the complete writings-2-第16章

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…peaks　at　the　end　of　the　valley；　and　at　length　the　rain　fell　on　those　who　had　just　arrived　and　on　the　unjust。　We　took　refuge　from　the　hardest　of　it　in　a　lonely　chalet　high　up　on　the　hillside；　where　a　roughly　dressed；　frowzy　Swiss；　who　spoke　bad　German；　and　said　he　was　a　schoolmaster；　gave　us　a　bench　in　the　shed　of　his　schoolroom。　　He　had　only　two　pupils　in　attendance；　and　I　did　not　get　a　very　favorable　impression　of　this　high　school。　　Its　master　quite　overcame　us　with　thanks　when　we　gave　him　a　few　centimes　on　leaving。　　It　still　rained；　and　we　arrived　in　St。　Nicolaus　quite　damp。

There　is　a　decent　road　from　St。　Nicolaus　to　Zermatt；　over　which　go　wagons　without　springs。　　The　scenery　is　constantly　grander　as　we　ascend。　　The　day　is　not　wholly　clear；　but　high　on　our　right　are　the　vast　snow…fields　of　the　Weishorn；　and　out　of　the　very　clouds　near　it　seems　to　pour　the　Bies　Glacier。　　In　front　are　the　splendid　Briethorn；　with　its　white；　round　summit；　the　black　Riffelhorn；　the　sharp　peak　of　the　little　Matterhorn；　and　at　last　the　giant　Matterhorn　itself　rising　before　us；　the　most　finished　and　impressive　single　mountain　in　Switzerland。　　Not　so　high　as　Mont　Blanc　by　a　thousand　feet；　it　appears　immense　in　its　isolated　position　and　its　slender　aspiration。　It　is　a　huge　pillar　of　rock；　with　sharply　cut　edges；　rising　to　a　defined　point；　dusted　with　snow；　so　that　the　rock　is　only　here　and　there　revealed。　　To　ascend　it　seems　as　impossible　as　to　go　up　the　Column　of　Luxor；　and　one　can　believe　that　the　gentlemen　who　first　attempted　it　in　1864；　and　lost　their　lives；　did　fall　four　thousand　feet　before　their　bodies　rested　on　the　glacier　below。

We　did　not　stay　at　Zermatt；　but　pushed　on　for　the　hotel　on　the　top　of　the　Riffelberg；a　very　stiff　and　tiresome　climb　of　about　three　hours；　an　unending　pull　up　a　stony　footpath。　　Within　an　hour　of　the　top；　and　when　the　white　hotel　is　in　sight　above　the　zigzag　on　the　breast　of　the　precipice；　we　reach　a　green　and　widespread　Alp　where　hundreds　of　cows　are　feeding；　watched　by　two　forlorn　women；the　〃milkmaids　all　forlorn　〃　of　poetry。　　At　the　rude　chalets　we　stop；　and　get　draughts　of　rich；　sweet　cream。　　As　we　wind　up　the　slope；　the　tinkling　of　multitudinous　bells　from　the　herd　comes　to　us；　which　is　also　in　the　domain　of　poetry。　　All　the　way　up；we　have　found　wild　flowers　in　the　greatest　profusion；　and　the　higher　we　ascend；　the　more　exquisite　is　their　color　and　the　more　perfect　their　form。　　There　are　pansies；　gentians　of　a　deeper　blue　than　flower　ever　was　before；　forget…me…nots；　a　pink　variety　among　them；　violets；　the　Alpine　rose　and　the　Alpine　violet；　delicate　pink　flowers　of　moss；　harebells；　and　quantities　for　which　we　know　no　names；　more　exquisite　in　shape　and　color　than　the　choicest　products　of　the　greenhouse。　　Large　slopes　are　covered　with　them；a　brilliant　show　to　the　eye；　and　most　pleasantly　beguiling　the　way　of　its　tediousness。　　As　high　as　I　ascended；　I　still　found　some　of　these　delicate　flowers；　the　pink　moss　growing　in　profusion　amongst　the　rocks　of　the　GornerGrat；　and　close　to　the　snowdrifts。

The　inn　on　the　Riffelberg　is　nearly　eight　thousand　feet　high；　almost　two　thousand　feet　above　the　hut　on　Mount　Washington；　yet　it　is　not　so　cold　and　desolate　as　the　latter。　　Grass　grows　and　flowers　bloom　on　its　smooth　upland；　and　behind　it　and　in　front　of　it　are　the　snow…peaks。　　That　evening　we　essayed　the　Gorner…Grat；　a　rocky　ledge　nearly　ten　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　but　after　a　climb　of　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　a　good　view　of　Monte　Rosa　and　the　glaciers　and　peaks　of　that　range；　we　were　prevented　from　reaching　the　summit；　and　driven　back　by　a　sharp　storm　of　hail　and　rain。　　The　next　morning　I　started　for　the　GornerGrat　again；　at　four　o'clock。　　The　Matterhorn　lifted　its　huge　bulk　sharply　against　the　sky；　except　where　fleecy　clouds　lightly　draped　it　and　fantastically　blew　about　it。　　As　I　ascended；　and　turned　to　look　at　it；　its　beautifully　cut　peak　had　caught　the　first　ray　of　the　sun；　and　burned　with　a　rosy　glow。　　Some　great　clouds　drifted　high　in　the　air：　the　summits　of　the　Breithorn；　the　Lyscamm；　and　their　companions；　lay　cold　and　white；　but　the　snow　down　their　sides　had　a　tinge　of　pink。　　When　I　stood　upon　the　summit　of　the　Gorner…Grat；　the　two　prominent　silver　peaks　of　Monte　Rosa　were　just　touched　with　the　sun；　and　its　great　snow…fields　were　visible　to　the　glacier　at　its　base。　　The　Gorner…Grat　is　a　rounded　ridge　of　rock；　entirely　encirled　by　glaciers　and　snow…peaks。　　The　panorama　from　it　is　unexcelled　in　Switzerland。

