For five dollars Joseph bought a safe, flat-bottom craft; also he engaged the owner as pilot.  A few days later—­September 19—­Clemens followed.  They stopped overnight on an island in Lake Bourget, and in his notes Clemens tells how he slept in the old castle of Chatillon, in the room where a pope was born.  They started on their drift next morning.  To Mrs. Clemens, in some good-by memoranda, he said: 

    The lake is as smooth as glass; a brilliant sun is shining.

    Our boat is so comfortable and shady with its awning.

    11.20.  We have crossed the lake and are entering the canal.  Shall
    presently be in the Rhone.

    Noon.  Nearly down to the Rhone, passing the village of Chanaz.

Sunday, 3.15 P.M.  We have been in the Rhone three hours.  It is unimaginably still & reposeful & cool & soft & breezy.  No rowing or work of any kind to do—­we merely float with the current we glide noiseless and swift—­as fast as a London cab-horse rips along—­8 miles an hour—­the swiftest current I’ve ever boated in.  We have the entire river to ourselves nowhere a boat of any kind.

Pleasant it must have been in the warm September days to go swinging down that swift, gray stream which comes racing out of Switzerland into France, fed from a thousand glaciers.  He sent almost daily memoranda of his progress.  Half-way to Arles he wrote: 

    It’s too delicious, floating with the swift current under the
    awning these superb, sunshiny days in deep peace and quietness.

Some of these curious old historical towns strangely persuade me, but it is so lovely afloat that I don’t stop, but view them from the outside and sail on.  We get abundance of grapes and peaches for next to nothing.  My, but that inn was suffocating with garlic where we stayed last night!  I had to hold my nose as we went up-stairs or I believe I should have fainted.

    Little bit of a room, rude board floor unswept, 2 chairs, unpainted
    white pine table—­void the furniture!  Had a good firm bed, solid as
    a rock, & you could have brained an ox with the bolster.

    These six hours have been entirely delightful.  I want to do all the
    rivers of Europe in an open boat in summer weather.

    Still further along he described one of their shore accommodations.

Night caught us yesterday where we had to take quarters in a peasant’s house which was occupied by the family and a lot of cows & calves, also several rabbits.—­[His word for fleas.  Neither fleas nor mosquitoes ever bit him—­probably because of his steady use of tobacco.]—­The latter had a ball & I was the ballroom; but they were very friendly and didn’t bite.

The peasants were mighty kind and hearty & flew around & did their best to make us comfortable.  This morning I breakfasted on the shore in the open air with two sociable dogs & a cat.  Clean