A tour through some parts of France, Switzerland, Savoy, Germany and Belgium Part 5

Having refreshed ourselves sufficiently to encounter fresh difficulties, we determined to visit _Montanvert_, and the _Mer de Glace_, two of the most distinguished objects of curiosity which this place boasts of.

Having provided ourselves with guides and mules, we set out accordingly; and, after quickly pa.s.sing the narrow valley, began to ascend mountains which abound with chamois, and which, by their height and irregularity, seemed to render our arrival on their summit an event not speedily to be expected. We had more reason than ever to be astonished at the extraordinary security with which our mules carried us up such abrupt ascents, which in many places more resembled a flight of steps, hewn roughly in a rock, than a practicable road, and there were in many places hardly any marks to shew which was the preferable way.

After a continual ascent of between two and three hours, we were advised to send back our mules to wait our return in the valley, and to continue our way on foot, which we did accordingly, being provided with long sticks, pointed with iron, to a.s.sist us in climbing the remainder of the ascent. Our arrival on the summit amply repaid us for the toil which it had cost us: the view is not to be described;--before us lay the _Mer de Glace_ (sea of ice) extending to the length of four leagues, and being about three quarters of a league in width; which is one of the most sublime spectacles in nature.--Around us were mountains much more elevated than those which cost us so much trouble in ascending, which consisting of granite, dispersed in the most majestic forms, and being the perpetual abode of frosts, storms, and tempests, leave a most awful impression on the mind. It is impossible to behold these stupendous scenes without, in the language of the Psalmist, 'ascribing unto the Lord wors.h.i.+p and power.'

Although we had ascended not less than 3000 feet, yet, to our astonishment, Mont Blanc appeared _nearly as elevated_ as when we viewed it from the Galley. It is unquestionably the highest mountain in the three old quarters of the world (being exceeded in height only by the Andes); and I shall insert here the calculations of its elevation, and of that of some other mountains:

English feet.

Chimboraco, the highest of the Cordilleras 20,608

Mont Blanc, above the level of the Mediterranean, according to Sir G. Shuckburgh 15,662

Ditto, according to M. de Luc 15,302 1/3

Mount Caucasus 15,000

Etna, according to M, de Saussure 10,700

Teneriffe 10,954

The highest mountain in Scotland is Ben-Nevis, 4,337 feet. In Wales, Snowdon, 3,555. In England, Ingleborough, 3,200 feet. In Ireland, Croagh Patrick, 2,666.

Mont Blanc is easily distinguished from amongst the other mountains (of which _Mont Buet_; of 9984 feet in height, approaches the nearest to it) when Steen on this side, by the astonis.h.i.+ng alt.i.tude to which it rises, and by the vast body of snow with which its top and sides are covered to the perpendicular height of above 4000 feet, without the intervention of any rock, to take off from that extreme whiteness that gives name to this mountain, uniting in the circular form of its summit all the majesty that can possibly be imagined. We partook of some refreshment in an apartment on the summit of Montanvert, which the extreme cold of the atmosphere rendered very acceptable. Having enrolled our names in a book kept here for that purpose, which abounds with the praises of all travellers who have viewed these scenes, we descended to the _Mer de Glace_, which is appropriately so named, from the striking resemblance which its broken ma.s.ses of ice bear to the waves of the ocean, and the resemblance is still further heightened by the blue appearance which the numerous cavities present to the eye.--We walked a little way on this frozen ocean, the better to contemplate its vast extent, as well as to have it in our power to boast of _having walked on a ma.s.s of ice in the month of August_. The depth of the ice is calculated to be from three to _four hundred_ feet, and the solemnity of this scene of desolation is increased by the sound of several torrents tumbling from the surrounding rocks. We again returned to the summit of Montanvert, and were again lost in astonishment at the scene; which did not fail to recall to my recollection the beautiful lines of _Pope_, in his Essay on Criticism:

So pleas'd at first the tow'ring Alps we try, Mount o'er the vales, and seem to tread the sky, Th' eternal snows appear already past, And the first clouds and mountains seem the last.

But, those attain'd, we tremble to survey The growing labours of the lengthen'd way, Th' increasing prospect tires our wand'ring eyes, Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps on Alps arise.

