Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-05

most active and enthusiastic OF tho party.
Guides included. The fascination is partly
In the scenery. partly in the danger, and
partly in the glamor which somehow
always surrounds death In the Alps. The
halls Of many Of the chapels Of the Church
of England which dot the Alpine. valleys
and mountains, notably those OF the beau
tful chapel at Zermatt. arc blazoned with
brass tablets commemorative OF heroic
young Eneishmen who have fallen amid
the eternal SHOWS.
Here at Chsmouix we have had several
notable experiences. We put M at the
Hotel DeSaussure and found that the
house was so-called in honor OF an ances..
tor Of our excellent fcllow-townsman oil
that name, who was q professor IN the uni
versity at Geneva and really one or tne
greatest scientific men OF his day. In the
year 1881, in the interest OF science, he
made the first ascent of Mt. Blanc-as
Professor Jansen. OF Paris, has Just MADE
the last and beautiful monument com
memorative Of the daring deed, erected OF
A centennial celebration in 1887, now stands
in the open square in front OF the hotel. A
branch of the family emigrated to South
Carolina, and those who know him DO not
regret that at least one OF the STOCK mas
continued the family travels and IN our OIL
We aiso assembled the Les Grands Mulets,
and passed the night in the rock howell
there. We were completely above the
clouds which filed the valleys and covered
all save the very peaks Of the mountains.
spreading out as level and palpable as the
SHOWS about us. The sun seemed to set
upon frozen and buried world, save those
barren SUBMITS and that desolate little
hut and the ragged rim OF rock upon wnich
il stood. The marvellous visions OF that
sunset and starlight and daydawn we can
never forget.
cBABMISG ADVENTURE
A few weeks ago in the Maderanerthal
lovely little valley of the st. Esthar road
not far above Lake Lucerne, we had still
more charming adventure. We were de-
scending the Brunni glacier. not using the
rope, but walking singly near the edge
and not far from the foot of the ice slope.
when nv comrsde who was in the rear
called to me to turn back and examine
n large opening in the ice out to-
ward the middle line of the glacier.
We started of, and our guide not caring to
90. sat down TO await our return: 1t was
a cayernous. fascinating hole, and against
the advice of my friend | began to let my
self cautiously down into 1t. just as l
lost sight of him in the descent caught
sight of something else which sent the
blood rushing to my head, as 1t had not
rushed since the DAYS OF battle closed IN
1s65-it was daylight, under the ice IN tne
direction of the foot of the glacier,
but how far away | could not tell.
A moment more and l was stand
ING on rock in the midst OF a
fnaminp torrent, and under the arch OF an
ice-tunnel which extended from whore /
stood TO the mouth Of the glacier. perhaps
1850 feet away. IL was fully twenty-five
feet wide. / could not touch the top with
nv Alpine stock by SIX feet or more. It's
perpendicular sides and arched roof were
as perfect "a art could make them, and
no art conld reproduce its exquisite
tints of blue-green color, varying with
the thickness Of the translucent ice cover
ing, Through this fairy grotto the great
glacier stream Numbered down and out
into the valley below. and | sprang from
rock 10 rock IN the wild food, yelling with
ecstacY.
FEAR OF CONCLUSION.
Something darkened the hole at which |
had entered. turned and there stood my
friend and our guide, signalling TO me by
hand and voice in English and German to
come out at once and TO cease shouting lest
the conclusion should bring the whole
mass down upon my head. a caution which
thought then and think now was ground
less. as my feeble voice could scarcely have
affected roof or walls, which were at that
moment standing the mighty conclusion
and detonation of that wild torrent. L
returned to them, and my entreaties. add
ed TO the fascination of what they bad al
ready seen, overcoming their prudence;
all OF us passed safely through the tunnel
and out al the mouth of the glacier with
the stream. =,
This tunnel was altogether the work of
nature. and the warm air drawn in by the
side aperture at which we entered, added
to the effect of the water. having cut out
the arch. From what we heard from IN:
telligent guides, as well as what we saw of
the grottoes of the Rhine, the Great
Aletsch, the Grindelwald, and des Bosseus
elaoiers-most of which are chiefly the
work of man-we are inclined to believe
our grotto or tunnel. both in perfection
| and proportions. quite unparalleled. II
| had no existence until this season, and
probably soon melted away, IN whole or in
part. under the warm rains which fell soon
! after our visit.
THE PLUCKY SWISS.
Not only are the Swiss mountains unique,
but the Swiss people are not less So
| have never seen anything approximatlng
to the industry, energy, and pluck dis
PLAYED in their struggles for existence.
] really feel as if | had never worked myself
| and never seen work before. Their little
| villages and chalets nestle in almost mac
cessible valleys, or are perched upon sleeps
| and submits attanable only by paths 1t
would seem a goat alone could sately
tread There they live under the same roof.
sometimes alongside, but moro frequently
i'm the story over their cows and goats
which feed in the green pastures or
"Alpsn that not only give name to the
mountains. but ciothe their slopes where
there IS sufficient soil upon the rocks up to
the very line OF the unmelting SHOWS; Up
and down these dizzy paths men and wo-
men bear in deep funnel-like baskets or
upon chair-like racks strapped upon their
backs enormous loads of faggots or peat
for fuel. or grass cut from slopes upon
which an impractical foot could scarcely
| stand. Often the slope IL too steep TO
cure the grass upon, i'll which case they
carry IL down to sons spot more nearly
horizontal and there actually hang 1t out
upon little sticks or frames to dry.
On account of steepinclination and shal,
lowness of soil these pastures and
meadows are apr to pafch and burn IN dry
| weather, TO prevent which the peasants
keep up with amazing labor and engineer
inc skill a simple but efficient system OF
| irrigation through little bitches scarcely
| wider than your hand, conducting the water
everywhere along and down the sides OF
the mountains. They not only save the
manure from their cattle which are shut
in under the general family roof at nights
piling it up at their very doors, but when
this IS practicable the children play al
horse, gathering in their little wagon:
the droppings of cattle and beasts OF
burden and travel along the paths anc
highways. In the most mountainous see
tions the patches of arabic land, originally
small. are too infinitely subdivided (thougt
not by fences) to admit of being cultivated
with the pillow. Throughout extensive
districts there is probably not o pillow to b'
| found to-day, but the soil is broken. III
with hoes of singular pattern. the, blade
beng quite as wide as that OF the largest
shovel. and set at a very acute angle upol
a handle not over two and half feet long
This apparently awkward instrument seem
edreally to be quite efficient, the laboreir or
dinarily working with the hoe above hin
on the slope.
WORK SIDE BY SIDE.
In common with peasant women II
other parts Of continental Europe, tn
Swiss women work habitualiy by the sid