Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-24

Bernese Alps, and. on reaching Luccrne. the
Rigi and Pilatus.
The morning Of the Fourth dawned clear
and beautiful, and looking out from my win
dow in the Swan Hotel, facing the lake, the
prospect was grand in the extreme. The no
manticlake Lucerne, and the grand old Alps,
with their snow capped peaks, were not seen
in the imagination three or four thousand
miles away, as from America, but were actual
objects Of vision, as looked from my win
dow, grand painting tinted by the rays of
the morning sun, such an one as the poet
and artist may dream Of, bat never perfectly
| express. Breakfast over we were not long in
making up our party. 1t numbered three.
My companions were a clergyman, Rev. Mr..
| Bussell from Oxford, England, and his pu-
pill, young man by the name of Sherman,
from BGcksport, Maine, brother TO the gen
| tleman who last year presented Colby Uni
versity with valuable spectroscope through
Prof. Hall, then travelling in Europe. The
meeting of young man from Maine in a for
eign land on the morning of the Fourth was
| indeed a pleasant one. We had our choice
OF eleven places of interest on the lake, but a.
we wanted to see as much as possible,
| bought tickets for Fluellen, the extreme
landing place, distance of two hours and
| fifty minutes. 1t is quite impossible to say
how many miles it is from Lucerne to Fluellen
by the lake, as the steamer is obliged to touch
AT the various watering places along the way
on opposite sides OF the lake. and around jet
ting promontories, making the route a very
circuitous one. A large namber fthe pas
sengers left the steamer at Vitznau, a small
village at the base OF mount Rigi. to the top
of which railroad has been built. This is
| favorite place with the tourist, but our party
| ght Ii more romantic 20 ascend "a noun
! tain covered with snow. a particular one near
! Fluellen which seemed easy of access As we
saw il from the distance, Rigi, though per-
| haps two thousand feet high, is not high
enough 10 be covered with snow. and, think
| ing it would be grand sport to make snow
balls on the Fourth of July, we selected
| mountain, laid down on our map as Windgelie
covered with snow. and with light hearts and
| determined wills we resolved to reach the line
| of perpetual snow. Oar steamer arrived at
Flueilen in due time and We set cut on foot
TO Altdorf. two miles distant, 10 fluid the base
| of our mountain. At Altdorf we saw a
statue to William Tell, bearing the date of
| 1907, and were attacked by a crowd of men,
women and children with photographs of the
same. Many think to this day as my friend,
Mr.. Russell remarked. 'that if there had
| been no Schiller there would have been no
| Tell, bat the peasantry OF Switzerland be-
| lieve in Tell, a skiiful archer. that lived
aaioag the mountains many years ago.
Whether he was an actual person, or not
| Schiller could not have selected more ro
mantle spot than Altorf for the home of \
moantaineer. It's only outlet is the lake.
narrow at this point. locked in on all sides by
the snow capped mountains.
| One might naturally suppose that it would
/ be impossible for any thing to grow in these
regions of snow. but we saw cultivated land
on the mountain side 10 height OF nearly, or
| ev en- more than two thousand feet. The land
! is mostly grazing aud woodland. 1t is, how
| ever. very rich, and flows with milk and hon
ey. We thought there mus. be honey some
where, for the bees were in great abundance.
much 70 our sorrow, and plagued US until we
had reached considerable height.
We took the mountain path used by the
peasants. but after ascending thousand feet
dry mountain torrent path crossed orr
track, and. supposing il would lead us more
directly 10 the region Of snow, chose it,
instead of the travelled path We could
plainly see the snow at dazzy height above
US, much farther, as We afterwards learned.
than We at first supposed.
( There vas liitle bit OF romance connected
with cur ascent that cannot forbear relating.
!, We had neglected to take any food, and feel
ing hungry little after twelve O'Clock, we
\ IL
, some bread and milk by calling on the peas
ants so, seeing a hut near by, we made for il,
armed with French and German. We raped
/ at the door bu. no one came. We opened the
door and walked in. II was very much like
, the log hints imagine, as our forefathers built
two hundred years ago. fire place,
built in the solid rock which formed one end
n of the cabin, Imprinted rafters overhead,
e some iron kettles on the floor. with here and
a rafr cf wnOhpu ehoez n yathpr
dals, for the soles only were wooden and
. leather straps passed over the top, and few
rough wooden stools principally attracted our
!. attention. We were about 10 leave when We
espied door leading to another compartment
on opening which We found ourselves among
III a half dozen children. who had through fear,
kept themselves quiet. The older members
T. Of the family were probably al work in the
&c fields and had left the children at home
They were at work over some WOODEN yarn,
~ making it into sktins. We were not long il
b. understanding the situation, and fearing that
" any delay might frighten them still more VT
at once made knawn our wants by asking
them in French Il they would give some
he milk and bread, hut failing 10 make then
d understand. We tried die German with no
% better success, however, than We had with the
>, French. We were about to despair Of max
4" ing our wants known, when, on pointing to a
J. large wooden cask, such as W. had seen the
n peasants bring around milk in to the hotel.,
n in Lucerne, they at once knew what we
wanted and said in plain English, milk,
milk" There was little satisfaction in
e learning, after we had returned from our
e days tramp that these Swiss peasants speak
very poor German, and that if we had used
the German for milk instead of the word for
cream, we did, possibly we might have
> made them understand. The oldest, girl OF
J, about twelve years, soon returned with q
Is pitcher OF milk and a nice large loaf of bread.
, The novelty OF eating bowl of bread and
milk on the slope OF an Alpine mountain, and
= that too in the Int of a mountaineer on the
Is Fourth OF July, gave extra relish to our rcpast
" which, fancy, was unuiXed with chalk or
:, water We paid them several small bits of
W silver with which they sceIucd highly pleased,
p and were about to 20, when the same Young
le Miss who brought Us the pitcher of milk
came running IN with a handful Of pinks
which she had collected while we were enioy-
ing our repast. Though we could not under
stand each other with the language of words,
II the language of the pinks was perfectly plain,
| ,,tttf. .,l,