not but bewail the
poverty that prevented me from making all
my lady friends happy in the possession Of
some OF the beautiful stufs | saw there,
and must say that one of the great draw
backs to my trip has been that | felt too
poor to buy some of the beautiful articles
of utility which l am constantly seeing, to
say nothing of the copies Of beautiful art
works which are here furnished very cheap
", and which would ever be source of
enjoyment to me. From Lyons we went
to Geneva, crossing the Jura range of the
Alps, and seeing much beautiful scenery.
Geneva and its beautiful Lake Leman, and
its Alpine surroundings, we saw under the
most favorable aspects Of weather possible
fer the time Of year. We were too late,
however, to go to Chamonnix, but rode to
the top of the Little Saleve, which forms
background TO the city as We see it on com
ing from the west. From this elevated
point of 5000 feet, We had a most magnii
cent view of the Mt. Blanc range with its
eternal SHOWS, and glaciers, and astonsh-
ingly rugged peaks, while at our feet 10y
Geneva, the Lake, and the Arye, and the
Rhone, and their populous and beautiful
valleys, with all the inequalities of surface
apparently smoothed out because of the
height from which we viewed the scene.
Beyond the valley and the city the long
regular line of the Jura stretched away
right and left, with no rugged protiles ap
parent in that perspective. The whole
scene was most charming. and as whole,
including the city, lake, mountain and val
ley views, is said to be one OF the most
pleasing in Europe. Charming as our ride
was in going, it was still more SO in return
inc, as we saw Mt. Blanc and his grim
brothers bathed in floods Of light from the
setting sun, the color of which, modified by
the glacial surface, was indescribaby rich
and beautiful. We left Geneva at daylight
for tour along the north side of the Lake,
and as we had the effect of the setting sun
upon the mountains, SO we had that OF the
rising orb. AS we rode along we had leis-
ure TO note the development of peak alter
peak from out of the morning mist, and
how beautifully the sun tipped them, and
shaded the rugged outlines, while the icy
prisms of the glaciers dissolved the rays
aud reflected all the prismatic colors upon
the clouds. We went to the head OF the
Lake and visited the Castle Of Chillon, an
old and still stong fortress OF the Dukes OF
Savoy, made memorable by Byron's "Pris-
oner of Chilon." We traversed its draw
bridges, and courts, and dreary chambers,
and secret passages, and dark dungeons,
where Francis Downward was imprisoned
fer seven years, after having been entrap-
ped into the power of the Duke of Savoy,
whose designs against Genevese liberty he
was prominent in thwarting. Here we
we're at the threshold of the rugged Alpine
scenery, and could see towering above us
the most noted of the Savoy, Chablais and
Be,nese Alps, while the Lake lay III the
warm sunshine, bright ard calm as basin
Of molten silver, lined throughout its north
ern or convex border, with beautiful villages,
and having the whole vast slope of the Ju-
raj, as far as the eye could reach, planted
with the vine. We went to Nevay and
Lausanne and from very high point