Volume 1

Switzerland / by William Beattie ; illustrated, in a series of views taken expressly for this work, by W.H. Bartlett.

Beattie, William, 1793-1875.

Date:: 1836

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Switzerland / by William Beattie ; illustrated, in a series of views taken expressly for this work, by W.H. Bartlett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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Is—‘ Take me to thy couch of snow ! My Ellen Rho—my Ellen Rho ! ’ “ The thunder groans along the Alps ; The rushing peal on peal succeeds ; The lightning scathes their hoary scalps; The quivering pines are bent like reeds! Yet louder than the torrent’s flow Ye hear the name of ‘ Ellen Rho !’ “ The storm is spent; the evening sky Has decked with gold the glacier’s crest; Mercy hath closed the mourner’s eye— That voice is hushed—the weary rest; And there, a simple cross doth show The resting-place of Ellen Rho ! Having crossed the col or apex of this Alpine pass, and gained the shelter of a straggling pine forest, we felt secure from the danger of the lavanges; and after recruiting our exhausted strength with a goutte of kirschwasser, descended rapidly in the Valorsine, but not without an occasional plunge beyond our depth in the snow, and a painful concussion with disjointed fragments of rock under its surface. In our present state of mental and bodily exhaustion, the little cabaret of the village was a most attractive object, and redoubling our steps we speedily reached its hospitable threshold. Our guide taking the lead groped along a dark, narrow passage, into a still darker apartment, where, in lieu of windows, a huge timber tunnel, rising from the middle of the floor, and tapering to a point, served at once to discharge the smoke and admit the light. At the signal of guests, our hostess started from an obscure corner, and, bidding us an Alpine welcome, conducted us into the “ best parlour.” This was literally a sanctum; for saints, martyrs, and holy water were its only ornaments, unless we add that of a Sardinian edict posted on the wall. The room, however, was very clean, and our landlady civil and attentive ; so that our repast of eggs, bread, cheese, and wine, after so much fatigue, had the flavour of a banquet,— a banquet such as pedestrians only can enjoy! The lavanges are the periodical scourge of this romantic valley, and often descend close to the church; for the protection of which, a strong embankment has been raised on the exposed flank where, literally, “ the Church is in danger.” This, with the exception of the valley of Sass, is the only Alpine district which affords evidence of volcanic action, in the appearance of certain rocks described by Mr. Bakewell. When we again emerged from this Cimmerian den, the sun was still high and cloudless, and threw a cheerful and animating influence over our sterile track.