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n 

i    I  ft?- 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


lU. 


^ 


v*> 


VACATION    TOURISTS 


NOTES    OF    TEAVEL 


i860. 


LONDON  : 
K.    CLAY,    SON,   AND    TAYLOR,    PRINTERS, 
BREAD    STREET    HILL. 


VACATION    TOURISTS 


AND 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL 

IN     i860 


EDITED  BY 

FRANCIS   GALTON,   M.A.  P.E.S. 

AUTHOR    OF    "  THE    ART    OF   TRAVEL,"   ETC. 


MACMILLAN    AND    CO 

AND    23,    HENRIETTA    STREET,    COVENT    GARDEN 
1861 


fmt-  „.'_1j   „^    T.. ,„7-w„VM    „.„„ „J  1 


vi  PREFACE. 

these  travels  of  1860  will  be  of  no  diminished  value  because 
they  are  concisely  written,  are  bound  within  one  cover,  and 
are  presented  in  a  readable  form. 

It  depends  on  the  favour  of  the  public,  whether  or  no  this 
volume  will  be  succeeded  by  others — whether,  in  fact,  "  Vaca- 
tion Tourists  "  shall  become  an  annual  publication.  There  is 
abundant  space  for  future  writers  to  occupy  :  the  social  and 
political  life  of  foreign  nations  offers  a  wide  field  and  change- 
ful surface  for  examination  ;  newly  discovered  objects  of 
interest,  and  fresh  openings  for  the  yearly  tide  of  Vacation 
travellers,  are  of  constant  occurrence;  scientific  tours  offer 
an  endless  variety  of  results ;  while  narratives  of  adventure 
never  fail  to  interest. 

FRANCIS   GALTON. 


March  7,  1861. 

42,  Rutland  Gate,  S.W. 


CONTENTS. 


AGE 

I.— NAPLES  AND  GARIBALDI 1 

By  W.  G.  Clark,  M.A.  F.R.G.S.  Tutor  of  Trinity  College,  and 
Public  Orator  of  the  University  of  Cambridge. 

II.— A  TOUR    IN    CIVIL    AND    MILITARY   CROATIA,   AND 

THROUGH  PART  OF  HUNGARY 76 

By  George  Andrew  Spottiswoode. 

III.— SLAVONIC  RACES 100 

By  R.  D.  a  Former  Resident  and  Recent  Traveller  among  them. 

IV.— A  GOSSIP  ON  A  SUTHERLAND  HILL-SIDE 116 

By  G.  H.  K. 

V.— A  VISIT  TO  PERU 176 

By  C.  C.  Bowen. 

VI.— GRAIAN  ALPS  AND  MOUNT  ISERAN 239 

By  J.  J.  Cowell,  F.R.G.S. 

VII.— THE  ALLELEIN-HORN 264 

By   the  Rev.  Leslie  Stephen,  M.A.   Fellow  and  Tutor  of 
Trinity  Hall,  Cambridge. 

VIII.— PARTIAL   ASCENT  OF  MONT   CERVIN   (MATTERHORN)  282 
By  F.  V.  Hawkins,  M.A. 


viii  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

IX.— FROM    LAUTERBRUNNEN  TO  THE    ^EGGISHHORN    BY 

THE  LAUWINEN-THOR  IN  ONE  DAY 305 

By  John  Tyndall,  F.R.S. 

X. -JOURNAL  OF  A  YACHT  VOYAGE  TO  THE  FAROE  ISLANDS 

AND  ICELAND 318 

By  J.  W.  Clark,  M.A.  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 

XL— NORWAY 362 

By  H.  F.   Tozer,  M.A.  Fellow  and  Tutor  of  Exeter   College, 
Oxford. 

XII.— A    VISIT   TO  NORTH  SPAIN  AT   THE  TIME   OF  THE 

ECLIPSE 422 

By  the  Editor. 

XIII.— SYRIAN  TRAVEL,  AND  SYRIAN  TRIBES 455 

By  the  Hon.  Roden  Noel,  M.A. 


f 


•  VACATION  TOURISTS,  Ac.  IN  1860, 

1.   NAPLES   AND    GARIBALDI. 
BY  W.  G.  CLAEK,  M.A.  F.RG.S. 

Through  Turin  to  Naples. — I  left  London  on  the  18th  of 
August,  for  the  tour  which  has  become  a  matter  of  annual 
recurrence.  It  had  been  my  intention  to  go  to  Scotland, 
but  the  almost  incessant  rain  which  spoilt  our  last  summer 
drove  me  to  seek  for  sunshine  in  some  southern  land,  and 
the  interest  attaching  to  Garibaldi's  daring  enterprise  drew 
me  irresistibly  to  Italy.  The  route  from  England  to  Naples, 
travelled  every  year  by  thousands  of  our  countrymen  and  not 
new  to  myself,  would,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  be  too 
hackneyed  a  topic ;  and  a  writer  who  should  suppose  that 
he  had  anything  to  say  about  it  which  had  not  been  said 
before — the  only  justification  for  writing  at  all — would  show 
(\^— -great  confidence  in  his  own  powers  of  observation. 

But  I  saw  Naples  under  circumstances  the  reverse  of  ordi- 
nary— at  that  critical  period  when  it  was  the  centre  of  interest 
to  all  the  nations  of  Europe  ;  during  the  occurrence  of  events 
so  strange  and  sudden  that  they  resembled  incidents  of  a 
romantic  melodrama  rather  than  real  history.  The  achieve- 
ments of  Bollo  and  Bobert  Guiscard  were  repeated  before  the 
eyes  of  men  who  are  never  tired  of  saying  that  they  live  in  a 
prosaic  age.  The  interest  of  these  events  is  scarcely  abated, 
for  they  involve  momentous  consequences  yet  to  come.  The 
great  captain  who  is  now  playing  the  part  of  Cincinnatus  at 

B 


2  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

Caprera  has  potentially — like  another  captain  who  once  en- 
joyed a  temporary  repose  in  the  neighbouring  Elba — an  army 
at  his  command.  He  is  one  of  the  great  powers,  who,  though 
not  officially  represented,  makes  his  presence  felt  in  all  the 
councils  of  Europe. 

I  reached  Naples  two  days  before  the  departure  of  the 
King.  What  I  saw  and  heard  during  the  eventful  three 
weeks  which  followed,  will  form  the  main  part  of  my  story. 
I  prefer  to  tell  this  story  (at  the  risk  of  occasional  repetition) 
in  the  words  of  a  journal  written  on  the  spot,  and  at  the  first 
leisure  hour  after  the  occurrences.  In  this  journal  I  have 
corrected  nothing  but  slips  of  the  pen.  I  have  inserted  no 
ex  post  facto  prophecies.  I  have  merely  added  a  note  here 
and  there  by  way  of  correction  or  explanation. 

