The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-10-09

haps, not more than six feet wide
where rocks have fallen from abov,
wedging themselves, as il were, in tn,
narrow passage, forming natural roof
and at the same time building tun
= mel. Just beyond this a place wa,
pointed out to me where traveller
had fallen from the heights above
meeting almost instant death on the
rough and hard path below. 1t was
in the night. He had lost his way and
" as making for light he saw in the
distance, little thinking how soon he
was to take fatal step over a preci.
pice at least one hundred feet high.
The Bastei is one of the finest points
of observation in SaxOny-Switzerland.
The rocks at this place rise almost
perpendicularly from the right bank
Of the Elbe, which rushes swiftly
around their base, to the height of 700
feet. 1t is the grand view of the sur.
rounding country which this point af-
fords, and the peculiar formation of
the rocks, topped with trees and over
hung with creeping vines, that make
it one of the most interesting in that
district of which I write. AT places
these rocks look as if they had been
carved out by the hand of man, repre-
seuting all shapes imaginable; again
we see inverted pyramids, their heavy
tops threatening to crush asunder their
slender support. The isolated Lilien-
stein and Kcenigstein stand boldly out
to the front, with the Bohemian Mts.
i'll the background, and the Pabststein
and the Winterberg TO the left, whilst
in the valley below speed on the wa
te1s of the Elbe, flowing by the beau
tifnl city Of Dresden, then north thro'
Anhalt, forming in part the boundary
between Mecklenburg and Hanover,
widening into an estuary at Hamburg
and thence into the depths Of the North
Sea.
The summit of Koenigstein, 920 feet
above the Elbe, is level district of
eight or ten acres in extent, and has
been used as fortress for ages. Ow.
ing to its isolated position it has never
been taken. The only point from
which it could possibly be commanded
is the distant Lilienstein on the oppo-
site side of the river. Napoleon tried
to storm it from this point, but after
considerable labor in dragging up
three pieces Of artillery be found his
shot all fell short and had to give it up
in despair. During war the public
treasure is taken here for safe keeping.
Even the monarchs fly thither in hours
of danger. In the beginning of the
seven years war, the army Of Saxony,
$4,000 men strong, was shut in at the
base Of Lilienstein and compelled,
through hunger, to surrender to Fred
erick II, before the very eyes Of their
King who had taken refuge in the for
tress of Koenigstein. A garrison of
four or five hundred mon is still sta
toned here, and l do not consider it an
unpleasant place to live, for the air is
pure and a charming view of the sur
rounding mountains and towns can be
had from the ramparts. The water,
which is of an extra quality, and ice
cold, is obtained from a well about
nine feet in diameter and 660 #. deep /;
it is cut through the solid rock and
required forty years to complete it.
The time seems long, but my authority
is an officer who acted as guide and
could have no reason for exaggerating.
During war prisoners are brought here,
and many were the stories our guide
related of the bold attempts to escape.
During the late trouble between Ger.
many and France many French pris-
oners were conveyed to this point, and
he tells about three young men who
made their escape one night by going
down the precipitous rocks by means
of a rope made from their clothing,
blankets and the like, and then by
crawling through crevice, reached a
place from which they could descend
without any risk of life. They Ger.