crater of the mountain is seen to become suddenly filled with a cloud of white vapour, working, and rising and falling with an easy but perceptible motion, until the whole hollow presents the appearance of an immense caldron of boiling vapour, which seldom rises above the edge. If any escape, it is by the opening towards the defile; and I have seen it repeatedly issue in a thin white line, and float gradually down the centre of the valley till imperceptibly diminished and dissipated."-Latrobe. The echo produced by firing a gun within the Creux de Vent, is like a scattered fire of musketry, or a succession of discharges from a battery; and the hollow may be called the very cradle of the winds, which appear to be perpetually blowing from it. La Clusette, near Brod, is a very picturesque defile-the road hanging over the precipice. A steep ascent carries the road out of the Val Travers; and at the top of the ridge, nearly under the castle of 23/4 Rochefort, a beautiful view opens through the gap of the defile, over the lake of Neuchâtel, and the Alps. along the horizon. 13/4 NEUCHATEL. (Route 44). ROUTE 50. YVERDUN TO GENEVA, BY ORBE WITH EXCURSION TO THE LAC DE JOUX. The daily diligence performs the journey from Neuchâtel te Geneva in 16 hours. 2 Orbe-(Inn: La Maison de Ville)-a picturesque and ancient town of 1927 inhabitants, built on a hill nearly insulated by the Orbe, which is crossed by a bold arch. It was the Roman station Urbigenum, and a place of importance in the middle ages, under the Burgundian Kings, who had a Royal Castle here. The fair but cruel Brunehilde, Queen of the Franks, took refuge here, with her granddaughter, but was soon put to death. The 3 sons of Lothaire 1. met here, in 855, to divide his kingdom. In 1475 the Swiss took Orbe by assault; but the Castle, whose venerable and extensive ruins, especially the solitary towers of antique structure, are still a conspicuous object in the view of the town, made a lengthened resistance. The garrison yielding step by step, disputed the possession of each chamber, stair, and passage. The last remnant were pursued into a tower, which the Swiss set fire to, and the few who fell into their hands alive werethrown over the battlements. "The circular tower of the Castle, not unlike the celebrated Irish towers in construction, though of very different proportions, should be attentively examined." There is a high-road into France from Orbe, along the 1. bank of the Orbe, by Jougne and Salins. About 2 miles above the town, near Mont Charand, is a cavern, with stalactites, called Grotte aux Fées; not far from it is a cascade of the Orbe. An interesting excursion may be made from Orbe to the Lac de Joux. The carriage-road thither turns away from the river at once, and proceeds through Romainmotier, under the singular mountain called Dent de Vaulion, to Le Pont, on the Lac de Joux. The vale of the Orbe is one of the most beautiful in the Jura, and the pedestrian may find a foot-path along its banks, up to its source, in the cliff below Pont. Pont, a little village, named from a bridge across the channel which connects the Lac de Joux with the small Lac des Brennet, is the best head-quarters, as it has a tolerable inn. It is prettily situated, at the S. base of the Dent de Vaulion, one side of which is a sheer precipice of bare limestone 2000ft. high-the other a steep slope, or inclined plane, covered with verdant turf. It requires a steady head to look from the top over the verge of the precipice. About 3 miles N. of Pont, and the same distance above Vallorbe, is the source of the Orbe, which rises at once a copious stream, supplied, it is supposed, by subterranean conduits from the Lac de Joux. The valley in which the Lac de Joux is situated contains two other lakes, Le Ter and Brennet, and is entirely shut in by high hills; so that, although these sheets of water are fed by all the streams of the valley, they have no visible outlet above ground. There are, however, large cavities and orifices in the beds of these lakes called entonnoirs, through which the waters escape. These fissures are sometimes rendered incapable of carrying off the waters from internal obstructions, and thus inundations are caused in the valley. A tunnel, of no very great extent, might drain the lake entirely. The source of the Orbe is about 700 ft. lower than the surface of the lake. The scenery of the Valley de Joux is most romantic, and will alone compensate for a visit. Along the S. E. side of the lake rises the imposing mass of the Mont Tendre, 5730 ft. high its lower slopes are well wooded. The view from its summit, extending to Mont Blanc on the one side, and to Soleure on the other, will repay the trouble of the ascent. There is a path down the opposite side of the mountain, leading, in 2 hours, to the village of Mont Richer. An unfortunate English gentleman, named Herbert, who was : drowned in a well near the chalets of the Mont Tendre, in 1837, is buried at Mont Richer. Henri Chenu, fruitier, is said to be a good guide for the Mont Tendre. There is a crossroad along the N.W. shore of the Lac de Joux from Pont to Les Rousses, on the great post road from Dijon to Geneva. Another road, winding round the shoulder of the Mont Tendre, runs direct from Pont to Aubonne, on the way to Geneva, rendering it unnecessary to return to Orbe. The lake of Geneva is only about 190ft. lower than that of Neuchâtel. The road from Orbe traverses the high ground, or water-shed separating the two basins. An attempt was made, in 1639, to connect the two lakes, and through them unite the Rhine with the Rhone, by means of a canal cut between the rivers Orbe and Venoge. It was finished as far as Entre Roche, a distance of about 12 miles; but difficulties, either in the levelling, or occasioned by the interference of private interests, prevented its being carried farther. The plan of completing it has been revived in 1838. It lies about a mile and a half to the E. of the road. 1 1/2 La Sarraz is an ancient town, romantically situated on the Venoge. About 4 miles farther is Cossonez, from which town roads branch off to Lausanne and Morges. 