tude of his wife. (See Rte. 6, p. 16.) The castle was destroyed by the men of Basle, because a waggon laden with saffron, belonging to their merchants, had been pillaged by the Lords of Falkenstein. At the foot of the bare rock lies the hamlet of St. Wolfgang. 25 Ballsthal (Inn: Rössli, tolerable), the chief place in the valley, and the usual rendezvous of the men of the canton when assembled to discuss public business. The valley is suddenly closed by the advance of a rock surmounted by the still inhabited Castle of Blauenstein, at whose base crouches the village of Innere Klus (Inn: Hirsch), arranged in 2 rows of houses, at the outlet of a romantic defile or rent (Klus), which severs the Jura chain. It derives its name from having been closed (clausus) in ancient times by gate and wall, erected by the lords of Blauenstein. This Pass is of much importance in a military point of view, as one of the main portals into Switzerland. In the iron furnaces of Klus village the pea-like iron-ore (bohnerz), so common in the Jura, is smelted. The road on the rt. leads into the Münster Thal at Gänsbrunnen (Rte. 1, p. 6), through the valley of the Dünnern. Near Aussere Klus (Inn: Löwe), where the pass terminates, the traveller emerges into the Aar valley, and is greeted by a fine view of the snowy chain of the Alps, and the road descends. Oensingen and the ruins of Neu Bechburg remain on the 1., Ober-Bipp on the rt. of the road. Above it rises the ruined Castle of Bipp (castrum Pepini), built by Pepin, Maire du Palais. The eminence on which it stands is crowned with fine chestnut trees, and the view from it is superb. 21 Wiedlisbach. 2 SOLEURE (Germ. Solothurn). Inns: Couronne, old, and subject to bad smells, but tolerable in other respects; good table d'hôte at 1, 2 fr.; La Tour. Soleure, the capital of the canton, is prettily situated on the Aar, at the | foot of the Jura range, and has 4647 inhab. (200 Protestants). In the middle of the 17th century it was surrounded by fortifications of great extent, which took 60 years to complete, and consumed vast sums of money. In 1835 the removal of these costly and useless works was decreed by the Great Council of the canton. It is on the whole a dull town with little trade and few manufactures. The following objects are most worth notice. At the end of the principal street, approached by a flight of steps, flanked by fountains representing Moses striking the rock, and Gideon wringing the dew from the fleece, stands the Cathedral of St. Ursus (a soldier of the Theban legion), a modern building, finished 1773, by an Italian, Pesoni, of Ancona; it is distinguished by its size, and on the whole handsome. The clock tower (Zeitglockenthurm), in the market-place (a continuation of the same street), is stated by the guide-books to be a Roman work, while a German inscription upon it attributes its foundation to a period 500 years earlier than the birth of Christ; it may owe its origin to the Burgundian kings. It is square in form, and constructed of the most solid masonry, rough outside, originally without window or other opening, for 80 feet. If we are to believe the two Latin verses on the front of this building, Soleure is the most ancient city in N.W. Europe except Treves: In Celtis nihil est Salodoro antiquius, unis Exceptis Treviris, quorum ego dicta soror. The Arsenal (Zeughaus), a gable fronted house (d. 1580), not far from the Cathedral, contains the most extensive and curious collection of ancient armour in Switzerland. Here are shown numerous standards, taken by the Swiss in their victories over the Burgundians and Austrians, at Sempach, Morat, Nancy (bearing the portrait of Charles the Bold-with St. George and the Dragon), and GrandSome of these, in order to preserve them, have been fastened to son. pieces of coarse canvas; the yellow flag with the Austrian eagle was brought from Dornach. Among 800 suits of armour are many French and Burgundian. There are a few suits of chain mail, and a great many of commoner sort worn by Lanzknechts. More than 100 heads are said to have fallen under an executioner's sword here preserved. Several specimens of wall pieces, or long swivels, for the defence of a fortress, are curious. Some of the armour is for sale. the last years of his life here; his house, in which he died, is near the Post-office, No. 5, Gurzelen-gasse. His entrails are interred in the churchyard of Zuchwyl, a mile distant on the opposite side of the Aar, under a monument inscribed "Viscera Thaddei