Returning　down　the　rocky　steep；　I　descried；　solitary　in　that　great　waste　of　rock　and　snow；　the　form　of　a　lady　whom　I　supposed　I　had　left　sleeping　at　the　inn；　overcome　with　the　fatigue　of　yesterday's　tramp。　Lured　on　by　the　apparently　short　distance　to　the　backbone　of　the　ridge；　she　had　climbed　the　rocks　a　mile　or　more　above　the　hotel；　and　come　to　meet　me。　　She　also　had　seen　the　great　peaks　lift　themselves　out　of　the　gray　dawn；　and　Monte　Rosa　catch　the　first　rays。　　We　stood　awhile　together　to　see　how　jocund　day　ran　hither　and　thither　along　the　mountain…tops；　until　the　light　was　all　abroad；　and　then　silently　turned　downward；　as　one　goes　from　a　mount　of　devotion




THE　BATHS　OF　LEUK

In　order　to　make　the　pass　of　the　Gemmi；　it　is　necessary　to　go　through　the　Baths　of　Leuk。　　The　ascent　from　the　Rhone　bridge　at　Susten　is　full　of　interest；　affording　fine　views　of　the　valley；　which　is　better　to　look　at　than　to　travel　through；　and　bringing　you　almost　immediately　to　the　old　town　of　Leuk；　a　queer；　old；　towered　place；　perched　on　a　precipice；　with　the　oddest　inn；　and　a　notice　posted　up　to　the　effect；　that　any　one　who　drives　through　its　steep　streets　faster　than　a　walk　will　be　fined　five　francs。　　I　paid　nothing　extra　for　a　fast　walk。　　The　road；　which　is　one　of　the　best　in　the　country；　is　a　wonderful　piece　of　engineering；　spanning　streams；　cut　in　rock；　rounding　precipices；　following　the　wild　valley　of　the　Dala　by　many　a　winding　and　zigzag。

The　Baths　of　Leuk；　or　Loeche…les…Bains；　or　Leukerbad；　is　a　little　village　at　the　very　head　of　the　valley；　over　four　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　and　overhung　by　the　perpendicular　walls　of　the　Gemmi；　which　rise　on　all　sides；　except　the　south；　on　an　average　of　two　thousand　feet　above　it。　　There　is　a　nest　of　brown　houses；　clustered　together　like　bee…hives；　into　which　the　few　inhabitants　creep　to　hibernate　in　the　long　winters；　and　several　shops；　grand　hotels；　and　bathing…houses　open　for　the　season。　　Innumerable　springs　issue　out　of　this　green；　sloping　meadow　among　the　mountains；　some　of　them　icy　cold；　but　over　twenty　of　them　hot；　and　seasoned　with　a　great　many　disagreeable　sulphates；　carbonates；　and　oxides；　and　varying　in　temperature　from　ninety…five　to　one　hundred　and　twenty…three　degrees　Fahrenheit。　Italians；　French；　and　Swiss　resort　here　in　great　numbers　to　take　the　baths；　which　are　supposed　to　be　very　efficacious　for　rheumatism　and　cutaneous　affections。　　Doubtless　many　of　them　do　up　their　bathing　for　the　year　while　here；　and　they　may　need　no　more　after　scalding　and　soaking　in　this　water　for　a　couple　of　months。

Before　we　reached　the　hotel；　we　turned　aside　into　one　of　the　bath…houses。　　We　stood　inhaling　a　sickly　steam　in　a　large；　close　hall；　which　was　wholly　occupied　by　a　huge　vat；　across　which　low　partitions；　with　bridges；　ran；　dividing　it　into　four　compartments。　When　we　entered；　we　were　assailed　with　yells　in　many　languages；　and　howls　in　the　common　tongue；　as　if　all　the　fiends　of　the　pit　had　broken　loose。　　We　took　off　our　hats　in　obedience　to　the　demand；　but　the　clamor　did　not　wholly　subside；　and　was　mingled　with　singing　and　horrible　laughter。　　Floating　about　in　each　vat；　we　at　first　saw　twenty　or　thirty　human　heads。　　The　women　could　be　distinguished　from　the　men　by　the　manner　of　dressing　the　hair。　　Each　wore　a　loose　woolen　gown。　　Each　had　a　little　table　floating　before　him　or　her；　which　he　or　she　pushed　about　at　pleasure。　　One　wore　a　hideous　mask；　another　kept　diving　in　the　opaque　pool　and　coming　up　to　blow；　like　the　hippopotamus　in　the　Zoological　Gardens；　some　were　taking　a　lunch　from　their　tables；　others　playing　chess；　some　sitting　on　the　benches　round　the　edges；　with　only　heads　out　of　water；　as　doleful　as　owls；　while　others　roamed　about；　engaged　in　the　game