W. from St Gothard, and is the first of the great Helvetian chain. it is distinguished by the form of its summit, w Inch consists of a number 01 rocks of a forked shape, piled one above another ; a circumstance which seems evidently to have suggested its name. It is rendered chiefly interesting to travellers, front its supporting on its side an immense glacier, frum which issue the first waters of the ]bone. Tne road from the valley of Crseren to the top of the Furca is remarkably steep and rugged, sometimes I) lug on the edge of a dreadful precipice, sometimes passing through an angry torrent, and sometimes completely buried in the ruins of sonic neighbouring rock, which a recent avalanche has dragged along with it in its fall. Nor do the diffi culties of the journey cease upon arriving at the top ; the descent for a considerable way is equally rugged and wild, presenting nothing to amuse tile eye but bro ken rocks and craggy precipices. At last the glacier of the Furca suddenly bursts upon the view of the traveller towards the right, and he feels himself more than recompensed for all his labours. He sees before him a valley of ice, three miles in length, and one in breadth, stretching in the form of an immense scaf101ding, between two rocks of the Furca, more rugged, if pos sible, than any of the adjoining mountains. The rays of the sun cause it to glisten like crystal, and the blue tints reflected from its surface appear inexpressibly beautiful. A thousand romantic shapes seem to rise before the eye of the beholder. One would imagine, says Bourrit, that he is viewing the streets and houses of a magnificent city, built in the form of an amphithea tre, and embellished by sheets of water, cascades, and torrents. While dwelling with continued delight on these romantic beauties, the traveller is surprised to learn that he sees before him only the least part of this immense glacier. For, upon ascending a mountain to the west, he beholds a new field of ice open gradually to view ; and the shaggy rocks which crowned the for mer scene, now become the basis of a new glacier, more extensive and more beautiful than the first. The snow is of a more virgin white, the pyramids of ice more bold, and the blue tints more lively and animated. The traveller leaves this enchanted scene with feelings of regret ; and after reaching his former station, pursues the road to the Vallais, by the side of the lower glacier. The descent continues steep and rugged. In a short time, however, he arrives at the lower part of the glacier, where he beholds the Rhone issuing with considerable noise and impetuosity from two magnificent arches of ice. The streams which burst from these splendid vaults, are, even at their first appearance, of considera ble magnitude ; Coxe informs us, that upon attempting to cross them, on the shoulders of his guide, both of them were in danger of being carried down by the rapidity of the torrent. Yet they have not the honour of being considered as the sources of the Rhone ; a pre eminence usually claimed by some hot springs in the neighbourhood, from the circumstance of their continu ing to flow during all seasons of the year.
After leaving the glacier. the road proceeds by a nar row and steep valley, through which the Rhone des cends with dreadful impetuosity, forming a continual cataract. The scenery around is dreary and desolate in the highest degree, bearing a striking resemblance to the valley of Schxlenen. Not a tree, or shrub, or pile of grass, is to be seen ; and it is only after having travelled more than a league from the foot of the glacier, that a lew straggling willows begin to appear. The hills now become inure and more with verdure and trees, and the appearance of a few cottages on the opposite bank of the Rhone announces the approach of the Vallais.
Having passed the night at Minster, or Obergestlen, two villages situated in the upper extremity of the Vallais, the Alpine traveller, instead of accompanying the Rhone, partly retraces his steps, and begins to as cand the Grimsel on the left. The ascent of this moun tain, as usual, is steep and rugged, requiring about three hours to reach the highest part. From the summit on
the southern side, the road descends for the space of two miles over a ridge of rocks, and leads to a small plain or hollow. In the centre of this plain is situated a solitary house on the borders of a dark lake, called the Lake of the Dead, from its being the common receptacle of the dead bodies oft hose who d ie in passing these moun tains. This house is kept open for the accommodation of travellers during nine months of the year, at the ex pense of the Canton of Berne ; and the landlord who rents the pasture grounds in the neighbourhood, is engaged, upon quitting his solitary mansion at the ap proach of winter, to leave behind him a quantity of cheese, salted meat, and fuel, in case any unfortunate wanderer should come this way after his departure.
From this place the traveller usually proceeds west ward, towards the Sch•eekhorn, to visit the glacier which supply the first streams of the Aar. After climb ing the rocks which shelter this dreary mansion on the N. W. lie comes in sight of a small plain, half covered with verdure, through which the Aar is seen flowing with gentle rapidity. By following the banks of the stream, he arrives in a short time at the opening of a large valley, running from cast to west, and bounded on the north and south by lofty mountains of granite. After an hour's walking, close by the northern chairs of mountains, he comes to the root of the glacier called Lauteraar. This glacier has nothing interesting in its appearance. Its surface is entirely covered with stones, the wreck of the neighbouring mountains ; and the Aar, instead of forming a magnificent arch like the Rhone, creeps quietly from beneath an inclined plane of ice, the lower edge of which almost touches the ground. There is something- dreadful, however, in the appearance of the fissures through which the river is sometimes seen in the abyss below, forcing its way be tween blocks of ice that occasionally interrupt its pas sage. But what renders this glacier peculiarly magni ficent, is its situation in the midst of granite mountains of a prodigious height, which inclose it on all sides except towards the east ; the Sehreekhorn, or Peak of Terror, forming an insurmountable rampart on the north and north-east ; the Finsteraarhorn almost shut ting out the day on the west, and the Zinckenstorf look ing down in awful grandeur on the south. On the opposite side of this last mountain lies another large valley of ice, called the glacier of Oberaar, from which the Aar derives part of its waters; but it has nothing remarkable in its appearance. being. like the former, completely covered with the debris of the surrounding summits.
As the mountains on the west of these glaciers are quite impassable, the traveller, who is anxious to obtain a more complete view of the Helvetian chain, must return to the solitary hovel on the Orimsel, and follow the Aar in its descent to the territory of Hasli, in the Canton of Berne. rile scenery in the vale of the Aar bears a striking- resemblance to that of Schxlenen, with this difference, that the Am' rushes down its channel with more impetuosity than the Reuss, and is frequently o swelled w ith torrents as to ravage all the adjacent country. According to Bourrit, this valley presents scenes more interesting and varied than any other pas sage of the Alps. "../ tout moment," says this author, " les .%irnations Man.:fent ; tantot l'.1ar passe sue la tete du voyageur, tantdt it roil Bien an-dessous de s•s pieds; on con/Cl/01r cascades 911'elle Celle' (ICS torrens gu'on s'y precipiter du hunt dr sommets,les contrast es d'un gallon torteux avec in blanchedr de ses max ,I;urtters par la force de !cur chives, 1r cou rant d'aw yu'dles (IC/t•nt, les blocs immens•s de rocs yu'elles ron/rut et en/assent le long de la des pouts hardis et scabreui foot passer plusieurs fois, deS8118 lesqlvls passagr voit a run de sea cote.• lu rivie rc tee le toucher, tail(/is' flue de l'antre il a de la ti salver des yeux duns sex ,gouffres .4n milieu de cr fracas, an admire In magnificence des roc/nrs, leans c'clatantes couleurs, fractures