Buch 
Travels from France to Italy, through the Lepontine Alps; or, an itinerary of the road from Lyons to Turin, by the way of the Pays-de-Vaud, the Vallais, and across the Monts Great St. Bernard, Simplon, and St. Gothard: With topographical and historical descriptions / by Albanis Beaumont
Entstehung
JPEG-Download
 

ENCOURAGEMENT stimulates to perseverance. It lias had this effecton the author of the following work, who has been induced, by the flattering receptionwhich the British Public have given to his former volumes, to present to it the sequel ofhis Alpine observations, and the remaining views which he took in his excursions in thesewonderful districts of Nature.

Not long after his arrival in England with his Royal Highness the Duke of Glou-cester, whom, at the command of his Majesty the King of Sardinia , he accompanied

»

in his tour through Switzerland, Italy , &c. leaving the situation which, in the capacityof hydraulic engineer, he occupied at Nice, he published his Travels through the RhsetianAlps: to these he has since added, “ Travels through the Maritime Alps, across the Col-de-Tende, from Italy to Lyons, &c. including Select Views in the South of France .”

The Work he now ventures to offer to the elegant and enlightened part of the British nation, for he is conscious that it is not suited to every pocket and every reader, may beconsidered as a continuation of the latter publication, and a link connecting it with theformer; so that the three works taken together, if they do not form a complete Tableaudes Alpes, yet exhibit an account of several extensive ranges or chains of mountains,extending from the Mediterranean Sea to Germany .' *

With an earnest desire of instructing and entertaining, he has his fears of presumingtoo much on the public approbation of his former labours, and therefore does not sendthis work into the world, especially at the present time, with full confidence in its success.

Philosophy is not now, alas! in the highest estimation; and the noise of war, andthe hurricanes of political contention, have made the great, in general, inattentive to thesweet and mild invitations which Nature is continually giving to man to study herworks.

Perhaps he may not improperly address his book in the words of Martial:

I, rilGE ; SED POTERAS TU TIO R ESSE DOMI. Lib. I. Epig. 4.

Previous to entering on the contents of the present publication, which is intended togive an accurate description, with a relative and geographical situation, of the route whichleads from Lyons to Italy, through the Comte de Bresse, Pays-de-Vaud, the Vallais ,extending also across the Monts St. Bernard, Simplon, and St. Gothard , the author thinksit may not be improper to observe, that as the passages across those mountains, whichare some of the most elevated peaks of the Alps, have of late been more frequented thanformerly, owing, in a great measure, to the cruel and afflicting war which has unfortunatelyinvolved all Europe , and placed, as it were, by its ravages, insurmountable barriers to