The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-21
European Correspondence Of the Bulletin. ]
- H. Az, nat1Lar JA-E


ANDERNATT, on the Alps. October, 1875
Dear Bulietn-Andernat is a small tow
or rather a very small village, situated ne
the summit of the st. Gotthard Pass and ms
be said to possess not the least Importance asit
from beinga principal post-statioD, and col
venient stopping place for pedestrian tourist
1t is twenty-four miles from Andernatt
Flueben, the latter being the little sink-holt
or jumping-of place. situated at the extrem
southern end of the Lake of Lucerne, an
with the consciousness Of being something
extraordinary in the way of "good walkers,
our party had put it down in their pro
gramme to walk that twenty-four miles; bu
after the humiliating and exhansting expe
riences OF yesterday, the day when w
climbed a mountain in four hours that only
takes "good walker" three hours and fif
teen minutes to ascend, our confidence in oul
powers'of pedestrianism was SO much shaken,
and certain muscles of our systems were SO
stiff and uncomfortable when put to the least
stretch, that we concluded to ride that twenty
four miles after all. So We got breakfast and
left Vitznau, the lower terminus of the Rigi
Railway by an early steamer; intending to be
very smart and engage places in the noon
diligence Immediately on our arrival in
Flueben so as to get ahead of the passengers
coming by the noon boat, with which the
diligence makes connection.
In our blissful ignorance we did not know
that the seats In the diligence could all be
engaged in Lucerne, or by the passengers of
the noon steamer on board. and so we sailed
along over the sparkling, sunny lake, admir-
ing the lovely views that we're presented with
every point of the shore the boat rounded, and
as happy as children all the while. This lake
is very marrow and long, winding about like
tortuous river, and at the southern end the
banks rise almost perpendicularly from the
water, giving an effect indescribably pic
turesque.
On the green slopes far overhead one sees
white cottages peeping from amid gems of
trees, perched like birds nests above the
steep cliffs that border the lake, while at the
base of these cliffs and out of the rocky wall
parapeted carriage road runs along, now
clingng to the cliff and actually overhanging
the blue water, now taking short cut
through tunnel, where some sharp promen-
tory projects into the lake, and occasionally
traversing for a short distance little piece of
level ground where nature has kindly given
an opportunity for trees to grow and for man
to build himself an habitation. " .tnfr5.
At the point where the mythical hero Tell
is supposed to have sprung ashore as he shot
the tyrant Gesler and pushed the boat back
into the stormy lake, a little chapel has been
erected bearing his name. For all that we
are compelled to believe, on good authority,
that no such person as Tell ever existed, we
yet look with real interest upon all the spots
which tradition has associated with exploits
of this romantic parsonage. Thus at Altdorf,
two miles south of Fiueben, and on the ST.
Gotthard road, town supposed to have been
the birth place of Tell they have column
erected on the very spot where the hero stood
when he shot the apple.
In the first place there was never any such
performance, and secondly it would be absurd
to suppose that after the lapse of five centu-
ries the spot could still be exactly designated
upon which q MAJ who was not then a hero,
but simply common prisoner, had stood
while about to make shot that no one could
foresee would make him famous; but they
show you the spot all the same, and you think
of your schoolboy speech about the hero and
about the familiar music of the opera, and
are "glad you have come"
Well, the four good walkers marched con-
fdently up to the diligence Office and called
for tickets, only to be answered that no places
could be had until the arrival of the noon
boat. Why? Because only limited num-
Der of passengers could be accommodated
and those on the boat might have already en-
gagged all the places.
Death and destruction and pray how many
might that limited number be2 Twenty-four.
Was there ever such stupid arrangement;
decidedly not The Swiss Government makes
a monopoly of this diligence business and
such is the plan on which it is worked. |
Heaven speed the st. Gotthard tunnel that is
to put an end to this COMPOUNDED posting sys-
tenn. Then we held council OF war, our de-
alterations being aided by various carriage
drivers who kindly offered to take US on to
Andernatt at prices ranging from twice to
three times what the diligence fare would be,
and we decided to wait.
Wait We did, and when the boat came we
found that not only were the twenty-four
places taken, but that there were nearly twice
that number of people on board who, like
ourselves, were left out of the list of the hap
Ply. As this occurs every day the hotel keep
ess have learned to anticipate it, and when
the boat arrived there were about twenty car
riages in waiting, ready harnessed and
equipped, to be hired to disappointed pas
sengers. These Alpine travelling carriages
are peculiar. They must all have three
horses and carry six passengers besides the
driver. We found an Italian officer who was
he S;c,r pYrr aalyac and nc