As  the  political  interest  of  the  time  is  my  only  justification 
for  writing  at  all,  I  have  cut  out  from  my  narrative  almost  all 
that  had  not  relation  to  passing  events.  The  excavations  at 
Pompeii  and  the  treasures  of  the  Museo  Borbonico  have,  for 
the  present,  lost  their  interest.  Besides,  there  would  be  an 
incongruity  in  thus  mixing  contemporary  history  with  anti- 
Cjuarianism  and  dilettantism  ;  nor  would  the  space  at  my 
disposal  allow  me  to  do  so,  in  any  case.  I  might  have 
touched  in  passing  many  such  topics,  and  given  conclusions 
without  arguments  ;  but  I  remember  the  warning,  "  Brevis 
esse  laboro,  obscurus  fio,"  and  I  have  reason  to  think  that  a 
love  of  brevity  is  liable  to  be  mistaken  for  an  affectation  of 
smartness  and  a  tendency  to  dogmatism. 

I  crossed  from  Folkestone  to  Boulogne  in  a  storm  of  wind 
and  rain.  The  rain  accompanied  me  to  Paris,  scarcely  abated 
during  the  two  days  of  my  stay  there,  chased  me  in  flying 
showers  to  Macon ;  then,  withdrawing  for  a  while,  hung  in 
masses  of  threatening  cloud  in  front  and  flank  as  we  crossed 
the  plains  and  wound  along  the  valleys,  guarded  with  bastions 
of  limestone  crag  on  either  hand,  the  first  approaches  to  the 
great  fortress  of  the  Alps,  to  Culoz,  now,  alas  !  a  frontier  place 
no  more,  thence  by  the  lake  of  Bourget  and  Chambery,  where 
we  saw  skeletons  of  triumphal  arches  destined  for  the  recep- 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  3 

tion  of  the  new  master,  to  St.  Jean  de  Maurienne,  where  we 
exchanged  the  railway  for  the  diligence.  The  route  of  the 
Mont  Cenis  is,  to  my  mind,  the  least  picturesque  of  all  the 
Alpine  passes.  But  what  it  lacks  in  scenic  beauty  it  makes 
up  in  historical  interest,  as  being  the  route  of  Hannibal.* 
At  Lanslebourg  the  clouds,  which  I  had  been  comparing  to 
hovering  bodies  of  barbarians  hanging  on  the  line  of  the  Car- 
thaginians' march,  burst  upon  us  in  a  torrent  of  rain  which 
lasted  to  Susa.  When  at  length  we  reached  Turin,  at  one  a.m. 
(about  thirty  hours  after  leaving  Paris),  there  was  a  cloudless 
sky  overhead,  and  the  soft  sweet  air  of  summer  Italy  to  breathe 
and  move  in. 

I  had  been  much  entertained  by  one  of  my  companions  in 
the  banquette  of  the  diligence — an  Englishman  going  to  join 
Garibaldi.  Evidently  a  gentleman,  he  had  "  roughed  it " 
through  life  with  the  strangest  comrades.  He  had  dug  for 
gold  in  Australia,  had  driven  an  omnibus  for  six  months  in 
Melbourne,  &c.  &c,  and  now  was  about  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
Italy.  "  Not,"  he  said,  "  that  he  cared  a  button  for  one  side 
or  the  other  ;  he  wanted  if  possible  to  get  a  commission  in  the 
Sardinian  army,  and  meanwhile,  at  all  events,  to  have  a  lark." 

*  This  is  conclusively  established  in  a  work  entitled,  "  A  Treatise  on  Han- 
nibal's Passage  of  the  Alps,"  by  Robert  Ellis,  B.D.  Fellow  of  St.  John's 
College,  Cambridge,  1853.  The  subsidiary  arguments  derived  from  the  Peu- 
tingerian  table,  the  names  of  places,  &c,  however  ingenious  and  probable, 
are  less  convincing  than  the  main  arguments,  and  tend,  on  a  first  reading, 
rather  to  invalidate  the  conclusions.  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  Mr.  Ellis 
lays  rather  too  much  stress  on  the  fact  that  the  plains  of  Italy  are  visible  from 
a  point  near  the  summit  of  the  pass.  Polybius,  from  his  language,  seems  to 
suppose  that  the  plains  would  be  visible,  as  a  matter  of  course,  from  the  sum- 
mit of  any  pass,  and  he  himself  probably  crossed  the  Alps  only  once  in  the  way 
of  business  ;  and  if  he  had  such  weather  as  has  always  been  my  fortune  in 
crossing  the  Mont  Cenis,  he  could  not  verify  the  fact.  The  story  of  Hannibal's 
encouraging  his  men  by  showing  them  Italy  is,  perhaps,  after  all  only  a 
rhetorical  figment.  Everybody  not  familiar  with  Alpine  travel  would  take  it 
for  granted  that  Italy  was  visible  from  the  summit  (not  having  a  clear  under- 
standing of  the  distinction  between  " peaks"  and  "passes"),  and  the  situa- 
tion, ".Hannibal  pointing  out  Italy  to  his  soldiers,"  is  too  striking  not  to  be 
accepted  as  true :  "  ut  pueris  placeat  et  declamatio  fiat."  I  doubt,  too, 
whether  we  have  got  at  the  true  signification  of  \evK6ireTpov.  However  this 
may  be,  Mr.  Ellis  seems  to  me  to  have  proved  his  point  abundantly. 

b2 


4  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

I  fancy  that  a  good  many  of  the  volunteers,  if  they  would 
confess  it,  were  actuated  by  similar  feelings. 

I  stayed  nearly  a  week  at  Turin,  where  I  found  several 
old  friends  and  acquaintances,  several  of  them  Neapolitan 
exiles,  who  gave  me  letters  to  their  friends  at  home.  Among 
them  was  Baron  Charles  Poerio,  the  gentlest  and  most  inno- 
cent victim  that  was  ever  tortured  by  tyrant.  I  observed  in 
him,  as  well  as  in  others  of  his  fellow-prisoners  whom  I  saw 
at  Naples  afterwards,  a  subdued  manner  that  was  infinitely 
touching.  It  was  as  if  long  imprisonment  had  crushed  their 
spirit  and  robbed  life  of  its  vitality.  Poerio  said  that, 
during  his  short  tenure  of  office,  the  king  affected  to  treat 
him  as  a  confidential  friend,  would  offer  him  a  cigar  when 
he  went  for  an  audience,  and  so  forth.  On  the  anniversary 
of  the  day  of  his  accepting  office,  he  had  the  chains  put 
on  in  the  court  of  one  of  the  prisons,  the  benevolent  monarch 
looking  on  from  a  window. 

