Foreign Correspondence

Innsdkuck, ix Tyiïoi., Austria, ) Sopt. 9, 1872. j Tho trials and fatigues of tho two weeks cmbracing our doparture from Sodcn, combinod with tho constant tax upon our ondurance during tho stay at Munich, in tho midst of attractions thut ullowoil 110 rest; inüdo it dosirablü that wo should seek somo plaoo of more quiot relaxation and opportunity to recruit. Finding that our hoavy baggage could be sent as l'reight directïy ihrougU by rail and InoESenger to Parténkirchon, wo at onco forwarded it, thinking that by similar ageuoy it could bo sot on to this place wheiiüvur we desired. But trunks of even about 73 pounds woight Can not bd srnt over the more ditticillt post route from Partenkirchen to Iiiiisbruck, so that our poor trank had to go back all the way to Munich and thence hore, a distance of 175 miles iöstead of 40 by post. Tuking tickets to Stomborg, a small villago at tho lowor end of Wurra-soe, of no especial interest except its pretty lofation, in about an hour w were hunry ing on board thu sraall steaiiior whose bell was ringing as if a great fire had suddenly broken out, and with about filty other pasaongers found corafortable quarters beneath tin: sinull awning wbich covered the aiter deck. As tho little craft steanied out into the lake, the Chateau' of Passenhofc-n, the royal villa of Koseninsol, and the old chateau near üor atehausen wore passed in review, But Iho very moderato height of tho banks eaused theso ntUjf beautiful rotreats, as woll as several others lesa extensivo, to bo mueh bidden f rom viuw by the luxuriant growth oi' forest trees iu their surround ing parks. ïhero was an exhiliaration in tho fine air of the lake breeze - in the sight of the distant mountain peaks of tho Bavarian highlnnds - in the unexpectcd novelty of a real though remóte glacier, glistening cohl and white on tho Wetterstein, under a worm mid-August sun, whiob gave the lake trip a zest and enjoyment quito beyond tho charms of Suimner travel by railroad. At Bornried was a royal ehateau, and we spent a few minutes on shore, catching hurried glimpses of many cxceedingly pleasant nooks and corners, of fine shrubbery and delightful foot-path ranibles, whieh with more time to spare we would have enjoyed intonsely. Tho upper end of the lake is loss interBatitlg and we left the boat at Tutzing, taking the cars agaiu us fftr as Weilheim, a small place of no attraciions to the stranger. Kather than wait foiir hoürs for a ride by hight in tho diligence, wo at once' enguged a caniage, and at 8 Ö' ilock disembarlted at tho Port of which a splendid view is obtained of the mount:tin district opposite and southward, of tho various villages upon the moor, and of the long rond witb. its parallel roes of iiiountain ash shado tree, meandering for miles away over tïè' wide plain, until it entörs the Loissach valloy. This commanding hoight, like nearly all similar eligible situations, has erected uponitssumiuit a large Crucifixión, thothree figures being of lifo sizc. The feather work industry oi' the inhabitants cíiá riot manifest itsolf to any great extent, and thore being littlo else to soo we held a formal consultation, which resultcd in a decisión to express by post to Partenkirchen all baggugc that could bo dispensed with, and instead of waiting for the diligence to start at once on foot for Ober Animcrgau. And hure bogan that long, and to us exccediugly intorosting, tour on foot, through the Bavarian highlands and the Tyrol, which method has thus far continued without interruption, and during which we have walked already over ono hundred and fii'ty miles. Brcukfust disposed of, we descended the long hill, erossed the monotonous plain, and KÍoppcd for rest and a lunch at tho hamlet ot' Esehenlohe. At this point the i-oad enters that grand mountainous rogion which, under various appellations, extonds quite into Northern Italy, and constitutcs, as it ever has and will, the vcry paradise of tho tourist and the lovers of nature from every elimo. Tluire wus, to us, a sort of faseination in the heft beuties with which we woro at onco surroundcd. Tho road itself was hibtorically interesting as one of tho groat thoroughfares over which, two centuries and more otgo, tho wealth of commerco between Italy and (Jeflnany v.as interchangod. The Loissach, not so largo as tho Huron, runs with a much more rapid current over its rocky bod, and is a far I'ictticr Stream. The Valley, wbfioh scarcoly changos its lovel for nianjr niiles, wun yot quite narrow, boundod on either siilo by tho lofty, forest ciad mountains, which oloscly approachod each other, keeping river and highway in close proxiniity ; and as they wero evor turning the roundod base of ono mountuiu on tho left ininicdiately tó skirt inother on the riglit, with new views constantly bursting into 8ight, wo could not help boing quite enohanted. Aád then thero wero tho roadsidü shrines, set tip in all sorts of places and of all sizes, i'iom a miserable six by soven print stuck upon