40 RAMBLES IN WESTERN SWITZERLAND 



ally catch a glimpse of the perpendicular walls of naked rock, which 

 rose within a few yards on either side. Proceeding onwards almost 

 in the dark, from the abundance of wood, I soon found that the 

 path began to descend very rapidly, and at length came to a spot 

 from which another valley branched off, and a mountain was seen 

 turning aside from the direction which I had been following. At 

 this point 1 came into the valley of the Orbe, a river whose source 

 is not far from hence, and which soon turns towards the east into 

 the widening valley, and, after running for about twenty miles, 

 empties itself into the lake of Neuchatel, near the town of Yverdon. 



That part of the Vallorbe which I traversed seemed to be remark- 

 able not more for the wild and almost savage character of the sce- 

 nery near the source of the river, and before the sudden bend to the 

 east, than for the singular and pleasing manner in which this sa- 

 vage grandeur changed to romantic beauty, and that, again, to the 

 very different appearance of a rather wide, rich, and well-cultivated 

 valley, enclosed by hills, which gradually become less remark- 

 able as they recede, and which, before many miles, have lost all 

 pretensions to wildness or magnificence. Indeed, the narrowness of 

 the ravine, the sudden appearance of an impassable barrier in front, 

 the noise of a not very distant waterfall, and a variety of assisting 

 circumstances, all help to produce a striking effect on the tra- 

 veller, which effect is increased by the obscurity and gloom of an 

 exuberance of vegetable life clothing the steep ascents on each side, 

 and precluding all view, except that of the mixed wildness and 

 beauty characterising the immediate spot on which he stands. 



After a while, on reaching the apparent termination of this nar- 

 row ravine, there is a range of rocky and perpendicular eminences 

 running towards the north-east ; and here the broken path, which 

 had hitherto served as a rather obscure guide, conducted me to an 

 excellent road coming from the west, and serving as a means of 

 communication between some of the smaller frontier towns of 

 France and the south-west of Switzerland. I followed the road for 

 a short distance, as it wound about in a serpentine course, to dimi- 

 nish the rather precipitous nature of the descent ; but, soon getting 

 tired of such regular travelling, struck off by a little narrow path, 

 and endeavoured to descend at once into the valley. I succeeded, 

 although not without considerable difficulty, and even some danger ; 

 and by letting myself drop occasionally where I saw a flat project- 

 ing terrace below, I at last managed to reach the river, and then, 

 indeed, was amply repaid for my labour by looking up the 

 narrow and singular cleft which the noisy stream had, perhaps, 