I  went  one  day  to  a  charming  villa  on  the  "  Collina,"  near 
Moncalieri,  to  visit  an  exile  of  a  different  race.  I  found  him 
playing  with  his  children,  as  youthful  at  heart  as  any  of 
them.  No  prison  had  bowed  his  spirit  down,  and  even 
eleven  years  of  exile  had  not  sickened  his  hope  of  triumphant 
return.  He  had  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  that  the  sword  of 
Garibaldi  would  open  through  Venice  a  road  to  Hungary. 
"  Shall  we  meet  next  year  in  London  ?"  I  said  at  parting. 
"  We  shall  meet  next  year,  if  anywhere,  at  Pesth,"  was  the 
reply. 

On  the  28th  of  August  I  went  to  Genoa,  on  the  chance 
of  finding  a  steamer  for  Livorno  or  Naples,  there  being  no 
trustworthy  information  to  be  had  in  Turin.  When  I  arrived 
there,  I  found  that  I  had  no  choice  but  to  wait  till  the  31st  for 
the  French  boat.  Three  days  soon  passed  among  the  varied 
sights  of  Genoa,  the  most  beautiful  as  well  as  one  of  the 
busiest  of  the  cities  of  the  world.  Garibaldi's  portrait  was 
in  every  window,  ballad-singers  were  chanting  his  praises, 
and  as  you  passed  a  group  standing  in  the  street  or  seated 
at  the  cafe,  you  were  sure  to  hear  the  magic  name.     I  was 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  5 

made  all  the  more  eager  to  get  to  Naples,  fearing  that  he 
might  get  there  before  me. 

I  here  insert  some  leaves  of  my  journal,  omitting,  as  I  said, 
almost  all  that  related  merely  to  the  regular  "sights"  on 
the  way. 

Aug.  23. — Turin  is  the  most  regularly  built  city  in  the 
world.  It  would  have  delighted  an  ancient  Greek.  Hippo- 
damus  himself  might  have  planned  it.  Pausanias  would 
have  been  in  ecstasies  if  he  had  seen  it,  all  its  lines  straight 
and  all  its  angles  right-angles.  And  in  his  eyes  the  beauty 
of  the  regular  city  would  have  been  enhanced  by  contrast 
with  the  rough  shapeless  mountains,  glimpses  of  which  you 
get  at  the  end  of  the  streets  that  run  towards  the  north 
and  west.  Only  the  Contrada  del  Po  deviates  somewhat  from 
the  due  direction,  but  this  is  scarcely  appreciable  by  the  eye. 
The  spacious  porticoes  are  thronged  with  people,  notwith- 
standing that  this  is  the  season  of  the  Villegiatura,  and  there 
is  "  nobody  in  town." 

I  went  this  morning  to  call  upon  a  friend  at  the  Ministry 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  which  is  modestly  lodged  in  a  corner  of  the 
Piazza  Castello.  I  was  surprised  with  the  quietness  of  the 
whole  establishment.  The  porter  was  dozing  at  the  door ;  my 
friend  the  employe  was  not  at  home,  nobody  was  waiting  for 
an  audience,  and  M.  de  Cavour  was  "  disengaged"  in  the 
inner  room.  "Did  I  want  to  see  him?"  asked  the  porter. 
Having  no  pretext  for  an  interview  with  the  great  man,  and 
having  neither  invention,  nor  impudence  sufficient  to  extem- 
porize one,  I  was  obliged  to  decline  the  honour,  and  I  went 
away  wondering  at  the  stillness  which  reigned  at  what  may 
be  called  the  central  point  of  European  diplomacy.  It 
reminded  me  of  the  brain,  which,  though  the  source  of  all 
sensation,  has  no  sensation  itself. 

Aug.  24. — This  morning  I  had  a  call  from  Signor ,  a 

ministerial  deputy,  and  an  able  as  well  as  honest  man.     He 
takes  a  gloomy  view  of  the  state  of  things  in  Italy.     "  The 


6  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

Ministry  is  excessively  embarrassed  by  the  exigencies  of 
France,  on  the  one  hand ;  by  the  remonstrances  of  the  great 
Powers,  on  the  other;  and  by  the  popular  enthusiasm  for 
Garibaldi,  on  the  third.  (We  may  suppose  an  Executive  to 
have  three  hands,  at  least :  in  this  case  all  of  them  are  tied.) 
Garibaldi  is  a  brave  man,  but  '  a  fool '  (sic) ;  he  is  easily  led 
by  the  people  about  him,  and  he  is  surrounded  by  the  most 
worthless  advisers — as,  for  example,  Crespi.  The  Mazzini 
party  are  taking  advantage  of  the  discontent  excited  by  the 
late  measures  of  the  Ministry  against  the  volunteers,  and  of 
Garibaldi's  easy  temper,  and  hope  to  proclaim  first  the  Dic- 
tatorship of  Garibaldi,  and  then  the  Eepublic  in  Southern 
Italy.  The  ultra-liberals  are  blind  to  facts  and  consequences ; 
they  will  not  take  account  of  the  difficulties  in  their  way ; 
they  menace  Eome  in  spite  of  France  and  Yenetia,  in  spite  of 
Germany  (for  it  is  certain  that  Prussia  has  agreed  to  make 
common  cause  with  Austria). 

"  Things  are  going  from  bad  to  worse,  and  we  may  lose  all 
we  have  gained.  Old  animosities — la  politico,  di  campanile 
— are  reviving  again,  and  are  fanned  by  the  ultra-liberals 
for  their  own  purposes.  The  people  were  humiliated  at  the 
loss  of  Savoy  and  Nice,  but  all  reasonable  men  felt  that  the 
Government  had  no  choice.  The  citizens  of  Turin  cared 
much  more  for  Savoy  than  Nice,  because  the  change  brought 
the  French  frontier  within  sight  of  their  walls.  Turin  is  now 
a  defenceless  frontier  town,  and  can  never  be  the  capital  of 
Italy." 

Aug.  25. — I  met  another  gentleman,  neither  deputy  nor 
ministerial.  He  was  enthusiastic  for  Garibaldi,  "  the  honest 
man  and  great  captain."  "  Cavour,"  he  said,  "  has  lost  all  his 
popularity,  not  so  much  from  the  cession  of  Savoy  and  Nice 
— for  there  was  no  resisting  the  armed  brigand  who  took 
them — but  from  the  way  in  which  it  was  done.  Cavour  did 
it  jauntily  and  unconcernedly,  when,  in  decency,  he  ought  to 
have  worn  an  air  of  dejection.  To  parody  what  Jean  Jacques 
said  of  a  bishop  :  '  Quelque  vendique  qu'on  soit,  il  faut  bien 
mentir  quelques  fois  quand  on  est  diplomate ; '  but  Cavour 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  7 

lied  gratuitously.     People  have  lost  all  confidence  in   him 
since  he  has  sold  himself  to  the  devil. 

