Tlie Salt Mountains of Ischil. 235 



came almost oppresive. It was not a simple profile, but the fea- 

 tures had an expression corresponding to the melancholy fate of 

 that monarch : the forehead was wrinkled, the mouth slightly opened, 

 and the appearance was that of a person in a disturbed and painful 

 slumber. In the large double chin, the beaked Roman nose, and 

 the slightly receding forehead, there was a striking resemblance to 

 Louis : a cap appeared to cover the head, and what was singular 

 enough, just back of this a flat mountain covered with snow to 

 represent a pillar, on which the head appeared to recline. To 

 complete the picture, the range of mountains to the east was, from 

 the position of the sun, blended in some measure Avith the rock and 

 assisted to form the bust, while still further on, particles of snow at 

 intervals, ^ave them the appearance of a counterpane. I am al- 

 most afraid to say, after this, that a slight protuberance over the 

 breast resembled the doubling of the bed clothes at that place. 



The French troops in their invasion of Austria, marched along 

 the road from which I had the first view of this remarkable rock, 

 and in the village of Lambach just in front of it, had some severe 

 skirmishing. The landlord, at the inn where I stopped to dine, re- 

 sided there at the time. From Lambach my road turned south- 

 ward towards the Traun Rock, and the profile continued uninjured 

 until towards evening, when on my nearer approach it gradually dis- 

 appeared. 



The annexed copy of a sketch taken from the spot where I first 

 got sight of it, will shew you the general character of the profile. I 

 ■was not skilful enough with the pencil to come nearer than a resem- 

 blance, but the sketch is as honest an one as I could make it. 



A.RT. V. — The Salt Mountains of Ischil; in a letter from an officer 

 in the American Navy. 



My object in turning out from the direct road to Salzburg, was to 

 visit the Gmunden Lake and the salt mountains of Ischil, which I 

 was told I should find on its southern shore. The road after leaving 

 Lambach, led by the Traun river, by which the lake discharges it- 

 self into the Danube, and down which the salt is conveyed in large 

 flat-bottomed boats. It is an extremely turbulent and rapid stream, 

 and at one spot, where is a high picturesque fall, a wood-shoot has 

 been constructed, down which the boats glide with frightful rapidity. 



Vol. XXIX.— No. 2. 29 



