A diligence goes once a day to Lucerne and back.

The Schwytzers first became known in Europe about the year 1200, in a dispute which the natives of this district had with the tenants of the monks of Einsiedeln. The holy Fathers, concealing from the Emperor the very existence of such a race as the men of Schwytz, had obtained from him a grant of their possessions, as waste and unoccupied lands. The Schwytzers, however, were able to maintain their own property by their own swords, until at length the Emperor Frederick II. confirmed to them their rights.

The name Swiss (Schwytzer) was first given to the inhabitants of the three Forest cantons after the battle of Morgarten, their earliest victory, in which the men of Schwytz had taken the lead, and prominently distinguished themselves above the others.

At Ibach, a village on the Muotta (through which the road to Brunnen passes, may be seen the place of assemblage where the Cantons-LandesGemeinde-consisting of all the male citizens of the canton-formerly met in the open air to choose their ma gistrates, from the Landammans

down to the lowest officer. Here they used to deliberate and vote on the affairs of the state, decide on peace or war, form alliances, or despatch embassies — a singular example of universal suffrage and the legislation of the masses. The business was opened by prayer, and by the whole assembly kneeling, and taking an oath faithfully to discharge their legislative duties. According to the Constitution of 1833, the General Assemblies of the canton are now held at Rothenthurn, on the road to Einsiedeln. At present the meeting of the Circle only is held here.

Ascent of the Righi.

ASCENT OF THE RIGHI.

The summit of the Righi may be reached in about 11 hours from Zurich and 5 or 6 from Lucerne, exclusive of stoppages. Heavy carriages can approach the foot of the mountain at Arth (Goldau), and Küssnacht; and if the traveller ascend from the one, he may send round his carriage to meet him on his descent at the other place.

The Righi, or Rigi (Regina Montium is only a fanciful derivation of the name), a mountain, or rather group of mountains, rising between the lakes of Zug and Lucerne, owes its celebrity less to its height, for it is only 5700 ft. above the sea, than to its isolated situation; separated from other mountains, in the midst of some of the most beautiful scenery of Switzerland, which allows an uninterrupted view from it on all sides, and converts it into a natural observatory, commanding a panorama hardly to be equalled in extent and grandeur among the Alps. It has also the advantage of being very accessible; no less than 3 mule paths lead up to the summit, so that it is daily resorted to in summer by hundreds of travellers of all countries and ages, and of both sexes. upper part of the mountain is composed, like the Rossberg, of the brecciated rock called Nagelflue. Externally, the entire summit is clothed with verdant pastures, which support more than 2000 head of cattle in summer, and the middle and lower region are girt round with forests.

The

Owing to the uncertainty of the atmosphere, at high elevations, travellers should prepare themselves for disappointment, since the trouble of an ascent is often repaid with clouds and impenetrable mist, instead of a fine sunrise and extensive prospect. He is wise, therefore, who, in fine weather, manages to reach the summit before the sun goes down: he, at least, has two chances of a view. It not unfrequently happens, however, that

the traveller who has commenced the ascent in sunshine and under a clear sky is overtaken by clouds and storms before he reaches the top.

Horses and Guides.

The 3 principal bridle-paths to the Culm, or top of the Righi, are those from Goldau, Küssnacht, and Weggis. At each of these places, as well as at Arth, Lowertz, and Brunnen, horses, guides, and porters may be hired at prices regulated by tariff fixed by the government of the canton, which is always hung up in the inns.

The usual charge for a horse is 9 Fr. francs to the top, and 6 to return next day by the same road; 7 by a different road on the opposite side of the mountain, with a drink-money of 5 or 6 batz to the boy who leads the horses. A porter, to carry baggage, 6 fr., and 3 to return: A horse may be hired for 6 fr. up to the convent of Maria Zum Schnee, below which is the steepest part of the ascent. Chaises à porteur may be procured for ladies who do not like to ride or walk, and each bearer receives 9 fr. up and down. In the height of summer, when the concourse of visitors is immense, it is a good plan to send a lad up the mountain before you to secure beds at the Rigi-culm inn. The pedestrian, unless he desire to be relieved of his baggage, has scarcely any need of a guide, as the paths are most distinctly marked, and are traversed by so many persons that he can scarcely miss his way. To

those who ride on horseback, the man who leads the horse will serve as guide.