"  Garibaldi  is  true  as  steel ;  he  will  conquer  Naples  and 
proclaim  the  Ee  Galantuomo  King  of  Italy,  who  will  then 
find  some  honester  man  than  Cavour  to  be  his  prime  minister." 

Aug  26. — Notes  of  a  Conversation  with .  "  The  fran- 
chise in  Piedmont  is  given  to  all  who  pay  forty  francs  per 
annum  in  direct  taxes,  which,  in  a  country  divided  into  small 
holdings,  is  almost  equivalent  to  universal  suffrage.  But  all 
landholders  are  conservative,  and  those  of  Piedmont  Proper 
exercise  it  admirably ;  they  are  the  mainstay  of  the  consti- 
tution. 

"The  so-called  Tuscan  autonomy  is  not  an  autonomy  in 
fact ;  the  word  is  misapplied.  It  means  in  this  case  that, 
for  the  present,  the  judicial  system  of  Tuscany  is  maintained 
intact.  For  instance,  if  a  dispute  arises  in  Tuscany,  it  cannot 
be  tried  at  Turin  till  they  send  it  for  trial. 

"  Ten  years  ago,  I  foresaw  that  the  idea  of  Italian  unity  was 
mounting  like  a  flood,  and  would  sweep  all  before  it.  The 
existence  of  this  idea  is  a  great  fact  which  people  at  home 
would  not  see  ;  I  mean,  secretaries  of  state.  Naples  might 
have  been  saved  to  the  king,  if  he  had  joined  Piedmont.  In 
March,  1859,  Lord  Malmesbury  wanted  Sir  James  Hudson 
to  go  to  Naples  and  advise  the  king  to  grant  a  constitution. 
He  said,  'It  is  no  use  unless  you  allow  me  to  advise  his 
sending  twenty  thousand  troops  or  so,  to  make  a  demonstra- 
tion to  the  Italian  side ;  a  very  small  demonstration  will  suf- 
fice.' Lord  Malmesbury  refused  ;  '  he  did  not  wish  Naples 
to  be  mixed  up  in  the  quarrel  between  Austria  and  Prance.' 
Now  the  quarrel  between  Austria  and  France  was  'in 
the  second  plan.'  The  battle  of  Italian  unity  was  upper- 
most in  men's  minds.  The  great  Powers  urged  the  Pied- 
montese  Government  to  stop  the  departure  of  the  volunteers 
as  soon  as  Garibaldi  turned  his  designs  on  the  mainland. 
Legally,  there  is  no  distinction  between  Sicily  and  Naples, 
but  morally  there  is  a  distinction,  because  the  Sicilians  had 


8  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

been  deluded  by  the  Bourbons.  The  promise  of  a  consti- 
tution, made  in  1812,  was  never  fulfilled.  And,  as  you 
remind  me,  Lord  Palmerston  said  in  parliament,  apropos  of 
non-intervention,  that  there  was  no  point  of  international  law 
which  is  not  liable  to  exceptions  in  practice.  Farini's  cir- 
cular was  the  result  of  this  diplomatic  pressure.  If  after 
that  he  had  not  prevented  the  departure  of  the  volunteers, 
the  power  of  Minister  of  the  Interior  would  have  been  at  an 
end.  He  could  not  act  otherwise  than  he  did.  The  papers 
cry  out,  but  their  influence  is  almost  nil,  since  Parliament 
has  begun  to  perform  its  functions  regularly.  Ten  years  ago, 
the  press  was  very  powerful.  Cavour  himself  used  to  write 
articles.  Now  each  paper  is  the  organ  of  some  little  knot 
of  politicians.  Like  a  volcano  (as  you  say)  where  there  are  at 
first  a  number  of  little  outlets  which  all  cease  when  a  great 
crater  is  formed.  If  Garibaldi  is  beaten,  the  Piedmontese 
Government  will  see  that  it  must  bide  its  time  ;  it  will  still 
represent  the  idea  of  unity,  which  sooner  or  later  will  be  realized 
in  fact.  The  more  moderate  papers  are  beginning  to  see  the 
necessity  of  waiting  for  an  opportunity  of  getting  Venetia. 

"If  Piedmont  receives  any  further  accession  of  territory, 
there  is  a  notion  afloat  that  France  will  demand  the  island 
of  Sardinia  as  the  price  of  her  assent.  The  plains  are 
enormously  fertile,  yielding,  they  say,  forty-fold.  A  large 
outlay  would  be  required  for  draining,  &c.  to  bring  land 
now  idle  under  cultivation.  The  volcanic  rocks  and  the  high 
mountains  which  prevent  a  free  current  of  wind  from  west 
to  east,  are  the  cause  of  the  unhealthiness  of  the  place.  All 
the  island  is  unhealthy  part  of  the  year,  and  part  is  unhealthy 
all  the  year  round.  Sardinia  is  the  most  retrograde  portion  of 
the  kingdom,  and  disaffected  because  the  high  taxation  has  been 
most  felt  there.  There  is  an  English  party  and  a  French 
party  eager  for  annexation  to  one  or  other  country,  which  is 
rich,  and,  as  they  think,  would  spend  money  there,  but  it 
would  not  strengthen  either.  The  Bay  of  La  Maddalena 
was  of  service  to  England  in  the  former  war,  when  they  were 
blockading  Toulon ;  but  now  that  steam-vessels  have  taken 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA VEL  IN  i860.  9 

the  place  of  sailing-vessels  and  can  keep  the  sea  in  any  wind, 
it  will  no  longer  be  of  service  even  in  war.  But  politicians 
at  home  are  governed  by  traditional  views  about  British 
interests.  That  is  why  we  stick  to  the  Ionian  Islands,  which 
are  no  use  to  us.  If  we  could  only  get  rid  of  the  notion  that 
France  is  our  natural  enemy,  and  that  we  are  bound  to  keep 
up  posts  of  possible  annoyance  to  her !  The  Ionian  Islands 
are  a  perpetual  sore  between  England  and  Greece.  With 
Malta  it  is  different.  It  is  an  island-fortress — prize  of  war — 
and  I  am  for  keeping  it  as  long  as  we  can.  It  would  be 
ridiculous  at  Malta,  or  Gibraltar,  to  submit  the  question  of 
ownership  to  universal  suffrage. 

"  The  notion  prevalent  in  Germany  that  the  line  of  the 
Mincio,  or  at  all  events  that  of  the  Adige,  is  necessary  to 
their  security  in  a  strategical  point  of  view,  is  quite  unfounded. 
It  has  not  even  the  excuse  of  tradition.  Eead  Metternich's 
letters,  written  at  the  time  of  the  Congress  of  Vienna,  and  you 
will  see  that  he  was  unwilling  to  accept  the  fatal  gift  of 
Northern  Italy.  But  now  that  they  have  got  the  four  for- 
tresses, and  that  the  Germans  conceive  their  honour  as  well 
as  their  safety  involved  in  the  Austrian  retention  of  Venetia, 
they  will,  keep  it  as  long  as  they  can. 

