The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-10-04

other travellers looked like they were
no larger than your hand. We also
passed several glaciers but
they are common to US now.
After an eight hour mule ride we ar
rived at Maripgy. which is only noted
tor being on the route to st. Bernard
and several other neighboripg noun
tains. We here took the train for 81"
ezra, where we arrived at 10 o'clock at
night and found that the Diligence left
10 forty-fve minutes, and only one q
day, 80 we were forced to get into il and
ride all night, which we did not like to
do. We started over the famous Simp-
lon Pass, which Napoleon l commenc-
ed in 1900, upon both sides Of the Alps,
employing 10000 laborers for SIX years
to com plete it. Every few miles there is q
house OF refuge for travellers, where the
avalanches generally fall. as place OF
refuge from the snow. You can have
view of the Bernese Alps. particular
y the Brethorn, Alestschhorne and
Vascherhorner, also several glaciers
You also pass through several tunnels
and two or three galleries, one of them
about one hundred feet long, passing
one of the Bernard Hospitals, also
through the widest and grandest glen
in all Switzerland, called the Gorge Of
Condo. Words will not describe the
grauduer. The rocks are standing six
hundred feet above you and around.
You can hardly sec how q Diligence
can go through unless you are at the
place, rocks are scattered around in pro-
fusion, some OF them larger than the
Mcclure House, which have fallen from
the top, aud a torrent is flowing from
the glacier and dashlng over the rocks
at au awful speed and covered
with foam. The mountains seem, as you
look at them, as though they were
coming down on you, and you instinc.
lively draw aside to get out Of the way.
We were almost frozen with our over
coats or, but about an hour after we
were sweating without any coat on, be-
Meath the blue and sunny skies OF Italy.
Well, after fatiguiDg journey, but
yery exciting one, we arrived at Baven,
aving ridden twenty.lour hours by
iigence without sleep. Here we
rpped for the night, getting our first
y - OF the lakes OF Ilaly, our hotel
reg on the bank OF Lake Msggiore
ga Thursday ] opened my eyes on the
finest scenery ever gazed upon. All
around US were fig trees full Of ripe
fruit and tropical fruit in proiusion.
We got into little row boat and went
to small island called Isola Bella, the
residence of an Italian Count. By fee
ing some OF the dependent we we're
shown through the house which was
fitted up in grand style. The floors
were all of fine mosaic work, each
room OF a different pattern, the sides
covered with paneling of all styles and
the ceilings irescoed. 1t also had sew
eral grottoes, the sides covered with di {.
ferent kinds of colored Shells also
statues of all kinds. The garden sur
passed my most sanguine expectation.
1t had orange, lemon, pomegranste,
citron, bananas, figs, dates aud many
other fruit trees. and nearly all OF them
bearing fruit; also cork, indian rubber
trees, &c, all too within view Of the
snow covered mountains OF Switzerland.
1t seemed to me as il | was dreaming or
in a tairy land.
The scenery on Lske Como is per-
iectly splendid. As the lake is not over
from one to seven miles wide and as We
were steaming down 1t we had good
view OF both sides OF it. In nearly ev-
cry mile you pass a village nestled
among the trees with fine church and
high steeple on it. The mountains ia
pering down to the lake are covered
with vineyards and all terrace1 from bot.
tom to top, making in all one hand
some picture which | shall always re-
member. From Como we took the
diligence to Csmerlata, only email
station. Here we took the train and
arrived at Milan at about ten o'clock
Saturday. The frat thing we went to
zee was the famous cathedral Of Mi
Ian. 1t is built of white marble ard
was commenced in l4S7 and is not fin
ished yet, and they are still working st
it, 1t is 400 feet long, 2S9
wide and 25S high under the dome.
in the form OF a Latin cross. 1t is sup
ported by SO Pillars. 1t has l06 pin
acles and 4,500 statues and the ROOT il
of marble slabs. You can have an
idea OF the imense size Of the bnIlding
still it is 30 massive that no person will
think it is hall as large or contains one.
twentieth part OF the statues. 1t has
to be looked at for some time aud it
will grow on you every minute you
look. We 1ett up to the top OF the
steeple 400 odd feet, then we could
form better idea OF it than from the
ground. The view from the top is
splendid. You can see for fifty miles
around you in all directions. The
stained windows are the finest we ever
saw, each window representing one OF
the scenes in the Bible History or in
Christ's life. l think there must have
been two hundred priests officiating
The people were wretched looking.
The wsnep. had nearly ali bsndauna
hankerchieis on and were bsrefooted,
the men ditto. On SUNDAY went TO
the church called Santa Maria Dell
Grazia where ia to be seen the famous
painting of the Last Supper" by Leo
ardo De VInci. TIE wall on
which it is painted has moulded
and ruined the picture
We took a hack and rode all over the
city, which is dirty. with narrow look
ing streets. l guess all Italian cities
are alike in that respect
We arrived in Venice last night and
have not yet got TO see much OF this
place, but will tell you aboyt it in the
n1et letter, as have made this longer
than expected now.