tho roadside treo to lito size Madonnas in well built little crucifixes not cxccc'fing a foot in 1 ingthi and otbors not lesH than ten. It e '11113 remarkablo how frecfüently these evidunces of tho religious sentiments of . the peoplo are to be ruot,1 and with wlmt care they aro protectod and preserred - whilo tho dwellings and everjr rootu in tho dwellingüy und oftun cvon tlio fields, have Hinihir exliibitiuns. Anotlicr and moro awusing siglit was tlu; freijuont oc'xiri'tüioo i)f tableta iiuar tho road, upon which local nrtists, unknowii aa yet to fume, imv! tried thuirskill, in pictorial j tcmpts to reprosont tlic preciso charactor ! of tliose inishaps by which dealh had been caused near the píricos thus indicatod. This praotioq of commeniorating evry death along tho road is very coinmöii." and wo moet tho picture liero, of a man crushed beneafh a loaded wagon or lalling tree, heru íloating apon tho swullcn stream or tumbling from a preoipico ; ono is hcre ful'ing from au over-mettlCiromo steod or au overturned oaniagu, and ahothor still is tho vietim of nssassination or of mischanoe. Thesu curious mciucntoca and the subjuinod invoc'ations are alwayn interosting to the pedestrian who is not iu a huriy, though in a vory difforont sensa from that exeited by the sight or sound of the niountain watorfull, or the glorious comniingling of rocky glen and verdurous Slope - of depths profound and huights inaccossible. Itoachiug Oberau at an oarly hour we ordered our dinnor at once, which, by the way, consistod in part of an ommolctto, surved in a stylo inoro apfpctisíríg both td the oye and tasto than we had ever bofore inet it, and completiug a survey of the quiet littlo kirchdorf concluded upon unikiiig' olio Mofo stago in our day's journey. A- we turnod the last angle of the narrów dufile bcforo entering Oberau, the valley btiOame considorably widor and thus pontinuod southward to tho smal! hamlet of Ober Qrainau, ten miles further ou, tmbraeiug au aggregate aroa of geveral thousnnd acres of arable rioh bottom land, tho very garner houso of comfort and subsisteneo to as inauy thousand.s of ever busy peasantry. Tho mountuin across tho Loissacb waa so procipitous that but a few stunted orcrgreons could hero and tliero obtain a foothold, and being aboiit 2,000 foct in height over the village vs ((uite interosting to us, as tho flrst of the kind we had secn froiu se near a standpoint. A noat little Gothio chapul, orectod in 16151 upon a beautiful [.mj.ction from tho raountuin adjoiuing. looked down upmi its worshipers from a height of porhups 200 feot, and from its tiny church-yurd aftbrdod a fine view of the wild landscape, It was decoratcd with frpscoes and had its altar and pictures ftnd stations all, hó wever, in the diminutivo scale roquired by an edifice only L&rge cnough to seat 04 persons. Tho inhabitauts depend much in that vicinity upon the produce of thoirsmall siuv milis and timbcr, which is sent awayin raftsto its destination on the Danube orsoiue inUrmcdiMo poiñt. The severo storm we had oncounterud just betoro reaching Augsburg had made feaxful havoc with the forest trees for inany miles along this valley and the conueeting ravines, and caused great sorrow aniohg tbc people. Ltaving überau tho road soon leavos the valley and bcginstho long, unbroken, and often very steop ascent, for uoarly threo miles through the forest and up the Laberberg, to Ettal, ono of thoso quiet but boautifnl rotroats which sometimes, as in our case, burst suddunly upon tho sight like an onchanting visión. Of course we oxpected to reach this placo in due time, but we could scarcely suppress our delightful surprise when, on roundiug tho point of an intervening hill-side, tiiere lay Ettal, in tho avena of a most beautiful ainytlithcatot of grassy slopos crowned with dark forosts, and tho soft toned bells woro sounding from tho black dome of its old Monastery, the samo mellow notes which fiVe hundrod yoars ago callud its secluded inmatos to feasting or perchanoo to prayer. The Tillago itsolf is rjuito small, and most of the old buildings wcro in gomo way, in former times, connected with tho Abbey, which was founded in 1.323 by Emperor Lcwis the Bavarian. The building is very extonsive, forming tho throe sidos of a square - each not less than .'500 foet long, threo storÍL-s in height, and with a long wing extending in the rear. The chapol, which forms a portion of ono of the sidos, is as largo as a modern church which seata fivo húúdred porsons, with various adjuncts of sacristy, apartments fot private devotion, cells for bu'rial, x. The dunte is lurgo, and both outwardly and in the interior forms a very strikiiig featuro of tho building, tho ceiling being painted in beautii'ul colors and design by the artist Knoller in tho last contury. Abovo oach of tho four sido altars is a sacophagus, open at the side, in which are deposited the skeleton auatomics of the four knii;lits, now dignified as saints, who asiiated by their largo donationr, of land