a coup de grace from a grenadier of the regiment of Monferrat.

The valley, in and below the defile, is richly wooded, and preserves nearly the same character for three leagues, from Salabertrand to Susa (Route 127.), 22 miles from Cesanne.

ROUTE 131.

CESANNE TO PIGNEROL, BY THE COL DE SESTRIERES.

From Cesanne, the road made by order of Napoleon to descend into Italy is more direct than that by Turin; but the miserable policy of the Sardinian government has allowed this road beyond Cesanne to fall into decay, and thus almost compelled travellers to pass by Susa and Turin.

The route by the Sestrieres from Cesanne crosses the Doire, and the ascent to the col immediately commences, by a series of zigzags like that of the descent from the Mont Genèvre; a lengthened snake-like course of each can be seen from the other across the valley of the Doire. The road from Cesanne soon reaches the hamlet of Champlas; still the road continues to ascend over fine pasturages, till it reach the Col de Sestrieres and its châlets: the plain of the col is nearly two miles long. On the side towards the Val Pragelas the view is wild and fine of the valley and the Mont Albergian. Above the fort of Fenestrelles, the road leads down by tourniquets to the banks of the Clusone, and to the first village, Sestrieres, four leagues from Cesanne, and thence to the villages of Pragelas and Traverse: the broad bed of the river beneath the dark pine forests opposite to Pragelas, the lowest in the valley of the two villages, gives rather an appearance of sterility to the valley. At Traverse, there is a humble inn. The distance of this village from Cesanne by the Col de Sestrieres is about 3 hours' walk. The Clusone gives a general name to

the whole valley, but among its inhabitants the upper part above the fort of Fenestrelles is called the Val Pragelas; below the fort it is often called the Val de Perouse.

Fenestrelles, four leagues, a village of 800 inhabitants, with a tolerable inn. The fort of Fenestrelles is a place of great strength, which guards the approach to Piedmont by this valley. It rises, from the defile formed by the base of the Mont Albergian, to the summit of the mountain, and commands the left bank of the torrent by its immense line of fortifications rising in terraces. The highest battery is accessible through a gallery that contains 3600 steps. On the summit is a basin covered with verdure, called the Pré de Catinât, from this celebrated general having encamped there. Not far from the summit is the Col de la Fenêtre, which looks out upon the Combe of Susa and the valley of the Doire there are remains of old forts on the base of the Albergian, but they are neglected as unnecessary. village of Fenestrelles lies in the middle of the defile below. The fort of Fenestrelles is used as a state prison.

The

From Fenestrelles to Pignerol there are eight leagues, almost entirely through the valley of the Clusone: there is little interest in the valley, or variety in the scenery: it is generally narrow; but where there is cultivation, corn and wine abound. The mulberry for silk-worms flourishes in the valley, and fruit and forest trees luxuriate, as they are almost always found to do on the side of Piedmont. Formerly, this valley was filled with a Protestant community, but their living in it is now prohibited; the Vaudois churches are not permitted out of the valleys of Rora, La Tour, St. Martin, and Angrona. The valley of La Tour is known also as the valley of Lucerne, and the Val Pelice.

Below Fenestrelles, the route passes through numerous villages and ham

lets

Montole, Rouse, Villaret, and Chapelle before reaching Perouse, the principal town in the valley; which is sometimes called the valley of Perouse. It is situated directly opposite to the valley of St. Martin or the Germanasca, one of the most interesting of the

PROTESTANT VALLEYS. This leads up by the torrent of the Germanasca to Pomaret and Perrier, through scenes of great richness and beauty. Above Perrier two branches meet: that to the S. W. leads to Rodoretto and Pralis; that on the N. W. has above a defile on its opposite side, amidst fruit-trees, corn, and pasturages, the commune of Maneille. A little beyond, the road enters a deep ravine of the Germanasca, which is singularly wild and beautiful; at its upper extremity it opens into the valley below the Commune of Marcel, nearly opposite to the valley which leads across the Col de la Fontaine to Pralis.

