SWITZERLAND. 



ful than June, which is often rainy. Most travellers 

 devote only six or eight weeks to visiting Switzer- 

 land, and limit themselves to the most interesting 

 parts. With a proper and systematic plan, one can 

 travel through all the cantons in three and a half 

 months, if he proceeds mostly on foot, and remains 

 in every place only as long as is necessary to view 

 all its curiosities; but, owing to the frequent 

 changes of weather, it is impossible to reckon upon 

 three weeks in succession dry and warm: as much 

 as fourteen days, therefore, ought to be allowed 

 out of the three and a half months for obstructions 

 from rain or storms. There are no proper extra 

 posts in Switzerland, though persons travelling in 

 their own coaches may procure a change of horses. 

 There are good regular coaches, however. Most 

 travellers who arrive at the frontier places in the 

 post-coaches, or in their own carriages, hire the 

 horses and carriages which are always in readiness 

 in the towns. The prices at which horses and 

 mules are let, are high. The horses and mules are 

 so used to the steep and rocky mountain roads, 

 that, even on the brink of a deep precipice, the 

 traveller feels himself perfectly safe. Those should 

 be chosen, however, which have been used to 

 carry, and not to draw. Roads lead over the 

 Cenis, the Simplon, and, since 1818, over the 

 Spliigen. The road over the Simplon may well be 

 compared with the proudest works of the ancient 

 Romans. (See Alps, Roads over.) Over the 

 other summits, no one can travel, except on foot, 

 or, perhaps, part of the way on horseback. In the 

 valley of Chamouni, and in Grindelwald, there are 

 very low and small four-wheeled carriages, which 

 are extremely inconvenient. It is possible to 

 travel in these a part, of the way, also, over the 

 great mountain of St Bernard. On account of the 

 sudden changes of weather and the cold air on the 

 mountains, it is necessary to be provided with 

 warm clothing. The traveller, on excursions, 

 should wear a light and easy dress, with half-boots, 

 or, what is still better, shoes with gaiters, fastened 

 tight about the feet to prevent gravel from getting 

 in. A traveller should provide himself with two 

 pairs of shoes, very strong, with thick heels and 

 large-headed nails, to be worn over stony passes, 

 in wet weather, and on glaciers; and with light 

 ones for the smooth plains. Experienced travellers 

 disapprove of the common irons fastened to the 

 shoes. The Alpine shoes, invented by Pictet, are 

 very good. The soles are at least six lines in 

 thickness, with a strong but pliable upper leather, 

 covering the whole foot, and with a covering of 

 leather rising about one and a half inches above the 

 sole, to secure the foot from any blow. Large 

 steel nails, or rather screws, with heads somewhat 

 more than four lines wide, which resemble a trun- 

 cated four-sided pyramid, are inserted in the soles 

 and heels, about seven in the former and five in the 

 latter. In the intervals between the steel nails, 

 common nails are driven in so that the heads touch 

 one another. With this durable and not heavy 

 shoe, one may walk safely over the naked granite, 

 over ice and smooth grass. A staff, pointed with 

 iron, is indispensable. In warm weather, a straw 

 hat is preferable to a felt one. A cloak, of oiled 

 taffeta or oiled linen, to keep off the rain, is very 

 convenient and warm, and, for this reason, a good 

 protection on the high mountains or in a piercing 

 wind. The traveller should also take a flannel 

 ghirt, the best protection against sudden colds, 

 light woollen pantaloons, and a great coat of light 



cloth; also a covered flask for cherry brandy to 

 bathe the tired limbs. The best comes from 

 Grindelwald. To the mineralogist, the apron of 

 thin leather, invented by Pictet, deserves to be 

 recommended. It is never well for one to travel 

 on the mountains alone, nor, on the other hand, in 

 company with more than three or four persons, 

 because of the scanty accommodations of the inns 

 in the small places. A guide should always be 

 procured; and very intelligent ones are easily to be 

 met with. If a person is not used to walking, he 

 should begin with short journeys every day ; but 

 walking in Switzerland, even for females, is not so 

 difficult as is commonly supposed. The mountains 

 should be ascended, where it is possible, on the 

 western side. The best descent is on the eastern 

 declivities. It is unsafe to travel on the high 

 mountains in spring until after the avalanches have 

 rolled down the sides. After a long and violent 

 rain, a person should wait two days before traversing 

 the high valleys among the rocks, where pieces are 

 liable to fall from the sides at such seasons. In 

 snowy vales and among the glaciers, it is well to 

 cover the face with a green or dark gauze. Vola- 

 tile alkali, diluted with water, mitigates the 

 burning pains in the face, caused by the bright 

 reflection of the sun's rays from the fields of snow 

 and the glaciers. One should never travel over 

 the glaciers after a fresh fall of snow (which 

 sometimes happens even in the summer months), 

 particularly at mid-day ; for a traveller might then 

 very easily break through the soft mass. To these 

 rules the - traveller will easily add such as his own 

 experience may suggest. Many circumstances com- 

 bine to make travelling in Switzerland more expen- 

 sive than in the adjacent countries. But few of 

 the cantons produce the necessaries of life in suffi- 

 cient quantities for the inhabitants. In many 

 places, the people are obliged to procure them from 

 a distance; and then the expense of conveyance 

 augments -the price. Inn-keepers on the mountains 

 and in retired valleys are especially subjected to 

 this advanced price, and are, therefore, obliged to 

 charge higher than those in cities and frequented 

 roads. The hotels, in towns and in large villages, 

 often even in the rudest Alpine vales, as in Lauter- 

 brunnen and the valley of Chamouni, are very 

 good. In Italian Switzerland, and geiierally beyond 

 the southern chain, it is common to agree upon the 

 price to be paid to inn-keepers, guides, servants, 

 and the like, beforehand ; for otherwise a person is 

 very liable to be imposed on. The expenses for 

 one who makes only a short stay at the various 

 places, are, of course, greater than for one who 

 remains longer. If a person devotes five or six 

 months to travelling through Switzerland, in a car- 

 riage or on horseback, his daily expenditure will 

 amount to twelve or sixteen Swiss francs ;* but if 

 he limits himself to six, four, or two weeks, his 

 expenses will be at least eighteen francs a day. If 

 he travels on foot, and has a guide who carries his 

 luggage, twelve francs a day will be sufficient. 

 The difference in the standard of money in the 

 different Swiss cantons is inconvenient, particularly 

 since some cantons have begun to refuse to admit 

 the money of others. The Manual of Glutz-Blotz- 

 heim, before mentioned, presents a useful view of 

 the worth of the different coins. The old louis- 

 d'or (twenty-four livres tournois), the French 

 twenty franc piece, the Brabant, Bavarian and 



A Swiss franc is about the value of a shilling sterling. 