in founding tho Abboy, dressod in the holiday eostumo of that day, and glittoring with golden embroidery. But the gruat curiosity aud most prized possession of tho church is tho famons Virgin and child, in whito stono or marble, which,1 according to the legend, was presented to tho Einperor Lowis by an angel, upon condition that he should thcro t'ound the Monastery. We had to hunt up tha schoolmastor in ordos to seö this wonder, but ho roadily accompaniod ns intotho chapol, opened a scieon in tho center of tho main altar, and moved forward the platform which supporied tho Madonna. Tho figure of the Virgin is about 20 inchos, possibly two feet high as it appears seatod, with remarkably chaste and beautiful fcaturos. Upon hor left kneo stands tho ohild, about ten or twolvo inchos high, wifh the right hand extended toward tlio mother's face, into whicli ho is looking. A rioh muntlo of cloth cf gold is thrown over the figure of tho ch'ild. Nctwithstaadirrg tho gi-cat ago and suipposed origin of this woi'k, wc wero allowed to $x■iiiiino it fullv, and evon by actual handling to tes its weightand material. Wo wero thon conducted through the sacristy and allowed to examino tho vestments i und various utcnsils used in tho clrureh Services- were shown wliuro the deeeiisod moukri wero all buried, - listeiietl to the fine oigan whiuh hus souiu repute, and wure informed that this immense property and building was tdttaerlf andel tbe solo control of 40 ninaks, who, witli ubout 200 inferiora, hevo livod thcir socluded lives, forming, doubtlcss, a most powerful body in tbis sequestered vallei" maan time procuring üoiho increáae of theïr sniall revenues froni the manufucturo of beer. The institution as u rellgioua ordor wus suppressed in 1803, and tlio entiro prop i erty, exoept tho chtipel rad its proper ac1 coasories, was disposeí of to t priyute , oompany, who contiuue beer browing on an extensivo Scisle ii one ffaft, wlülo tho centrul portion is now owned by and kept in order for Count Pappenheiui, whon apending a few week9 each fall, in hunting with liia suite und frionda. We Miw in the smull charch-yard a sight not cominon, it is to be hopod, in any country. An intoTincnt had reeently taken place, and lying afnöng tho looso dirt not required for tho now gravo w'ero two entiro skulls and other human bones, while in a recess at thö end of tho onclosuro were at lenst a dozen moro. It would soom the small yard has boen worked over nnd over, and so doubtless will continue to bc. Wo spent tho night without alaruiing visions at a hostolrie, once belonging to the Htlönastory, and VhicÖ bas seen n.erry times in its day. Wo roached the now world-famed Ober Aminergau early the next day, tho road from Ëttul having a gently desconding grade all tho way. Just beforo reacliing tho plaoe, recessed into tho solid precipice, wa3 a small Crucifixion, and 230 foet highor, in the wido opening of a cavo, were the th reo figures of a largo lifo size Crucifixión. Tho villago contains perhaps 1,200 inhabitants, nearly all engaged iu wood, liono and stag hora carving, and the manufacturo of many beautiful articlos of fancy and ornamental work. Tho buildings aro generally what.in America would bo callod ono story and a half, though spread out to a large size on tho ground after the manner of this part of Grerraany, where high winds oftün pfevatt. Thöso' winds also créate a necessity for ballasting all tho roofs with stonos, often aggregating a ton or two in weight and giving an extreinuly unijue appearnnco whon fr?t observed by the stranger. We have since scon so mueh of this primitive stylo of anchoring that a roof without these heavy stones begins to appoar rathor plain. Noarly evory houso is frescoed with pictures of saints, madonnas, etc. Curiosity had brought us to the place, and wo gratified it by henting np some of thoso who wero principal actors in tho Passion plays of the last and preceding years. I confess to somo real surprise when the personator of the Christus openod the door to admit us, for the resemblance to some of tho portraits with which art has mado us familiar was very striking. The we found engaged in the manufacture of crucifixes about one foot in lengtb, most eolnmon in their private rooms ; ho also had a very fino countenance, well adapted to represent the beloved disciple. Of Poutius Pilate, who now acts the barber and by whoin I was shavod, I can only say, he was not good looking, though he, and indeed all the good pcople hore, seemed extremely pröud of tho notorioty thoir village has attained and of their personal participation We saw sister, bnt she hersol f was not at home, Petrus was not in, but we had soon onough to satisfy us of thesj theatrical worthies. Tho open space upon which tho stage is orectcd is used for their village spStt until another five or ten years rolls around. The stago proporties and costumes, some of which aro quito exponsivo, bclongt to the church, and aro sealcd up not to be seen again until required for