On the northern aide of the valley of the Rhone are the Berne:0 Alps, the most elevated edge of which is parallel to the course of the river. Their eastern extremity is formed by a ridge called the Grimsel, over which a mule-road leads from the valley of Hasli to that of the Rhone. The highest part of this road is 8300 feet above the level of the sea. To the west of the Grimsel and the valley of Hull begins the largest continuous mass of ico and snow on the Alps. It extends on both aides of the highest edge of the range, and occupies from east to west, from the valley of Hash to that of Kander, a space SO miles long in a straight line, and from north to south a space of about 20 miles, constituting nearly the whole of the country between the lakes of Brienz and Than and the valley of the Rhone. Its area is about 600 square miles. The outer edges of this region only are indented by three short valleys, Ldtsch, Grindelwald, and Lauter brunnen, which are inhabited. The valleys of Grindelwald and Lanterbrunnen are annually visited by many foreigners, as they offer the most easy access to the glaciers. From this immense lake of ice rise numerous summits, chiefly in the form of pyramids: along the highest portion of the region, from east to west, are the Finstersar horn (14,107 feet), the 31oneh (13,502 feet), the Jungfrau (13,621 feet), the Breithorn (12,462 feet), the Altele (12,172 feet), the Itinderhorn (11,683 feet), the Wildstrubel (10,930 feet), and between them several others hardly Inferior in elevation. To the north of this series are other unamita, among which the highest are the Eiger (12,922 feet), the Sehreekhorn (13.441 feet), the Wetterhorn (12,220 feet), the Binning Alp (12,115 feet), and the Dolderhorn (11,920 feet). The Faulhorn, not far from the Lake of Brien; rises only to 8750 feet, but It is frequently .ended by travellers on account of the magnificent view which it offers of the numerous mountains and glaciers which lie to the south of It. At the western extremity of this region a road leads from the valley of the Kander to the valley of Lotsch iu the Valais. It traverses the ridge called the Gemini, and In its most elevated point rises 6446 feet above the sea. It is partly cut through rocks, and only practicable for beast. of burden.
The valley of the Kander separates this region from that which lies farther west, and in which the Alps rise above the snow-line only in a few places. The highest part of the mountains continues to run south-west, as far as the three-headed summit, called the Diablerets, or the Teufelsleirner, which is nearly due north of the great bend of the IthOne and eolnewhat more than 12 miles from it. The passes over this chain vary between 3000 and 5000 feet in elevation, but 110100 of the summit. rise above the snow-line and attain more than 10,000 feet. The highest summits from east to west are the Gletacher horn (10.393 feet), the Wildhorn (10,721 feet), the Arpelhorn (10,918 feet). and the Dieblerets (10,447 feet). At the Diablerets tho chain divides Into two branches, one of which runs south-south-west and terminates on the banks of the Rhone, opposite the in high rocks ; the other extends westward towards the eastern extremity of the Lake of Geneva, and in approaching the lake turns gradually to the north and terminates in Mont Molesson (6577 feet).
In the first of these two chains is Mont laveran (9S82 feet) and the Dent-des-Moreles (9567 feet), and in the second Mont Oldenhorn (10,362 feet). Though these summits and a few others rise above the snow-line, they occur at considerable distances from one other, and the glaciers which surround them are of comparatively small extent.
The country which extends north of the Berncse range, between the Kander on the east and the Saane River on tho west, and terminates in the parallel of the northern extremity of the Lake of Thun, is a mountainous country : but it does not appear that the summits which are always covered with snow are numerous; several summits attain an elevation of 8000 feet above the seallevel, and from 4000 to 5000 feet above their base. The form also of these mountains differs from that of the higher Alps, their summits not terminating in peaks or sharp ridges, but being rounded and rather flat at the top : the decli vities are generally steep, though mnch less so than those of the higher mountains. In many places the higher parts of the ridges and groups are above the line of vegetation, but as the lower declivities are covered with fine grass, which supplies excellent pasture during the summer months, and with trees, this region contains a much greater portion of productive land than the other parts of the Alps, though the proportion which is cultivated is very small. It is emi nently a country of pasture. The most continuous ridge of mountains in this part of the country is that which lies nearest to the preceding region, and extends to the west of the valley of the Kander, from the great range to the banks of the Lake of Thun, where it terminates in Mont Niesen (7324 feet). Among the isolated summits is the Stockhorn, which is west of the Lake of Thun, 7213 feet high.
The Volley of .17asli, at the most southern extremity of which the river Aar originates in the Aar Glacier, lies between the largest fields of ice and snow, and extends in the form of a semicircle more than 20 miles to the influx of the Aar into the Lake of Brienz. Though the valley in the upper parts is only between a quarter and half a mile wide, and in the lower between half a mile and a mile, several short valleys open iuto it from all aides, and the declivities of the moun tains which inclose these lateral valleys, and those of the principal valley, contain rich pasture. The lower part of the valley is partly cultivated and partly meadow-ground. There are extensive planta tions of walnut-trees. The low and level tract which lies between the lakes of Brienz and Thun, and is about four miles long and two miles wide, is fertile, well cultivated, and has extensive plantations of walnut-trees. The climate hero is so temperate that the flowers blossom In the month of February. Along the northern banks of the Lake of Than the mouutains approach close to the water; but as they are not high, nor their aides precipitous, there is a considerable tract between them and the lake, which is used for the cultivatiou of grain, plantations of vines and trees, and as pasture-ground. There is a similar tract of greater extent on the south of the lake; and towards the western extremity of the lake the mountains disappear and the plain begins.