s width, and partly to the weather, which was one of
those hot gleamy days in which all distant objects are veiled in a
species of bright obscurity. But the higher part of the lake made us
ample amends; 'tis true we had some disagreeable weather, but the banks
of the water are infinitely more picturesque, and, as it is much
narrower, the landscape suffered proportionally less from that pale
steam which before almost entirely hid the opposite shore. From
Villeneuve we proceeded up the Rhone to Martigny, where we left our
bundles, and struck over the mountains to Chamouny, and visited the
glaciers of Savoy. You have undoubtedly heard of these celebrated
scenes, but if you have not read about them, any description which I
have room to give you must be altogether inadequate. After passing two
days in the environs of Chamouny, we returned to Martigny, and pursued
our mount up the Valais, along the Rhine, to Brig. At Brig we quitted
the Valais, and passed the Alps at the Simplon, in order to visit part
of Italy. The impressions of three hours of our walk among these Alps
will never be effaced. From Duomo d'Ossola, a town of Italy which lay in
our route, we proceeded to the lake of Locarno, to visit the Boromean
Islands, and thence to Como. A more charming path was scarcely ever
travelled over. The banks of many of the Italian and Swiss lakes are so
steep and rocky as not to admit of roads; that of Como is partly of
this character. A small foot-path is all the communication by land
between one village and another, on the side along which we passed, for
upwards of thirty miles. We entered upon this path about noon, and,
owing to the steepness of the banks, were soon unmolested by the sun,
which illuminated the woods, rocks, and villages of the opposite shore.
The lake is narrow, and the shadows of the mountains were early thrown
across it. It was beautiful to watch them travelling up the side of the
hills,--for several hours to remark one half of a village covered with
shade, and the other bright with the strongest sunshine. It was with
regret that we passed every turn of this charming path, where every new
picture was purchased by the loss of another which we should never have
been tired of gazing upon. The shores of the lake consist of steeps
covered with large, sweeping woods of chestnut, spotted with villages;
some clinging from the summits of the advancing rocks, and others hiding
themselves within their recesses. Nor was th