"After  all,  we  must  submit  all  questions  at  last  to  the 
inexorable  logic  of  facts  (as  the  French  say). " 

Genoa.  Aug.  29. — Walked  for  an  hour  after  sunset  with  a 
French  gentleman,  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  at  dinner, 
up  and  down  the  delightful  promenade  of  the  Acqua  Sola. 
It  occupies  an  elevated  platform  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
city,  flanked  externally  by  the  walls  of  the  inner  circle  of 
fortification,  and  looking  over  a  valley  set  thick  with  painted 
houses  and  gardens,  the  sea  to  the  right,  and  on  the  left  the 
hills  crowned  with  fortresses.  It  is  planted  with  rows  of  ilex, 
acacia  and  plane,  and  in  the  centre  is  an  oval  pond  with  a 
fountain,  set  round  with  weeping  willows.  It  is  well  pro- 
vided with  stone  seats.  As  we  sat  upon  one  of  these,  looking 
towards  the  sea,  still  lighted  with  reflected  splendour  from 


10  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

the  west — "  It  is  a  shame,"  said  the  Frenchman,  "  to  talk 
politics  in  so  lovely  a  place,  and  at  such  a  time.  We  ought 
to  talk  poetry." 

"  It  is  your  restless  Emperor,"  said  I,  "  who  forces  every- 
body to  think  and  to  talk  politics  at  all  places  and  times." 

"  Maybe  so,"  he  replied  ;  "  but  his  view  is  the  true  view, 
namely,  that  there  will  be  no  secure  and  lasting  peace  for 
Europe  until  its  political  system  is  based  upon  the  principle 
of  nationalities.  It  may  cost  us  years  of  disturbance  to  esta- 
blish this  principle,  but  it  will  be  the  best  for  peace  in  the 
long  run.  Europe  will  then  be  in  a  position  of  stable  equi- 
librium (as  the  mathematicians  say).  This  is  the  object  of 
French  policy.  Surely  it  is  nobler  and  wiser  than  the  hand- 
to-mouth  purblind  policy  of  your  Government,  which  huddles 
up  all  quarrels,  and  has  for  its  object  only  the  adjournment 
of  war  in  the  interest  of  merchants  and  fundholders." 

He  spoke  as  volubly  and  rapidly  as  an  actor  in  a  Greek 
comedy  delivering  the  Trvuyos.  When  at  last  he  paused  for 
breath,  I  interposed :  "  Stop !  what  do  you  mean  by  '  the 
principle  of  nationalities  V  " 

"  What  do  I  mean  !  Surely  it  is  clear  enough.  It  is  a 
phrase  universally  used.     Everybody  knows  it." 

"  But  if  it  has  a  definite  meaning,  it  is  capable  of  defi- 
nition." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  we  may  express  it  thus  :  Every  nation 
has  a  right  to  belong  to  itself,  and  to  choose  its  own  form  of 
government,  and  its  own  governors." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  a  nation  ?" 

"  Diable  !  mon  cher  Monsieur,  comme  vous  vous  posez  en 
Socrate  !  The  words  of  which  one  knows  the  meaning  best 
are  precisely  those  which  one  feels  it  most  difficult  to  define. 
Of  such  words  no  one  asks  for  a  definition  in  good  faith,  but 
only  for  the  sake  of  puzzling  you,  and  in  order  to  divert  a 
question  of  facts  into  a  question  of  words." 

"  Don't  be  angry !  In  all  good  faith,  I  do  not  know  in 
what  sense  you  use  the  word  '  nation/     Its  etymology — " 

"  Oh,  confound  etymology — je  m'en  soucie  guere.     I  use  the 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  1 1 

word  in  its  modern  sense,  meaning  a  people  of  the  same  race, 
speaking  the  same  language,  inhabiting  the  same  country." 

"  As  for  instance?" 

"  The  French,  the  English,  the  Italians—" 

"  Stay  a  moment.  I  doubt  whether  your  instances  are  to 
the  point.  Are  the  people  in  Brittany,  Lorraine,  Alsace,  and 
Gascony,  of  the  same  race  as  the  people  in  the  centre  of 
France,  and  do  they  speak  the  same  language  ?  Yet  they  are 
integral  parts  of  the  French  nation.  So  it  is  with  the  Welsh, 
the  Scotch  Highlanders,  the  people  in  the  Channel  Islands — 
they  are  not  of  the  same  race,  nor  do  they  speak  the  same 
language  as  the  bulk  of  the  English  nation,  yet  they  belong 
to  it,  inseparably  attached.     Of  Ireland  I  do  not  speak — " 

"  No,  you  would  find  a  difficulty  there." 

"I  may  find  a  difficulty  in  combating  the  rooted  preju- 
dices existing  on  the  Continent  with  respect  to  Ireland,  but 
you  must  admit — without  prejudice  to  the  future  rights  of 
King  Macmahon — that  it  forms  at  present  a  part  of  the  united 
kingdom,  while  two-thirds  of  the  people  are  of  Celtic  blood : 
and  a  small  portion  still  speak  a  Celtic  tongue.  As  for  Italy, 
it  is  inhabited  by  a  multitude  of  races  :  Celts  and  Lombards 
in  the  north,  Greeks  in  the  south,  and  a  fusion  of  old  Italic 
tribes  in  the  centre.  As  to  language,  a  Lombard  peasant  and 
a  Neapolitan  peasant  are  as  mutually  unintelligible  as  an 
Englishman  and  a  German." 

"  But  there  is  one  language  for  the  educated  classes.  They 
understand  each  other." 

"  Yes,  but  that  was  not  what  you  meant  when  you  men- 
tioned '  a  people  of  the  same  race  speaking  the  same  language.' 
Look  at  Hungary  again.  I  suppose  you  would  help  in  the 
establishment  of  a  separate  Hungarian  nationality  if  you 
could?" 

"  Oh,  certainly." 

"  Well,  in  Hungary  there  are,  I  believe,  at  least  four 
separate  races,  and  four  distinct  languages,  yet  all  these  are. 
united  against  the  Austrian  Government,  and  desire  to  form 
one  independent  nation.     We  read  in  the  papers  how  cor- 


12  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

dially  they  fraternized  at  Pesth  on  the  feast  of  St.  Stephen, 
the  other  day." 

