Gallenstock, whose tall peak overhangs it. The source of the Rhone, in a cavern of ice, is about 5400 ft. above the sea. If you pursue a tract up the W. side, or rt. bank of the glacier, you come suddenly upon a very fine waterfall, rushing forth from the summit of the glacier, and dashing without a break into an icy cavern about 150 ft. below, sending forth clouds of freezing spray. This large body of water after forming a passage for itself under the glacier, issues forth from the cavern at its foot.

The path leading to the Furca ascends along the E. side of the valley, having the glacier on the 1. for a considerable distance. From this point the best view is obtained of this magnificent sea of ice, and correct idea may be formed of its extent and thickness as the traveller passes within stone's throw of its yawning creviees. The path then turns off to to the rt., mounting upwards through a valley of green pastures to the summit of the pass, or Fork, between two mountain peaks, from which it receives its name. From this point, 8300 feet above the sea, near the Cross which marks the boundary of the cantons of the Vallais and of Uri, there is a beautiful view of the Bernese Chain, the Finster-Aar-Horn being pre-eminent among its peaks. The top of the Furca is never altogether free from snow there is no plain or level surface on it. The descent commences as soon as the crest is crossed into the valley of the Sidli Alp, which is covered with pastures, but monotonous and uninteresting in its scenery, and destitute of trees. The traveller must pick his way, as he best may, among a multitude of deep holes, cut by the feet of mules and cattle. Except a few scattered chalets, no human habitation occurs between the chalet of the Rhone Glacier and the small hamlet of Realp, where refreshments may be obtained from the Capuchin monks, who have a small chapel and

convent of ease here, in which they receive strangers. It is about 4 miles from hence to Hospenthal, on the St. Gothard (Route 34).

ROUTE 31.

PASS OF THE SURENEN, FROM STANZSTADT, AND BUOCHS, TO ALTORF, BY THE CONVENT OF ENGELBERG AND THE BASE OF THE TITLIS.

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133 stunden 45 Eng. miles. There is a good char-road as far as Engelberg; thence to Altorf, across the pass, a horse path.

Stanzstadt, the landing-place for those coming from Lucerne, is a small village on the margin of the lake, immediately opposite Winkel (p. 59), under the Rotzberg, whose ruined castle is an historical monument (see p. 59). Stanzstadt is distinguished by its tall watch-towers, 5 centuries old. In 1315, a little before the battle of Morgarten, a vessel laden with Austrian partisans was crushed and swamped by a millstone hurled from the top of this tower. An avenue of walnut trees leads, in 2 miles, to Stanz.

Travellers coming from Brunnen, or from the E. end of the lake of Lucerne, land at Buochs, a village at the foot of the Buochser-Horn. It has no good inn, but can furnish chars or horses. Like Stanzstadt, it was destroyed by the French in 1798. is 3 miles from

It

Stanz. Inns Krone (Crown): Engel (Angel). Capital of the lower division (Nidwalden) of canton Unterwalden, contains 1200 inhabitants. It was in the Rathhaus of Stanz that the venerable Swiss worthy Nicolas Von der Flue appeased the burning dissensions of the confederates, in 1481, by his wise and soothing councils. In the existing building there is a picture (? daub) representing him taking leave of his family. the market-place is a statue of Arnold of Winkelried, a native of Stanz (see

In

the Benedictine Abbey rises conspicuous among the ordinary habitations of the village. It was founded in 1120, and received from Pope Calixtus II. the name of Mons Angelorum, from a tradition that the site of the building was fixed by angels

"Whose authentic lay, Sung from that heavenly ground, in middle air, Made known the spot where Piety should

raise

A holy structure to th' Almighty's praise." Wordsworth.

Having been three times destroyed by fire, the existing edifice is not older than the middle of the last century. "The architecture is unimpressive, but the situation is worthy of the honours which the imagination of the mountaineers has conferred upon it." The convent is independent of any bishop or sovereign but the Pope himself, or his legate: its revenues, once more considerable, were seriously diminished by the French, but it still possesses valuable alpine pastures, and the cheeses produced on them are stored in an adjacent warehouse. It contains, at present, only 19 brothers: it has a large Church and a Library of some value; the roof of the apartment in which it is placed has been cracked by an earthquake. Travellers are received and entertained in the those of the poorer classes

convent.

gratuitously.