Kosciusko." About 2 miles N.E. of Soleure, beyond the village of St. Nicholas, lies the chapel and Hermitage of St. Verena, at the extremity of a pretty valley, hemmed in by rocks of gneiss and The Museum, in the Waisenhaus, granite, embowered in trees, and traclose to the bridge over the Aar, con- versed by a sparkling rivulet. It is tains the finest collection of Jura rendered accessible by paths, originally fossils in existence-15,000 specimens, formed by the French émigrés, who, chiefly from quarries near Soleure, at the outbreak of the French Revowhich will be viewed with great inte- lution, sought an asylum here. The rest by the geologist. There are valley abounds in caves and grottoes, nearly thirty specimens of fossil turtle, partly natural, partly artificial, and at rarely found elsewhere, together with its further extremity, within a natural teeth and palates of fish, and nume- shelf of over-arching cliff, stands the rous fragments of saurians, derived little Chapel of St. Verena; behind the from a formation which is believed to altar a small cave has been cut in the correspond with the Portland stone of rock, and now contains a representaEngland. The jaws of mammalia are tion of the holy sepulchre. This saint, said to come from the same locality (?). a pious maiden who accompanied the A suite of specimens of the rocks of Theban legion, suffered severe temptathe Alps were collected in numerous tion in this solitude, according to the journeys by Professor Hugi, to whom legend, from the devil, who, on one belongs the merit of forming and occasion, was on the point of carrying arranging this cabinet. her off, when she saved herself by clinging fast to the rock, where the hole made by her finger-nails still remains. On the way to the hermitage, near the church of St. Nicholas, the Château of Waldegy is passed; its oldfashioned gardens, laid out in terraces, are worth notice. The Ambassador of France to the Swiss Confederation resided here until the French Revolution: his hotel is converted into a barrack. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Bâle lives here. The clergy are numerous and powerful, both in the town and canton. There are several convents at Soleure. The sisters of St. Joseph's Nunnery, outside the Berne gate, make artificial flowers, sweetmeats, and other articles, which they sell at the grating. Their pincushions are clumsy, and themselves not very interesting. Soleure was long the headquarters for enlisting Swiss recruits in the foreign service of France, Spain, the Pope, and Naples—but the practice is going out: a contract is in force with the King of Naples, but expires in 1855, and will probably not be renewed. Thaddeus Kosciusko, the Pole, spent The Weissenstein.-The most interesting excursion in the neighbourhood of Soleure is that to the summit of the Weissenstein (Whiterock, probably named from its white cliffs of limestone), the mountain immediately behind the town. The distance is about 8 miles, and the time occupied in the ascent 3 hours. The mountain is made accessible for chars-à-banc, by a road somewhat steep, passing through the villages Langendorf and Oberdorf, behind which it is carried up the face of the mountains in a series of zig-zags. A char-à-banc, drawn by 2 horses, may be hired at the Couronne, in Soleure, for 10 or 12 Swiss francs to go and return. If it be detained on the mountain for the night, 2 francs extra are paid. Pedestrians may find a short cut, and reach the top easily in 24 hrs.; they may visit the Hermitage of St. Verena in their way to or fro. An Hotel and Bath-house has been built at the expense of the town on the brow of the mountain, 3950 feet above the sea-level, and 2640 above the Aar at Soleure. It furnishes about 30 beds, and the accommodation, though homely, is good. It is rented by the landlord of the Couronne at Soleure, M. Brunner. The charges are-dinner at tabled'hôte, without wine, 1 fr. 20 rap.; supper, 1 fr. bs. ; breakfast of tea or coffee alone, 50 rp.; beds from 8 to 10 batz. The dairy of the establishment is supplied by 60 cows, fed on the pasture on the summit of the mountains, so that milk and cream may be had here in perfection. 