ili til i.
n l'.i
54 VICINITY OF
l i l i l í
part of the range is about twelve miles
distant from Geneva. Though its outline
is too straight for picturesque effect, yet its
sides present many bold projections and
deep indentations, which, from the varied
accidents of light and shade, have frequently
an imposing appearance. On the
south-east of the valley, the mountains
called the Great and Little Saleve, present
their escarpements to it, which are nearly
perpendicular, exhibiting a bare face o f
stratified limestone, which appears heavy
and formal. These mountains obstruct the
view of Mont Blanc from Geneva, but it
is visible immediately after passing the
northern gate, called Porte de la Suisse,
and also by walking half a mile from the
western gate, or Porte de la Rive. The
principal mountains of the Savoy Alps,
seen from above the walls o f Geneva on
the south, are the Buet and the Aguilles
d 'Argentière. Their summits are covered
with eternal snow. Strangers often mistake
the dome-shaped summit of the Buet
for Mont Blanc ; it is about fifty miles distant
from Geneva, but such is the transparency
of the atmosphere, and the magnitude
of tlie object, that its stratification
GENEVA. 55
on that side which is too steep to retain
the snow, was distinctly perceptible from
our apartments on St. Antoine, even without
the aid o f a telescope, Midway, between
the Buet and Geneva, rises the Mole,
its conical summit forms a conspicuous and
distinguishing feature of the landscape,
from almost every part of the vicinity of
Geneva. This mountain is considerably
below the lower line of eternal snow, but
its summit generally begins to be covered
with snow early in the autumn, and remains
so till near the beginning o f May.
The snow descends or recedes on its
sides, according to the temperature o f the
upper regions of the atmosphere, which,
seen from Geneva, serves as a kind of
mountain thermometer, to indicate the
state of the weather in the higher Alps,
It need scarcely be added, how greatly the
vast expanse o f the lake, heightens the
beauty o f the scenery, from almost every
station in the vicinity o f Geneya.
Perhaps no city in Europe has a greater
variety of fine drives around it than Geneva
; the roads are excellent, and sufficiently
broad for any kind of English carriage.
Another advantage is, that the view of the
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