Ascent from Goldau, -3 hours; descent 2 Travellers usually make Arth (p. 42) their starting place (of an hour farther off), because the inn is better there; but the ascent of the mountain begins at Goldau. This is, indeed, the best point to ascend from, because the path runs along a deep gulley, in the interior of the mountain, the sides of which pro

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tect the traveller from the afternoon sun, and shut out all view until the summit is reached, where it bursts at once upon the sight: the other paths wind round the exterior of the mountain.

At Goldau a toll of 5 batz, = 15 sous, is paid for each horse, and goes to keep the path in repair. The path strikes at once from the inn of the Cheval Blanc up the side of the mountain; at first across fields strewn with blocks from the Rossberg, which, by the force acquired in their descent down one side of the valley, were actually carried up the opposite slope.

Near a small public-house, called Unter Dächli, where the guides usually stop to give breath to their animals and a glass of schnaps to themselves, the path is very steep indeed, carried up a rude staircase formed of trunks of trees fastened between the rocks.

This is a good point for surveying the fall of the Rossberg and the vale of Goldau below, mourning in ruin and desolation. The long train of rubbish thrown down by that convulsion is seen stretching across to the lake of Lowertz, which it partly filled up (see p. 45). A steep footpath from Arth falls into our road here. Here begin "the Stations," a series of 13 little chapels, each with a painting representing an event in our Lord's Passion, which lead up to the pilgrimage church of Mary-ofthe-Snow. The steepest part of the road is over at the 4th station. At the chapel of Malchus, containing the Bearing of the Cross, the path_from Lowertz falls into our route.

Notre Dame des Neiges, or Maria Zum Schnee, is a little church much frequented by pilgrims, especially on the 5th of August, on account of the indulgences granted by the Pope at the end of the 17th century to all who make this pious journey. Adjoining it is a small hospice, or con. vent, inhabited all the year by 3 or 4

D

Capuchin brothers, who do the duty of the church, being deputed by the fraternity at Arth on this service. The church is surrounded by a group of inns, the best of which (the Schwerdt and Sonne) are sometimes resorted to by invalids, who repair hither to drink goat's whey, and might even afford a homely lodging to travellers benighted or unable to find room in the two inns on the top of the mountain: the others are public-houses, chiefly occupied by pilgrims. Half an hour's walking up, gently-sloping meadows, brings the traveller to the inn called Rigi-Staffel.

Ascent from Küssnacht. 3 hours to mount; 2 to descend. A mule path, as long as that from Goldau, and more steep. A toll of 10 batzen is paid on this road. By a detour of an hour, Tell's Chapel (see p. 42.) may be visited in going or returning. Leaving Küssnacht and passing on the 1. the ruins of Gessler's Castle (p. 42.), it is carried in zigzags up the steepest part of the mountain, through forests, and across the pastures called Seeboden. The lake of Lucerne is in sight almost the whole way. The path emerges on the brow of the hill in front of the Staffel inn.

Ascent from Weggis. - Weggis, Inn: Löwe (Lion), a small village on a little ledge at the foot of the Rigi, on the lake of the Four Cantons, is the spot where those who approach the Rigi by water land. It supports 12 or 15 horses, and guides in corresponding numbers. The steamer to and from Lucerne touches here daily. A bad path, winding round the foot of the Rigi, connects Weggis with Küssnacht; but the chief communication is carried on by water.

