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vation and moisture is similar; and it is parallel with those valleys which are the most remarkable for this curse, the Valais and the Val d'Aosta.

"The Anzascans are aware that they have a reputation for cleanliness and beauty, and they are justly proud of it.

Whilst I was taking refreshment at Vanzone, the principal town in the valley, I mentioned to the innkeeper (rather, a sort of keeper of a chandler's shop) the impression which the people of the valley had made upon me. He seemed delighted at my having noticed the fine women and their cleanliness, and said that what I had seen was not sufficient to do them justice: Come,' said he, 'into our valley at a festa; see our women on Sunday next at St. Carlo, the village below there, which you see in the valley; all the world will be there in Upper Val Sesia they boast of their women, but they are not to be compared to ours.' I spoke again of their cleanliness; he said, 'Our women pride themselves upon the quantity, the fineness, and, above all the whiteness of their linen; and they are so scrupulously clean in their persons, that (I must use his own energetic expression) il est plus facile de trouver une mouche blanche dans cette vallée qu'une vermine.'

"I had not observed any beggars in the valley; and there was no appearance of poverty: mine host said, that the great industry of the Anzascans enabled them to establish funds for their poor, which prevented their wants, and restrained their begging. Those who could not work were assisted, and those who could, were not permitted to be idle.

"Some time before we arrived at Castiglione a man had joined us, whose French was a relief to me from the silence of nearly all but gesture which my guide's patois imposed upon me. He relieved Jan, my guide, by good-naturedly carrying his burden, and was persuaded, with difficulty, to

valley, which we procured at Castiglione. He mentioned his intention

of going to the Valteline. I picked up another companion, in a young man of respectable appearance going to Muliera; from him I received much information, as we walked together, about journeys around Mont Rosa. He had passed the Aréte-blanche * with three companions, and said its dangers had been overrated; he also gave me intelligence of the places and objects en route. It was evening when we reached Cima de Muliera, whence the descent is very rapid by a zigzag paved road to Pie de Muliera, which he kindly walked through, to put me in the right road across the valley to Vogogna. He pointed out a house in passing through Pie de Muliera, which formerly belonged to a superintendent of the gold mines, who had fantastically displayed his riches, or his occupation, by gilding the balconies, railing, and other ironwork of his residence. I think I can perceive in the Val Anzasca the location of the Ictymuli, whose gold mines were so extensively wrought, that Pliny says a law existed among them which forbad their employing more than 5000 men. D'Anville and Cluverius place the Ictymuli at the head of the Val Sesia: it has always been a subject of difficulty with ancient geographers; but here, where, and where only in Piedmont, gold is still raised, the name of the Ictymuli may be traced in the villages of Cima de Muliera and Pie de Muliera, at the entrance to the valley where the mines are worked, and where yet, at the latter place, the receiver of the metal resides. This admitted, the commercial importance of the ancient pass of the Moro may be accounted for; its antiquity, and the excellence of what remains of it, carries it back to a remote period as a line of intercourse, at least cocval with that of the Great St. Bernard. My recollections of the scenes * See p. 267.

which I have passed through in the last three days, from Visp to Vogogna, induce me to think this pass the most wild, interesting, and beautiful that I have yet made; and the Val Anzasca I have distinguished in my mind as the happy valley, not only for the blessings which its inhabitants possess, but the evils which they appear to have avoided, and which have rendered even the presence of priests unnecessary, at least I saw none; nor did I, during my descent through the valley, from Macugnaga to Pie de Muliera, meet or see a soldier, a douanier, or a beggar-a goître or a crétin." At Macugnaga, an inn, which may be endured by an Alpine traveller, offers all its bad accommodations with so much civility, as almost to reconcile the traveller to disgust, starvation, and want of rest. Myriads of fleas, and nondescript food do not promise well for rest and refreshment; but the little host who keeps the inn of whom Æsop was the prototypeboasts of his having studied the cuisine at Lyons; where he seems to have fitted himself for the service of Harpagon. Still the inn may be endured, for the sake of the palace of nature in which it is placed.

There is no scene in the Alps surpassing the appearance of MONTE ROSA from Macugnaga; at least it is better seen, than Mont Blanc is seen at Chamouny; from its loftiest peaks to its base in the plain of Macugnaga, its vast masses are spread out before the observer. Its deep rifts are marked by lines of snow, and glaciers which stream from its summit to the vault of ice whence issues the torrent of Anza. The bases of the lateral mountains are clothed with dark forests of fir and larch, and the whole scene gives an impression of immensity, and excites the most sublime emotion.

The little plain of Macugnaga is the arena of an amphitheatre, more than three sides of it are inclosed by enormous mountains. On the left is observed the pass which leads over the

Mont Turloz to Alagna and the Val Sesia (Route 104. A), thence, sweeping round to the right, the eye marks the Pizzi Bianca, which mingles with the prodigious masses of Monte Rosa, and passes on to the Cima de Jazi, and the Col of the Monte Moro, a panorama of unmatched grandeur. The plain of Macugnaga — -a league long, and half a league wide—is a luxuriant meadow, which produces abundance of food and fodder for the cattle: there are many little hamlets in it, some almost touching the glaciers. The church of Macugnaga is a building of more striking appearance and richer in its decorations than one would expect to find in such a situation.

