5232 Notes of a Tour in Switzerland. 



vulgarly called. When growing, as it often does, in extensive 

 masses, its dark rose-coloured blossoms afford indeed a splendid sight. 

 Not a tourist scarcely, young or old, male or female, ascends the Rigi 

 or other like mountain without coming down with his hat, cap, or 

 bonnet (as the case may be), and the head of his alpenstock adorned 

 with sprigs of this beautiful shrub, as a trophy in token, as it were, of 

 the feat which has been accomplished. On the Gemmi I observed a 

 large tract of the Rhododendron bearing pale pink or flesh-coloured 

 flowers, of exquisite delicacy. A pure white -flowered variety, also, 

 is sometimes met with, as I gather from dried specimens of it which 

 I have seen. 



The prevailing kind of alder among the Alps is quite a distinct spe- 

 cies from the common Alnus glutinosa; the leaves are much smaller, 

 sharp-pointed, doubly serrated, and downy, especially on the under 

 side; the bark is of a gray colour; it is, I believe, Alnus incana. A 

 light, airy tree, as compared with the lowland species, it does not 

 form those dense masses of dark foliage, second only to the oak in 

 beauty, which are so characteristic of its more common ally ; and by 

 consequence, though an elegant tree, is much less picturesque. Dif- 

 ferent, however, as the alpine alder is, whether viewed in a general 

 way. as an entire tree, or more closely examined in detail, it does not 

 make so great a difference to the landscape as might have been ex- 

 pected ; and I suppose that nineteen tourists out of twenty, unless 

 they have a botanical turn, pass it by without being aware of the dis- 

 crepancy. My fellow-travellers did not notice it until their attention 

 was called to the subject. 



It has often been remarked, and the fact, I believe, is brought home 

 to the experience of all Swiss tourists, that in no point is the untu.- 

 tored eye more apt to be deceived than in its calculation of distance 

 and of size. Amid the vastness of the surrounding scenery, large ob- 

 jects appear to be small, and distant ones to be near. A mountain 

 or a glacier, for instance, which seems to be almost within a stone's 

 cast of the spectator, is miles off! The pine forest which skirts the 

 base of yonder mountain, on the opposite side of the valley, looks no 

 better than an asparagus bed in summer trim ; but approach it, enter 

 into it, and behold ! 



" Insuperable height of loftiest shade." 



These pine forests decidedly take rank among the fine things of 

 Switzerland; their solemnity and deep gloom; the profound stillness 