"  I  admit,  my  definition  will  scarcely  apply  to  actual  facts ; 
it  is  rather  a  definition  of  the  beau  ideal  of  a  nation.  Let 
me  see  if  I  can  modify  it  so  as  to  make  it  practical.  You 
English  can  only  comprehend  what  is  practical.  As  the 
Emperor  said,  you  will  never  go  to  war  for  an  idea." 

"  Eor  my  part,  I  don't  see  that  the  annexation  of  Savoy  is 
a  whit  more  ideal  than  the  annexation  of  Scinde,  unless  the 
combination  of  fraud  with  force  in  the  case  of  Savoy — " 

"  Ah  !"  (with  a  prolonged  sneer),  "  quant  a  la  fraude  un  fils 
d' Albion  a  beau  parler." 

"  Allons !  let  us  not  quarrel  like  a  couple  of  commis- 
voyageurs,  but  revenons  a  nos  moutons.  By  the  way,  where 
does  that  phrase  come  from  ?     Is  it  somewhere  in  Moliere  V 

"  No  ;  it  is  in  the  Avocat-Patelin,  where  you  will  find  the 
source  of  a  great  many  popular  sayings."  He  mentioned 
several ;  and,  restored  to  good  humour  by  this  display  of  eru- 
dition, he  said  with  a  smile,  "  Ah  oui,  nos  moutons ;  ou  en 
etions-nous  ? " 

"  You  were  proposing,  I  said,  to  modify  your  definition  of 
a  nation.  If  you  had  stuck  to  it,  I  would  have  asked  you 
further  what  you  meant  by  '  race,'  and  then  what  you  meant 
by  '  language  ;'  and  each  of  these  words  seems  to  me  to  be  as 
difficult  to  define,  practically,  as  'nation'  itself;  that  is  to 
say,  to  lay  down  any  rule  capable  of  practical  application  as 
to  what  constitutes  identity  and  what  diversity  in  race  and 
language." 

"  "Well,"  said  the  Frenchman,  "  let  us  not  quibble  any 
more  about  words,  let  us  come  to  things.  I  say  then  that  a 
people,  of  whatever  race  or  language,  wishing  to  separate 
itself  from,  or  join  itself  to,  another  people,  has  a  right  to  do  so." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  don't  wish  to  quibble  about  words  ;  but  in 
using  the  term  '  people,'  you  are  in  fact  begging  the  question 
as  much  as  if  you  had  said  '  nation.' " 

"  You  are  hard  to  satisfy.  I  will  say,  if  you  like,  instead 
of  *  a  people,'  *  a  number  of  persons  living  together.' " 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  I  8  60.  13 

"  Therefore,  if  the  city  of  Bordeaux,  for  example,  thinking 
its  material  interests  more  closely  connected  with  England 
than  with  Trance,  were  to  vote  for  annexing  itself  to  the 
former  country,  the  French  Government  would  acquiesce  V 

"  To  say  the  truth,  I  don't  think  it  would." 

"  That  is  to  say,  that  when  it  found  its  interest  opposed  to 
its  principle,  it  would  follow  its  interest." 

"No;  your  reductio  ad  absurdum  is  itself  absurd.  When 
I  said  'a  number  of  persons,'  I  meant,  of  course,  such  a 
number  as  might  reasonably  claim  to  form  a  separate  nation." 

"  But  in  the  case  I  put,  it  was  not  proposed  that  Bordeaux 
should  form  a  separate  nation." 

"It  would  be  ridiculous  for  Bordeaux  to  pretend  to  have 
a  will  of  its  own  distinct  from  that  of  France,  of  which 
it  forms  perhaps  in  population  the  three-hundredth  part. 
We  punished,  if  you  remember,  a  similar  insolence  on  the 
part  of  Toulon." 

"  Yes,  and  you  punished  a  similar  insolence  on  the  part  of 
La  Yend^e,  without  any  particular  reference  to  the  numbers 
of  the  revolted  population." 

"That  was  in  time  of  war,  and  the  necessity  of  self- 
preservation  imperiously  demanded  the  reconquest  of  Toulon 
and  La  YendeV 

"  If  you  assist  the  Hungarians  to  revolt,  will  it  not  be  'time 
of  war'  then,  and  will  not  the  necessity  of  self-preservation, 
from  an  Austrian  point  of  view,  demand  the  reconquest  of 
Hungary  ?" 

"  Have  you  then  no  sympathy  with  an  oppressed  people  ? 
(You  will  permit  me  to  use  the  word  in  this  case.)  Do  you 
not  think  that  it  is  the  duty  of  a  great  and  free  nation  to 
protect  the  weak  against  the  strong  ?" 

"Certainly,  but  then  independent  states,  represented  by 
their  respective  governments  existing  for  the  time  being, 
have  their  rights.  These  may  be  respected,  and  yet  much 
good  done  in  behalf  of  what  you  call  oppressed  nationalities, 
by  peaceful  diplomacy,  friendly  advice,  grave  remonstrance, 
or  even  formal  protest.     I  doubt  whether  the  principles  of 


14  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

international  law  (which,  I  imagine,  knows  nothing  of  your 

*  nationalities '),  would  sanction  a  declaration  of  war  in  any 

case." 

"  There  are  extreme  cases  in  which  necessity  knows  no  law, 

international  or  other.     The   state  of  Italy  could  not  have 

been  remedied  last  year  without  war." 

"  I  doubt  that.     In  a  general  congress,  Austria,  by  the 

threat  of  war,  might  have  been  induced  to  erect  Lombardo- 
Yenetia  into  an  independent  kingdom,  with  free  institutions, 
under  the  Archduke  Maximilian,  who  was  personally  popular. 
I  believe  that  the  state  of  Italy  would  have  been  better  than 
it  is  now.     At  all  events  a  congress  ought  to  have  been 
tried.     France  would  have  saved  50,000  men  and  500,000,000 
of  francs,  but  then  Louis  Napoleon  would  have  missed  the 
glory  of  commanding  in  a  real  battle,  and  Nice  and  Savoy 
would   have   still  belonged   to   Sardinia.     When   once  you 
unchain  the  demon  of  war,  you  know  not  where  the  end 
will  be.      Over   and   over   again  peace  has   been  made  at 
last  without  any  reference  to   the   original   objects  of  the 
war.     No  evils  are  comparable  to  those  of  war.     The  English 
policy  to  adjourn  war  as  long  as  possible,  seems  to  me  to 
be  the  really  noble  and  humane  policy.     Induce  oppressive 
governments  to  adopt  gentler  means  of  keeping  public  order, 
and  time  may  soften  down  the  fiercest  antipathies.     Alsace 
and  Lorraine,  which  detested  the  yoke  of  France  at   first, 
have  now  become  French  at  heart ;  but  if  Germany  had  been 
constantly  inciting  them  to  revolt  by  promises  of  military 
support,  successive  insurrections  would  have  been  quenched 
in  blood,  and  mutual  hatred  perpetuated  for  centuries.     The 
policy   of  your   Government  towards   other  nations   seems 
to  me  the  most  mischievous  possible ;  it  keeps  up  discontent 
among  the  people,  who  are  perpetually  told  how  much  they 
are  oppressed,  and  it  piques  the  pride  of  the  rulers,  who  will 
not  relax  their  system  lest  it  should  be  said  that  they  do 
so  from  fear  of  France." 