Having sufficiently contemplated the view, we began to think of returning to the valley, which presented a most enlivening appearance after the _chaos_ we had left. The descent was much easier than the ascent, and we were not long before we met our mules, and returned to our inn in great prosperity, although we had, most of us, occasional falls during so difficult a progress.

We had great reason to be pleased with our expedition, and were most fortunate in the clearness of the day, without which our labour would have been lost. The valley is, of course, much more mild in its atmosphere than the mountain, but the weather was autumnal, and a fire was quite indispensable to our comfort. There are no less than _five glaciers_ in this valley, they are separated from each other by forests and by cultivated lands, and this intermixture presents an appearance which, from its singularity, cannot fail to astonish the beholder. These glaciers all lie at the foot of that vast chain of mountains, which supply the sources of many of the greatest rivers in Europe. I observed that the mountains in this vicinity were the first I had seen enlivened by the mixture of the larch with the fir, which produces a very pleasing effect, and continues afterwards to be often seen. The vast quant.i.ties of Alpine _strawberries_ that every-where abound on these mountains, have a most excellent flavor, and numbers of children employed in gathering them find ready sale among the numerous strangers, attracted by the wonders of the neighbourhood. These Alps possess great attractions for the _botanist_, who is surrounded by saxifrage, rhododendrons, and a variety of other plants, which he must highly value, but which I have not sufficient knowledge of the science to distinguish particularly. Nor would the _mineralogist_ find fewer attractions in the rocks themselves, than the botanist in the plants which they produce. We did not witness any of those _avalanches_ which are said to fall so frequently from the mountains, and of the dreadful effects of which such interesting statements have been published. The whole of this valley, however, appears to be continually threatened, by the enormous ma.s.ses which hang over it, and seem to need the application of but a trifling force, to move them from situations, to which they are to all appearance so slightly attached.

CHAP. VIII.

We left Chamouny at an early hour to proceed on our way to Martigny, from which it is nine leagues distant; but as there is nothing which deserves the name of a road, we continued our journey on mules. The morning was so very hazy, that we were prevented from enjoying the prospect from the Col de Balme, and we travelled for several hours amongst mountains, at one moment enveloped in the fog, which was sometimes the next instant carried to a considerable distance from us, by one of those sudden currents of air which are so common in these elevated situations. As we approached Valorsine, the rain began to fall, but fortunately it was not of long continuance, and afterwards the weather became much clearer.

_Nothing can surpa.s.s_ the romantic situation of this little village, its valley is one of the most secluded we had yet seen amongst the Alps.

The impression which this scene has left on my mind, can never be effaced; every thing presented an appearance of tranquillity, and of extreme simplicity. It was the feast of the patron saint of the village, and the peasants were in their best dresses. The women were of a better appearance than is usual in Savoy; their dress attracted the particular attention of our French companion, who had never before quitted his own country, and who had previously expressed a contempt for Savoy, which he now seemed willing to retract; and certainly it would be difficult to see a spot where primitive simplicity was more conspicuous. We determined to refresh ourselves here, and afterwards went through the village to the church, which was decorated with flowers for the festival; and during our walk we were saluted with the utmost civility by the peasants, who surveyed us with a curiosity which proved they had but little intercourse with strangers. A monk saluted me, and said in Latin he was rejoiced again to see Englishmen. In one of the groups, I observed a fortune-teller, who seemed to have a good deal of custom, but her dialect was one of the most singular I ever heard. The inn where we breakfasted, like most of the houses here, was raised on beams, to allow for the depth of the snow in winter. They are built of timber, and covered with pieces of fir, cut to about the size of tiles. The rooms were very small, and could with difficulty accommodate the unusual number of guests then a.s.sembled. Civility was more abundant than provisions, but there was more fruit than one could expect to see amongst these mountains.

If the peasants of Meillerie, which is the part of Savoy Rousseau took so much pleasure in describing, at all resemble those of Valorsine, he cannot there at least be accused of having dealt in fiction. M. de Saussure relates an anecdote which serves to give an idea of the Savoyards in these situations, so remote from the corruption incident to cities. He says, "I was one day prosecuting my researches amongst the Alps, and being without provisions, was induced to take some fruit not far distant from a cottage. I observed a woman coming towards me, as I concluded, to ask payment for the fruit; and I a.s.sured her I had no intention of going away without satisfying her. She answered, 'I came out thinking you had lost your way, and that I might be able to set you right. As for the fruit, I will take nothing for it. He who made it, did not intend it for the use of one in particular.'"