The Titlis, the chief of the mountains which overhang this romantic solitude, rises on the S. of the convent to a height of 7530 ft. above the valley, and 11,414 ft. above the sealevel. Its principal peak, the Nollen, composed of limestone, is said to be visible (?) from Strasburg: it is frequently ascended, and without danger. It is covered with glaciers, 175 feet thick, from which numerous avalanches fall, in spring, with a roar like thunder.

The Pass of the Joch (see Route 33) leads from Engelberg to Meyringen in 8 to 9 hours.

"Two passes lead from Engelberg into the head of the Melchthal, the Jöchli, somewhat difficult, and the Storegg shorter, less high, and more frequented. The path, however, is indifferent and ill-defined in places. It leaves the small lake, called Luter See, on the rt., and ascends the 1. hand mountain; 6 hours are required from Engelberg to Sachslen.”—J. D.

From Engelberg to Altorf, by the Pass of the Surenen, is a walk of 8 hours, about 20 miles. The footpath reaches, after about 3 miles, the dairy belonging to the convent, called Herrenreuti, where good cheese is made: 50 cows are attached to it; the pastures are refreshed by more than 20 springs rising upon them. From the steep sides of the Hahnenberg, on the N.E., a beautiful waterfall bursts forth, called Dätschbach. The path now winds round the base of a projecting mountain, beyond which the valley makes a bend in a N. E. direction, and, following the course of the Aar for about 6 miles, crosses it, and then turns nearly due E.

The Stierenbach, the principal feeder of that stream, is now seen descending in a pretty cascade into the deep abyss. Half an hour's walk below the summit stand a few chalets, and beyond them the traveller has to make his way across a field of perpetual snow, to the summit of the pass, or Sureneck, a narrow ridge not more than 5 ft. wide, between the Blakenstock on the 1. and the Schlossberg on the rt., 7486 ft. above the sea. During the greater part of the ascent the Titlis shines forth an object of the greatest magnificence, and a long line of peaks and glaciers extend from it uninterruptedly to the Surenen. Another view now opens out on the opposite side into the valleys of Maderan and Schachen, and is bounded in the extreme distance by the snowy top of the Glärnish in canton Glarus. On the side of the Surenen, lying within the limits of canton Uri, the surface of snow to be crossed is

Routes 32, 33.

greater, and the descent is steeper. Traversing the snow, and a desolate tract covered with broken rocks beyond, the chalets of Waldnacht are passed; and then, by the frightful gorge of Boghy, the path is conducted into the valley of the Reuss, forking off on the rt. to Erstfeld, for those who wish to ascend the St. Gothard- and on the 1. to Attinghausen, for those who are bound to Altorf.

In 1799, a division of the French army, under Lecourbe, crossed this pass with cannon to attack the Austrians in the valley of the Reuss, but were soon driven back the same way by the impetuous descent of Suwarrow from the St. Gothard.

Altorf. (See Route 34, p. 102.)

ROUTE 32.

PASS OF THE SUSTEN, FROM MEYRINGEN TO WASEN.

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11 stunden 26 English miles. In 1811, when the Vallais was added by Napoleon to the French empire, a char-road was constructed from Meyringen to Stein, and on the side of canton Uri, from Wasen to Ferningen, to enable the inhabitants of canton Berne to convey their produce into Italy through the Swiss territory; but now that circumstances are altered, it has fallen out of repair in many places, and can only be regarded as a bridle-path. It is a very fine pass. The word Sust means toll or custom-house, whence the name. The route of the Grimsel is followed from Meyringen as far as Im-Hof (p. 89.), where, quitting the side of the Aar, the path follows the course of the Gadmen, ascending the valley called, at its lower extremity, Muhli-thal, higher up Nessel-thal; and beyond the village of

