Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-10
EUROPEAN LETTER.
TEE RANBIEs OF OUR coRREsPoN'
DENT IN SWITZERLAND.
The Ali.conquoring EnglisAmea; Their
Principal Resort-Bits Of Swiss
scenery-Lsgends.

The All-conquering EnglisAmen; Their
Principal Resort-Bits Of Swiss
Scenery Legends.
Especial Correspondence OF the Dlspatch.l
LucERNE, September %, 1885,.
The English people arc great travel
lsrs. That part Of tho world they
have not already conquered with ar
mics of soldiers they are moro slowly
acquiring by means Of IN army OF
tourists, whose control OF Switzerland
during the summer is not less than
that Of oonquerors. The Swiss disap-
pear. Erglishmsn are seen every
where. English is spoken everywhere
in the shops, on the streets, IN the
hotels and boarding houses, and even
the guides, porters, and boatmen un'
ders,and what is said 10 them. The
Swiss, however, must learn some other
language than their own, as they speak
suoh an UBIQUITOUS mixture that 1t Is
unintelligible to any but their own
companions. II is not German, not
French, not English, yet conglomers'
tion Of them all, with sn accent Ikea
Turks.
switzerland is geographically d.
yided into two parts. The southern
is French, the northern German. But
As the people speak neither French nor
German, and Ave months OF the year
their own dialect and themselves are
supplemented by English and the
English people, both parts might be
put together and the whole called Eng
iish Switzerland. The Englishman
has also become the type of the tourist,
and in many places the railroad adver-
tisements and schedules are cr"wn9a
Al Immense ngure admiring some
scenery and exclaiming, "Splendid "
INTERLAKEN.
The English have settled lnterlaken.
In the winter tho town is composed OF
several empty hotels and shops aud
few scattered Swiss chale's, vhile IN
summer the population swelled to five
or ten thousand. What should have
brought them to this particular spot,
however, is somewhat OF wonder, for
IL Is entirely lacking in those things
that mako other parts Of Switzerland
so attractive for a stay Of month or
six weeks. Geneva is liked by people
who are not willing to give up their
gsyeties and designations even during
their summering, for here they find
besides the pleasures Of the lake, with
its scenery and benefits of the noun
tain air, all the amusements which arc
to be had in large cities. Lucerne is
attractive to such as are willing to sac
rifce their usual winter life for tbs |
benefits Of two or three months open
air living in the heart Of the noun
tsins, the enjoyment Of mountain scene
nv, and the Quieter social pleasures |
which are sometimes so agreeable after
the more violent designations OF city. |
Interlaken can satisfy neither Of these
tastes, being too small for places of
amusement, and too inconyenlently |
situated for any of the necessaries of |
summer social life. 1t is supposed |
that, at one time, there was single |
lake here about twenty miles long and !
two wide. Gradually the mountain
streams have carried down dirt and |
rock into it's midst until the deposits
have risen high enough TO divide the
waters Of the original lake into two
parts-the lake Of Brienz and the lake
OF Thun. On this level plain Of sll1-
vial deposits, one and half miles from
either lake, snd out Of sight of either,
lies lnterlaken. In front and behind .
the village are high hills, which
stop all view in those directions,
and, except for one break made by |
the valley Of the Lutherbrunnen,
through which there is view Of
small portion Of the summit Of the 4
SHOWS OF the Junglrau, there are no
views such as one finds at other places.
ADDED TO this it requires, in order to |
reach it, two changes on one side, and I
on the other, besides two changes,
ride Of elk hours in diligence. But /
one hears much Of this mountain ride,
and as il lies on the route either from
or to Interlaken it is generally looked
forward to with much interest. After
q twenty. minutes ride on the train
passengers are transferred to steamer,
which reaches 'Brienz in Oh hour and
q half, and every passenger rushes for
ward to secure the good place he has
been counting upon, and which he
wishes to keep every one else from
confscating. But no ono is allowed
to take a seat until the POST official
points out the places according to par
ties in the carriages in regular order,
the tickets having been all secured be-
forehand, and sufficient number Of
conyeyapces being provided for the
hundred and fifty or two hundred
travellers. When the passengers are
seated and the baggage strapped on
the mail wagon starts off, the other
vehicles taking their places in the line,
and the trip over the Brunig Pass to
Lucerne begins.
AN EXCELLENT VIEW.
As the carriages climb higher and
higher the more extended view Of the
valleys and slopes gives an opportunity
Of observing the wonderful exactness
and neatness aud economy Of the
Swiss farming. Every inch Of ground
is green, and the country is cut in sill
directions by roads which are per-
fsctly straight, and which it is pos
sible to follow with the eye for
many miles on account OF their
whiteness, contrasted with the dark
green which borders them on
both sides are straightly aud evenly as
in q well.csred.for garden. Hay is the
only crop in Switzerland, and Of this they
have four mowings 8 year. No land
ia allowed to waste ell is cultivated
and attended TO so that not the small
est piece Of soil can be seen even on
the closest inspection. The only trees
in the valleys and on the lower parts
Of the mountains bear fruit of some
kind, and the whole landscape looks
like one great orchard, without fence
or obstacle Of any sort to break the
softness and richness Of the view.
There are no cows, no sheep, no goats