Surprised  that  I  had  not  been  interrupted  during  this  long 
speech,  and  receiving  no  reply  when  I  paused  of  my  own 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  15 

accord,  I  turned  towards  my  companion.     He  was,  or  feigned 
to  be,  asleep. 

Aug.  31. — I  sailed  from  Genoa  by  one  of  the  French 
steamers  "making  the  scala,"  as  the  coasting  voyage  from 
Marseilles  to  Naples  is  termed.  There  was  a  great  crowd  of 
passengers — the  Neapolitan  and  Sardinian  boats  having  been 
taken  up  for  purposes  of  war. 

Next  morning  we  stopped  at  Leghorn,  and  the  morning 
after  at  Civita  Yecchia,  and  remained  there  six  or  seven 
hours,  enough  to  enable  a  party  of  American  gentlemen  to 
pay  their  visit  to  Eome,  by  aid  of  the  new  railway.  They 
returned  in  triumph,  having  effected  their  purpose,  and  spent, 
as  they  said,  "  fifty  minutes,  sir,  in  the  E-ternal  City  ! " 

A  moist  scirocco,  the  prevailing  wind  during  last  autumn, 
brought  languor  and  discomfort  to  all.  We  were  right  glad 
when  about  six  next  morning,  September  2,  we  found  our- 
selves sailing  by  Capo  Miseno,  and  entering  the  Bay  of  Naples. 
Everything,  however,  was  shrouded  in  a  fog  more  worthy  of 
England  than  of  Italy. 

As  soon  as  we  came  to  anchor,  we  were  boarded  by  large 
parties  of  Neapolitans,  chiefly  in  the  new  uniform  of  the 
National  Guard,  coming  to  meet  their  friends. 

After  a  very  cursory  examination  of  passports  and  luggage, 
we  drove  off  to  the  Hotel  Vittoria,  where  I  established  myself 
for  the  next  three  weeks,  in  an  upper  room,  looking  over 
the  ilex,  acacias,  palms,  and  pepper-trees  of  the  Villa 
Reale. 

I  kept  my  eyes  and  ears  open,  went  diligently  wherever 
there  was  anything  to  be  seen  and  heard;  taking  copious 
notes  day  by  day,  and  occasionally  writing  long  letters  to 
friends  in  England.  The  tomb  of  Virgil,  Cumse,  Avernus, 
Pompeii,  the  statues  and  frescoes  of  the  Museum,  occupy  a 
considerable  space  in  my  note-books.  All  this  I  suppress  for 
the  reasons  before  mentioned. 


16  VACATION  TOVRTSTS,  AND  [Italy. 


Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Naples,  dated  Tuesday ,  Sept.  A. 

Naples  is  officially  in  a  state  of  siege;  practically,  there  is 
no  Government  at  all.  Every  man  does  that  which  is  right  in 
his  own  eyes,  says  what  he  pleases,  writes  and  prints  what  he 
pleases,  and  acts  entirely  irrespective  of  all  law,  military  or 
civil.  For  instance,  three  officers  of  Garibaldi's  army  on  their 
way  to  England,  charged  with  the  duty  of  bringing  out  the 
800  volunteers  from  Liverpool,  landed  this  morning.  Their 
passports  bore  no  Neapolitan  vise,  so  the  police  at  the  custom- 
house refused  them  permission  to  enter  the  city,  whereupon 
they  pushed  the  said  police  aside,  and  walked  on  in  spite 
of  them. 

A  crowd  of  papers  has  sprung  into  existence  during  the 
last  few  weeks.  They  are  all  openly  for  Garibaldi.  They 
record  triumphantly  the  progress  of  the  insurrection,  and 
exhort  the  citizens  of  Naples  to  be  ready  for  action  at  the 
right  moment.  They  are  sold  everywhere  in  the  streets,  and 
as  the  price  is  generally  one  grano  (something  less  than  a 
halfpenny  sterling),  everybody  buys  them. 

At  the  theatres  the  audience  demand  "  Garibaldi's  hymn,"  a 
patriotic  composition,  which  is  to  the  Italians  of  to-day  what 
"Yankee  Doodle"  and  the  "Marseillaise"  were  respectively 
to  the  Americans  and  French  in  their  time.  The  hymn  is 
sung ;  the  audience  stand  up,  join  in  the  chorus,  and,  at  the 
conclusion,  cry  out  tumultuously,  "Viva  Garibaldi,"  "Viva 
Vittorio  Emmanuele,"  "  Viva  l'ltalia  Unita."  I  see  portraits 
of  Garibaldi  and  of  Victor  Emmanuel  in  every  shop  ;  I  have 
not  seen  one  of  Francesco  II. 

The  universal  opinion  here  is,  that  the  reign  of  the  Bour- 
bons is  over,  and  that  Garibaldi  will  enter  Naples  without  the 
faintest  show  of  resistance.  If  the  King  had  had,  as  was  sup- 
posed, any  party  among  his  subjects,  whether  nobles  or  laz- 
zaroni,*  some  manifestation  would  be  made  in  his  favour; 

*  Lazzaroni.  There  is  great  doubt  even  among  well-informed  Neapolitans 
as  to  the  existence  of  an  organized  body  to  which  this  term  is  specially  appro- 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  17 

but  there  are  no  signs  of  the  existence  of  a  Koyalist  party. 
When  the  King  drives  out — as  he  did  daily  up  to  the  end  of 
last  week— no  notice  is  taken  of  him.  Here  and  there  a 
spectator,  out  of  pity  and  courtesy,  lifts  his  hat;  but  the 
majority  ostentatiously  keep  theirs  on. 