The defile below Pesterana divides not only the valley of Pesterana from that of Anzasca, but even the language of the inhabitants. In the Val Pesterana and the plain of Macugnaga German alone is spoken, as in the other high valleys which commence in the deep rifts of Monte Rosa; while in the Val Anzasca the language is Piedmontese and Italian.

The ascent to the pass of the Moro is very abrupt, and the traveller rises rapidly above the little plain and⚫village of Macugnaga. The path lies at first through a straggling forest, but the Alps or pasturages are soon at→ tained, and the scene thence presented is most magnificent-all the masses of this glorious mountain are open to his view, from its peaks still thousands of feet above him to the basin of Macugnaga, now thousands of feet below. Such a scene cannot be conceived, and once seen can never be forgotten. From the high pasturages the path traverses a stony and barren slope to the snow and glaciers, which it is necessary to cross. On the summit, amidst a heap of stones, a cross is placed, and the traveller looks down on the other side of the mountain towards the valleys, and into a scene of sterility which has no relief.

Before descending towards the valley of Saas it is desirable to walk along

Route 105. the crest of the Moro to the right, about a quarter of a mile, where, mounting some rocks, a glorious view offers itself; extending over the valley of Anzasca and Antrona, to the plains of Italy and the chain of the Alps, even to its subsidence in the distant Tyrol. The traveller who, in going from Visp by the Moro, wishes to shorten his route and avoid Macugnaga, may from the summit of the Moro descend to Campiole in the Val Anzasca by a tolerable path, but he would lose the finest views of the Monte Rosa.

The summit of the pass of the Monte Moro is 9100 English feet above the sea, and 4 or 5 hours are required to attain it from Macugnaga. The descent is at first difficult on the northern slope of the snow, but one soon reaches an ancient paved road which has been cut out of the face of the precipices, and fearfully overhangs a deep hollow into which the glaciers which stream down from the surrounding peaks seem to be poured. The spot is one of the most desolate in the Alps. Soon it is necessary to cross a very steep narrow slope of snow, which stretches down, below where it traverses the path, at least 500 feet; here a slip would be fatal, but the guides trudge across it, laden with the traveller's luggage, as if the thought never occurred to them that it was possible to slip and fall into the deep and fearful gulf. At length the paved road is left, and no vestige can be traced of it—it has been destroyed by the masses which have fallen from the precipices above.

The path now winds down the vast talus formed by these repeated falls of rocks, to reach the scanty herbage of the highest pasturages. From below it is impossible to trace any path, or even in what direction the path lies, by which the descent has been made; yet it is not a century since this was the road by which the courier regularly passed from Piedmont to the Vallais.

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The pass of the Moro, and another across the glaciers on the right into the Val Antrona, are mentioned in an old record of the date of 1440, as “forts vieux passages," and great expenses were incurred in 1724 and again in 1790 in the endeavour to restore them in order to facilitate the conveyance of salt and other articles of commerce, but the new repairs were soon destroyed by avalanches. As passes for commercial objects they are superseded by the Simplon, and they are now only traversed by the smuggler, or the peasant who despises the danger or difficulty if he find it the shortest path to a fair or a festa.

Amidst the desolation of the spot, upon which the traveller who has crossed the Moro first feels himself safe, he finds the Alpine Ranunculus, Gentian ella, and other mountain flowers; but the debris of fallen mountains, and the enormous glaciers which surround him, give a fearful impression of desolation. In an hour, however, he reaches the chalets of Destal, and here he can get such refreshments as excellent milk, cheese, and eggs.

The traveller who leaves the Vallais to cross the Moro and descend upon Macugnaga, naturally seeks the enjoyment of the magnificent scene of Monte Rosa, as it bursts upon the observer on the Moro. To obtain this it is necessary to reach the chalets of Destal from Visp, of easy accomplishment in a day, in order to reach the summit of the Moro by 9 or 10 o'clock, before the mists of the valley rise and obscure the mountain; for by midday, even in fine weather, the Monte Rosa is often so belted by light clouds, that the enjoyment of the view is withheld from all but those who will exert themselves to pay a morning visit to the scene.

From Destal a difficult path crosses the mountains in the Val Antrona, a valley that debouches into the Val d'Ossola.

Soon after quitting the châlets, the path leads down to a dreary lake

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formed by the melting of the glaciers -a great glacier, in fact, dams the valley, and these waters accumulate within it. From the lower end of the lake the view of the northern side of the Cima de Jazi, and some of the peaks of the Monte Rosa, present a scene of savage sublimity. It is necessary to skirt the dam of ice and descend below it. - an affair of some difficulty; how the cattle are made to ascend and traverse it, which they must do to reach their pasturages, it is difficult to imagine. From below, this barrier of ice appears so effectually to close the valley, that it is impossible to imagine that any accessible alp lies above it.

