throughout Switzerland, are generally excellent. The plain but substantial fare which they give you, among the mountains, may be partaken of, after a ramble in those regions of pure and bracing air, with a better relish than a princely feast in courtly halls; and in the larger towns they will spread a table d'hote which would do credit to Meurice, of the Rue Rivoli, or Boyden, of the Astor House. At all the inns, visiters are expected, and even required, to write in the Book of Chronicles' not only their name and residence, but occupation, destination, and where from ' and in the Highland tour' they usually add ' remarks,' scraps of doggerel, and praise or abuse of the last visited inn; such as 'Avoid the Epèe' at Zurich ;' Go by all means to the Cygne' at Luzerne.' Italy being blockaded by cholera and quarantines, this scason, its neighbor Switzerland is more than usually swarmed with tourists; and a good many American names may be found recorded in the medley albums. 6 XVIII. SWITZERLAND, CONTINUED. Luzerne Thorwaldsen-Swiss Mercenaries-Anne of GiersteinPilatus Wm. Tell--View from the Rhigi-Sublime Spectacle -The Rossburg-Zug- Fair Zurich's Waters'-Falls of the Rhine-Swiss vs. American Scenery. LUZERNE, August 30.-In company with a couple of very agreeable English gentlemen, who had just returned from Italy, we took a boat at Alpnach, and were rowed down the Lake of the Four Cantons to this beautiful place. This lake is one of the largest, and certainly the most picturesque, in Switzerland, being irregular in its shape, and indented with little bays, and affording, in its whole extent, every variety of scenery. After doubling several of its promontories, in a sail of two hours, we landed almost on the very steps of the favorite Hotel de Cygne' at Luzerne. It is a capital house, close to the water, and as we sit at dinner, we have on one side a fine panoramic view of the Bay of Naples, and, on the other, the real panorama of this beautiful lake and surrounding mountains. We dined sumptuously at the table d'hote, and then walked out to a garden in the suburbs to see a famous piece of sculpture from a model by Thorwalsden, the Swedish artist. It is a colossal lion, pierced with a barb, cut Lake of Luzerne-Anne of Gierstein—Tell. 6 231 out on the side of a hill of rock, and under it are inscribed the names of the Swiss guards who fell in the French revolutions of '89 and '30. It is remarkable that Swiss soldiers are yet employed as the body-guards of the kings of France, Naples, etc., as more trustworthy than their own people. These guards are formally let out' by the Swiss government; but how such a proceeding is compatible with national honor, I am at a loss to conceive. There are two covered wooden bridges at Luzerne, each fourteen hundred feet long: the interiors are adorned with curious old paintings of the Dutch school, comprising a regular series of Scripture subjects. 6 You will recollect that this is the place from whence the travellers set out in the graphic scene of 'Anne of Gierstein.' It is in the vicinity of the scenes of Tell's exploits, of the battle-field of Sempach, and many other interesting spots. The gloomy and cloud-capt' brow of Mount Pilatus, where tradition says Pontius Pilate threw himself into the lake! is a conspicuous object on one side; and opposite, is the isolated Mount Rhigi, on the top of which we propose to lodge to-night, as all faithful travel. lers here do, for the sake of the most magnificent sunset and sunrise prospect which the world affords.' Summit of the Rhigi, Sept. 1.-Yesterday, at cleven A. M., I took boat with my companion, (an intelligent young student from Cambridge, Eng.,) and we pushed across the lake to Kusnacht, near William Tell's chapel, and the place where he escaped from Gesler. Thence we proceeded without a guide, the ascent appearing to be quite easy; but we had the luck to lose our way and lose each other nevertheless, we pressed forward to the goal, like Bunyan's 'Pilgrim,' tugging and climbing under an intensely hot sun, up, up, up, every step seeming to be the last, until I for one almost gave up in despair, when the friendly halloo! of some peasants pointed me to the path. At length we met each other near the top, on the side toward Altorf; and at six P. M. arrived at the inn, almost fainting with hunger and fatigue, and well able to do justice to a good supper. Much as report had raised my anticipations, the view from the Rhigi Kulm far exceeded them: yet perhaps that from some points half-way to the summit, if not so extensive, is more pleasing and beautiful.* From the top, the eye takes in too much; and large towns and lakes appear like baby's play-houses and frog-ponds, much as they would from a balloon. But the grand whole is certainly magnificent; a view of the whole of Switzerland could not be otherwise : Lakes, rivers, long drawn vales, towns, hamlets, towers, Thirteen lovely lakes, of which those of Luzerne, Zug, and Zurich are the nearest and most conspicuous; with a hundred villages scattered along their banks. On the south, the sublime and gigantic array of the snowy Alps of Unterwald and the Grisons, even to the borders of Italy; *The Rhigi is not remarkable for its height, being but five thousand seven hundred feet above the plain; but being isolated from the great range, it affords much the widest view. Magnificent view from the Rhigi. 233 while on the other hand, the view extends into the very centre of Swabia, presenting a richly-colored relief, over which the eye of the spectator roves in silent rapture, as the eagle, hovering in mid air or from his eyrie, in some isolated pinnacle of the Alps, looks down upon the states and kingdoms scattered at his feet. The sound of sheep. bells from the pastures, mingling with others that, with a deeper and more distant chime, call the villagers to matins; the smoke of the first fires, curling in light blue wreaths above their sheltering woods; the lowing of herds, rushing to their morning pasture; the mountain peaks, varying in tint and distinctness as the light oversteps their summits; the glaciers, gradually changing their snowy glare into a purple, and then a rosy glow; spires and pinnacles catching the first ray of light, and assuming their wonted station as land-marks in the scene; sails, half in shade and half in sunshine, skimming the lakes with their rural produce and population; the Alpine horn, pealing its signals from the pastoral bergs around; the pilgrim-troop, with solemn chant and motley costume, bringing their donations to the confessional of Our Lady;' the scream of the vulture in pursuit of his prey, and many other sights and sounds which it would be tedious to enumerate, strike the eye and imagination of the stranger so forcibly, that he feels for a time as if transported into the mysteries of a new world.' This is in the early morning; but the most beautiful sight this evening was a sea of clouds resting on the minor hills, far beneath us, the peaks just peeping above, like so |