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75 T R A V E L S THROUGH
caftîe, every traveller is required to iliew his paiTport to tlie commanding officer belonging
to the detachment, which the houfe of Auftria always keeps tiiere in garrifon.
HAVING crofled a fmall guard-houfe, half a mile from tlie caftle, the defcent becomes
rapid, and the mountains, which contrafl: the valley, are fo fteep and fo high that it has
been found ncceflary to ereft a parapet along the road in fcvcral places, to render it lefs
dangero\is to travellers.
I PURSUED my route by the fide of three fmall lakes, which nearly fill tlie bottom
of a charming plain, about two miles in extent, furrounded by feveral hills, covercd
with Alpine trees. A number of fmall cafcades, which defcend from the neighbouring
mountains, mix their tranfparent waters with thofe of the lakes Blind-See, Mitter-See,
and Weifen-See ; the latter of which I crolTed, and proceeded to the filver mines of
Silber Leiite, which lie at the foot of mount Sonnenfpiz, and I then paiTed through the
village of Byberbier, noted for its hot mineral fprings, which are aluminous and fulphureous.
Not far from hence is the village of Lermos, which is the next poft. It is
particularly fwampy, although feated on an eminence, owing to the exceffive height of
the furrounding mountains, which renders the fmall valley in which tliat village is built
a receptacle for the waters, which defcend rapidly on all fides.
THE moft confiderable mountains on the caft of Lermos are the Wetterfchrofen, the
Tiefen, and the Blattach, always covered with fnow. The laft has an extenfive
Glacier belonging to it, called Blattacher Ferner. Thefe mountains are a continuation
of the chain of the Verner. On tlie fouth-weft are the mounts Grubacher, Nieden,
Bleyfpiz, 2cc. ; this fecondary chain is lefs elevated than the other, being moftly covered
with trees, except the high and rugged peak of the Gartner.
ON leaving Lermos the road is on an afcent the whole way to the village of Wengle, at
which place tlie valley widens confidcrably, and then a continued dcfcent leads to FuiTen.
THE road being particularly fteep from NalTereit, I preferred walking to Buchlbacli, a
charming village between Lermos and Heiterwang; for the horfes going flowly, on
account of the heavy afcent, I foon got before them, and by thofc means had an opportunity
of enjoying the moft rural, charming, and piÛurefque fcencs.
BY way of giving a juf t idea of the charader and amufements of the happy inhabitants
of this country, I muft not omit the defcription of a fete champêtre I was witnefs to
in my way from the above village, and in which I very unexpededly participated.
IT is cuftomary among tlie young Tyrolefe, whilft paying their addreiTes to a favourite
lafs, to place, or plant a tree at the door of her habitation, which is generally a fpecies
of fir, called in that country May, or Tree of the Feaft. It is found in great abundance
on the adjacent hills which furround their villages. They confcquently take the largeft
they
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