Connecticut western news., 1872-09-06
--- OUR EUROPEAN CORR SURROUNDINGS
TConclud ad'l

The great majority of the two Car loads which composed our company preferred the latter, except two old ladies, somewhat encountered with adverdupois, who were borne up in chairs There WAS not ! little puffing and blowing as party after party reached the summit, five thousand feet above the sea. Once attained, however, the mountain furnished its own compensa- ton. Few grander outlooks are to be seen on the Earth. Some old travellers say none. The object of the ascent is usually to wit ness sun rising, and sun setting. For tunately for us, the afternoon was all un, usually brilliant one, and the three hours before sunset was spent in rambling from point to point, and in looking over the fear full precipices, which in some places formed such terrible gashes in the mountain, as al, most to chill ones blood in casting an eye down their fearful depths. Half-an, hour before sunset there were to be seen some l5O or 200 peop,e on the vtry ap' ot the mountain, gazing with the most intense anxiety toward the western horizon to watch the declining sun, occasionally turn- ing to the eastern also, to witness its effects upon the snow clad Jungfrau, Wettclhorn, Shriekhorn, Fallhorn, and dozens of the formidable peaks. These it gllded with a glory that an angel might look upon with delight, judging from human impressions), and that none but the Almighty Architect could produce The sun himself, descend ing in majesty behind the awful mountains, was scarcely more brilliant than the eastern snow clad summits he had gilded with his decliniug rays As these two great glo
 ries faded from view there was sudden and complete exemplification of the adage. that there is but step from the sublime to the ridiculous, seen in this instance in the rush from this glorious scene to witness gastronomic display at the dinner table, that wonld astonish the heartiest of gor- mandizers. Fortunately the morning dawn was as brilliant as the previous evening sunset, and the two hundred sleepers in the great hotel at the Kuhn, who had been aroused by the trumpet, were most of them to be seen again on the hill, not, however, in uniforms as complete in harmony as those that grace the body guard of Queen Victoria. Soon after an early breakfast more than a hundred of these sun struck tourists were to be seen vending their way down the winding path to the railway sta tion, all on foot except the ladies above re- fered to, who kept to their chairs, because they were to fat too walk, andyour honora- ble servant kept to his horse because he was too poor. The descent of the noun tain by rail was accomplished with great care and at very moderate pace, guard on foot preceded, by few yards, every engine. Returning to Luzerne again, after a short run to Zurich after the remainder of our party, enabled us to take second trip over its pleasant lake and to witness from it's broadest point thunder storm, which to us was novel and sublime. The lofty mountain tops were rapidly enveloped in the blackest of clouds, and the reverbe- ration of the thunder cracking through their wild gorges, was indeed fearful for a few minutes. Brighter skies on the fol
 lowing day developed many beautiful landscape on our way to the Canton and city of Berne. Here and in the vicinity, few days were passed pleasantly, one of which was given to the little Swiss town of Thur and its lake, and to its more impor- tant neighbor, Intertacken. The Bear, as emblem or presiding genius, is to be seen almost everywhere in Berne, not only in efigies on and around it's statues and foun- dations, but in actual existence as city property, in building aud park appropria- ted to their exclusive use. This seems to be the pet of Berne as much as does the lion, of England. The city is pleasantly situated on the river Aar, and being on ele- vated ground commands 8 fine view of the distant snow-covered Alps. The ride from Bsrne to Geneva is also a pleasant one, through finely cultivated country, and about half of it is along the high ground overlooking lake Leman. The north side of the lake, which is travsrsed by the rail trains, is cultivated almost exclusively for grapes, and of the vines there are thousands of acres. On the opposite shore, until you come within 15 or 20 miles of Geneva, the Alps run down into the lake, Geneva needs no description, it is so well known. It stands at the outlet of the lake, which outlet is full, sparkling, rapid river, (the Rhone,) of the most beautiful water in Europe. We looked into the neat little hall where the Arbitrators of the 'Ala bama" matters are sitting, whose action i
 is to be hoped will diminish the probabili
 ties of war in all coming time. Leavins Geneva at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, WI passed for some thirty or forty miles, more or less of the way. along the banks of the Rhone, through some of the most pictur
 esque scenery we had seen, off from tho mountains, in all Sutherland. A few mile
 out of Geneva, the river has deep bed il
 limestone rocks, and as it is very sinuou
 in it's course, has worn deep and singula
 cavities in the rock. The banks are ofte1
 perpendicular or overhanging, and some
 times of great height, terminating in lofty
 mountain peaks. This ride of 375 miles tc
 Paris, was continued through the night
 the second night ride we had ventured upo1
 in the eight months since we left the ocean
 There was a bright moon, and as we stop
 ped at two or three important cities, tht
 tediousness of night ride was mucf diminished, particularly as we had secured
 a coupa for our exclusive use. We could
 see that much of the country was well GOV
 cred with crops, and certainly, the grea
 railway we were upon, was well managed
 and one of the best in Europe. Indeed, the
 whole system of railroad management ir
 Europe is admirable. Paris presented 6
 more cheerful aspect than it did during the
 fogs of last December, but the effects oi