A CHAPTER ON SWISS TRAVELLING.

HAVING now made, I trust, not an unentertaining, as it has certainly been to me an interesting tour of this justly celebrated country, I may be expected to sum up in a few pages, the hints that I may suppose of use to those who mean to make a similar excursion; and, as far as my limited powers go, I am willing to do so. Much of the fatigue encountered in travelling over the mountains may be avoided; but, at the same time you lose the scenery to which these steep passes lead. I am an advocate for beholding the glorious works of nature; still everything, even gold may be bought too dear, and I would not visit the most sublime spot at the risk of suffering a month or a week's illness. The general courses marked out in guide books, comprise much of what is really worth seeing, and also much of what is not. I would humbly suggest a few alterations, and thereby render the tour less wearying, and I trust more picturesque.

I prefer lakes to mountains, for after all, there is a great sameness in mountains; and what is

BRIEF REMARKS ON A SWISS TOUR. 139

more tiresome, it is either climb, climb, or descend, descend, till your very knees bend under you, or you can scarcely keep your saddle. The Righi, I must say, repays any trouble,--the prospect from its summit is splendid. Yet, I should not recommend the tourist, unless desirous to see all, attempting the Faulhorn. The weather is very fickle on that peak, and will, sans cérémonie, cause the visit to turn out unprofitable. The fall of the Handeck and Glaciers of the Rhone will always keep the Grimsel a favorite, otherwise, it is barren enough. The view of the Jungfrau repays the tour to Grindelwald from Lauterbrunnen by the Wengen Alp. This, however, also requires fair weather. But the lakes, the dear lakes! demand no exertion, save to look on and admire.

Commencing we will say, the 1st of July, or August at Geneva, go to see Ferney, and in the steam-boat to Villeneuve. Passing to Vevay, look in at Chillon, and after spending a day at Vevay, go to Lausanne. You will return by the 10th, suppose, and start for Chamounix on the 11th,-you sleep there that night, and visit the Mer de glace and Montanvert, 12th and 13th. If the weather is fine, ascend the Brevon or the Flégère,-visit the Buisson glacier, and on the 15th go to Martigny by the Tête Noire. It is infinitely preferable to the Col de Balme. If your curiosity leads you, visit the Grand St. Bernard,-it is not so difficult as people imagine. I have crossed it on foot and

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BRIEF REMARKS ON A SWISS TOUR.

on mules. When returned, we will say the 17th, go to see the Cascade Pisse-vache, and on the 18th, traverse the valley of the Rhone to Leuk bad; the 19th, you mount the Gemmi and arrive in Thun. It is but a pleasant drive to Berne, and you return in the evening, so the 21st sees you en route to Interlacken, where you may breakfast. As I am limiting the tour, you may pass on if you please to Lauterbrunnen and see the Staubbach. Cross the Wengen Alp, or if you dislike the fatigue, which is great, go round by the carriage-road to Grindelwald.-22nd Meyringen,-23rd Grimsel,

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see the Chute d'Aar,-24th Glaciers of the Rhone,-Mount Furca to Andermatt,-you can get into the Grisons here; but the road to Altorf is very picturesque. We will take it; 25th, Ponts du Diable,-sleep at Fluelen,-26th, Lake of Waldstetten to the Righi,-27th, descend by Goldau to Immensee,-boat to Zug, carriage to Zurich.-28th, steam-boat to Rapperswyl, by carriage to Wesen, boat to Wallenstadt, and walk to Ragatz.-29th, Pfeffers and Gorge of the Tamina,―return to Ragatz,-30th, get to St. Gall, and 31st sees you at Constance. Of course you will not omit going to the finest waterfall in Europe, and this I think to be the summum totum of Swiss scenery.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE RHINE.

Address to the River-Leave Basle-Environs-Passport Office-Douane-German Dinner Hour-Colmar-Strasbourg-Cathedral-Prospect from the Tower-Trip to Baden-Villages en Route-Baden-Gambling-Ball—German Waltzing-Account of the Town-Churchyard-AltSchloss-Birth Day of the Grand Duke-Military MassRastadt-Chateau-Carlsruhe-Embark at Leopoldshofen

-Spire-Manheim-Sunset.

STRASBOURG.

Friday, 27th August.

RHINE! I am on thy banks, and by thy stream, and thy dancing waters bask in the same ray of sunshine that dazzles mine eye. I love thee, fair river! and I trust thy haunted shores and "chiefless castles" will throw open their stores of legends for my perusal, and I may revel in the bright fields of fancy, while strolling by thy rapid tide. I have tracked thee nearly to thy birth, and mean to hover round even unto thy close; so I hasten to make the first advances to our good companionship. For this purpose I promise to do my part if thou dost

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thine, and that this agreement may lose nothing by delay, I hurry to commence from Switzerland, and account for what I have already seen.

We had a fine day leaving Basle, and the gardens in the environs looked lovely as we past. The country about Basle seems very fertile, and well cultivated. We met with no interruption till we reached the frontiers, and there we were bustled out of the vehicle, and into a bureau, where our passports underwent strict scrutiny.

This ordeal was no sooner over, than we perceived by the diligence, emptied of its luggage, standing at the door of a house marked " Douane,” that another even more disagreeable was to be endured. Having nothing" pour declarér," I did not mind, nor were my things looked at; but a poor young lady suffered a good deal of annoyance because her shawl happened to look new, and be carefully folded up. At last we were all put to rights, and the word allez being given, we moved on. When we arrived at Muhlhausen, a considerable town with a canal, we were merely put through the fright of a douane, and staid here nearly an hour for dinner.

In a country such as this has become, particularly the resort of strangers, at this season of the year, I am surprised the innkeepers do not contrive a table d'hôte at a more reasonable hour than the German one o'clock. The second is too late for one who does not ambition fashionable hours-eight.