Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/119

Rh steep mountains. We reached the lake of Brienz in the afternoon, and went by a steamer to its farther end on which was situated the town of Interlaken, surrounded by lovely scenes.

We reached Interlaken in the evening and saw the far-off cliff of Jung Frau covered with snow and glittering under the brilliant light of a cloudless moon. The romantic town of Interlaken we left next morning. We went across the lake in a steamer and reached Berne by train in the afternoon.

Berne the chief town of Switzerland makes a good show with its magnificent cathedral, well-built houses, and cleanly streets. From Berne we had a fine view of the noble range of the Bernese Alps covered with snow and glittering in the sun. From Berne we went to Lausanne on the lake of Geneva where, as you know, Gibbon finished his history of Rome. The spot where he finished his history is now occupied by the "Gibbon Hotel." The lake of Geneva is a fine lake as you must know from the descriptions of Byron and Rogers. On its shore we saw Clarens, "the birth-place of deep love," as Byron calls it, and a favourite resort of "the self-torturing sophist wild Rousseau." It is indeed a lovely spot with the glittering lake of Geneva in its front, and high wooded mountains behind.

Passing further on we came to that dreadful castle "never to be named," the Castle of Chillon. It is almost entirely