use. A rain in the evcning prevented out seemg tho performances of some Tyroleso rope-walkers and gymnasts whoso high ropes were strotchcd in front of our hotel. The music they mado during tho day was very lively and and inspiriting. The most conspicuous object at Ober Ammergau is tho vory high, sharply conical, perpendicular rock which rises abuut 1SÓÖ foei above the plain, and is visible from all directions, as is also tho high cross-which somo adventuvor has erocted nn its summit. It is called tho Eobel or Kofel. Ober Ammergau lios just over the mountaiit rango, though considorably (500 or 600 ft.) higher thun Oborau, on the Ammor, and iu all diroctions except the east, tho country ia open and rolling, affording ordinary agricultural advantages. The Passion playa, however, will constituto its chief ölaim to notorioty. Having their origin as early as 1634, they have been continuod at intorvals of ten yoars ever sinco. They woro postponod from 1S70 on account of the Fronch war which took off BOino of tho loading stars, but in 1871 they wore rosumed with' great succoss during the eutire summer, and the attendance front all parts of Europo as well a3 other countries was nevar exceeded. The citizens' interest would be promotod if they could mako thnm rociïr overy fifth year, and probably would dosire it if it could bo properly eauctionod by tho church ; but tho nature of the original vow would bo so'mowhat infringcó! by such an innovation. This singular and long conünued eshibitioh rüceiVes it oountenance from the church bocauso of its origin. In tho year 1634 a great plague visitod tho vicinity, and tho people made a vow that thoy would porform the passiori of oar Lord evory ten years, if tho pestilencè was stayed, whereupon its progress wás miraculously stopped. Tho poople, thoroforo, in 1610, bogan to dischargo their vow, and it has been continued as a perpetual covenant ever sinco. lts assumed purposo is strictly in discharge of a religious vow, and does not piirport to aim at inero secular entertainment. And, (leid, the tcstimony ot' many who have' witnesmd it describo its influenco iipon! tin? tbchtenda of ipfectdtora us of tho iriost ádleiflii nucí íiítensoly iutcresting kind, that tho öhantcters aro all well sustaincd, that tlic acrlptnre nairitivo, witli Old Testament tubloaux and classical music, iül np the period of oiglit hours eacli Sund:iy, and kop the entire mas3 cf auditors in eagor atto-ndanec. Tho performance of IS",Q hiiviiir been cut short befcro tho scaaon was aver, it w:vs uontinued in 1S71. As muny as six or sovm thousand strangois wcro present, oftentimeü, and nll Were proiided fór by tho' citizens of this littlu villagc of about 1200. Thu bharëa för a9miSs!on to tho scats undercover were '■', _ I 'Z, umi - guldens, equivalent to about $1.00, $1.25, and $1. It sicius diüiuult to think of thd personation of tliosu sacrcd cbarscteis without a féoling of ítítíiethítfg liko il shudder ; but we nued not condemit whcn so maiiy who havo seen givo it their approvnl. Possibly Ihe soloinn circuinstanccs of its origin; thö undoubtiiig' sinwrity of the participante, and its iufrequency m:ty oxpluin this. Bcsides its notablo and curióos specimens of handioraft thei-e is littlo to sea at Ober Ammergau, and leaving the nexti inorning we tcok probably oiir last vio' of tliis smsill yct anciont villagc, tho supjiusimI Kuninn "Arcus Ipvelica." Taking EU. il again in our way, we stoppod for rest and landi at t.he disrnal old Oasthof whüre we had slopt Weduesday night. Ono of oor party hastily Skéicliefl tho llagst :iir standing in the infirkot-space] which for 8ome distahco upward was decorated with cn-ved reprosontations of the Tarioiu trade associations tfiat had partic'patcd in a festival there not long beforc. ïhe desotnt to Oberau was a great waste of strongth, for with tiie conrenio&ou of a smíill hand-cart we could have made ot moruly the whole distauco of tliree miles, but probably the fastest timo on record. At tho top of these stoop grades á post and printed placárd warnsi the teamster that the shoe, which supports one or two of the wheels and prevents their revolving, must bo put on, un-' der a sp&eifiud penalty for the omission, - a very nocossary roqtireiöenf tiiröugh this èhtire región, and generally bearing u rude picture of tho shoo itsolf. Dincd at überau, and after a brief rest woro enjoying tho delightful valley road and the fino bocezo wiiich set iu from tho moro open country about Wurmsec. An liour'i walk brought us opposito the ruins of castlo Wordenfels, which gives its immu to all this southern üi-trit; of Bavaria ; another hour and Gaimisli lay before ub, and in a few minutos; on rounding the western slope of the Esterborg, we wero closo upon our destination and three weeks' residence,- Partenkirchen, with its itplendid vicinage of mountain and forest, river and plain. Wo fortunately securcd rooms just in time for toa and to escape a drenching rain, - and this makes a good place to stop. Yours, ever,