Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/121

Rh peasantry, passionately fond of their homes and country. In neatness, in intelligence, and even in a gentleman-like sense of politeness, the Swiss peasant presents a marked contrast to the peasantry of most other European countries, and notably of England. Women comfortably seated out-side their huts and sewing their linen in the sun, and healthy little children neatly dressed, and running about in the neat and garden-like fields, form an interesting sight to be seen only among the peasantry of this happy repubiic. But to our tale.

As we were desirous of seeing the pass of St. Gothard, perhaps the most magnificent pass in Europe, we came back to Lucerne, and thence by Diligence we went through the pass of St. Gothard to come to Italy. The name St. Gothard applies only to one particular portion of the long and continuous mountain pass leading from Switzerland to Italy. A really magnificent pass it is, through which Hannibal and Napoleon are supposed to have marched. The beetling cliffs towered high over our head in dread sublimity, while a foaming and roaring rivulet leaped from crag to crag and ran just by our side. We gradually went up until we reached the highest part of the pass. Here we passed the celebrated Hospental and the real pass of St. Gothard as well as a lake 7,000 feet above the level of the sea. The descent was of course more rapid than the ascent. We travelled all night, had only 10 minutes allotted to us for breakfast, and travelled the whole day and did not reach Como till in the afternoon, covered with dust, and pretty well tired!