The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-01-17

in Switzerland A tedious walk of ovel
four hours up the steep mountain sidt
brings you to the summit of the Alp an(
the view from this point is too grand fo
any description fron my pen. Before
you lies the entire valley Of the Grindel
Wald, while to the south, and around vol
on either side, the Monch, the Eiger, an(
the ever glorious Jungfrau, rear theil
hoary heads more than II 900 feet above
the level OF the sea. Directly at YOU
feet is the charming little valley, in the
center of which lies nesting the village
OF Lauterbrunnen. The valley is com
pletely shut in by rocky walls rising al
most perpendicular for thousands of feet
SO that the sun in winter is scarcely evel
seen at all, and even in summer not be
fore or O'Clock in the morning, OF
later than 3 o'clock in the afternoon
The name of the village means ''nothine
but springs" and the slvery cascades
which descend from the mountain side
on every hand convince us that it has
not been msnamed. Chief among thest
is the grand torrent called the Staub-
bach, or
THE "BROOK OF DUST"
This magnificent cascade leaps will
one bound over a mountain gorge, shat
tering itself into the finest spray OF
"dust" in its long journey of 800 feet tc
its bed beneath. To witness a thunder
storm in these Alpine passes is one of the
grandest scenes in nature. The crash
ing peals Of thunder reverberating from
crag to crag, the vivid lightning flash
bringing into bold relief every object in
the dark gorges which yawn at your feet
The rain pouring in torrents, swelling the
tiny streams into vast rivers rushing
down the mountain side and dashng
themselves into thousand fantastic
forms, the deafening roar which fills the
air until your very senses seem bewilder-
ed, all cOnspire to form scene which for
wild grandeur and sublimity all other
convulslOns in nature seem to sink into
insignificance. On from Lauterbunnen
we soon reach the city of Berne, famous
for its bears which are kept in a huge
den at the expense of the public, its
beautiful fountains, its museum and IL
brary, and above all its grand old cathe-
dral from the summit of whose spire we
obtain one OF the grandest views of the
chain of Bernese Al ps. While it would
delight us to hinge" among these beauti-
tul scenes. we realize that time is press
ing, 50 continue our journey through and
among these wonderful mountain passes
to
OTHER OBJECTS OF INTEREST
beyond. For brief moment we pause
tn I-inIy tha I,rnl1 Iitt In ait Of i
on its elevated site overlooking the lake
and surrounding country. Its cathedral
is a large and noble editiCe, with a tower
l62 feet high, from which there is an eX-
tensive and beautiful prospect. The
castle, once the episcopal palace, but
now the council hall of the canton, was
erected during the thirteenth century,
and contains many memorials Of the
struggles which Switzerland has been
obliged to maintain in order to preserve
her liberties Beautiful as her situation
is, and with all her historic and legen-
Diary associations, the city of Lausanne
will be remembered and reveIed in the
future from the fact of its being the ia
vorite residence of that mighty genius,
the historian Gibbon. 1t was here, in a
lovely villa surrounded with flowers and
clamhering vines, that he finished that
immortal work, the "Decline and FAN of
the Roman Empire" The summer
house in which he thought out that
wonderful literary monument is still here,
and is an object of great interest and
reverence to all lovers of classic history.
With such surroundings, no wonder he
wrote such noble thoughts, and clothed
them in such beautiful language and i'm
agery. Some of the finest productions
of human genius have been inspired bv
GRANDEUR AND SUBLMITY
of this Alpine scenery. 1t was here, in
the solitude Of these mountain passes
that Lord Byron conceived and executed
that noble masterpiece, Manfred than
which Shakespeare never wrote anything
grander or more sublime. TO appreciate
the greatest significance and grandeur OF
these mountains in Switzerland, you
should wander over their icy sides at
night when no human voice can break
the solemnity of your thoughts During
the day, the blazing sun rejecting its
rays upon the glarirg ice produces such
a dazzling effect upon the eyes as to rob
them of half their beauty. Wrapping
myself warmly with overcoats and muif-
lers, started out from Chambouni one
chilly night for a solitary walk on the
great Mer- de-Glace. For more than q
mile | clambered up its CLASSY sides, un-
til fatigue would permit me to 90 DO far
ther. What an impression that night
adventure has left upon my mind
Solemnity, and the silence of death
reigned around me on every side. The
lofty white crowned mountains, rearing
their hoary heads beyond the cloud,
above me, seemed to be fit symbols o
the majesty Of Almighty God The pale
rays of the moon lighting up the vas
sea of ice below and around me with {
blueish tinge, gave additional solemnitN
to the scene. In the distance the blue
waters of the lake dashed their tOamN
pillows against its rock-ribbed shores
producing a moaning sound that in tht
classic days Of Grecian mythology wouIC
have been regarded as music Of the gods
Never before did | realize so fully thu
feelings which must have filled the breas
of Byron as he penned those beautiful
lines :
lis midnight, on the mountains brown.
The pale round moon shines coldly down,
Blue roll the waters, blue the sky
Spread like an ocean hung on high.