66 Many invalids take up their residence here during the summer months, on account of the fresh air, or for the cure de petit lait" (goat's whey), &c., which is recommended in certain complaints. The daily charge for those who remain here more than a week "en pension," is 6 F. francs. The greater portion of visitors, however, resort hither merely on account of the view, remaining on the summit one night to enjoy the sunset and sunrise. The Inn of the Weissenstein, and the still more elevated summit of the mountain, called Hasematte, 1 hour's walk from the Inn, to the W. of it, command one of the finest distant prospects of the Alps which can be named. The great chain of snowy peaks, &c., here seen, spread out along the horizon, extends for a distance of nearly 200 miles, from the Sentis on the E., to the Mont Blanc in the W. Immediately in front rise the Jungfrau, Schreckhorn, and other giants of the Bernese chain. In the foreground, amidst a varied expanse of wooded hill and verdant vale, are seen the lakes of Mora, Neuchâtel, and Bienne, while the silvery Aar, on which stands the town of Soleure, winds like a snake at the foot of the mountain. Keller has engraved a panorama of the Weissenstein, in which every mountain, town, village, and other object of interest visible from the top, is marked. Copies of it are hung up at the inn for the convenience of visitors. The landlord of the Couronne at Soleure will give his guests a small sketch of it. Another road, quite practicable for a char-à-banc, descends the opposite (N.) side of the Weissenstein, into the Val Moutiers (see p. 6). From Scleure to Bienne is 5 leagues =15 Eng. m. The road runs along the S. base of the Jura. The inn on the top of the Weissenstein continues long a conspicuous object. 21 Grenchen. rarely required for carriages. A toll of 5 batz per horse is paid, but nothing is charged for Vorspann horses. From the summit of the pass, after crossing the boundary-line of Bâle and Soleure, a fine view is obtained of the great chain of the Alps. 21 Olten (Inns: Halbe Mond; Krone), though it contains but 1500 Inhab., promises to rise into a flourishing town, to the prejudice of Soleure, of which it is becoming the rival. Its prosperity is greatly promoted by its position on the new road of the UnterHauenstein. It is built on the left bank of the Aar, and is said to be the Roman Ultimum. The roads from Bâle to Lucerne, and from Zürich to Soleure and Neuchâtel, cross here. The old parish church, converted into a wood warehouse since the new one was built, is mentioned in records as early as 1240. Our road crosses the Aar by a wooden bridge, and proceeds along its rt. bank, through pleasing scenery, to Aarburg-(Inns: Bär; Krone) a town of 1500 Inhab., almost entirely rebuilt since a conflagration in 1840, distinguished by its extensive Citadel on the heights above, constructed in 1660; the only fortress belonging to | the Swiss Confederation, but of no use as a fortification, for, although it has bomb-proof casemates hewn out of the rock, its works have been allowed to go to decay. It serves as a military storehouse for the Swiss Confederation, and forms a picturesque object in the landscape, such as is met with in the background of old German pictures. Outside the town is an extensive cotton factory. 1 m. farther, at Kreutzstrasse, the high road from Zürich to Berne (Route 13) crosses our route. The Lion is a good inn here. The road continues along a pretty valley, distinguished by its verdant pastures, and its substantial-looking houses, many of them with gardens, whose walls are often covered with thin plates of wood overlapping each other like fishes' scales. It is bordered by a varied outline of wooded heights. In front, the snowy Alps. Zoffingen-Inns: Cheval Blanc (Rössli), Ochs—a town with 3172 Inhab. Its Library contains curious MS. letters and drawings. A fragment of the castle of Reiden, and a solitary tree perched on a rock beside it, become conspicuous before reaching the village of Reiden, where a toll of 8 batz, including all the road to and from this to Lucerne, is paid. The Parsonage was originally the house of the Knights of Malta. A view is obtained of the Lake of Sempach, and of a smaller lake called Mauensee, from the height above. 43 Sursee (Inns: Soleil; Hirsch; bad and dear)-an old walled town, whose gate-towers still bear the doubleheaded eagle of Austria carved in stone. "The traveller may well employ a few moments in examining the Rathhaus, much dilapidated, but affording a good specimen of the peculiarities of the German-Burgundian style. The general outline resembles the old Tolbooth of Edinburgh."