own pleasure, for that I could not do, but in seeking to glorify my Maker. Then came another question. Will it be lawful to visit the Abendberg, where are to be seen "a band of helpless children, apparently deprived by nature of the ordinary powers of body and of mind, with vacant looks and awkward gait." [L. Gaussen.] Now, as it would be the only opportunity I should have of visiting the Institution, of contributing something to its support, and of seeing its founder, Dr. Guggenbühl, I answered in the affirmative. And well you might, say you, seeing it was a visit of mercy that you contemplated. The hospital stands some three thousand five hundred feet above the sea. Dr. Collingwood accompanied me.

"Where the arrowy and silvery Aar flows from the Lake of Brienz to throw itself into the still lovelier Lake of Thun," says L. Gaussen, " rises a majestic mountain, called by the poetic name of the

Abendberg-the mountain of the setting sun. It is crowned with pasturage, and visited by herds and people while summer reigns on the Alpina heights; but when the wintry winds are let loose, it becomes a solitary place, deserted by its annual visitors."

Fortunately, we found the doctor at home, who is a young physician from Zürich, some thirty-three years of age, I believe, and a pupil of the celebrated Dr. Schönleign. After waiting some little time in a room by no means elegantly furnished, he courteously received us, entered freely into conversation on the subject of cretinism, and showed us over the establishment. Some of the children were gone out for a walk, the morning being exceedingly fine. We then left the benevolent and philanthropic founder, and returned in safety to the hotel. But for a previous engagement he would have dined

with us. I had, however, some conversation with him in the afternoon at our

hotel, and saw him in the evening at the English church.

"The helpless and unfortunate Cretins," says L. Gaussen, in the Wonders of the Abendberg, "whose number a distinguished French physician (Dr. Scoutetten) calculates to be a million in Europe, were considered formerly as montrosities, or as a degenerate race of mankind, like the Papus negro, the Hottentot, the Botokudes, etc. The successful Experiment on the Abendberg has decided the question and proves that Cretinism is an affliction of early childhood, originating in a weak and diseased state of the body, and, if timely care be not taken, inducing a state of perfect idiocy, and an entire degeneration of human nature."

13th, Monday. We left Interlachen at 9 a.m. for Kandersteg through the vale of

Frutigen. The first part of our route lay along the beautiful shores of the lake of Thun. We arrived at Kandersteg at 6 p. m., just in time to visit a clear lake, "which mirrors on its smooth surface the snowy peaks of the Blumlis Alp." We passed through a sublime gorge, and two of us more than once deemed it prudent to dismount. Mrs. H. did not accompany us. On our way we saw a flock of goats. I was somewhat disappointed in the lake. It was dark before we reached our Inn the Victoria, which, by the way, was crammed with tourists. The master was very civil.

14th, Tuesday. We are once more mounted, (8 a.m.) at least three of us, and soon found that the ascent of the Pass of the Gemmi commenced in earnest. We passed a small lake called Dauben See supplied by snow, not by springs: for eight months of the year it is frozen. The limestone rocks, which form the summit

cf the pass, seem too barren for the hardiest lichens. Here then we are 7540 feet above the sea-level, which is the culminating point traversed by the road. And now, from a rocky eminence, we have a superb view of the Pennine Alps. Monte Rosa, however, cannot be seen from the Gemmi. I know not of a more striking view than this in Switzerland.

Here we left our horses to descend one of the most extraordinary of all the alpine roads. The path varies in width from 3 feet to 5 feet; and in many places the rocks overhang the path. At one time we were on the brink of a precipice some 1600 feet. At the turns of the zigzags you constantly overhang a depth of nearly 500 feet. We met a lady riding upon a mule. Mrs. H. attempted to walk down, but soon returned to her chair. The motion is not pleasant; and, although there is no danger in consequence of the balustrades