sons:

and to hardy and adventurous perno slight hazard might arise from overrating one's powers of endurance."

There is no difficulty in getting good guides at Zermatt; the only difficulty is to find a medium of communication. Jean Baptiste Brantschen speaks a little French, and is probably one of the best. Another, Peter Tamatter, who made with me the tour of Monte Rosa, pleased me much by his active, willing, and affectionate temper. The recommendation of the innkeeper at Zermatt may be trusted.

The ascent and passage of St. Théodule have been already mentioned. The Italian side of the mountain is more dangerous, in respect of crevasses; and here the guides took the precaution to tie themselves and me together with ropes. To those who intend to make the tour of Monte Rosa, however, it is needless to descend to Breuil; their course lies to the eastward, across an extensive plain of ice, not greatly lower than the crest of the pass, to the ridge called the Cimes Blanches, descending from the main chain, which forms, by its prolongation, the chain separating the Val Challant from the Val Tournanche. From St. Théodule to Ayas, by this route, is said to be about 5 hours, of which two or more must be over the ice. I lost the pleasure of this route, by an unlucky adventure, which caused me to descend to Breuil, and recross the mountains to Ayas, at a great increase of distance and fatigue; and having been benighted, I can say little of the upper part of this valley, except that it does not appear to be of very striking character. From the time, however, that we reached the region of trees it became very beautiful; and as seen imperfectly by the moon, which glittered on the snows of the Breithorn, nothing could have been more romantic, if we had only known where we were to sleep, and had not been 15 hours on foot. At last, however, when we began to despair of extri

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cating ourselves from the forest, we reached the village of Fraschez, about half past 10, and knocked up a hospitable peasant, named Jean Joseph Villermatt with a family of five lads, hunters who spoke French, and would make good guides. It would have shortened the way to sleep at a higher hamlet, which we missed in the dark. The name of Fraschez, it should be added, does not appear in any of the maps.

The pass leading to the Lys-thal is called the Furca di Betta: the ascent lies through larch woods, up a very steep acclivity, by a good path. There is little or no snow on the pass, which is given in Keller as 8100 French feet above the sea. The height I should suppose to be overrated. The summit is three easy hours from Fraschez-the view not extensive. A rapid descent leads down into the valley of the Lys. Near the second châlet a path turns off to the left, towards the head of the valley, where there is a large and handsome house owned by a wealthy proprietor: the right-hand path leads down to San Giacomo (?) about an hour below the large house, where there is a small auberge. Being refused a bed at the mansion, and unable to procure one at the hostelry, my guide and I took up our quarters in a barn full of hay. Nothing can be imagined finer than the head of the Lys-thal. The Lys-gletscher, which descends low, is formed by the union of two magnificent branches, which sweep down from the Lys Kamm. Rock, river, rich pasturages, forests, glaciers and mountains, and so admirably combined as to present a series of most exquisite views, both in descending and in passing along the bottom of the valley. Near the village chapel and close by the road, there is a remarkably picturesque spot on the river, which has hollowed itself a very deep channel, across which has fallen a mass of rock, forming a natural bridge, which leads

272 ; Route 106. to the chapel and some adjacent houses. There is also a bridge half an hour higher, above the great house. "From the Lys-thal to Macugnaga is a very long and hard day, including two high and steep passes. The first, the Col d'Ollen, is given by Keller as 8200 French feet above the sea. The first ascent is very rapid, commanding fine views both up and down the valley. About half way up a large mountain basin is reached, containing several châlets, at the highest of which I breakfasted. It is the best and largest I have seen in the Alps, being a large stone building containing two good beds in an inner apartment, large provision of household utensils, and every thing beautifully clean. The mistress, a civil obliging woman, is from the neighbourhood of Aosta, and brings her cows annually, first to the neighbourhood of Gressoney, then to a lower châlet, then hither where she had been (Aug. 11.), only 15 days. The thermometer at 7 o'clock, a beautiful morning, stood at 46. From the valley to this châlet took 1 hour 30 minutes, thence to the Col 1 hour, 10 minutes; a steep ascent, about 20 minutes over snow. The passage,

a mere ridge, is marked by some remarkable insulated rocks. By this time the mountains were much clouded, but some of the higher points around Monte Rosa broke out from time to time with splendid effect. The descent is rapid and stony. The way to Alagna runs S. E. Turning off from this I followed a laborious and pathless course, in and out along the mountain side, ascending again under a wall of dark rocks till we reached a small pool 1 hour 30 minutes from the Col, and probably of nearly equal elevation, after which a rapid ascent brought us in 45 minutes to the first group of châlets, the châlets de Riva. By the way we passed under a very high waterfall of considerable body. This part of the route resembles much

