obliged to give up the attempt; and contented ourselves with strolling down to the side of the river, where we enjoyed the sight of a sunset that was indeed glorious. The venerable Gothic castle and church the Aar, bright with a thousand hues and reflections in its waves

the old wooden bridge the antiquated and picturesque houses the noble mountain of the Neisen, with its pyramidal summit - the woods near its base the Blomlis Alps, now literally roseate, glowing, and resembling the pink of the topaz in its rays, the whole scene girdled with a circle of clouds that partook of almost every colour of the rainbow- altogether formed a spectacle that raised within the mind feelings and emotions of wonder and delight, and awakened that train of thought which connects itself with the world of matter and the world of spirit: for who could look on such a scene and do other than think on the Power which created and sustains it, of Him who has said that the glories of the visible creation should be surpassed by those of a future and hidden world? If we cannot express the deep feelings raised in

us by the view of an earthly frame of things, when they come before us in such majesty and beauty, how shall we hope to form any adequate idea of those that are unseen, and of which we are told "Eye hath not seen, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to con

ceive their perfection!"

I will now add no more, but that I am, as

ever,

Your most affectionate sister,

ANNA ELIZa Bray.

LETTER XIX.

TO J. A. KEMPE, ESQ. F.S.A.

Oberland Tour. - Lake of

Melody on the Lake.

Thun: its Characteristics.

The Spietz. The Eigher. The Mönch.- The Jungfrau. The Finster. Aarhorn. The Promontory.- Painters of sublime Scenery.The Old Masters and the Moderns. Turner, Callcott, and Stanfield. Brilliant Colour of Mountainous Scenes.· Neuhaus.- Landing. Services of One of the Trio. Swiss Currency—— Oberland Tour. Swiss Village, that of Unterseen, unique. Peasantry. - Dresses. Chain of Alps; their Appearance. Women. Interlarchen. Road to Lauterbrunnen. Plain.

Valley.

Cliffs.

-

Rocks. Mountains. Pines. Wild and sublime Scenery. — Ruined Byron's "Manfred." Romantic

Ancient Games revived. Feelings of old Affections. - Rapid River. Old Trees. The Wylderschwyl. Narrow Gorge or Pass. Entrance to Valley of Lauterbrunnen. Its grand Character.

Solitude. Awe-inspiring Precipices. The Evil Stone. Tale of Terror. The Torrent. The White Lutschine. Approach to the Jung

frau. Wonderful Effect of Light and Shadow. Lauterbrunnen. Chalets. Goats. Little Streams.-Village.-Swiss Beggars. Singing. -Goitre. The Staubbach.

-

Scenery around it.-The Writer's Nephew sets off for the Wengern

Alp.

My dear Brother,

WHILST we were sitting at the window of our hotel at Thun, looking out on the charming scene before us, we all at once heard a flourish of trumpets, playing our national air of God save the King. The sounds came from the river; yet we saw nothing upon it but a few small boats, having in them no musicians. God save the King, however, came nearer and nearer upon our ears; and then we descried, rounding a promontory of the river, not far from the Neisen, a steamer, having at her prow a bright red flag. On she came, panting to her musical accompaniment, till she stopped a little below. the hotel.

The flourish of trumpets was not like that of our horse guards, nor yet was it like the flourish which used to usher in John Kemble at Covent Garden theatre, who, I have always

heard, had a double charge sounded when he was about to step forward in any of his regal or his grandest characters. No, the flourish we heard at Thun was like nothing but that which sometimes announces a puppet-show, on the arrival of those pleasing and national personages, Punch and Judy, in a country town in England. Yet, such as it was, it proceeded, as we afterwards learnt, from a box of trumpets on board the steamer, that was regularly set playing at the going out and coming in of the vessel, as a compliment to the English, giving them no other tune than God save the King.

This harmonious steamer enabled passengers to see the lake of Thun; and all travellers who are bound on the tour of the Oberland (that is, the Bernese Highlands), after traversing the lake, are landed at Neuhaus, whence they start on this expedition. We had determined to attempt it; and as we learnt that is was impossible our voiture could travel along the narrow Alpine roads, and that we should be compelled to hire a char-à-banc, or little carriage of the country we were about to explore, we deter