We had not yet performed above half our journey, and as it was getting late, we were obliged by the representation of our guides to continue on our road, which lay through a romantic district, abounding with streams and falls of water. Some of the fir trees on the Tete Noire opposite to us, are said to be above 100 feet in height. We were after the first league frequently obliged to dismount, having in some places literally to ascend steps cut in the rock, which I think must have not a little puzzled two gentlemen, who set out on _horseback_ about the same time we did from Chamouny, but who did not reach Martigny for a long time after us, and were greatly tired with the difficulties they had to encounter.

The village of Trient is in a romantic situation, but has not the same attractions as Valorsine. The hill near it is astonis.h.i.+ngly difficult of ascent. The guides wished us to let the mules s.h.i.+ft for themselves; and we all at last arrived at the summit. An hour afterwards, we reached the Mount Fourcle, from which is seen a vast extent of country. This view is by some travellers considered as surpa.s.sing all others in Switzerland, as it embraces the greatest part of the Canton of the Valais, watered by the Rhone; and we could distinctly see its capital city Sion, although above eight leagues distant. Martigny and St. Branchier seemed to lie at our feet; but we had still a long way to descend before we reached them.

The city of Sion will be long remembered as the scene of one of the most horrible of those outrages which cast such a just odium on the French name. It was given up to the savage fury of an army irritated by the brave but ineffectual resistance, which its inhabitants attempted to oppose against the invaders of their property and liberty. But here, as in too many other instances, numbers occasioned the worse to prevail over the better cause. A person on whose authority I can confide, a.s.sured me he was at Geneva, when a part of the French army arrived there after this _glorious_ exploit, and that rather than return without plunder, they carried away with them the miserable household furniture of these unfortunate people, which sold at Geneva for a sum so trifling as hardly to pay for the expense of conveying them thither. It may seem _incredible_, but it is however _true_, that many of the inhabitants of the Valois, _regret the recovery of their independence_, and would wish again to see their country in the possession of the French. They prefer the advantages which Buonaparte's military road, and the frequent pa.s.sage of his troops into Italy afforded them of making money, to their present liberty under a government of their own selection.

The country, for about a league before the entrance into Martigny, becomes much more civilized than that we had just pa.s.sed. The fields are well cultivated, and are divided by hedges from the road: here are some of the largest walnut trees I have ever seen.

On the left we remarked the venerable and extensive remains of la Bathia, an ancient castle, formerly inhabited by the Bishops of Sion. It is boldly situated on a rock, which rises over that impetuous torrent the Dreuse, which a little below falls into the Rhone.

The town of Martigny is situated on the Rhone, in that delightful plain which we had so much admired from the Fourcle, and which did not disappoint the expectations we had formed of it. It is well watered, highly cultivated, and abounds with neat cottages, and seems almost to realize some fancied descriptions of enchanted valleys, being shut out from the surrounding countries by a formidable barrier of snow-clad mountains, and possessing in itself so attractive an aspect. Martigny is a well-built town; and some antiquarians insist, that it is the ancient Octodurum of the Romans. I can give no opinion on a point which has occasioned differences amongst the learned; but the present appearance of the inhabitants was very favourable, it being a holiday here as well as at Valorsine, and although their festivity was not altogether marked by the same simplicity, yet it was sufficiently removed from that which prevails in many other countries to interest us by its singularity. We were here amused with an account of two English gentlemen, who attempted to ascend Mont Blanc, notwithstanding the a.s.surances they received of the impracticability of the attempt under present circ.u.mstances, as a chasm had lately been made by the thaw on one side of the mountain; but they were not to be intimidated either by the advice of the inhabitants, or by the accounts of the hards.h.i.+ps suffered by M. de Saussure, and judging with _Hannibal_,

"Nil actum reputans si quid superesset agendum."

"Think nothing gained while ought remains."

They set out on this difficult enterprise, attended by eighteen guides, but were at length obliged to desist, after running many hazards, and after having expended at least 50. If they failed in accomplis.h.i.+ng their undertaking, they had at least the satisfaction of exciting much wonder amongst the surrounding peasants, at the curiosity and rashness of the English. Our party were more easily satisfied; and having seen as much as could be accomplished without very great difficulty, we were contented to judge of the rest from the ample descriptions that have been published respecting them.