Col de Turloz.

the wilder parts of the Highlands. Trees there are none; and the glaciers of the main chain are I should think concealed by the precipices under which I passed; which were veiled by clouds. From the châlets, the way lies down a very steep staircase -such it literally is-until, on turning the lofty peninsula on which they stand, between two converging glens, a magnificent view opens into the heart of Monte Rosa, from which a magnificent glacier streams far into the valley.

The mountains on either side rise very steeply, and are well clothed with larches below and pastures above. Much ground would be saved if the river could be crossed here or a little higher; but, as it was full charged from the glaciers, we were obliged to descend for 40 minutes from the châlets to the first bridge, a very picturesque spot, which we reached at 12 o'clock, about 6 hours from the Lys-thal, excluding stoppages. This upper part of the Val Sesia is very fine, and if accommodation be to be had at Alagna, would repay an excursion from Varallo. Such accommodation may, however, be had at Riva about 1 hour below Alagna.

The Col de Turloz is one of the steepest and most laborious passes that I have crossed. Keller gives for its height 7890 French feet, which I should think must be an error: it appears higher than the Col d'Ollen, took longer to mount, and has much more snow on it. The first stage of the ascent is by a mule path, so steep as to seem dangerous: this leads to a group of châlets in about 45 minutes, after which we kept filing laboriously up the stony steep mountain side, generally in the mist, and turning, it seemed, easterly round the head of a basin, until in 2 hours 30 minutes from the bridge, I found myself on a lift of the fog, at some height above a large bed of snow in the bottom. Pursuing the same course we crossed a large bed of snow, and came again on

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which fills the desolate hollow below, sometimes over a paved road broken by avalanches and torrents, sometimes over steep slopes of snow not good for weak nerves, the slant being considerable, and the depth below not trifling. The last of these is about 1 hour from the top; thence to the châlets of Destal, 20 minutes; thence to Saas, 2 hours 30 minutes, very quick. Macugnaga to Saas about 7 hours' quick walking. It would complete this tour well to cross direct by Monte Fee to Zermatt, a difficult route, as has been said, and thence to Sion by the Eringerthal three days' work. But such a circuit as this requires a continuance of fine weather such as is rarely met with.

"A better division of this tour, as to distance, might be made by sleeping at the châlets on the Col d'Ollen (having first ascertained that they are occupied), instead of stopping at the Lys-thal; or by starting very early, and taking the route of the Cimes Blanches, it would be possible to reach the Lys-thal in one day from Zermatt. This however would be a very hard day, probably of 15 or 16 hours' walking. — A. T. M.”

ROUTE 107.

FROM TURIN TO CORMAYEUR, THE VAL D'AOSTA.

The shortest route from Turin to Ivrea, at the entrance of the Val d'Aosta, is by Lemie, Volpiano, St. Benigno, and Foglis—all large villages or towns, containing from 1800 to 3000 inhabitants. St. Benigno has one of the most beautiful churches in Piedmont.

The road lies across the flat rich plains which extend to the bases of the Alps; and before arriving at Foglis, two of the torrents which descend from the Alps are crossed-the Malone and the Orca -on flying

bridges, and between Foglis and Ivrea another river, the Chiusella, is crossed, near to where the road by Foglis falls into the high road from Chivasso to Ivrea. This spot has some celebrity, as the scene of a successful struggle of the French against the Austrians: it was the first battle in the war of 1800, and immediately preceded the victory of Marengo. In the combat on the Chiusella the Austrian General Salfi was killed. Two other villages lie beyond Foglis on this road, Montalegno and Romano. The distance from Turin to Ivrea by this road is 12 leagues; a better but longer road lies through Chivasso and Caluso.

