Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-08-04

awful grandeur Of the scenery. "Terrhc! "
most fifty expresses it. From II to o clock
we were baking in the sun and suifocatlng In
! the dust below six hours later we were eat
ing snow as we passed through immense banks
of it, rising high above our heads. The last
! five miles of the ascent afforded most won.
| derful sight. The road winds heavily up, cut
1 from the precipitous rocky sides OF the Alps.
! You hang in mid heaven two thousand feet
! below YOU rushes the mad mountain torrent,
swelled as it goes on by innumerable streams
of water from the snow banks above tumb
ling down, down, down with mi Ihty leaps
and dashed to snow again and again. The
grandeur and sublinity of the scene were
heightened by terrific thunder storm lust as
we approached the summit, beyond our most
ardent expectations. 1t had been our priv
ilege to see the Yosemite. the Rocky Noun
tains, and the Sierra Nevadas; but here we
saw something which combined and intensified
exceeded them all-mountains more grand,
waterfalls more beautiful. The Pass was
built by the Austrian Government at immense
cost, as military road TO connect Lonlbardy
with Austria. The highest altitude which we
gained was G.9i0 feet when we were at the
tops of the Alps, surrounded on every side by
fields Of snow, lin!tleSs in extent. Descend
ing two thousand feet into Switzerland, we
came to the village of Splugen, where we found
good hotel. As it was late at night, we con-
cluded to lay over ard have one cool nights
rest before descending into the heat again. and
it was nice and comfortable, even with a
feather bed over us. the custom IN thi, COun-
try. We found delicious honey on the tehlc.
another custom throughout Switzerland. The
Italian tongue is now dropped for that of ;he
Swiss, or rather the German printed with the
Roman letters. Taking the diligence the
next morning We rode five hours down the
mountains: through some very tine scenery,
among the sweet smelling pines am! trs to
the town of COire Cor Chur) where we took
the Railroad tor Zurich ami thence to this
city, where we arrived about eight o'clock
las. night. Before leaving the diligence, in
which we had rode - hours and 30 miles,
let us try and give il short description. 1t
is a long double stage coach, the main body
carrying from four to six passengers while in
front of that and under the driver Is the coupe,
accommodating two or three passengers and
being much preferable to any other part of
the coach, on account of the unrestricted view
in front and sides and the avoidance OF much
of the dust, which is so annoying to those be-
hind. An extra charge is made for this part
of the stage. The baggage is PIT upon the
broad top and covered with tarpaulin to keep
out both dust and rain. The mails are locked
up in huge box at the rear, over which
protected by a chase top and boot, in which we
rode the first 20 miles. On the larger stages
five horses (three abreast in 'front.' are har-
messed, and a change of horses is made about
every 10 miles.
After taking the cars (Which are built more
in the American fashion than any others We
have seen, being long and entered at the ends,
though divided into compartments4 we rapid
ly left the mountains and travelled through n
beautiful fertile undulatng country. At and
before arriving at Corc we passed along and
over the Rhine, and ITS swift current We can
now hear rushing past our hotel lies Trois
Rois." We like the appearance of Switzer-
land very much, and are happily disappointed
in finding it not all mountains, according to
the popular idea in America. The people ap-
pear to be very enterprising, and live in good
houses, and what is best Of all we have seen
no abject pauperism.
Basel is a city of $4,000 people and being
at the junction of>Switzerland, Germany and
France. is place of great commercial activ-
ity. AS we leave here this morning we must
close our letter.
CHASSfSD.