I could have wished, however, that time and the consent of the majority of the party, would have permitted my ascending to the convent on the Great St. Bernard; but being left in the minority, I did not feel disposed to make the excursion by myself, and I therefore prepared to accompany my friends back to Geneva. At Martigny, we entered on a part of the grand road of the Simplon, and bidding adieu to our mules, and to the mountains over which they had carried us, we proceeded on our journey in a _charaban_ (or light country cart, with seats across it) to Bex. I did not observe that extreme indolence in the inhabitants of the Lower Valais, with which they have been reproached by some travellers.

They are no doubt very poor, but their cottages are not devoid of neatness and comfort. Our attention was soon attracted by the famous cascade called the _p.i.s.se Vache_, the beauty of which consists chiefly in its seeming to issue immediately from a cavity in the rock, which is surrounded by thorns and bushes. Its perpendicular height cannot be estimated at less than 200 feet, although many make it double that, or even more. The country of the Valais is remarkable for the vast numbers of persons it contains, affected with the _goitres_ and also of _idiots_. The neighbouring provinces are also more or less affected with these maladies.

Many writers have exerted their ingenuity in endeavouring to account for this singularity with greater or less success; but what at Geneva is considered as the best treatise on the subject, is that by _c.o.xe_ in his _Account of Switzerland_. A gentleman there lent me a French edition of this valuable work, from which I extracted the following account of the origin of the _Goitres_, (or extraordinary swellings about the glands of the throat,) which in Switzerland is considered as very satisfactory.

Mr. c.o.xe says,

"The opinion that water derived from the melting of snow, occasions these excrescences, is entirely dest.i.tute of foundation, which one cannot doubt if it is considered how generally such water is used in many parts of Switzerland, where the inhabitants are not at all subject to this malady, which is, however, very prevalent in parts where no such water abounds.

"These swellings are also frequently seen near Naples, in Sumatra, &c. where there is little or no snow."

Mr. C. proceeds to shew that this malady is occasioned by a calcareous matter called in Swiss _Tuf_; and adds, "This stone resembles very much the incrustations at Mallock in Derbys.h.i.+re, which dissolve so completely in the water as not to lessen its transparency; and I think that the particles of this substance so dissolved, resting in the glands of the throat, occasion the Goitres, and during the course of my travels in different parts of Europe, I have never failed to observe, that where this _Tuf_, or calcareous deposit is common, _Goitres_ are equally so. I have found an abundance of tuf, and also of goitrous persons in Derbys.h.i.+re, the Valois, the Valteline, at Lucerne, Berne, Fribourg, in parts of Piedmont, in the valleys of Savoy, at Milan, and at Dresden. I also observed that at Berne and Fribourg, the public fountains are supplied from sources where there is a vast quant.i.ty of this calcareous deposit. General Pfiffer has informed me, that there is but one spring at Lucerne, which is free from tuf, and that those who reside in its vicinity, are much less subject to the goitres than the rest of the inhabitants. A surgeon also, whom I met at the baths of Louesch, informed me that he had _frequently_ extracted from different goitres _small pieces of tuf_, which is also found in the stomachs of cows, and the dogs of this country are also subject to this malady. This gentleman added, that, to complete the cure of young persons attacked by this complaint, he either removed them from waters impregnated with tuf, or recommended them to drink only of water that had been purified. The children of goitrous parents are often born with these swellings; but there are also instances of children born with goitres, whose parents are free from them."

That celebrated naturalist, M. de Saussure, attributes Goitres not to the water, but to the heat of the climate, and to the stagnation of the air, and he informs us, he has never seen Goitres in any place elevated 5 or 6,000 toises above the level of the sea, and that they are most common in valleys where there is not a free circulation of air. "But it may be observed, that in these elevated situations, fountains are too near their sources to dissolve as much calcareous sediment as by the time they reach the plain. Some say, that strangers are never attacked by the Goitres, but the truth is, they are only less subject to them than natives of the country. In fine, we may observe, that if snow water occasions the Goitres wherever they abound, there should also be snow water, which experience proves not to be the fact. If the concentration of heat and stagnation of the air are necessary to their formation, it would follow that they should not abound in those places where the air circulates freely, which is not less contrary to fact than the former supposition. If waters impregnated with tuf, or certain calcareous substances, produce the Goitres, it will follow, that in every place where they abound, the inhabitants should drink of waters so impregnated, which seems consonant to the truth of the fact." The same causes which occasion the Goitres, have probably a considerable operation in producing the number of idiots, as they are always in most abundance where the Goitres prevail. Such is the intimate and inexplicable sympathy between the body and the mind. When the Goitres become large, they produce a difficulty of breathing, and render the person so affected, extremely indolent and languid. These idiots are treated with great regard by the rest of the inhabitants of the country, who even consider them, in some degree, peculiarly favoured by Providence--thinking that they are certain of eternal happiness, as not being capable of forming any criminal intentions. Exaggeration is the common fault of travellers, and, to judge from the accounts given by some who have visited this country, a stranger would be led to suppose, that all its population were either idiots, or afflicted with Goitres.

