At Avalon—Public Promenades—Number of Beggars—Villages and Country Houses more numerous in Vine than in Corn Countries-Farming in this District—Land Tax and Customs of Descent—Dijon—A large and handsome City—Its Public Buildings—Company in the Diligence increased by the Arrival of two French Officers—Their Political Opinions—Advantage of the Diligence—Arrival at Dole—Battle near Auxonne—Genlis—Poligny—Vin d’Arbois—Woods but without Birds—Moray—English Breakfast—Resemblance to North Wales—Magnificent View of the Lake of Geneva—Excellent Roads made by Buonaparte—Visit to Ferney—Description of Geneva—View from its Cathedral—Its Manufactures—Population—Territory—Determination to visit the Alps; and not to go into Italy
100
Chap. VII.
Departure for Chamouny—Bonneville—Valley of Cluse—Cascade d’Arpennas—St. Martin—Extravagant Bill—Proceed on Mules—Their astonishing Safety—River Arve—Pont de Chevres—Cascade of Chede—Extravagance of English Travellers very prejudicial—Lake of Chede—Servoy and its Mines—Visited by the Empress Maria Louisa—Glaciers des Bossons—Definition of Glacier—Of the Valley and Village of Chamouny—Guides—Politics of the Savoyards—State of Taxation—Ascent of Montanvert—Magnificent and awful Spectacle of the Mer de Glace—Height of various Mountains, compared with Mont Blanc—Simile from Pope—Return to Chamouny—Larch and Fir mixed on these vast Mountains—Their Productions—The Valley continually threatened with Avalanches
119
CHAP. VIII.
Leave Chamouny—Delightful Situation of Valorsine—Festival there—Of the Savoyard Peasants—Anecdote from M. de Saussure—Country difficult to travel through—Trient—Magnificent View from the Fourcle—The French not so much disliked in the Valais as their Cruelty deserved—Castle of la Rathia—Martigny—Unsuccessful Attempt of two English Gentlemen to ascend Mont Blanc—Less adventurous, we did not ascend Mount St. Bernard—Cascade of the Pisse Vache—Number of Idiots and Goitrous Persons in the Valais—Opinion of Mr. Coxe on the Subject—Opinion of M. de Saussure—St. Maurice—Its strong Position—Roman Bridge and Antiquities—Passports demanded here—Different Colour of the Rhone here and at Geneva.
139
CHAP. IX.
Bex—Industry of the Inhabitants of this Country—Their Cottages and Wandering Lives—Salt Springs—Aigle—Growth of Corn—Villeneuve—Agitated State of the Lake—Labours of the Inhabitants often destroyed by the Fall of Rocks—Chillon—Clarens—Vevay—Magnificent View from its Church—Of General Ludlow—Lausanne—Its singular Situation—Its Antiquity—Its Cathedral—View from the Church-yard—Population