99

The

chalets of Stein, and a portion of it was destroyed a few years ago by the sudden advance of the glacier of Stein, which was originally a mile distant from it, descending from a valley on the S. The appearance of the glacier is remarkable, as it assumes a fan shape at its termination. A steep ascent of 13 hour brings the traveller to the top of the Susten Pass, 6980 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. The view is very fine; the serrated ridges and the many-pointed peaks of the mountains bounding the Mayenthal, through which the descent lies, especially arrest the attention. There is always some snow on the east declivity of the pass. The first chalets are met with on the Hundsalp. stream is crossed several times, until at the Hauserbrücke, a considerable distance below Ferningen, the unfinished char-road again commences. Lower down is the village of Meyen, where there is an inn. Most of the houses of this valley, which numbers but 400 inhabitants, are protected from the descending avalanches by a stone dyke, or well-propped palisade of wood raised on the hill side behind them, to turn away the falling snow from their roofs. Near the junction of the valleys of the Mayen and the Reuss are shattered remains of an hexagonal redoubt (schanze), which was fortified by the Austrians in 1799, and stormed and taken from them by the French, under Loison, who forced the enemy back up the vale of the Reuss, and, after five assaults, made himself master of Wasen, an important point. A very steep and rough road leads down from this into the village.

Wasen, on the St. Gothard (p. 103.), 9 m. from the pass.

ROUTE 33.

THE JOCH PASS, FROM MEYRINGEN TO ENGELBERG.

Distance about 18 Eng. miles, 13

100

Route 34.

from Meyringen to the top of the pass, 5 thence by the path to Engelberg. Time occupied in walking it 7 hours. It is practicable for horses in 8 to 9 hours. This pass is a good deal used: as far as Im Hof it is the same as Route 28.

"The village of Wyler, on the summit of the rise above Im Hof, is reached in 1 hour from Meyringen. The Gadmen Torrent is there crossed, and the path ascends rapidly for another hour, when the pastures at the lower extremity of the Gentil Thal are reached, in which is a pure spring, very grateful after the hot ascent from Wyler. From this point the path continues on a very gradual rise up the pastures for 11 hour; it then enters the forests, and after another hour, reaches the best chalets, near a considerable lake, which is, however, not visible from them. After leaving the chalets, the path descends a very little towards the lake, and keeping for a few minutes along the brink, rises in about

an hour to the summit of the pass. The Wenden Stock and glaciers and the Titlis are fine objects from here. There are two paths down to Engelberg, the horse path leading to the 1. of the Trüb See, the other and shorter one, only practicable on foot, continuing along a ridge in the direction of Engelberg for a short distance, and then descending on the rt. to a plain, on which, at

mile on the left, is situated the Trüb See. It is necessary to bear away to the rt. hand extremity of this plain, where there is a gap, from which a rough path descends for 20 minutes over grass, and afterwards debris to the pastures, crossing which it enters the forest for hour, and shortly reaches

Engelberg."-J. D. (p. 97.) The ascent of the Titlis is made from the Trüb See.

ROUTE 34.

THE PASS OF ST. GOTHARD, FROM FLUELLEN, ON THE LAKE OF LUCERNE, TO BELLINZONA.

23 stunden = 75 Eng. miles, or 15 posts.

This road is now (1841) well supplied with post horses, by a private company. Their tariff is 3 Fr. francs for each horse per post, and 50 centimes to the postilion. Voitures à volonté and horses may be hired at Fluellen, Andermatt, Airolo, Bellinzona. The cost of a carriage with 2 horses from Bellinzona to Airolo, in 1840, was 35 fr., and 2 fr. bonnemain to the post boy each stage.

This was anciently perhaps the most frequented passage over the Alps, as it offered the most direct and practicable line of communication between Basle and Zurich, from Northern Switzerland and W. Germany, to Lombardy, and the important cities of Milan and Genoa. Not less than 16,000 travellers and 9000 horses crossed it annually on an average, down to the commencement of the present century; but being only a bridle-path, it was almost entirely abandoned after the construc. tion of the carriage-roads over the Simplon and Bernardin. Deprived of the traffic across it, the inhabitants of the villages traversed by the road, chiefly innkeepers and muleteers, were reduced to ruin, and the revenues of the canton, which before drew 20,000 florins annually from the tolls upon it, were seriously diminished. The cantons of Uri and Tessin, through which this road runs, at length became sufficiently alive to their own interests to perceive the necessity of converting it into a carriage-road, and thus rendering it fit to compete with the rival routes as a channel of communication and of transport for merchandise. In consequence, in 1820, the work was begun, and in 1832 finally completed and opened. The expenses were de