ZURICH, ITS LAKE-MAXIMILIAN TOWNS OF LINTZ-THE JESUITS SALZBURG, ITS CATHEDRAL-PEASANTRY, FOUNTAIN AND SCENERY.

Zurich, (Switzerland,) September 14.

"On the margin of fair Zurich's waters" this is commenced, to be sent from Milan. I would that the beauty of the charming scenery round the loveliest lake we have yet seen, could inspire me with words adequate to the description, but I might exhaust all the epithets of the beautiful, and then fail. I do not think it possible to give by description any satisfactory idea of a beautiful landscape. It must be seen to be realized. I will, however, give you some of the main features, and your vivid imagination must fill up the picture.

The town is situated on both banks of the Linmoth, a small river, the outlet of the lake, which divides the town into two unequal parts. The lake is about twenty miles long, and one and a half wide, and opens directly in the front of the town, within view from which lies, at a little distance from the land, a little isle, prettily planted with trees, under which are placed tables and seats, which serve as a place of resort during the warm days of summer. Around, between the island and the shore, float a number of Gondola-like boats, with their gay canopies, and striped pennons, floating in the air. As far as the eye can distinguish, villages and hamlets are scattered along the banks. Far in the distance, opposite the town, is a range of young mountains covered with the verdure of pastures, and vineyards, or

DEPARTURE FROM VIENNA.

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fir-trees. High above these the patriarchs of the mountains rear their frosty summits, some still retaining enough of the raven hue of youth, to show that they were not always thus grizzled or covered with the hoar frost of age. One lofty peak of the Jungfrau in particular, was one mass of white, as if covered with new-fallen snow, and seemed to glisten even at this distance, while gilded with the rays of the setting sun, by which we viewed it from a high point of what was formerly the bastions, now converted into a botanical garden. While I am writing, some one passing, is trilling one of the Swiss airs, like the "Rans de Vache," with the peculiar intonations which are given to the parts repeated.

On our return from our walk to the bastions to view the distant mountains, we were shown the house where Lavater lived, and the church opposite in which he preached. The finest church in outward appearance in Zurich was pointed out, the first story of which was built by Charlemagne, the upper part added by Zuingle (or Zuinglius) one of the great Protestant reformers, and the two towers since added by the citizens. The Canton of Zurich is a Protestant government and people, surrounded by Catholics. Their form of worship is similar to the Church of England, and all, and everything show improvement entering it from a country, (Austria,) exhibiting marks and mementoes of Popery on every side. I must, however, leave, as I said, the rest to your imagination, which I am sure can in no way exceed the reality, and go back to trace the course we have taken.

We left Vienna Thursday, September 14th, after a stay of two weeks, enjoying ourselves exceedingly. We returned to Lintz up the Danube, taking twenty-six hours to perform what is accomplished in eight hours going down the river. We made the acquaintance of a very pleasant gentlemanly man, Mr. P., of Vienna, who spoke English very well, and had with him his little son, who also spoke English. We

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NEW FORTIFICATIONS.

arrived at Lintz about eleven A.M., Friday, and as we could not leave there till the next morning, we all of us whiled away the time visiting one of the towers which were built by the Prince Maximilian, brother of the Emperor, on a plan of his own, and as yet an untried experiment in the way of fortification. They were built at great cost, and at his own expense. The citadel I described to you in my last has one of these towers at each of its angles, and there are no less than thirty-three of them in a circumference of nine miles. They are circular, consisting of four stories, two below the ground and two above. The ground floor is the magazine, the two lower stories the barracks, where they may cook for one hundred and twenty men. Each has a bakery complete, a pump, engine, &c. In the third story are the sleeping apartments, and the fourth (the roof of which is removed when they proceed to action) is the battery, where are cannon pointing in every direction, and a machine in the centre to draw or hoist things from below. There are also cannon in the third story pointing more downwards to protect the immediate vicinity. The cannon of the fourth story of all the towers cross or bear upon each other, so that nothing can pass them with impunity. This mode of fortification, as I have said, has never been proved, but the city of Paris, in building its new fortifications, has adopted the plan with the improvement of subterranean passages from one tower to another. Leaving this we went to see the Jesuits' College, from the top of which is a fine view of the town, the Danube, and the surrounding country. The society is allowed by government, and is the only one in Austria of this order. Mr. P. said he believed their rules forbade the admittance of females into the interior, but I might put on my most innocent looks and we would try; but when the gentleman requested for the sake of the prospect, to ascend to the top, the monk who opened the door very civilly granted the re

quest to all but the dame, so I was obliged to stand behind the outer door and wait the return of the rest-the absurdity of which so overcame Mr. C's. risibilities, as he followed the monks up stairs, with a number of others who were ascending, loaded with books, that he laughed out-right, much to the embarrassment of Mr. P. as well as to the surprise and wonder of the monks. Mr. P. told me afterwards that I only wanted a lighted candle in my hand as I stood behind the door to complete the penance which they sometimes inflict upon naughty women, and we all laughed heartily as we walked away, the monks taking good care to see all they could without committing themselves. The Jesuits wear a long black dress, confined at the waist with a broad band, the ends of which are fringed, and have attached on one side a rosary and cross. Their heads have a place on the crown about the size of a dollar closely shaven. Over this, out of doors, they wear a black silk skull cap, and when they extend their walks, they wear a broad brimmed black beaver hat, looped up on either side with a cord. The ground is very elevated here, giving a fine view of a beautiful land scape. Near the tower, or college as it is now, the society have a church in the Byzantine style, and the two form a very pretty feature in the scenery of Lintz. Early the next morning we took our places in the rail-car, and proceeded with our agreeable companions as far as Lambech, where we parted from them-they continued on to Ischl, we taking our route to Salzburg. We had not been long seated when two priests of the Jesuits took their seats behind us. They were by no means young or handsome, and lest some evil might occur to them from my propinquity, I as much as possible turned my back upon them. When we began to move on, Mr. C., however, commenced a conversation with them, and they seemed affable, well-informed and agreeable. One of them was the director of the college or society. He

had his beads and cross attached to his belt, and around his neck, suspended by a silk cord, a bronze crucifix near a foot long. The dress of both was the same as those we saw at the college. When we stopped to dine, they had a table and a fast day dinner prepared for themselves. Before and after eating they stood behind their chairs, and making the sign of the cross on their foreheads and breast and in the air, they clasped their hands and muttered a prayer.

At Frankenmark, where we stopped to change horses, we found the main street of the village filled with people, and on inquiring learned there was to be a confirmation in the church; the Archbishop of Salzburg was coming, and they were going out to meet him. Presently bells began to ring, cannon were fired, the procession, consisting of men and women, with the school children two and two bearing religious banners, and headed by a number of priests holding a handsome crimson silk canopy over the head of the Bishop of Lintz, passed us by, and in a few minutes returned with the Archbishop. As we left the town we saw a very pretty archway which had been erected for the occasion, made of wood, but covered with the green leaves of the fir tree, mingled with bright flowers and gay ribbons, wreaths and festoons, and surmounted by three gilt crosses. We saw also during our ride the same day, a Catholic funeral—the coffin borne by men; at the sides walked the priests in their rich robes, two at the head bearing each of them a large cross; behind came the friends of the departed, all ages and sexes, with books in their hands, singing prayers and chants -the passengers as they rode past all lifting their hats and inclining their heads. We did not reach Salzburg till eleven in the evening. The next morning we visited its beautiful cathedral, built in the Italian style, admirably proportioned and chastely ornamented in the interior. The altar and shrines were elaborately ornamented with pictures, marble