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E. TOUR OF THIRTY-TWO DAYS, performed in the Autumn of 1837 by W. and R. H., chiefly on foot.

"Our longest walks never exceeded 10 or 12 leagues; but on turnpike-roads, such as the Simplon, we always rode. For some of the passes, such as the Col de Bonhomme, the Cervin, and the kawyl, guides are always necessary, but wherever there is a chemin tracé' guides are a nuisance, except after a Snow-storm. "

London to Geneva in fourteen days, including two days at Paris.

Aug. 26. Geneva.

27. By eight o'clock steamer to Lausanne; see the town; by another steamer to Villeneuve; by diligence to Bex.

27 To Martigny (short day). 28. Walked to Hospice of the Great St. Bernard.

29. Back to Martigny (animprovement to go by the Col de

Ferret, Orsières, and along the Dranse`.

30, Tête Noire to Chamouny (a new way, first explored this summer, is to ascend from Val Orsine to the summit of the Col de Balme, on account of its magnificent view; thus including the finest part of both passes. It is not quite two hours longer than the straight road).

31. Ascended the Flegère; then crossed the valley to the Montanvert to the Mer de Glace-Chamouny,

Sept. 1. Walked across the Col de Vosa to Contamines. The journey would have been divided better by going on to the Chalets of Nant Bourant.

2. Crossed the Col de Bonhomme by Chapiu, to Motet(walked).

3. Walked over Col de la Seigne, through Allée Blanche to Cormayeur.

4. To Aosta, in

car.

Might be done easily in 1 day.

5. Châtillon, dɔ. 6. On mules to Tournanche -on foot thence to Breuil.

7. Crossed the Cervin (Matterhorn) on foot to Zermatt (fatiguing).

[Pierre Meynet, mentioned by Brockedon, is the best guide in the Alps.]

8. Descended on Mules to Visp; walked thence to Brieg.

9. By char, across the Simplon,to Domo d'Ossola;10hours

10. Off at 3 A M.; by courier, to Baveno; arrived 7 A.M.; by sailing-boat, up the Lago Maggiore, to Locarno; by car to, Bellinzona (arrived late).

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Kalfeuser Thal, 76.

Martigny, 59.

Great St. Bernard, 108.

Aosta, 107.

Pré St. Didier, 114.

Allée Blanche,

Sernft Thal; Segnes Pass, 76. Col de la Seigne, 118.

Dissentis, 77.

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Col de Bouhomme,

Chamoury, 115,

Flegère; Montanvert; Mer de
Glace, 115.

Col de Balme, and Tête Noire,

116, 117.

Martigny, 59.

Bex, 57.

55 and 56.

Chiavenna, 88.
Splügen Pass, 88.

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S 15. ALPINE PASSES.

No part of the Alps are more interesting, either in a picturesque or in an historical point of view, than the passable gaps or notches in the ridge of the great chain, whereby alone this colossal wall of mountains may be scaled, and a direct passage

and communication maintained between northern and southern Europe. It has been through these depressions that the great tide of population has poured since the earliest times; froin these outlets have issued the barbarian swarms which so often desolated, and at at last annihilated, the Roman empire.

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There are more than 50 passes over the Swiss portion of the Alpine chain alone, or immediately communicating with the Swiss frontier. The following are the most remarkable - The Simplon, St. Gothard, Bernardine, Splügen, Saanenmoser, Bramegg, am Stoss, Wildhaus, all traversed by excellent high-roads, most skilfully constructed, and passable for heavy carriages. To these may probably soon be added the Julier and Maloja. The Maloja, Julier, Albula, Septimer, Bernina, Buffalora, Schallenberg, Sattel, practicable for light chars :-and the Col de Trient, Col de Ferret, Grand St. Bernard, Col de Fenêtre, Cervin (Matterhorn), Moro, Gries, Nüfanen, Furca, Grimsel, Great and Little Scheideck, Gemmi, Rawyl, Sanetsch, Cheville, Susten, Surenen, Brünig, Engstelen, Jochli, Klausen, Oberalp, Lukmanier, Kistengrat, Panix, Segnes, La Foppa, Lenzerheide, Stutz, Greina, Vago, Casanno, Monte del Oro, Druser and Schweitzer-Thor, Schlapiner Joch, etc., etc, which are either bridle-paths or mere foot-paths, and more or less difficult and dangerous.

In seeking passage over the Alps, the most obvious course was to find out the valleys which penetrate farthest into the great chain, following the course of the rivers to their sources, and then to take the lowest traversable part in order to descend to the opposite side. The variety and

*Mr. Brockedon has admirably illustrated them both with his beautiful work entitled "The Passes of the Alps," 2 v. 4to.

sudden transitions presented by such a route are highly interesting. In the course of one day's journey the traveller passes from the climate of summer to winter, through spring. The alteration in the productions keeps pace with that of the temperature. Leaving behind him stubble-fields, whence the corn has been removed and housed, he comes to fields yet yellow and waving in the ear; a few miles farther and the crop is still green; yet higher and corn refuses to grow. Before quitting the region of corn he enters one of dark, apparently interminable forests of pine and larch, clothing the mountain-sides in a sober vestment. Above this the haymakers are collecting the short grass, the only produce which the ground will yield. Yet the stranger must not suppose that all is barenness even at this elevation. It seems as though nature were determined to make one last effort at the confines of the region of vegetation. From beneath the snow-bed, and on the very verge of the glacier, the profusion of flowers, their great variety, and surpassing beauty, are exceedingly surprising. Some of the greatest ornaments of our gardens, here born to blush unseen, gentians and lilies, hyacinths and blue bells, intermixed with bushes of the red rhododendron, the loveliest production of the Alps, scattered over the velvet turf, give it the appearance of a carpet of richest pattern. The insect world is not less abundant and varied, -thousands of winged creatures are seen hovering over the flowers enjoying their short existence, for the summer at these elevations lasts but for 3 or 4 weeks the rapid progress of vegetation to maturity is equalled by the rapidity of its decay, and in 8 or 10 days flowers and butterflies have passed away. Above this region of spring, with its gush of springs, its young herbage and vivid greensward, its hum of insects just burst forth, and its natural

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