The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-07-06
for The Cecil Wing.
NOTES OF FOREIGN TRAVEL,
Berne and its Bears -Interlaken and the
Jungfrau.

versation. He asked me many questions
about our country and its forms of govern
ment, and took a deep interest in such
description as could give him of our vast
prairies, of our large cataracts, and NAM
moth caves. He was a resident of the
city of Berne, and had not travelled beyond
his own republic; but | found him to be
well informed and anxious to learn more
of the history of this great country. His
wife, who imperfectly understood the Eng
liSh language, occasionally Joined in the
conversation. Finally, after conversing for
some time, he told me that be lived III the
city OF Berne, that he would be delighted
if would call to see him and he gave me
the street and number of his house, and |
promised to call the following afternoon,
about three O'Clock, and to give him any
information he might desire about this
country. In making this visit the next
afternoon, funny episode happened, which
will here relate. This lady and gentle
man had two little children, 4 boy and girl,
aged respectively about ten and seven years.
They had undoubtedly heard their parents
speak of meeting an American on the cars.
SO these little children, who had heard of
the american Indians imagined that their
expected visitor would appear that very
afternoon decked with feathers, with long
black hair, with colored visage and with
blanket and moccasin. They expected, too,
that | would approach their house stealthy,
and finally make my appearance among
them, with warwhoop and yell. When
rang the bell and the servant came to
the door, | saw these two little children
peeping around tie corner OF a long hall,
and imagine there was a look of disap-
rn,n tn ap W pn
they behold what a demure, peaceahle
specimen of humanity | was Their
mother told me, with all mothers pride,
how very anxious her children were to see
me, that they asked her iurumerahle ques
tons as to how talked and if | were dress
ed as civilized being. TO all of which
questions she answered "wait and see"
They had heard of the American Indians,
and had confounded me with them. The
mother knew by the questions they asked,
what sort of a human being they imagined
me to be. and thought she would let that
impression remain until it would he dissi
pated by my appearance. After passing q
pleasant hour in conversation | left aud
commenced to explore the city.
| will make a little depression at this
point, because Just happen to think OF it.
I have been ~ See the paintings OF Pompeii
entrance at FaiIm0unt Park, in Phiadei-
pha. l have been asked to give my opinion
of them and to state candidly, if the
paintings exhibited are like the originals.
The paintings are undoubtedly very fine !,
bat | make this objection to them: only
five or six Of the paintings, out OF thirty
four views, exhibit the present condition
of the streets of Pompei, the TEST arc
purely imaginary, and portray the buildings
restored according to the caprice or whim
of some Italian artist. do not care to
see the buildings restored, but want to
see exactly how they look at the present
time, after having been destroyed and
covered from the eyes of men for 1850
yeats. This view, the pictures do not
afford or present They are mostly paint
ings of temples, private residences, and
streets restored in their former grandeur.
The paintings are mostly conjectual, and
do not exhibit the destroyed city Of Pom
pei as it really exists at the present day.
However, the paintings are we'll worth
seeing. The buildings, the paintings and
the embellishments were presented to the
city of Philadelphia, by John Welsh, our
minister to the court of St James. 1t is
i'd that the whole affair cost him the sum
of $40 coo.
Berne is the capital of Switzerland. 1t
is built upon peninsula formed by tho
intricate wiudtugs of the river Aar, which
flows very rapidly along, and by its mp
pies gives out a musical sound at once
pleasant aud milling to the ear. The mills
along It's shores are all driven by the force
of It's current, aud from this fact alone, I!
Judgment can be formed OF its great
rapidity The first thing ii stranger
generally sees in entering the city is bear,
armed cap-a-pie, with his visor down, with
his sword buckled at his side, and hugging
a banner. 1t seems to me, that no matter
where you turn your eyes, they will rest
upon either the image ot a bear, or bear
in the flesh. There is a small shop near
the outskirts of the town, where a family
makes ont of small pieces of wood, little
bear images He made one for HE in
about ten minutes, while ! stayed and
waited for it. lie sinlply took little piece
of beech wood about three inches long, and
| about an inch square, and with his little
! chlSel commences TO cut away the wood,
until old bruln commenced gradually TO
| appear. He cut out its eyes and handed
it to me. ] brought it home with me. Ii
is said that this employment Of making
small wooden bears has belonged to this
| family for over one hundred years, and had
| been handed down from father To son
through all that time. On the public
| buildings the image of the bear appears,
armed with a sword, and equipped with
| helmet and shield. Granite images of
| bruin can lie seen at the fountains, and
even in the place of justice. And at our
hotel they even have them stuck on cur
! ma inns and towels. On the outskirts of
the city, is the public bear pit. This pit
or den is very similar to that in Fairmount
| Park. 1t contains four Or five large bears,
with their young cubs. AID strangers are
positively forbidden to throw them any
thing except bread and fruit. Their awk
ward and cumbrous gambols are very
amusing. An English officer accidently
fell into one of these bear pits on the night
of the Bird of March, 1861. and was torn
to pieces by L large male bear after dies
perate but uneven struggle. The author
tiles have erected a notice of this sad event
as a warning to all other visitors. While
| was there, a lady was pointing at one of
the bears with her parasol when it slipped
from her hand, and fell into the pit. In
stantly it was seized by one of the Old bears,
who jauntingly carried it over his head, and
commenced to promenade around his pit,
much to the amusement of all the visitors,
except to the young lady, who had been so
unfortunate. After he had made the circuit
Oh his zen llTee OF TOUR times. IL occurred
to his bearship, that he had better find out
what was the internal mechanism of the
said parasol and therepon commenced to
dssect it. and he did this little piece OF
work pretty thoroughly.
The question has often been asked, Why
is it that the city of Berne takes so much
interest in the bears? This question is
more easily asked than answered. ! have
explained why the pigeons of Venice are
so rehgiously provided for: and certainly
there must be some reason for the scrupu-
lous care given to the bears of Berne.
There are two explanations given and they
are as follows: Once upon time, when
Berne was small village, a jealousy arose
between the citizens of the town and the
country around about, and the country PEG.
pie concluded to crush out the town people
by not furnishing them with the produce of
the land. The town people in retaliation
refused to sell them goods and the luxuries
of life, hence both parties declared war
Now the bears in the mountains around
the village took pity upon the inhabitants,