Continuing up the valley of the Germanasca, the house of the M. Tron, the Syndic of Marcel, is passed; a singularly handsome structure in such a situation. He is a man remarkable for his hospitality; but this virtue does not extend to his wife and family, and the stranger who expects to receive it will fare ill in his absence. About a league above this spot is the hamlet of Basille; and immediately over, the celebrated Castella, a terrace on the side of a peaked mountain, where the Vaudois entrenched themselves under Henri Arnaud. Here the little handful of brave men, not exceed ing from 600 to 700, struggled for their father-land, and fought, for three days, the united armies of France and Sardinia, amounting to 22,000 men, when the latter, however, found it necessary to bring up artillery, which was accomplished with excessive difficulty. The heroic Vaudois, foreseeing that against the cannon they could not hold their position, retreated during the night without

losing a man; and the following day their sovereign, of Sardinia, having quarrelled with his allies, agreed to restore them to their valleys and their hearths. No history exists so replete with wonderful adventures as that of the simple peasants of these valleys, who fought and suffered, and reconquered, for liberty of conscience.

Above the Balsille, one of the grandest assemblages of materials for alpine scenery is to be found, in cataracts, ravines, and mountains: from the head of the valley there is a pass by the Col de Pis to Pragelas in the valley of Clusone. The author has crossed from Pragelas to Perouse in one day, and he knows no finer traverse in the Alps, and the panorama from the col is one of the most sublime in the great chain.

Another pass between the valleys of the Germanasca and the Clusone is that by the Col Albergain, which leads from the Balsille and the wild valley and Alps above it to Fenestrelles.

From Perouse to the Balsille, and back to Perouse, may be accomplished easily in a day.

On the route from Perouse to

Pignerol, some fine quarries are passed, where stone is raised for the public works of Turin; nearly opposite to these is seen another of the Protestant churches, St. Germano, and the little valley which leads to Pramol; still further down is the church of Prarustin, nearly opposite to where the valley widens, and the road enters upon the plains, through the hamlets of Port and Abadia, to Pignerol.

ROUTE 132.

PIGNEROL TO EMBRUN, BY THE VALLEYS OF THE VAUDOIS, AND THE COL DE LA CROIX.

Pignerol is a straggling town, having some manufactures and a large and rather uncivil population. It has several inns, of which the princi

mountains, concealed from the world for many ages, their Barbes, or teachers, held their institution for instruction, and fitted their pupils for the ministry. Every foot of ground in this valley is sacred in the history of this extraordinary people. In the Pra del Tor there has lately been erected a Catholic church, but the heart of the valleys is not the heart of the people. This excursion may be varied by crossing directly over the hill from a little below the Pra del Tor to St. Marguerite, and thence to La Tour: the whole excursion may be made in half a day.

The excursion may be varied by following the high road to the village of Angrogna, which offers from many beautiful points of view the plains of Piedmont. The return may be made through the defiles, or on the steep slopes that bound the river. A day given to explore the Val Angrogna will be remembered with pleasure.

From La Tour, up the valley of the Pelice, the road passes by the hamlet of St. Marguerite, where is situated the Protestant church of La Tour. Beyond this hamlet, the ascent of the valley is rich and picturesque. About an hour and a half from La Tour, the village of Villar is passed, and thence to Bobbio is scarcely another hour. There is a small inn at Bobbio, and a station of Sardinian preposè or douaniers.

From Bobbio a pass up the mountain leads by Serra le Cruel, and the Col Julien to

Pralis. From La Tour this is a day's journey, and there are few excursions which offer more striking scenes, especially from the Col Julien. Near the summit- -" Alps o'er alps" are seen piled in the most sublime confusion, and, surmounting all, the Monte Viso. So near does the latter appear, that the path to the Col de Viso, on the side of France, can be distinctly traced, ascending nearly due south beneath the precipices of the Col de Viso, till it turns abruptly

Bobbio.

to the east at the col. The descent towards Pralis is very long and fatiguing. From Pralis the author went in one day's march across the Col de la Fontaine to the Balsille, and through the valley of St. Martin to Perouse.

