The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-11-21
MI isc eIIaneous.
Correspondence of The 1Egis d htelltgencer
LETTER FROM EUROPE.
VIENNA, October 28th, 1878

Mr.. EDITOR Very often since l left
old Hartford have intended to give your
readers some of the experiences with which
l have met during my wanderings abroad,
but up to the present my good intentions
have gone to form part of that famous
pavement of which our clerical friends
sometimes speak, and have remained ST.
lent. Do not, however, think tits silence
of Indifference, for though bodily far away,
it has been one of my chiefest pleasures to
be among them in imagination, to wander
among the creeks and swamps in which
was nurtured, or skim lightly over the wat
ers of the beautiful Chesapeake. / have
chased Bavarian beer and Switzer cheese
to their native haunts, and followed the
hand organ, that well-known blessing to
modern humanity, to the land of its nativi-
ty. Now am settled down for the win
ter, in the great city of the worlds fair, and
can occasionally devote an odd leisure hour
to your columns. Perhaps it would not be
amiss to relate some little incidents which
occurred during pedestrian tour through
Switzerland, undertaken during the past
summer, by party of five young American
doctors ESQ called) of which your cores
pondent had the honor to be member.
The first real mountain walking we per-
formed was done in making the ascent of
the Rigi. Now we were all pretty green
in such matters, and we were joined at
Arth, village on Lake Tug, from which
we started, by couple of young English
men no more experienced than ourselves.
True, we had nearly laid ourselves on the
shelf by walking from Wilbad to Baden
Baden, and we had also, on the day before,
walked from Horgen, on Lake Zurich, to
the town of Tug, from which place we had
come to Arth by boat, but we had by no
means acquired sufficient amount of that
peculiar training which is necessary for
comfortable mountain walking. But ofour
deficiencies we were ignorant, as is often
the case, and though guides and porters
tlocked around us as we started, making
the most persistent efforts to carry our KNAPP
sacks for us, we looked upon them with
contempt, and set out trusting most conf
IDENTIFY in Beadaker and our legs.
The morning was very hot, the ascent
was steep, and though our packs were not
at all heavy at the outset, they seemed to
absorb weight from the atmosphere o, some
where else, and to grow heavier with every
step we took. 1t was not long before we
began to relent somewhat in the harsh opin-
ion we had formerly held of porters, and
in fact we came to the conclusion that they
were very useful set of people.
About two hours after starting, having
perspired extremely, and painted to such
an extent that we Individually had been
stigmatized by being compared to to cam
el-back locomotive going up grade, we
gained a small house on the mountain side,
where we concluded to rest. Here we re-
freshed ourselves with red wine and cold
water, and having heen so far softened by
the soothing influences of the walk as to
condescend to bargain with our host to
have our baggage transported to the sum-
nit, we proceeded on our way with much
more satisfaction. Our rates of travelling
from this point showed themselves differ
ent One OF our party and one of the Eng
lishmen started ahead, three Others were
more moderate in their aims, and your cor
respondent with another, considering the
fact that they had all day to make the sum-
nit in, concluded to perform the journey as
comfortably as possible.
We were the last who arrived at the top,
but reached it in perfectly good condition,
with the exception of rather imperious
appetite. 1t was fortunate thing for the
young children and raw sheep we found
there, that there was a good hotel close by.
During our ascent Beadaker proved him
self, as lie always does, q most reliable guide;
but those other parties in whom we had
trusted, namely, our legs, had rather gone
back on us, and showed that they needed
little more training.
The view from the top of the Rigi is one
of the most famous i'm Switzerland and
surely it deserves its reputation. On the
east, just at the base of the peak lies the
pretty little Lake Tug, surrounded by
mountains and villages. On the south the
sunny peaks and glaciers of the lofty Alps,
glittering like FURNISHED silver in the sun,
lay stretched like panorama before the
eye. On the west and north is seen Lucerne
and its beautiful lake, and the valley which
separates it from Lake lug; and to the
northwest, forming the back ground of the
picture, rugged old Pilatus lifts his hoary
head.
The sunset was somewhat obscured by
mist, but we could see the effect tolerably
well Notwithstanding. First, as the sun be
gan to decline, we could see the valleys and
lakes far below grow dim in the deepening
twilight, while we were yet enjoying the
full light of day; and not long after the
sun had sunk behind the western hills and
we were bathed in early twilight, the twink