The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-06-15
mountain to where VIC stood, go up still
hinhar and IN nnla with rthar cloadS


mountain to where VIC stood, go up still
higher and miDgle with other clouds.
Some Tyroian singers gave concert
one evening in the dining room. Their
songs were sung in the Swiss language, and
in the Swiss style A young man per-
formed on the either, stringed instru-
ment, which is played by picking the
strings with the fingers. The music is
melodious and soft. Charles G. Fulton
writes that Lucerne is about twenty miles
from the Right. He may be right, but it
appears to me to be the shortest twenty
miles have even seen. The mountain is
covered here and there with trees, around
and about our hotel. But on the very
summit there are no trees, or any signs
of vegetation, except very short grass
The winds around this mountain are ter
rible. They come up SO suddenly and
unexpectedly, that ofttmes the traveller is
caught unawares, and he must hide in the
clefts of the rock until the fury of the
storm has been spent.
From Mount Righi took the cars again
and commenced the descent. The cars
landed me at the terminus, at small town
called Arth. then took the boat for Lu-
cerne. While on Lake Lucerne, | passed
the place where William Tell leaped from
the boat and escaped from the guards, who
were conducting him to prison. The peo-
pie of LuCerue have built, in comnemora-
ton of his escape, small stone chapel, on
the banks of the lake, and at the exact
spot where he escaped from Gessler, who
was conveying him to prison. Il seems a
pity to spoil the pretty story about William
Tell, but since | have been deceived in the
story of Robinson CruSoe | have not the
least computations about undeceiving the
readers hereof concerning the story of VIII
liam Tell / remember when quite small
having read . Robinson Crusoe" over and
over again, sympa,hzing with him on ac-
count of his sad and destitute condition,
herefJ Of friends, a wanderer and Al out
cast; aud then to have the beautiful story
spoiled by being told that the whole thing
was Il pleasant fabrication; that Robinson
Crua0e never did live; that the whole story
was "A contoundct no such a thing
Then | threw away the book, and with
sorrow looked with d!stgnst upon every
thing earthly. SO now in revenge, | will
say that no such nIaU IS VI ii!iam Tell
ever did live; that he did not shoot Gessler
with his little bow and arrow. r0r did he
strike at him with his little Ratchet either,
but that the whole story is deep fraud.
Still, every year the people of Lucerne, and
the nGighboring towns, celebrate the viz
tues of the said William Tell. 4 very
beautiful opera has been written about
him, chapels have been erected to his menu
Dry, and every child who can speak in
Switzerland can tell you his full history,
and If you question them very closely they
will one and all tell you that they were per-
Sonally acquainted with him. Since the
said William Tell died i'll the year 1857,
you can readily figure out how much these
children knew about him.
Ia full view of Mount Right is Mount
Platus or, in plain English, Mount Plate.
This mountain is a sort of barometer, or
rather, acts in the capacity of \. j. NJ yer,
who informs us from day to day what sort
of day we are to have. The signs are as
follows: When the summit can be seen,
look out for storms; when he wears his
feather-that is to say, when cloud fingers
around the summit-looll out for squalls;
but when the peak is clothed with clouds,
then expect fine weather. 1t is said that
old Pontius PLATE was led up into this
mountain and then hurled down, and from
this bit of romantic history the mountain
took its name. Lucerne is an ancient wall
cd city, and is said TO derive its name from
a light house on the lake, in which light
was always burning. Hence the name of
the place 'Lucerne," meaning "a lantern"
bridges in this place. One of them is call
ed the "Muhl Bruche, and is furnished
with paintings of " The Dauce of Death"
The "Kappell Bruche" is adorned on one
side with paintings representing scenes
taken from the lives of St. Maurice and
st. Leger, and on the other side pictures
concentrating the heroic deeds of the
Swiss. Near this bridge stands to this
day the old tower-the Lucerne - from
which the town took It's name. One of the
principal attractions at Lucerne is large
sculptured lion, sculptured by Thorwals-
den in the living rock, in a garden adjoin-
ing the town. The rock upon which the
figure is sculptured stands facing the en-
trance to the garden, and has pool of
water at its base. The rock resembles a
large blackboard, and appears to be just
fitted or hewn out for this celebrated piece
of work The picture is 2Sx1S feet aud
represents lion which has been wounded
by spear, and dying, yet holding between
its paws shield which it is endeavoring to
protect. This carved picture is in COM
of the Swiss Guards, and who
in fact suffered martyrdom in defence of
their master, the King of France, at the
of the French Revolution. Some
one, no matter who said: at is magni-
ficent work of art, admirable in conception
and design"
Alongside of this picture are the names
of those officers who fell in battle, and also
the names of the few Survivors. |, like
many another gazer, who has looked upon
this beautiful sculptured picture, carefully
read over the names Of the slain and the
names of the Survivors, lest, peradventure,
my name, or something like it, might be
found among them. But it was not there,
nor anything like it. neither were the names
of any of my friends to be found engraved
on the impershable stone. Wen repub-
lies are ungrateiul
| received last week. from some other
kind friend, who dropped it into the post
office, a letter without signature, as follows:
- VIII You not be so kind as to write a full
description OF glacier in your next letter?
| would like you to describe it as you ac-
tually saw it. By SO doing you will crafty
my curiosity and at the same time please
number of the readers of your interesting
In answer, | will say, that
| caunot give personal description of a
glacier, because | have never seen one. In
my travels was at one time within sixty
five miles of the largest glacier in Europe,
but did not go to see it. | am sorry that
cannot comply with the polite request of
my unknown friend.
My next letter will take us all down the
Rhine from Mayence TO Cologne. r. H.
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