I :
FA.III h
I LI I S '
^ ^ T R A V E L S T H R O U G H
1 HAVE alreidy obfcrved, that tl™ valley is rema tkaUy wild, but its a f p e a is n f i t t o
batten not unpl c a f aM; for the adjacent mountains ate coveted with fits, larch-ttces,
meadows, and vineyatds, which form a pleafing fccne, and an agreeable contrail.
AT the fmall village of Blauman I again croffed the river Ei fach, to rcach Ti i t fchen,
which is a poft -town, diftant from Bötzen eight Italian miles. No t far from Tnt fcl ien
is a defile, or narrow valley, nearly five mile, in l eng th; and the road is almoft the whole
way ent t ht o f g h the r o c k : that pafs is pa r t ieukt ly dangerons at the melting of the
fnow, owing to the a v u lmg « , or large heaps of fnow, which roll down from the fnmmits
o f the neighbonring mountains with great velocity, overwhelming every thing that
happens to be in the way.
THE inhabitants generally expc i t this devaftation in the months of April and May,
which is the time of the thaw; although it is felt there in a lefs dangerous degree than
at mount Cenis or the Col of Tende .
I » order to guard a , much as poffiblc againil the accidents frequently occafioned by the
eaufc abovementioned, the governnrent o f B r i « n has eonf t rua ed fevcral fmall hermitages
near the road, that travellers may find a poflihility of (heltering thcmfelves
whenever they fee thofc tremendous maffes of fnow roUing down the mountains. Ea ch
of thcfe hermitages is a kind of chapel, with a portico in front. The y are dedicated to
difFerent faint s ; but more generally to the Virgin Mary.
THE inhabitants, who arc extremely 4evout, are continually endowing thefc chapels
with gifts, and ornamenting them with fmall piftures, which they call « reprefenting
the cures they have received, »ud the miracles performed, through the influence of
their favourite faint. The y alfo, on Sundays and Fcftivals, decorate the images of their
faints, and crown them with a wreath of the choice»; flowers they can find, placing it on
their head with every mark of rehgious homage and t c fped, lighting a taper on each
fide of them. Thi s latter ceremony is, however, feldom performed, except when they
have a vow to accomplifli.
I PROPOSE relaong an occurrence which happened to me during the prefent excurfion.
It will, I hope, not be deemed an improper digreflion, as it will (hew the natural
fimplicity and eha r a a c r of the inhabitants.
I HAVE already acquainted my readers that, at my firft fetting out in the morning, the
appearance of the atmofphcrc gave me rcafon to apprehend that there would be a florm
in the courfe of the da y : my fears were reahzed, and indeed earlier than I e xpc a cd,
Bv nine o'clock, I had walked upwards of twelve mi l e s ; and, not pcrcciving the
carriage, I gave myfel f up entirely to the pleafure o f admiring the innumerable beauties
which furroundcd me, both in r e f pe a to botany and lithology. At every ftep I took,
fomc eutioits plant or other a t t r a ä cd my not ice; among which were difccrniblc the
elegant
T H E R H ^ T I A N A L P S . -tS
elegant Gentiana Purpurea, the Gent iana P u n a a t a , the Epi lo bium Alpin.u» , and the
Campanula Carpatica of L i n n . u s ; as alfo the humble Tuf i i l a go Alpina Elote-evanido
o fCh u f i o , See. The rocks were tremendous, flielving over on all fides.
THE different fpecies of ftrati of which thcfe rocks were compofed, and their extraordinary
appearance, took up all my at tent ion; fome of them were a mixture of qua r t z and
mica, of the . 6 + t h fpecies of Wallerius, which he terms W » a M k u ^ ; andhere
and there 1 found their ftrata, or beds, nearly perpendicular : others were eonipofed
of heap, or pieces of granite, piled one upon another, intermixed with marbles of various
colours and bank, of hornftone, of the , 4 3 fp=cies of Waller,us, named C r « « .
M - ! « : it is, therefore, not to be wondered at, if I was infcnfible of the danger that
threatened mc , furroundcd as I was by fuch a variety of natural euriofities, and in a valley
which, all the way from the fmall village of Ant las, was fo remarkably eont r a aed by the
Ihelving rocks on each fide that I could only fee 1 fmall portion of the (ky. I was,
however, fuddenly roufed f rom my contemplations, by a whirlwind which carried eloud.
of dul l along the valley, and covered me in an inf t ant ; the (ky darkened, and large drop,
of rain fell with fueh impetuofity, that I took it for ha i l ; whilft the thunder, rumbling
at a diftance, and re-echoed by the furrounding rocks, appeared to threaten immediate
de f t rua ion. T h a t moment was certainly the mol l awful I ever experienced, finding myfelf
alone, and a per fef t ftranger m a country, where I could but indUierently fpeak or underftand
their language, which is in general Ge rman ; yet I ftill proceeded with hafty fleps,
not knowing whither I was going, or where to find an afylum. Th e tempell increafing,
and the horrors acenmulating, 1 gave myfelf up for l o f t ; when, fortunately, I perceived one
of the hermitages I have already tlefcribed, which was nearly cut in the ro ck, refemblmg
a cave, fufiiciently large to afford prot c a ion to the affrighted traveller. Tho f c who have
croflTed the Al p. will eafdy conceive that my fears were not imaginary, as they muf t have
encountered fimilar danger, and know the fatal confequence.
H» v > » c precipitately entered the hermitage or cave, fuppof ing myfelf qui te alone, I
was ftartled at hea tmg a f.gh, which fcemed to iflhe from the extremity of i t ; and, turning
haftily, I faw a young woman at her devotion,, feemingly fuppl i c . t ing an image
which reprefcnted the Virgin IMary, and in the a a of crowning it with a wreath o f
flowers, while a taper burned on each fide of it. Whether owing to the un e x pe a c d
furprize of feeing me, or becaufe the image was beyond her reach, I could not determme;
but fhe was obliged to give up the at tempt . I ventured to approach and offer her my
alftftance; at the fame time, fearing that I might alarm her, I explained m the bell
manner I could the caafe of my taking refuge in a place which appeared to be allotted
entirely to af l s of devotion. As foon as flre had fuffieicntly got the better of her afton.fl.-
M