Switzerland, its scenery, history, and literary associations . cier, and a nobleobject it seemed. I hardly know of a finer of it5 kindin the Alps. Forcing itself through the narrow gorgewhich holds the ice in its jaws, and where it isgreatly riven and dislocated, it spreads out in the valleybelow, in such a manner as clearly to reveal to theminds eye the nature of the forc-es to which it is sub-jected. Longfellows figure is quite correct; the glacierresembles a vast gauntlet, of which the gorge representsthe wrist; while tlie lower glacier, cleft by its Essuresinto finger-like ridges,
Switzerland, its scenery, history, and literary associations . cier, and a nobleobject it seemed. I hardly know of a finer of it5 kindin the Alps. Forcing itself through the narrow gorgewhich holds the ice in its jaws, and where it isgreatly riven and dislocated, it spreads out in the valleybelow, in such a manner as clearly to reveal to theminds eye the nature of the forc-es to which it is sub-jected. Longfellows figure is quite correct; the glacierresembles a vast gauntlet, of which the gorge representsthe wrist; while tlie lower glacier, cleft by its Essuresinto finger-like ridges, is typified by the hand. Down the steep slopes of the Maienwangwe now and reach the Rhone CilacierHotel at the foot, and add our little share tothe busy scene, the crowds of tourists cominjjfrom Brigue, or the Furka, or as we have justdone, from the Grimsel. At the head of thevalley is the Rhone Glacier, one of the finestand most imposing of all the glaciers inSwitzerland, a great frozen waterfall of ice,breaking into a thousand fantastic ^. MOUNTAIN PASSES, RAILROADS, TUNNELS Issuing from its foot pours forth the torrentwhich is the source of the Rhone, that riverwhich, tumbling down the valley to Brigue,turns sharply to the right, then flows on, everbecoming broader and deeper till, wideningout, it forms a lake thirty-five miles long,whence issuing swift as an arrow at the cityof Geneva, it makes its way over the pleasantland of France, finally to pour itself into theMediterranean Sea, not far from Marseilles. From the Rhone Glacier the nearest route toZermatt is straight down the valley, followingthe river to Brigue where we can take the trainto Visp. But here again we prefer the hardertoil of climbing the Furka, where, passing theRhone Glacier, of the fantastic ice-masses ofwhich we obtain admirable views, we reach thetop of the Pass, whence a magnificent view isobtained of the Bernese Alps, then walk downthe long zigzags of the Realp, to the peacefulvalle
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