From this barrier the path lies down the valley, still sterile and filled with rocks and stones; the Rhododendron, however, and a little brushwood, give evidence of improved vegetation. About an hour brings the traveller to the village of Allmengal. From this village a path crosses the mountains on the eastern side, and leads to Antrona; and on the west another path leads over snows and glaciers of the Mont Fée to Zermatt in the valley of St. Nicolas. This presents a terrific appearance, but it is said to be without danger, though the traveller must be an hour and half on the glaciers.

One of these paths is indicated in Keller's map; but he is not to be relied upon for accuracy, except within Switzerland or its frontiers. He is often wrong in the names of places, and in their situations.

the principal commune of the valley. Formerly the traveller's only place of refuge was the house of the curé, now an auberge offers its independent welcome; and Moritz Zurbruken, the innkeeper, is one of the best guides in the valley to the passes and objects of interest in his neighbourhood. A very interesting account was lately published at Geneva by Marc Viridet, of a hazardous excursion made by him and two friends, under the guidance of Moritz, across the Roth-horn and the glaciers of the Fletschorn to the village of Simplon.

The plain of Saas is beautiful amidst the wild scenery which surrounds it; it is nearly a mile long, and its verdant meadows are refreshing to look upon after the sterility of the upper valley and the pass of the Moro.

Immediately below the plain of Saas the valley becomes a defile, and rocks in the wildest disorder mark the desolating effect of winter upon the precipices which bound the valley. Some magnificent cataracts pour their unregarded volumes of water into this deep and desolate ravine—which in other situations would divide celebrity with the finest falls in Switzerland. The torrent of the Saas is often traversed in the descent over bridges which tremble under the weight of the traveller, especially if he be on a mule, for this valley is accessible to mules even to the glaciers of the Moro above the chalets of Destal.

The valley of Saas is formed of a succession of ravines and little plains. About two hours below Saas, and below a rugged path in a narrow defile, the little plain of Aballa opens and presents its village and church, amidst meadows, gardens, and other evidence of a lower region and more favoured vegetation. Below Aballa the valley becomes again a gorge of the wildest character; and in the two hours required from Aballa to Stalden the path lies almost continually amidst scenes nowhere surpassed in the Alps

Route 105. for the savage wildness of their character. How dangerous it has been to travellers, crushed by rocks that have fallen from above, or who have fallen over the precipices, along which the path is carried on the side of the ravine, into the black gulf below, is shown by the numerous crosses stuck in places of danger - - more than 150 of these are placed between Saas and Stalden; they mark where life has been lost. Sometimes many are seen together bearing the same date, and marking the common fate of several Other spots are so dangerous, that several crosses mark the repetition of fatal accidents there. The initials of the victims, the date of the accident, and the P.P.N., priez pour nous, are cut on the cross, and ask the prayers of the passengers to relieve their souls from purgatory.

at once.

"The valley of Saas," says Brockedon, "is the narrowest that I have yet passed in Switzerland; the sides were excessively steep, and terminated in a deep, narrow bed, through which the river tore its foaming way. I had to cross it three times, and over bridges so ill constructed, with only a few pines laid across, that to me, who had been rather inured to such places, the sensation of crossing on a mule was horrible; the planks moved loosely under the animal's feet, and the whole fabric shook as if an infant could have overthrown it. Some bridges in the valley are at fearful heights above the torrent: one of these, which I sketched about two miles above Stalden, serves for communication between some cottages and the opposite mountain. Its height above the water is from 200 to 300 feet; and the cottages are so placed on the cliff, that a line dropt from them would hang far over the torrent on the other side. I have no where else seen such rugged wildness; the huge old larches which overhung the deep gorges of the river were of immense size, and their giant limbs and roots, thrown about in a savage grandeur, were quite in accordSwitz.

ance with the surrounding scenery. The ravine slopes steeply to the torrent from Stalden to Saas, except at the little plain of Aballa; and the small quantities of barley raised, is grown in such difficult situations, that one wonders that the labour is not an obstacle to any attempt to cultivate it."

Immediately before arriving at Stalden, the torrent of the Saas, and that of the Matter, or St. Nicolas valley, meet and rush with fury through the lofty arch of an Alpine stone bridge: from which the scene is very grand.

A little below the confluence, and on the left bank of the river, the village of Stalden is situated: here there is a decent inn, where the traveller may find accommodation and rest, if the two hours, yet necessary for reaching Visp in the Vallais, should add too much to his day's fatigue. Stalden is about 8 miles from Visp. After the belles horreurs of the valley of Saas, the scenery below Stalden is tame. At Visp (Route 59.) there are two or three tolerable inns, and the village offers many picturesque points of view: the snowy peaks observed to bound the view on looking up the valley from the bridge, are generally pointed out as Monte Rosa, but the "queen of the Alps" cannot be seen from Visp. Those peaks are on the mountain of Saas, which divides the valley of Saas and St. Nicolas, and overhang the glaciers which are crossed in going from Allmengal to Zermatt by the path already mentioned.

ROUTE 106.

VISP ΤΟ CHATILLON IN THE VAL D'AOSTA, BY THE PASS OF the mont CERVIN.

TOUR OF MONTE ROSA.

The first eight miles of this route take the traveller back to Stalden, whence, ascending by the road on the

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