The mule-path up the Rigi from Weggis is less steep and a little shorter than the two preceding: 3 hours up; 2 down. It winds along the outside of the mountain, in constant view of the lake, passing, first, the little chapel of Heiligenkreutz, (Holy Cross), and then stretching up

to a singular_natural arch (called Hochstein, or Felsenthor), formed by two vast detached blocks of nagelflue (pudding-stone), holding suspended a third, beneath which the path is carried. These broken fragments serve to illustrate the tendency which this rock has to cleave and split, and to this cause may be attributed a singular torrent of mud, which, in the year 1795, descended from the flank of the Rigi upon the village of Weggis, destroying 30 houses and burying nearly 60 acres of good land. It advanced slowly, like a lava current, taking a fortnight to reach the lake, so that the inha bitants had time to remove out of its way. It is supposed to have been produced by springs, or rain water, percolating the cracks of the nagelflue, and converting the layer of clay, which separates it from the beds be neath it, into soft mud. Had there been any great fracture in the nagelflue, it is probable that a large por tion of the mountain would have given way and slipped down into the lake, since the strata of the Rigi slope at a very steep angle. Had this been the case, a catastrophe, similar to that of the Rossberg, might have ensued. As it was, the softened clay was squeezed out by the weight of the superincumbent mass of the mountain, and formed this deluge of mud, traces of which are still visible on the side of the mountain.

About half an hour's walk above the arch lies the Cold Bath (kaltes bad), where a source of very cold water, issuing out of the rock, supplies a small bathing establishment.

A new inn, of wood, has been constructed here, containing 26 bedrooms and 6 baths. It was once the custom for patients to lie down in the bath with their clothes on, and afterwards to walk about in the sun until they dried on the back; but this method is no longer regarded as essential to effect a cure. Close to the cold-bath is a little chapel, dedicated to the Virgin, to which pilgrims

Summit of the Rigi.

All the principal paths, except the short cuts from Arch and Goldau, converge and unite in front of the Staffelhaus, a humble inn to which travellers are sometimes driven for a night's lodging by the crowded state of the inn on the summit. It is half an hour's walk below the Culm, and it is a bad plan to stop short of it, since those who rest here must get up half an hour earlier next morning if they wish to catch the sunrise from the top..

The Culm, or culminating point of the Rigi, is an irregular space of ground of some extent, destitute of trees, but covered with turf. On the top stands the inn, a large building of wood, affording tolerable accommodation, considering the height, which exceeds that of the most elevated mountain in Britain, 5676 ft. above the sea level. Travellers should bring all their cloaks with them, as the cold is often very intense, and the thermometer at times varies as much as 20° Reaumur, within the 24 hours. The house is warmed with stoves even in summer. The following notice, relative to the counterpanes, is hung up in every room: "On avertit MM. les étrangers que ceux qui prennent les couvertures de lit pour sortir au sommet paieront dix batz;" a threat which seems more likely to suggest than prevent the commission of so comfortable an offence.

During the height of summer, when travellers are most numerous, the Culm inn is crammed to overflowing every evening; numbers are

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turned away from the doors, and it is difficult to procure beds, food, or even attention. The house presents a scene of the utmost confusion, servant maids hurrying in one direction, couriers and guides in ano ther, while gentlemen with poles and knapsacks block up the passages. Most of the languages of Europe, muttered usually in terms of abuse or complaint, and the all-pervading fumes of tobacco, enter largely as ingredients into this Babel of sounds and smells, and add to the discomfort of the fatigued traveller. In the evening the guests are collected at a table d'hôte supper; after which most persons are glad to repair to rest. It takes some time, however, before the hubbub of voices and the trampling of feet subside; and, not unfrequently, a few roystering German students prolong their potations and noise far into the night. The beds, besides, are not very inviting to repose; but whether the inmate have slept or not, he, together with the whole household, is roused about an hour before sunrise by the strange sounds of a long wooden horn, which is played until every particle of sleep is dispelled from the household. Then commences a general stir and commotion, and everybody hastens out with shivering limbs and half-open eyes to gaze at the glorious prospect of a sunrise from the Rigi. Fortunate are they for whom the view is not marred by clouds and rain, a very common occurrence, as the leaves of the Album kept in the inn will testify. Indeed the following verses describe the fate of a large majority who make this expedition:

Seven weary up-hill leagues we sped,
The setting sun to see;

Sullen and grim he went to bed,
Sullen and grim went we.
Nine sleepless hours of night we passed
The rising sun to see;
Sullen and grim he rose again,
Sullen and grim rose we.

