Lettish fiiom Gkumany.
in
ml oho looking tlown from above, stands
dircclly over the rools oftlie buildings lie
Imv Tlit castle itself is largo enough to
accomodate eight or ten thousand people,
.mil with Hs massive stono -.vails, and high
towers extending upwards for a hundred
M above the perpendicular sides of the
iii'Hiiitain, looks as if a huudied men
could have withstood the world, before
Hie invention of gunpowder. Wo went
through the castle, and were shown the
giily decorated rnwms of Wolf Dietric,
preserved us the' wore two hundred years
ago. Wi also visited the tortuio room,
which is about ten by twelve feet, -villi
books ami pegs in the walls, on which to
Cistcn the victims, but the implements of
torture have all been removed to museums.
The room in which the victim was im
prisoned before lie went to the torture
room, is a villianous looking place, and
it nppears as if even the torture room
would he a relief. It is about three feet
high, tluee wide, and four long, with walls
live Tect thick all around it, and one small
hole uh.iut six inches square, to admit air
mil light; so that when a man was put in
lie liml tn curl up like a dog.
After spending a couple of days very
pleasantly viewing the sights in the city,
we determined to climb Untersbeig, to
get a panoramic view of the country. Our
guide book advised us to procure a euide.
but two Nebraskians who had traveled
over the vast plains of tho west, where
they could travel all day and neither see
house nor road, could not think of such a
"ling. So, starting at six A. m., wc nrriv
ed at the foot of the mountain after an
hour and a half of brisk walking. Snlz
burg Iloher Thron, tho peak we proposed
to visit, is 5871 feet abovo the sea. For a
bout two-thirds of the way up, the ascent
wasanangleofnbout fitly degrees. The
,Il'l pine, hemlock, spruce, and birch
stood so densely that the suns ray's were
totally excluded, except when vi came to
" small opening where the timber had nil
hecn cut down, or it wns too rocky to af
ford sustenence for even the hardy trees of
tho mountain. The day was very hot and
sultry, so wo hailed with delight the cool
mountain springs, that occasionally .sent
their pure water bounding from rock to
rock. We decided that the German might
enjoy his nectar, (hitter beer,) undisturbed
by us, if wo could always find such pure
"drinks." At a third oftlie way from the
top, we arrived at a "Sonnhulto," or shop
herd's cot, where the German can got his
glass of beer, and those who prefer can
gel a glass of pure milk. From here, the
ascent is wry dilllcult. Thus far it had
been almost impossible to miss lh pntli,
for the timber was so thick thai all
had to follow tho same way, but now tho
face of the country changed. Yege'ation
became short and scraggy, tho path be
came rough and stony, and in many plac
es the angle of ascent was eighty degrees
for li liml rods of feet; and the travellermust
use his hands as well as his feet to assist
in scrambling up the almost perpendicular
sides. Here cacli one takes tho path that
suits Iiis fancy, and it is often puzzling to
tell when one is on the right track; but in
places where tt is the most dilllcult to be
got over, steps have been chiseled out of
the solid rock, and in this way all are
brought into the same track again. On
the way up wc passed snow in the clefts
of tho rocks, that for ought wc know to
the contrary, is as old as the rocks them
selves. Wo made a scientific discovery,
that we will intrust to you as a very valu
able secret. While resting in the shade of
a pine tree, and examining the Geological
formation iu the interests of science, wo
discovered n vegetable substance, belong
ing to tho cordalin species, and ropcalin
genus, Imbedded in the Silvuriau rock,
and wo haven't the least doubt in tho
world but we can prove the evistenco of
prehistoric mnn by it, but wo don't want
to make It public until wo have consulted
our old Prof, on the subject.
After five hours of hard labor we
reached the Mecca of our ambition, am'
wo doubt if any of the faithful ever
viewed the object of his pilgrimage, with
if
