25. 



RAMBLES IN WESTERN SWITZERLAND 

 AND THE JURA. 



CHAPTER L 



Introduction. — The Jura — Signal of Bougy. — Sunset in Swit- 

 zerland. — St. Georges The Glacier — The Pine Forests 



OF the Jura. 



It is scarcely less amusing than instructive to observe how the 

 same series of objects is differently viewed by different eyes, and how 

 the feelings, fancies, and prejudices of the individual, never fail to 

 show themselves in all his remarks, and give a colouring to all his 

 observations and opinions. This is, I think, the true reason why 

 descriptive works, and, above all, accounts of travels, are ever new 

 and amusing, and why, also, the very same scenes may be described 

 correctly by several passers-by, and yet each shall differ from the 

 other, and all may be read and studied with pleasure and advantage. 

 It seems to me that this alone would be a fair excuse for multiplying 

 still further " recollections of travel ;" but, on the present occasion, 

 I flatter myself that there are even stronger reasons for a fresh 

 attempt, and I hope to persuade the reader of this in the following 

 pages, and induce him to allow that I have discovered rich mines of 

 golden gossip, shadowed forth in the title which heads this article. 

 And yet it is a bold thing, in these days of universal peregrination, 

 to talk of discovering any district at once unvisited and beautiful ; 

 and still more bold will the presumption seem when the country is 

 such an one as Switzerland, talked of by every body, and visited by 

 half the world. Perhaps, however, talked of and visited as Switzer- 

 land undoubtedly is, there is no instance to be mentioned in which 

 the partiality of the great herd of travellers for high roads and cele- 

 brated guide-hook marvels is more strikingly apparent. The great 

 majority go from Paris to Geneva by the " diligence," pass over the 

 Jura probably at night or early in the morning, and are hardly aware 

 of the existence of such a mountain chain. From Geneva they will 

 hurry to Chai][iounix,to see the glories of Mont Blanc ; then, if they pro- 

 pose making a regular Swiss tour, will return to Geneva, go to Berne, 

 thence to Thun de Grindelwald, and Meyringen, stopping, of course, at 

 VOL. X., NO. xxviir. 4 