The

Ivrea is a large walled town. entrance is highly picturesque, across the deep bed of the Doire, which flows immediately below the Port de Turin. It contains about 8000 inhabitants. Here large markets are held, to which cheese and other pastoral produce of the Alps are brought; it is also a depôt for the iron which is obtained near Cogne, and from other mines worked in the valley; here, also, some cotton works have been recently established.

The prison is a large building, with towers at the angles; these, and the old walls, from many points of view, furnish most picturesque materials for the sketch-book. This town or city, as it is called, and in English estimation, as the seat of a bishop, ought perhaps to be considered one, is said to be the southern gate to the Val d'Aosta. It is of great antiquity, and mentioned by many ancient authors under the name of Eporedia. Strabo says that here the unfortunate Salassi, made prisoners by Terentius Varro, when these brave people of the Val d'Aosta were subdued, were sold as slaves by public auction, to the number of 36,000.

On leaving Ivrea, on the right is a vast ridge of alluvium, the Monte Bolegno, which stretches into the

plains. The road ascends on the left bank of the Doire, passes below the château of Montalto, and continues through the rich broad valley of the Doire broad enough to constitute a part of the plain, for at Settimo Vittone, 3 leagues, the ascent has been so gradual as scarcely to have been perceived. Nor is it in fact until the traveller reach Pont St. Martin, two leagues, that he may be said to have fairly entered this valley of the Alps.

At Pont St. Martin, however, all doubt is removed. The lofty arch which formerly spanned the torrent of the Lys, one of the finest Roman works of its class in the valley, has now been removed for another,better adapted to the improved intercourse of the inhabitants of the valley with the plains. The situation of this village is strikingly fine. The entrance to the Val de Lys offers a temptation to examine it, and a visit to the villages situated at the foot of the glaciers of Monte Rosa (Route 104.) will well repay the explorer of an Alpine valley.

After crossing the Lys at a short distance from its confluence with the Doire, the road ascends to Donas, where a Roman work -a pierced rock is passed through, and near to it is a Roman milestone cut in the rock, noting xxxii.

From Donas the road ascends abruptly for a short distance, and close to the Doire, which it steeply overhangs, to

Fort Bard, celebrated for the temporary check which it gave to the advance of the French army under Buonaparte, in 1800. It was garrisoned by only 400 Austrians, yet such was the strength of the position, that Buonaparte almost despaired of carrying it, and a few days more must have starved his army into a retreat; by a gallant manœuvre, however, in the efficient placement of a single gun, above the precipices of the Mont Albaredo, which overhangs Bard, they checked the battery

Verrex. 275

which covered the approach to the town, and the army passed by night under the grenades and pots de feu thrown by the fort. Another gun was raised to a belfry which commanded the gate of the fort, and the Austrians, fearing an assault, surrendered. Upon such slight occurrences the fate of Europe turned. As the French army would have devoured all the supply of the Val d'Aosta in a few days, it must have retreated, and the battle of Marengo, one of the most brilliant events of French history, would not have been fought. Within a few years the fort has been greatly strengthened, and it is now considered invulnerable.

After passing through the steep and narrow streets of Bard, the entrance is seen, on the left, to the valley of Champorcher, whence a path leads by the village of Pont Bosel to the Col de Reale in six hours, and by this pass and the valley of the Soanna to Ponte in the Val d'Orca.

Above Bard the valley is narrow, and offers little variety in ascending by the deep and rapid course of the Doire to

Verrex, 2 leagues from Pont St. Martin, is situated at the entrance to the Val Challant (Route 104.). Here many improvements have recently been made, especially in the construction of a new bridge and many new houses, but a better inn is much wanted; that kept by Jean Garda, the post-house, is the best. Throughout the valley, however, the addition to the numbers of the inns, and of the accommodations which they offer to travellers have undergone an extraordinary improvement within a few years. In the autumn of 1840 a great many houses at Verrex were destroyed or injured by heavy floods.

There is a large square keep of the old castle of Verrex, which overhangs the Val Challant; it is a picturesque object from below, and the scenes from it are worth a scramble to the ruins.