-P. Sursee lies at the distance of about a mile from the N. extremity of the Lake of Sempach, which is seen over and among the orchards on the left of the road in going to Lucerne. It has no pretensions to great beauty, but is pleasing, and highly interesting historically, from the famous Battle of Sempach (1386)-the second of those great and surprising victories by which Swiss independence was established. It was fought on the E. shore of the lake, behind the little town of Sempach, opposite which the lake comes into full view from our road. In 1805, a portion of the water of the lake was let off, in order to gain land along its banks; thus its extent is diminished, its surface lowered, and its form somewhat altered from what it was at the time of the battle. About 2 m. from Sempach-(Inns: Kreutz; Adler) - a small chapel, in the form of a portico, is erected to commemorate the victory, on the spot where Leopold of Austria (son of the Duke of the same name who had been defeated 71 years before at Morgarten) lost his life. The names of those who fell, both Austrians and Swiss, were inscribed on the walls, which also bear a rude fresco representation of the noble devotion of Arnold of Winkelried. He of battle-martyrs chief! Who, to recall his daunted peers, Of fatal Austrian spears.-Wordsworth. He was a knight of Unterwalden, who, observing all the efforts of the Swiss to break the ranks of their enemies foiled by their long lances, exclaimed, "Protect my wife and children, and I will open a path to freedom." He then rushed forward, and gathering in his arms as many lances as he could grasp, buried them in his bosom. The confederates were enabled to take advantage of the gap thus formed in the mail-clad ranks of the foe, before the Austrian lancers had time to extricate their entangled weapons from his corse. In order to oppose the Swiss, who fought on foot, many of the Austrian nobles had dismounted to form a serried phalanx; but the armour which rendered them almost invulnerable on horseback, and which, while they remained united and in close column, had formed so impenetrable a barrier to the attack of the Swiss, now that their ranks were broken, disabled them from coping with their light-armed and active foes. 600 nobles were slain, and more than 2000 common soldiers; while the entire force of the Swiss, who achieved this victory, is said not to have exceeded 1400 men. The conquerors founded masses for the souls of those who fell, friends as well as foes, and they are celebrated even now on the anniversary of the fight, which is a popular festival. At Buttisholz, a village about 3 m. W. of Nothwyl, and on the rt. of our road, may be seen a mound, called the English barrow, because it contains the bones of 3000 of our countrymen, followers of the celebrated Condottiero leader, Ingelram de Coucy, who were defeated here, 1376, by the inhabitants of Entlebuch. This Ingelram de Coucy was son-in-law of Edward III., king of England, and Earl of Bedford. Having a feud against Leopold of Austria, he not only laid waste his territories, but made devastating inroads into the neighbouring Swiss cantons, from the Jura to the gates of Berne and Zürich, until his career was suddenly arrested here by a few hundred Swiss peasants. This action put an end to a struggle known in Swiss history as the English war. The approach to Lucerne is charming: on the 1. rises the Rigi, in shape somewhat resembling a horse's back; on the rt. the Pilatus is distinguished by its serrated ridge. After crossing the small stream of the Emme by a wooden bridge, we reach the banks of the green Reuss, rushing out of the lake of Lucerne. On the rt. the new road to Berne, by the Entlebuch, is passed. Lucerne is surrounded on this side by a battlemented wall, flanked at intervals by a number of tall watch-towers, descending to the margin of the river. 4 LUCERNE, (Route 16.) ROUTE 5. BASLE TO AARAU, BY THE 107 leagues=325 Eng. m. Diligences daily in 6 hours. The road is the same as Route 2, as far as 3 Rheinfelden (p. 8). At Stein, where the Inn (zum Löwen) is the best on the route, it quits the side of the Rhine, and ascends the Frickthal to 4 Frick-Inn: Adler (Aigle)--a village of 1800 Inhab., with a church on a height. Here our route branches out of the high road to Zürich. (R. 6.) The Frickthal and surrounding district belonged to Austria down to 1801. The Staffelegg is a depression or col in the chain of the Jura, over which an easy carriage-road has been constructed at the expense of the government of the canton. A gradual descent leads down into the valley of the Aar, which is crossed in order to enter 3 Aarau Inns: Wilder Mann, (Sauvage) —Ochs (Bœuf) — Cigogne |