INTERIOR LAND CHANGES. 



409 









The Righi Pass. 



lovely sheet of water, and a smaller lake, 

 that of Lowerz. Between these lakes, 

 extending from the banks of the one to 

 the other a distance of about six miles, 

 is the Vale of Goldau, a scene of in- 

 viting natural beauty. On one side of 

 the valley, Mont Righi rises to the 

 height of 4644 feet, and on the other 

 side Mont Ruffi reaches 3747 feet above 

 the level of the lake of Zug. These are stratified 

 mountains, composed of conglomerate cemented by a 

 kind of sandstone, or a fine-grained marl, the strata 

 varying considerably in thickness. In the year men- 

 tioned, on the morning of the 2d of September, 

 noises were heard proceeding from Mont Ruffi, which 

 startled the inhabitants of the valley, who little dreamt of the disaster that was impend- 

 ing. In the afternoon of the day the noises were repeated, becoming more frequent, and 

 some pieces of rock were observed to fall down the declivities of the mountain. Larger 

 masses descended towards five o'clock in the evening, and now the apprehensions of the 

 people were thoroughly awakened ; but they had little time either to fear or fly, for a 

 few minutes afterwards a large part of the upper mass of the mountain was seen to give 

 way> and to be coming down upon the valley. Its motion was at first slow, but in a few 

 seconds it acquired a frightful Velocity, and with a tremendous crash, the disjoined 

 portion with its forests and buildings was precipitated upon the lower levels, darkening 

 the air with clouds of dust, so as to obscure for a time all further perception of the 

 catastrophe. Some of the spectators of this event were in a house at the base of Mont 

 Righi on the opposite side, at an elevation of three hundred feet above the bottom of 

 the valley ; but such was the tremendous impetus given to the rocks in their descent, 



