The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-19
In tie DOIOnlifes.

In tie DOlOnites.
A PICTURESQUE CENTRE WHICH MAY BE
REACHED NOW WITHOUT FATIGUE.
(Pall-MalI GazetteI
This year for the first time Primlero, IN
the Southern Tyrol, has been made accessl-
BILE by carriage from Italy, and the travel
Ter from the south may reach one OF the
most picturesque centres OF the Dolomites
without fatigue. The charming little town,
with character divided between Ger
man, Gothic, and Italian. is capital point
| for many excursions. TO the north opens
the Valley OF San MARITIME, with its five
| great buttresses and sentinel Peaks,
! while to the eastward lie the two val
leys Of Canale and Preditale, whose green
| windings and pine-sheltcred water-courses
run far up among "the desoate lower
| roots" of these gigantic dolomites. No
thing i'm dolomite scenery can be grander
| than the Val PredItale, where Saas Maor
and the Gina di Canale seem to grip the
gorge i'm their iron clutch and stand front
| ing each other with threatening cliffs and
high impending brows, as though at ever
lasting ieud. where the silence is broken
only by the trumpeting of the torrent as IT
leaps from ledge to ledge. TO the south
Primiero is shut in by the long ridge of
the Vette di Fcltre, ending in its highest
point the Pyramid of Monte Pavione, and
thther we determined to go for the sake
of the view, and to get a glimpse OF Italy
that lay beyond. The top of Pavione,
though quite an easy climb, is long way
from Primiero. and necesstates a start at
midnight This implies going early to bed.
1 IL l.,
micro; the town itself is quiet enough, but
every half-hour the silence is broken by a
| most weird and ghostly noise: "Urrr-r-r
dieci ore, nienie di nuovo" Ten O'Clock
and nothing new.) .Urrr-r-r dieci meZO,
salvador of Primiero going his rounds, and
calling the hours in voice so strange and
uncanny that it reminds one Of Hamlets
father on his ghostly beat at Elsinore.
| The clock was striking IL as. we left
PrlmerO. We passed the salvador, in his
long gray cloak, standing ut the village
end-a solitary figure on the solitar!
road-and stepped away into the night.
As long as we kept to the high road we
had the moon TO light us-setting, il is
true. yet loath to set. and gliding gently
down the shoulder OF Payione-till, rs we
too dipped and disappeared, leaving at
first a pale silver glow upon the hillside
and then complete obscurity. The way
led through two villages-Imer and Mez-
zano. At Mezzano all was absolutely 81
lent-not sound save our own footballs.
There had been festival the day before,
and the village streets were hung with
flags aud full Of triumphal arches that
stood out grim and black in the night, and
looked as though they were waiting for
never come. At liner, the path to Pavione
strikes across the torrent Eismone and en-
ters forest OF pine. and deeper gloom,
| with here and there q glimmer OF pale
: light through the pine-stems, falls round
| us. Under this ligh. malign we toilcd NJ
: the forest path. Now and then bird
startled by our steps, would burst out OF
its roosting-place, and, with heavy. sleepy
= flight, settle itself again In some more dis
tant tree. Then the path surmOunted the
| wood and wound along the face OF lofty
{ limestone cliffs, supported occasionally
] upon galleries of pine-logs driven into
\ the sheer face of the rock. The cliff,
2 cleaned high and ghost'y white above
7 below the gulf looked black ant
omjnously profound, the nght-winl
! blew ftfully, and the roar of the tor
G rent beneath us rose and fell on the vary
!, inc breeze. 1t is singular how the nigh
a destroys instructive measurement OF time
\ hours pass like minutes, minutes are eX
a panded into hours, the feet perform thei
5 function mechanically, and the BRAN run
y riot through the jungle of its own fancies
: So we plodded on in silence up the cliffs
= past cataract whose jet OF broken waite
e looked like stationary pillar of white il
|, the obscurity. Then through long inca
o dows that seemed unfortunately gray an,
d long; and above us shmmered the fa
Is white summit of Pavione, hung pale IN tn
he heavens. Then, after another forest belt
Y the Malaga dAgnerola, where we were (,
Is wait till daylight should show us where {,
he attack the last cliffs Of the cone.
t. These malghe are solitary cow-sheds ant
&c milking-huts, with cabin for the herds
y perched high upon the loitiest mountain
d pastures; desolate stations, isolated iron
le the world and the valley life that lies :,
D. far below them. As We approached thi
70 one all was silent; not cattle-bell from
~ the long byre, not sound from the ad
;; Joining cabin. We pushed open the cat.
III and entered sort of passage open at boil
'e ends. On one wall, high above the ground
~ hung wooden bunk. The voice of IN,
herd challenged us; what did we want a
that houry Had he any eggs "No.'
er might we light fre?" ayes: Their,
s. was dry wood in the corner" and the MAJ
nc turned 10 his sleep again. We went int,
Sc the churning-room, rough place with
y hearth In the middle, two benches by Oh,
As hearth, huge churn IN one corner: nj
n the planks gaped; the wind blew freel,
N through the room. We lit the fire. and IN,
le damp wood Kissed; the cabin was soor
D. fuii OF smoke, the man in the bunk moved
u uneasiiy. Presently the door opened, and
he tail, gaunt man came silently in, peered
At round, and sat down by the fire. ..Wber.
}. were We going 7" he asked; an English.
y man, explained the guide, going up Pa.
Is vione. 81 am going round the malghs
!: win barrel OF brandy; came up here
u Yesterday" His manner was abstract
; ed and melancholy; he stretched hi.
r gaunt hands out TO the fame; The
u deep lines about his mouth moved
E curiously; his eyes were bent on the fire
e fhe wind blew through the open rafters
,, sending the smoke about In swlrts. pre-.
n sentiy, dprop6s OF nothing, without rails
u ing his eyes, "a shepherd told me once. !,
r. ne began, THAT herd who worked or
n THIS maiga left some of his things her,
~ when he went down for the winter. n,
Il came for them, and as be was going HON,
y again In the middle OF that forest amope
!, the snow he met u most lovely Girl wifi
j. long yellow hair. He fell In love will
e her and asked her to marry him, and
she said Yes on one condition