“⸺pleas’d at first, the towering Alps we try,
Mount o’er the vales, and seem to tread the sky,
Th’ eternal snows appear already past,
And the first clouds and mountains seem the last,
But those attain’d, we tremble to survey
The growing labours of the lengthened way,
Th’ increasing prospect tires our wand’ring eyes,
Hills peep o’er hills, and alps on alps arise.”
From hence to the summit, we observed several detached habitations at short distances from each other, intended for the residences of the people stationed here by government, to keep open the road during the winter, by clearing away the falls of snow, and rocks which might shelve down from the surrounding mountains; or to give shelter to the way-worn or benighted traveller. These men are thought to be well paid, receiving three francs a day, but they fully deserve it, for their situation is, in my opinion, most unenviable.
My friend observed a gallery cut out of the solid rock, which had formerly been used as a road, but which from apprehension of danger in that direction, had fallen into disuse.