41/2 Aubonne-(Inn: Couronne)-an ancient town of 1667 inhabitants, with an Eastern-looking castle. Byron says of it "The entrance and bridge, something like that of Durham it commands by far the fairest view of the lake of Ge→ neva (and of Mont Blanc behind it); a grove, on the height, of very noble trees. Here Tavernier, the Eastern traveller, bought (or built) the château, because the site resembled and equalled that of Erivan, a frontier city of Persia. Here he finished his voyages." Aubonne is less than 3 miles distant from the lake. 1 Rolle, on the high-road from Geneva to Lausanne (Route 56). 6 2/3. GENEVA (See Route 53). ROUTE 53. DIJON TO GENEVA. 25 French posts=110 Eng. miles. Diligences run daily. DIJON. Inns: Hôtel du Parc, in a sort of park outside the town;-H. de la Cloche in the midst of the town;-Chapeau Rouge. Dijon, the ancient capital of the Dukedom of Burgundy, owes its origin and name to the Roman town Dibio: it is now chief town of the department of Côte d'Or, and contains 26,000 inhabitants. The Church of St. Benigne merits notice, but, like the other ecclesiastical edifices in the town, it has not recovered the injuries it sustained in the Revolution. "The Church of Notre Dame is a very fine specimen of the purest and earliest Gothic, and very interesting for the boldness of its construction. It was much studied for this reason by the celebrated Vauban. The façade of the building exhibits a remarkable effect of light and shade. On this façade still stand the clock and striking figures brought by Philip le Bon from Courtray."-P. The Museum contains a collection of second-rate pictures, and some very interesting relics of the middle ages. In it are also placed two very curious monuments of Jean Sans Peur and Philip le Hardi, Dukes of Burgundy, formerly in the Carthusian Church. They were taken down and pulled to pieces at the Revolution, but have been repaired "and restored with great skill. The alabaster figures of mourners by which they are surrounded are, perhaps, the finest specimens of sculpture of the sort now existing. "There are some valuable private collections here, particularly one formed by the late M. Baudot, where, amongst other objects, may be seen the Bauble of the celebrated fraternity called 'La Mère Folle.' 'A day may be well and agreeably spent in this fine city.' -P. The diligence performs the journey from Dijon to Châlon sur Saône in 8-10 hours. Steam-boats 1839: there are 4 steamers on the Saône: the Papin is comfortable; from Châlon to Lyon in 10 hours. See the Guide des voyageurs by Richard. 2 Genlis. This village is often mistaken for the residence of the celebrated Madame de Genlis; -she, however, lived at another Genlis, in Picardy. 13/4 Auxonne-(Inn : Hôtel du Grand Cerf) — a fortress on the Saône. 2 Dôle (Inn: Hôtel de la Ville de Paris). In clear weather Mont Blanc may be seen from this neigbourhood. 2 1/2 Mont Sous Vaudrey. A delightful road leads from this to Neuchâtel, by Salins and the Val Travers (Route 49). 2 1/4 Poligny (Inn: Hôtel de Genève). The road hence over the Jura was constructed by Napoleon. 1 1/2 Montrond. 1 1/2 Champagnole has two small inns, Hôtel de Genève and de Lyon. 1 1/2 Maisonneuve. 1 1/2 St. Laurent (Inn: La Poste). 112 Morey (Inn: La Poste). 1 1/2 Les Rousses. Here is the frontier Custom-house of France. Travellers arriving from Geneva undergo strict search. Trinkets, musical boxes, and watches (more than one) are prohibited, and, if declared, are confiscated; if discovered concealed, they are confiscated with a fine. From recent information (1838), it appears that watches may now be introduced by paying a duty of 4 fr. a-piece. 1 3/4 La Vattay. In descending the mountain a sublime view is disclosed of the Alps, Mont Blanc, the lake of Geneva, and the intervening plain. There is another road to Geneva by St. Cergues (instead of Gex)," it branches off a little beyond Les Rousses, and is very preferable in every respect. This road has been made at a great expense by the Canton de Vaud within the last 10 years, and it is one of the finest works of the kind. In going from Geneva to Paris, it is particularly to be recommended, as the ascent is much less severe. "Les Rousses to St. Cergues, 1 1/2 post; St. Cergues to Nyon. "The traveller is recommended to mount the steep and picturesque streets of Nyon up to the fine old Château, once the seat of the Baillis de Nyon, in order to see the view from the Terrasse des Marroniers." "St. Cergues is the spot from which the Dôle, the highest summit of this part of the chain of the Jura, can be most easily ascended. Mules and Guides can be procured at the small inn of St. Cergues, which affords tolerable accommodation for a night. The ascent of the Dôle from St. Cergues requires about three hours' march; but it is neither fatiguing nor dangerous. -Perhaps there is no mountain in Switzerland which better repays the traveller for his fatigue; and no view more wonderfully extensive, and admirably diversified, than that which it commands."-R. 2 Gex. Ferney, Voltaire's residence (described in page 194), is passed 5 miles before reaching 2 GENEVA.-(Inns: Hôtel des Bergues, a grand establishment, recently built, facing the lake-expensive. Charges - Table d'hôte at 1, 3f.; at 5, 4 f., including wine; dinner in private, 6f., without wine; breakfast, 2f.; tea, 11/2f. For 4 beds and a sitting-room overlooking the lake, 15f. a-day were charged in 1837; servant's board, 4f. a-day ;-Couronne, a very good house, recently rebuilt, and also facing the lake, capital cuisine, and more moderate charges; a room on the 2nd floor, fronting the lake, cost only 3f. a-day; - L'Ecu de Genêve; - La Balance. At Sècheron, about 1 1/2 mile from Geneva, on the road to Lausanne, is the Hôtel d'Angleterre, kept by Dejean, and nearer to the town on the same side the Hotel des Etrangers, which is well spoken of.) Geneva, though capital of the smallest of the Swiss Can |