St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-01-23

upon the snOw-capped peaks, and we
longed to accept Prof. Fleury's invita-
tion to tarry there awhile. This gen.
tleman had resided in Boston and felt
warm interest in our party and its trav-
els. He had gone as far as Kufstein to
meet us and to try and prevail upon
DR.. TOurjee to stop over at Innsbruck,
which, however, it was impossible to
do without abbreviating other parts of
our tour.
The architecture through the Tyrol
is of the same general character one
sees through Switzerland, although in
some places there is a mixture of the
Italian style. The church spires in
many places terminate in the oriental
shape which also prevails in some of
the northern countries, and which has
been not inaptly described as resem-
bling an inverted turnip. The roofs of
the houses and cOw-sheds are held
down by large stones, a means of pro-
lection in vogue all through the Alps
where the fierce wind-storms sweep
through the valleys and frequently
cause great devastation.
At Innsbruck we leave the valley of
the Inn and follow up one of the tribu-
taries towards the Brenner Pass, which
is 44S5 feet above the sea, and marks
the dividing line between the water
sheds of the Black Sea and the Adriat-
ic. This Pass is the lowest over the
principal chain of the Alps. 1t was
traversed by the Romans and was made
practicable for carriages in 1772. In
1867 the railway was constructed, and
the post-rOad is now almost useless.
The great stone post-hOuses along por-
tiOns of the route never see a traveller,
and are now occupied by the peasants,
or else deserted altogether.
There are numerous tunnels on both
sides of the Pass, and in two instances
they are curved. At one point the road
makes great hOrseshoe-bend to get
across Il lateral valley, one portion be-
ing much higher than the other. AT
Franzenfeste, which commands the
valley, the Austrians have erected ex-
tensive Notifications. The railway
passes through one of the forts.
Soon after leaving Bremen the roa6
strikes the river Eisack which flows
southwark and in Italy becomes known
as the Adige. In the mountains it is 6
swift stream, and the scenery every,
where through the narrow valley i;
charming. Many pretty little village.
are passed, and the houses have begur
to assume a more Italian aspect, al
have also the vineyards. The Italians
festoOnings, while in Germany the vine:
are trained on sticks and carefully
trimmed. An Italian vineyard is mucl
more picturesque than those upon the
Rhine. The scenery is eminently
, Swiss in character. Chalets are perch,
ed high up the mountain side in the
midst of green fields whilst the rugged
, cliffs tower to still dizzier height, form,
, ing a background and frame to the
|, bright and beautiful picture. The
view from Botzen, looking up the val
ley, is indescribably fine. The dolo.
mite mountains of the Fassathal, or the
Val di Fassa, the highest of which seer
from this point, reaches an elevation o
10, 800 feet, are crowned with snow ant
| some are cloud-capped. Both snow
and cloud form a contrast to the red
dish rock, and the sun lights up tht
peaks with a golden glow while the
shadows in the valleys are deepening
the green's of the verdure there. Neal
us is the town, and on beetling cliffs
or upon the hill-sides are old castles
whose gray walls seem to have beer
hewn from the hills themselves. AS we
passed down the valley the sinking sur
cast shadows of the western mountains
t far up the opposite slopes leaving the
rocky and bare SUBMITS on the eastern
side in a purple glow. The valley in
places widens with the same gigantic
walls on either side, and picturesque
towns and hamlets are scattered along
its whole extent. The church-towen
now assume a more distinctly Italian
appearance than they did upon the
northern slope of the Alps, and the
names OF the stations begin to suggest
another language, although we are moi
yet cut of Austria. At Ala, where we
arrive shortly after nine O'Clock, the
transformation becomes complete, fol
our effects are examined by Italian Gus
tom-house officials and nought but the
accents of the sunny south are hear(
except from some disgruntled traveller
who finds himself taxed numerically
for his little stock of cigars, perhaps
for the second time during the day
Foreign cigars and tobacco are every
where tabooed i'll Europe, and i'll pass
ing the frontiers of countries which
monopolize the cigar business, the trav.
eller finds that smoking is indeed a
costly luxury. s..
.-' VERONA.
1t was nearly eleven o'clock at nigh
when we drew up at the station in We.
iona, and as we rode through the de-
serted and dimly lighted streets to oul
hotel, the city of the Montagues and
Capulets presented decidedly gloomy
aspect. A solitary and belated cafe