The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-22

Rigi and also view of the lakes Thun'
Brienz and Lucerne. The view of the
snow mountains; here..is far superior to
that from the Rigi, but is, perhaps,
inferior in other respects.
In returning, the traveller will be i'm
pressed with picturesque view of Grindel-
wald, and the charming valley with the
many Swiss cottages scattered about on
the green slopes which be descends.
From the Wengern Alp Near Grindel-
wald) one has magnificent, near view
of the Jungfrau and has often the oppor.
tunity to see an avalanche descending.
from the mountain, laundering on its
way to the valley. I presume that most
persons are disappointed in Witnessing
the avalanches, which at such distance
appear very Insignificant. 1t is difficult
for one to conceive that the apparently
small fragments of ice which seem to
glide slowly down the steep slopes Of
Snow are, in fact, masses of great weight
and velocity. However, when we watch
these fragments fall over the precipices
and hear the laundering reverberations,
we feel that they must be far greater than
they appear, and the stream of snow from
the shattered masses, pouring into the
valley, wins thereby greater significance
than its slender appearance gives,si
Here, I may remark that we are more
deceived in our estimates of distances
and heights, and consequently of sizes,
among the Alps, than in any other
respect. This is generally ascribed to
the perfect transparency of the air, on
account of which we judge everything to
be much nearer and consequently smaller
than it is. But it would seem that much
is also due to the character of the scenery
of the Alps.
The bare, steep walls Of rock, rising
abruptly several thousand feet into the
sky, with few intervening objects, do not
show their height so plainly as a noun.
tain covered with trees would show it.
If the wall of rock is 1000 feet, the strata
and main distinguishing features become
indistinct, and an increase of four thou
sand feet seems little more than that of
three thousand feet when viewed so near.
But if trees grew upon the mountain, we
would see them appearing smaller and
smaller and finally almost disappearing,
and we would estimate the height of the
mountain more accurately. When in
Grindelwald, at the very base of the
Wetterhorn, we cannot realize that this
mountain towers nearly 5000 feet above
US; but when viewed from Bern, with 80
many smaller intervening mountains in
the foreground, the mountains of the
Bernese OberIand appear very gigantic.
The valley of Lauterbrunpen is very
magnificent. 1t is in this valley that the
little stream of the Staubbach descepds
over nine hundred feet perpen.
dicularly. The name is from the German
"Staub," meaning dust, and "Bach,"
meaning brook. 1t is SO called because
the slender stream, descending amid
the sportive breezes of the valley, is
driven into mist and blown about as if
dust, or falls as heavy rain. However,
the writer eau testify that there is more
"Bach" than "Staub" about it, as he
walked under tho fall with an open um.
brella and became thoroughly wet in a
moment. When viewed from little dis
tance, if the wind is blowing, the waters
are at times completely lost to view.
There are other little falls along this val
ley resembling the Staubbaca, but not so
fine. At the head of the valley is the
fine fail of the Schinadribach.
Interlakep, so named from its position
between the lakes of Thun and Brienz,
| ia a place of much attraction on account
OF the beauty Of surrounding scenery and
the magnificent view of the Jungfrau at
the head of Lauterbrunnenthal. There
are great many foreigners at Interlaken,
which is convenient starting point for
visits to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald
and for many excursions.
The reader will remember that it is in
this part Of the Alps that Lord Byron
lays'the scene of his great drama, "Man
fred" The Jungfrau is the scene of the
meeting of the destiuies, lin the second
Act Of the drama) and of Manfred's long
soliloquy, which is interrupted by the
shepherds pipe, whereupon he says
"Hark pipes in the liberal air,
Mix'd with the sweet bells of the sauntering herd
My soul would drink those echoes"
Here, let me remark that every travel
er who passes the herds in the Alps will
be attracted by the lovely, sweet music of
the clear ringing cow-bells. and though
with us "cow-bell" is synonym of dis.
cord, those who have once b. ard the sweet
aud varied chimes of the bells of an AL.
pine herd and the shepherds pipe will
exclaim with Byron,-
"My soul would drink those echoes"
In this connection, may mention that
the ruined castle of Unspunnen is about
a half.hour's walk from Interlaken, up
the valley, and is said to be the castle of
Manfred in the drama cited.
We made an excursion by way of lake
Brieuz 10 the Giessbach falls near the
lake aud upon the side opposite Bricnz
These handsome falls, painting of a