heels. We were the "admired of all admirers,' and there was an unmistakable look of curiosity, in the eyes of grown-up children, as they walked by us. This was not new to us. We understood it at once.

Both of us wore slouched hats, such as were quite the mode, when we left the United States. They were comfortable, well adapted to travelling, and suited our tastes. But they did not suit the ideas of the Italians. A fine black coat and a slouched hat, the Milanese could not understand. If we had put on blouses, turned down our collars, thrust our hands in our pockets, and thrown away our canes, we might have worn slouched hats, or no hats at all, as best suited our ideas. But dress coats, and patent-leather boots, and fashionable pants, and stickees, surmounted by slouches, were incongruities, that the Milanese boys would not tolerate; and they actually followed us as they would have followed a monkey. We had stood the annoyance for some time, but at last our philosophy gave way, and we stepped into a hat shop and exchanged our American hats for Italian caps. We came out quite metamorphosed. We had lost our slouches, and our distinction at the same time, and pursued our way quite unnoticed, and might have been to this hour, walking in Milan, without attracting the slightest attention, if Fate had not carried us into Switzerland.

CHAPTER XVII.

Lake Como-The Line of Complexion-Chiavenna-The Goitre, a Mark of Beauty-Passage of the Splügen-The Via Mala-Chur -Its Singular Language-The Catholics cut off-A Stage Load across the Alps-Lake Wallenstadt and the Town of Ammon.

HAVING, on a previous occasion, entered Switzerland, by a different pass, we determined to take the Splügen route. Although not the most frequented, it is the most remarkable of the Alpine passes, and presents most strikingly the true Swiss type of country and of people. Our route, therefore, lay towards the beautiful Lake of Como. At the town of Como we took the steamer for Colico. The lake itself is not wider than the Potomac, but from its winding banks rise immediately hill upon hill, as if springing from out the water, to several hundred feet in height, green with vegetation, cultivated in terraces to the very tops with the vine, and dotted with villas and country-seats, from the shores to the summit of the hills. Every moment, as the steamer gently moves through the unruffled waters of this charming lake, new scenes of beauty are opened to the view of the admiring traveller. One exquisite panorama has scarcely been realized, before the eye is charmed

by some combination of natural beauties still more lovely. We were gratified beyond description by the romance of this magic lake, and our only regret was, that our arrival at Colico prevented us from prolonging the enjoyment of such unrivalled scenery.

On our arrival at Chiavenna, we began distinctly to see, that we had reached the dwellingplace of a people marked by other characteristics and features than the Italians. The sharper lineaments and browner complexions of their more southern neighbors, were gradually yielding to the distinguishing traits of a mountain people. It is curious to trace this line of complexion, so to speak, from the black skin and depressed features and dark wool of the negro of Central Africa, through the less dark shades and improved features of the natives of Morocco, and the brunette complexion and sleek hair of the Italian, and the transition state of the Swiss, until, as you advance northward, upon the same parallel of longitude, you enter into Germany, and find all around you the blue eye and brown hair and ruddy complexion. Continuing onward, the dark features of the south are entirely lost; the black hair of Italy is substituted by the almost white hair of Denmark, and the outlines of the face are as completely changed as the color of the eyes. A graduated scale, with the colors gliding into each other, like the colors of the rainbow, might in this way be formed, showing, at one view, the

LINE OF COMPLEXION.

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features and complexions, and external characteristics of the different nations, from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape North. The surface of the country would somewhat modify the scale. Mountaineers would differ in certain respects from the inhabitants of the open valleys, and the inhabitants of the open valleys would differ in appearance from those who dwelt in fortresses and inaccessible retreats. Peculiarities of soil or of water might alter the complexion, and change the appearance, with the sanitary condition. But still, the main characteristics along the line of complexion would remain undisturbed.

Chiavenna, with its overhanging mountains, is a romantic spot, but the beauty of its situation, and the charms of nature by which it is everywhere surrounded, have not relieved the inhabitants from the infirmities incident to humanity. We walked, at sunset, over the hills, and along the skirts of the village, and through its principal streets, and we were continually meeting men and women deformed by that "hideous wallet of flesh" hanging from the neck, so common in this neighborhood and so incurable. My friend, too, and myself, really felt more regret for the unfortunate peasants, who passed us by scores, as they were returning home from their toil of the day, some of them really laboring under the weight of the goitre, than they appeared to suffer themselves. They seemed careless and happy, and went by us, singing and talking together cheerfully, and laugh

ing merrily, while we felt half sorry to see so many good-looking females despoiled of their beauty by so ungainly an appendage, and half sick to look upon so many men of strength, distorted by this disease, and twisted to one side by the weight of the swollen gland. We were told more than once, however, that to the mountaineers of this region, the goitre does not appear a deformity, but he considers it as much an ornament to his sweetheart as does the inhabitant of South Africa the blackened teeth of the women! From the number amongst them who were carrying children in their arms or on their backs, whilst some few, whom we met, free from this disease, appeared yet unmarried, we began to think there was some truth in the information, however strange it appeared.

June 25th.

To-day we crossed the Splügen, and passed through the celebrated Via Mala! It is impossible to convey in language any idea of the impression produced by the wild beauties, the grand scenery, the sublime mountain gorges, and the terrible defiles of this pass. We left Chiavenna by daylight in the morning, and the temperature was already warm. As we began to ascend the sides of the mountain, the air became cooler and cooler, until, as we reached the top of the pass, banks of perpetual snow lined either side of the road, and we were compelled to put on our overcoats