On leaving Bobbio, a long wall is seen, an embankment, made to guard the village from the inundations of the Pelice; it was built by a grant from Oliver Cromwell, during whose protectorate one of these fearful calamities had nearly destroyed Bobbio. A little beyond, the river is crossed, and the mountain ascent begins; soon, on bending to the left, the scenery becomes wild and savage. The last view down the valley towards Bobbio is very fine.

After a long course amidst strangely situated hamlets, where rocks and trees of the wildest character make up a rapid succession of picturesque scenes, the path reaches a dreary mass of rocks, over which is poured the torrent of the Pelice, and further progress seems forbidden. Up, amidst these rocks, however, a path is found, which enters a deep ravine, amidst which are the ruins of the fort of Mirabouc, built against the steep escarpments of the mountain, in a gorge which is utterly impassable on the side opposite to the fort; nor is there a path on the side where the ruins of the fort stand that does not pass through its former gates. The fort was demolished after the wars of the French revolution, in 1796.

earlier hour than from Abries in the valley of the Guil; having crossed it, the distance is short to the Col de Viso, and this is the easiest detour by the Viso from the Val de Pelice to the valley of the Po.

The lovers of the chase may find hunter's accommodation at the Bergerie de Pra, and abundance of chamois in the surrounding mountains, and the fine, honest character of the peasantry here is a great temptation to its enjoyment.

Above the fort Mirabouc, a path through a narrow and sterile valley enters upon the meadows and pasturages of the Bergerie de Pra-the highest hamlet in the valley, situated in the midst of fertile pasturages, and where barley and potatoes are raised. This is the highest station of the Sardinian custom-house, on the frontier.

The ascent to the Col de La Croix is by a steep and difficult path, made in zigzags, up the abrupt side of the col, towards Piedmont. This, however, is soon surmounted, and from the highest point, which overlooks the side of Italy, the defile of Mirabouc is a savage scene. The col is nearly level for half an hour, and then the path, traversing the side of a hollow, gradually subsides to the valley of the Guil, within the territories of France. On the col there is a station of the douane, and at La Monta, in the valley of the Guil, another, where travellers are examined; the distance from La Tour to La Monta is 7 hours' walk; the descent into France is very gradual; traces of an intended road surveyed under Napoleon may be seen. On the right, in descending, there is a den, miscalled an inn, at La Monta; thence the distance through the hamlet of Ristolas to

Abries is about 4 miles: here there is a tolerable country inn, chez Richard. At Abries the torrent from Valprevaire flows into the Guil, and a path up its course leads to

Below

several mountain passes. Abries the road through the valley of the Guil leads, in about two hours, to the fort of Queiras, passing in the descent those valleys in which there are still Protestant communities, particularly that of St. Veran, in a valley which joins from the left the valley of the Guil, at Ville-vielles ; and the valley of Arvieux, which enters that of the Guil near Queiras, To these, and the Val Frassenières, on the other side of the Durance, the name of the Pays de Neff has been given, to commemorate the services rendered to these communities by this young Swiss Protestant minister, who devoted his life to renovating and sustaining the religious worship of the primitive Christians that had existed in these valleys from time immemorial. Neff seems to have taken for his model Oberlin, the good pastor of the Ban de la Roche, for he not only regarded with the deepest interest the religious faith and practice of these people, but he established schools, and taught them reading, writing, arithmetic, agriculture, and the elements of much useful knowledge, not before possessed by them. He died in 1829. His name throughout these valleys is remembered with the deepest reverence and affection.

The Chateau de Queiras is finely situated in the valley: it is garrisoned, and entirely commands the pass, and from every point of view presents a most picturesque object. There is a tolerable inn at Queiras.

Below the château the road skirts the deep bed of the river for a short way, then descending to the torrent, which it crosses, it continues for nearly two hours, through one of the finest defiles in the Alps. In some places the mountains seem to close in above the traveller; and it is often necessary to cross the Guil to find a path on one side, which is forbidden on the other by projecting rocks or perpendicular precipices of vast height whose bases sink like a wall in the torrent.