i6 SWITZERLAND IN EARLY SUMMER 



St. Jingo's shore displayed range after range of bloom-like 

 greys and purples, whilst far away and above delicately 

 glittered — like some incredible vision of a heavenly world 

 beyond the sun-lit sky itself — the apparition of the snows 

 and rocks of the great Dents du Midi. All this I have left 

 behind me, and have passed back again to dull grey 

 Paris, to the stormy Channel, and to the winter of 

 London's July. 



The incomparable pleasure which the lakes and valleys 

 and mountains of Switzerland are capable of giving is 

 due to the combination of many distinct sources of 

 delight, each in itself of exceptional character. A month 

 ago, in bright sunshine, I went, once again, by the little 

 electric railway (most blessed invention of our day) from 

 the pine-shaded torrent below to the great Eiger rock- 

 mountain, and through its heart to the glacier beyond, 

 more than 10,000 ft. above sea-level. On the way back 

 I left the train at the foot of the Eiger glacier, and 

 walked down with my companion amongst the rocks of 

 the moraine and over the sparse turf of these highest 

 regions of life. Everywhere was a profusion of gentians, 

 the larger and darker, as well as the smaller, bluest of all 

 blue flowers. The large, plump, yellow globe-flowers 

 {Trollius), the sulphur-yellow anemone, the glacial white- 

 and-pink buttercup, the Alpine dryad, the Alpine forget- 

 me-nots and pink primroses, the summer crocus, delicate 

 hare-bells, and many other flowers of goodly size were 

 abundant. The grass of Parnassus and the edelweiss 

 were not yet in flower, but lower down the slopes the 

 Alpine rhododendron was showing its crimson bunches of 

 blossom. It is a pity that the Swiss call this plant 

 " Alpenrose," since there is a true and exquisite Alpine 

 rose (which we often found) with deep red flowers, dark- 

 coloured foliage, and a rich, sweet-briar perfume. Lovely 

 as these larger flowers of the higher Alps are, they are 



