The Portland daily press., 1895-09-02
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.
From Geneva to the Rigi by Berne and the
Bernese Alps.
[Correspondence ofthe Press.l

We arrived at Geneva the same aI6er-
noon on which we left Chamounlx and
took hotel on the grand quay where the
view of the Mont Blanc chain is very
fine. Geneva in fact is q French town.
1t has all the airs and coquetry of the
French and a good deal of the stability
of the German character. Watches ana
music boxes are tho staple products, and
furs are nowhere sold to such an extent
and bought at such a great advantage as
here. No wonder that Calvin was dis
satisfied with the people of Geneva and
had some of them burned at the stake,
since there is nothing Calvinistio here
excepting the old house in which he lived
and his chair in the old cathedral in
which you are permitted to sit. Geneva
is remarkably pleasant place IN which
to spend few days and seems in remln-
iscence like Brussels and Paris.
There are many interesting excursions
commencing here, among them is one to
Ferney, a town Voltaire founded and
where the old chateau in which he lived
and died is still preserved. 1t contains
relics and memorials of his life. over
chapel there are these words, "Deo erex1t
Voltaire" (Voltaire erected this TO dod.
In view of the fear and repulslon thaG
even the name of VOltaire has inspired
in the hearts of children on account OF
the idea that he did not believe in GOD,
the motto over the chapel needs no com
ment. But like many other people now
a-days no did believe in such q GOD as MS
imagination approved, which perhaps
was the kind of a vague being that Victor
Hugo described in one OF his poems, ID
which he declares his religious bellef: IL
was to such a being no doubt that Vol
taire dedicated this chapel and devoted
his life.
Also farther up the lake is the fine ex-
cursion by cars or boat to Coppet, the
home of Neckar, where Madame de Stael
once lived This is a companionable old
chateau and very interesting to see
We passed each day the monument to
the Duke of Brunswick, who willed all
his property to the city of Geneva 1t IS
an ornate structure, being very poor
imitation of the fine Gothic tomb OF the
Scalaga's at Verona, and it almost seems
as if, in getting it up SO shabblly, they
had tried to save all of his money they
could for their own use. The National
Monument on the opposite SIDE OF uhe
Rhone commentaries the final union OF
Geneva to the Confederacy after its varied
| fortunes and reverses and is monument
of uncommon interest
Rousseau's Island and his house and
many other "reminiscences OF him IN this
section have been mentioned in former
letter, together with many other things
| of interest along this route which we here
omit The trip from Geneva to Mon
| treaux, on fine day is very charming
| indeed, the places on the banks near
| Geneva being historic and those on the
Veyey side are beautiful, with the noun
tains encompassing all, and at times
| seeming to shut you in. This Valals side
| is UNIQUE, for, when the bright sun shines
on the blue waters of Lake Lehman, no
fabric of silky gauze, no velvety sheen,
purple or fine raiment can vie with SUCH
| a tint 1t is like the colorS buried SO
| long ago under Pompeii's ruins, which
cannot be reproduced, and like the pig
ments Fra Angelic used.
| The lateen sail which has been so often
| referred to forms a picturesque feature,
and the swell of the water resembling a
tide is very subtle and interesting from
scientific point of view.
| The entire Montreux region is fascinat-
ing in the extreme, and Territel, where
the boat stops for one to visit the Prison
of Chillon, is place which no traveller
should pass by. Excursions by cable road
can be made to the tops of high noun
tains with endless views, and in Septem-
Der. the ''grape cIlre' season here, the
! fine hotels are full of engaging people
| from all parts of the world.
The Prison of Chillon is always place
| of renewed interest, the old associations
| which Byron lnemoriaiiZes being always
points for research to the student and
sight seer. One wonders anew as to the
| treatment in these old prisons, especially
severe with regard to political prisoners,
| their cells being much more repulslve and
closely confined than those for murderers
| and other great offenders against the
common laws. Here they wore their lives
away out of the sight of men, with all
| the joys of life and light shut out, while
| in the Prison of Chillon, the Luke OF
Savoy was feasting with his friends, I'M
| mindful of their woes, in the large ban
quoting halls above, which now with all
their quaint belongings are still! shown
| Leaving the afternoon sun stlIl SHINING
on this beautiful region we left for Berne,
and suddenly just before reaching the CITY
we were startled by wonderful slght, tne
heavens are lit up with balls OF fire, conf
cal shaped peaks of flame appear, pillars
of molten red, vast mountains or radlani
light seeming in part to be detached from
the earth beneath and reaching up among
the clouds above. This a pee ullar1ty
of this spot, and these are the Bernese
Alps and the sight is only seen just al
the moment of the going down OF the
SUM- 1t is the reflection OF this great orr
a little below the horizon upon these
snow covered peaks. IL Is calleo 1he
afterglow.
BERNIE.
We found Berne quaint as usual, witt
it's arcaded streets and characteristic
fountains, it's old clock which almos1
rivals the one at Stras5urg, being muci
more convenient to see it's celebrated beal
pit, containing the far-famed bear o
Berne'' which has been the armorial bear
ing of the canton so many years Watch
ing the ever replenished stock of bears il
always SO novel sight that crowds as
semble each fair day to feed and coddl
them. Glad Of having had another op
portunity Of visiting this thoroughly Use, Ger
man Swiss town, whose Sunday church
bells neal with a characteristic deep ant
premonitory ring, we left for the noun
tain-crested Lake of Thum ON our wa,
to InterIaken Grindelwald.
THE LUTCHINE REGION.
Since they built the railroad to Grin
| Ii %.,;,~ fuoY, Tt1ta Ya1