Sketches of the natural, civil, and political state of Swisserland; in a series of letters to William Melmoth, Esq; / from William Coxe.

  • Coxe, William, 1747-1828.
Date:
1779
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketches of the natural, civil, and political state of Swisserland; in a series of letters to William Melmoth, Esq; / from William Coxe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    239/554 (page 225)
    / [ 225 ] This chain of mountains, which fe* parates the canton of Berne from th« Vallais, is called the Gemmi: from the point of which, over-looking and al- moft over-hanging the Yallais, we had at once a mod: extenfive prolpect of that country, and of the Savoy gla¬ ciers but what principally attracted our admiration, was the Mont Blanc, riling above the reft in the moft ftately and majeftic form. It is a conical mountain, of ftupendous heighth ; and feemed to have a glittering crown of pure ice upon its fummit. The moun¬ tain which we delcended, is in many places almoft abfolutely perpendicular; and yet a horle-road has been cut out of the hard rock down this very for¬ midable defcent. This road was begun in 1736, and finifhed in 1741, at the joint expence of the Vallais, and the canton of Berne : an aftonilhing work! and proves tnat nothing is impracti¬ cable to human induftry. IVIore than a Tot* h league