View from the Rigi.

Long before dawn an assemblage

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Route 17.

of between 200 and 300 persons is often collected on the Rigi Culm, awaiting the sunrise, to enjoy this magnificent prospect. A glare of light in the E., which gradually dims the flickering of the stars, is the first token of the morning; it soon becomes a streak of gold along the horizon, and is reflected in a pale pink tint upon the snows of the Bernese Alps. Summit after summit slowly catches the same golden hue; the dark space between the horizon and the Rigi is next illuminated; forests, lakes, hills, rivers, towns, and villages, gradually become revealed, but look cold and indistinct until the red orb surmounts the mountain top, and darts his beams across the landscape. The shadows are then rolled back, as it were, and, in a few moments, the whole scene around is glowing in sunshine. The view is

best seen during the quarter of an hour preceding and following the first appearance of the sun; after that the mists begin to curl up, and usually shroud parts of it from the

eye.

The most striking feature in this wonderful panorama, which is said to extend over a circumference of 300 miles, is undoubtedly the lakes of Lucerne and Zug; the branching arms of the former extend in so many different directions as to bewilder one at first, and both lave the base of the mountain so closely that the spectator might fancy himself suspended in the air above them, as in a balloon, and think, by one step from the brow of the precipice, to plunge into them. The peculiar greenish blue tint which sheets of water assume when seen from a height has also something exceedingly beautiful. It is said that 11 other lakes may be seen from the Rigi, but they are so small and distant as to "look like pools; some almost like water spilt upon the earth."

On the N. side the eye looks down into the lake of Zug, and the streets

of Arth; at the end of the lake the town of Zug, and behind it the spire of the church of Cappel, where Zwingli, the Reformer, fell in battle. This is backed by the chain of the Albis, and through gaps in its ridge may be discerned a few of the houses of the town of Zurich, and two little bits of its lake. Over the 1. shoulder of the Rossberg a peep is obtained into the lake of Egeri, on whose shores the Swiss gained the victory of Morgarten. The N. horizon is bounded by the range of the Black Forest hills.

The prospect on the W. is more open and map-like, and therefore less interesting. Close under the Rigi lie Tell's chapel, on the spot where he shot Gessler, and the village and bay of Küssnacht. Farther off, nearly the whole canton of Lucerne expands to view; the Reuss winding through the midst of it. Above the Reuss is the lake of Sempach, the scene of another triumph of Swiss valour. Lucerne, with its coronet of towers, is distinctly seen at the W. end of the lake, and on the 1. of it rises the gloomy Pilatus, cutting the sky with its serrated ridge. The remainder of the W. horizon is occupied by the chain of the Jura.

On the S. the mass of the Rigi forms the foreground, and touching the opposite mountains of Unterwalden, only allows here and there a small portion of the lake of Lucerne to be seen. On this side the objects visible in succession, from rt. to 1., are the lakes of Alpnach and Sarnen, buried in woods, by the side of which runs the road to the Brunig; the mountains called Stanzer and Buochserhorn, and behind them the magnificent white chain of the high Alps of Berne, Unterwalden, and Uri, in one unbroken ridge of peaks and glaciers, including the Jungfrau, Eigher, Finster Aarhorn, the Titlis (the highest peak in Unterwalden), the Engelberger Rothstock, and the Bristenstock, between which and the