The fact, however, is, that the inhabitants of the Valais are in general a strong and healthy race, but that these two unfortunate maladies are here in greater frequency than in any other country.

Our next stage, after leaving Martigny, was St. Maurice, which derives its name from an abbey, founded by Sigismund, king of Burgundy, about the commencement of the sixth century, in honour of a saint, who is said to have here suffered martyrdom, having refused to abjure Christianity at the command of the Emperor Maximin. Its more ancient name is said by antiquarians to have been Agaunum. This place is very justly considered as the key of the Lower Valais, of which it is the chief town. Its bridge over the Rhone is of one arch, of 130 feet, which is thought to be the work of the Romans, and by its boldness, does not seem unworthy of a people whose edifices are so justly distinguished for their elegance and durability. Here is also a curious Mosaic pavement, and the antiquity of the place is proved incontestably by the many ancient medals and inscriptions which have been found here at different periods.

It must, indeed, have been always remarkable as a military position, and it is difficult to imagine one of greater natural strength, or more easily defensible by a small force against superior numbers. The road, which is extremely narrow, pa.s.ses for a considerable length under a mountain, which is absolutely inaccessible.

Having pa.s.sed the bridge, we entered the territories of the ancient canton of Berne, but now of Vaud (as I think there appears to be but little doubt that it will be speedily acknowledged as such by the Swiss diet). Here our pa.s.sports were demanded, but more in compliance with old regulations, than from any mistrust of us; and one of our party having forgotten his pa.s.sport, the officer was perfectly satisfied with his leaving his name and address.

The Rhone is here of astonis.h.i.+ng rapidity, and its waters have quite a milky hue, from the vast quant.i.ties of melted snow with which they are supplied. On quitting the lake at Geneva, the river is of a transparent blue colour, which is attributed partly to its having deposited its sediment in the lake, and partly to the nature of the soil over which it there pa.s.ses. The rest of our stage was through a picturesque country, and the road was excellent.

CHAP. IX.

We found at Bex an excellent inn, which is not undeserving the reputation it has acquired of being the best in Switzerland. This little town is situated amongst lofty mountains, which the industry of the peasants have cultivated wherever it was practicable, and they often carry their cattle with great labour to little spots of pasture which would otherwise have been lost, as without a.s.sistance, they could not have arrived at them. The cottages on the side of the Valais are so placed, as to contribute greatly to enliven the scenery; and they are also remarkable for their singular construction, being mostly built on wooden pillars, several feet above the surface of the ground.

Many of the inhabitants have two or three houses in different parts of their possessions, which they inhabit according as the season of the year requires their attention to the different places where they are situated. These people are said to be descended from the northern tribes, and certainly resemble them in their wanderings; I have seen a whole hamlet deserted, the season not requiring the residence of the people. In countries which boast a larger portion of civilization, the fas.h.i.+on prevails over the division which the seasons seem to point out.

An inhabitant of the Valais would no doubt be surprised at the _summer being the season_ in which our fas.h.i.+onables resort to London, from the purer air of the country. The Valais abounds with vineyards, but the _wines_ are by no means palatable to persons who have tasted those of more favoured countries.

In the vicinity of Bex and Aigle are the only _salt-springs_ in Switzerland. They are of vast extent, and the view of the subterranean galleries, and of tin: reservoirs of brine, is very striking. The town of Aigle is princ.i.p.ally built of black marble, which is in great abundance in its neighbourhood, and the polis.h.i.+ng of which affords employment to a number of persons.