Numbers  of  officers  in  uniform  are  driving  about  in 
hackney  cabs,  chatting  and  smoking,  evidently  in  high  spirits 
at  the  thought  that  they  can  turn  their  backs  on  the  enemy  as 
soon  as  he  appears,  and  this  time  without  dishonour.  All 
accounts  agree,  that  neither  officers  nor  soldiers  mean  fighting. 
There  is  not  one  regiment  upon  whose  fidelity  the  King  can 
rely.  There  is  one  man  in  the  army  who  is  said  to  be  faith- 
ful, viz.  Bosco,  who  commanded  at  Melazzo  :  but  Bosco  is  a 
Neapolitan.  The  National  Guard,  just  organized,  and  very 
conspicuous  in  their  uniform  of  blue  coats  and  red  caps, 
mount  guard  at  various  places  in  the  city.  They  are  to  a  man 
in  favour  of  Garibaldi.  I  am  informed,  on  good  authority, 
that  the  King  has  given  a  promise  in  writing  to  the  British 
Minister,  and  probably  to  all  the  foreign  Ministers,  that  he 
will  not  in  any  case  order  his  troops  in  Sant  Elmo  and  the 
Castelli  to  bombard  the  city.  A  better  security  than  the 
promise,  written  or  otherwise,  of  a  Bourbon,  is  the  assurance 
that  the  troops  would  not  obey  such  an  order.  The  bombard- 
ment of  Naples  would  not  save  the  dynasty,  and  would 
eventually  entail  upon  the  bombarders  certain  destruction 
from  popular  vengeance.  Wherever  on  the  mainland  the 
Neapolitan  troops  have  encountered  the  Garibaldians,  they 
have  fired  a  few  shots,  for  form's  sake,  and  then  surrendered. 
If  such  was  their  conduct  when  the  ultimate  result  of  the 

priate.  In  general  it  is  used  vaguely  to  designate  the  poorest  classes.  A 
species  of  tax  called  "gamorra  "  is  levied  upon  cabmen,  small  greengrocers,  fish- 
mongers, and  other  tradesmen,  by  the  authority,  and  for  the  benefit,  of  a  body 
of  bravoes,  called  thence  gamorristi,  who  co-opt  into  their  body  those  who,  by 
strength  of  arm  and  skill  in  the  use  of  the  stiletto,  may  have  shown  themselves 
worthy  of  the  distinction.  One  of  Garibaldi's  earliest  decrees  declared  this  tax 
to  be  illegal.  The  account  I  have  just  given  was  told  to  me  by  a  secretary  of 
legation,  long  resident  at  Naples.  This  he  believed  to  be  the  only  organiza- 
tion among  what  are  called  "  lazzaroni." 

C 


18  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

war  was  doubtful,  how  can  we  expect  that  they  will  act  other- 
wise when  the  Bourbon  cause  is  evidently  desperate  % 

If  the  14,000  Swiss  who  served  Ferdinand  had  been  still 
here,  they  might  have  made  a  last  stand  for  his  son.  Hated 
as  they  were  by  the  people,  their  best  security  would  have 
been  a  desperate  defence  ;  but  they  are  disbanded,  and,  as  I 
before  said,  the  unhappy  Francesco  has  not  a  regiment  upon 
which  he  can  count.  The  very  soldiers  on  guard  at  the  gates 
of  the  palace  seem  to  be  under  no  discipline  and  no  restraint. 
I  saw  them  last  night  lounging  in  all  attitudes,  laughing, 
smoking,  and  playing  at  mora,  with  shouts  that  rang  through 
the  courts  and  must  have  reached  the  ears  of  the  King. 

As  to  where  Garibaldi  is,  and  when  he  may  be  expected 
here,  perhaps  you  in  England  know  as  much  as  we  know. 
All  sorts  of  reports  are  circulated.  The  Cafe  d'Europa  is 
crowded  all  the  evening  with  people  circulating  the  bulletins 
issued  every  hour  by  this  or  that  committee,  and  telling  and 
hearing  news  the  authenticity  of  which  cannot  be  tested,  and 
of  which  one  half  contradicts  the  other.  "  Garibaldi  is  at 
Vallo  " — "  Garibaldi  is  at  Sorrento  "  —  "Garibaldi  is  at  Salerno  " 
— "  The  King  embarked  last  night  " — "  The  King  is  going 
to-morrow  " — "  The  King  declares  he  will  stay  at  Naples  " — 
"The  Ministry  has  resigned" — "  The  Ministry  has  fled  in  a 
body  " — "  The  King  wants  to  go,  but  the  Ministry  will  not  let 
him  " — and  so  forth. 

This  much  we  know  for  certain,  that  the  insurrection  has 
spread  from  province  to  province  and  from  town  to  town. 
Even  Salerno  *  has  established  a  Provisional  Government  and 
proclaimed  Victor  Emmanuel ;  and  Salerno  is  under  the  very 
eyes  of  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  royal  army. 

The  least  sanguine  expect  that,  within  a  week  at  farthest, 
Victor  Emmanuel  will  be  proclaimed  at  Naples.  Meanwhile, 
the  city  itself,  with  the  exceptions  I  have  mentioned,  wears 
its  ordinary  aspect.  Business  goes  on  as  usual ;  all  the  shops 
.  are  open,  the  streets  are  crowded  with  carts  and  carriages  of 
all  sorts.  (By  the  way,  Naples  is  the  only  Continental  capital 
*  This  anticipated  the  truth  by  two  days. 


W.  G.  Clakk.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  19 

which  is  liable  to  "  blocks  "  such  as  occur  in  the  thoroughfares 
of  London.)  Life  and  property  are  just  as  safe  under  the 
new  police  and  the  Guardia  Nazionale  as  ever  they  were ; 
indeed  safer,  because  there  are  no  sbirri  to  inform  against 
honest  men.  Almost  all  the  exiles  have  already  returned 
without  permission  from  Government,  but  certain  that  it  dares 
not,  and  cannot,  molest  them.  I  have  talked  during  the  last 
two  days  with  many  persons  of  all  ranks — I  was  about  to 
say,  of  all  opinions — but,  in  reality,  I  find  only  one  opinion. 
All  agree  that  the  Bourbon  rule  is  practically  at  an  end — and 
the  sooner  it  is  nominally  at  an  end  also,  the  better.  All  look 
forward  with  joyful  hope  to  the  impending  change,  but  there 
are  some  who  fear  that,  between  the  fall  of  one  Government 
and  the  installation  of  another,  there  may  be  an  interval  of 
anarchy,  during  which  the  lowest  class  may  take  an  oppor- 
tunity for  acts  of  pillage  and  private  vengeance.  In  case  of 
this  fear  being  realized,  I  am  told  that  preparations  are  made 
for  landing  sailors  and  marines  to  guard  the  embassies  and 
consulates,  where,  if  necessary,  strangers  of  the  various  nations 
may  find  refuge.  But  in  this  fear  I  do  not  share.  Naples 
can  never  have  a  weaker  Government  than  it  has  at  this 
moment,  when  it  is  not  governed  at  all ;  and  yet,  as  I  have 
said,  the  thieves  and  assassins  are  no  busier  than  at  ordinary 
times.  In  fact,  the  lazzaroni  are  a  bugbear,  which  has  long 
frightened  the  shopkeepers,  and  led  them  to  suppose  that  a 
rigorous  police  was  necessary  to  the  protection  of  their  goods 
and  chattels.  It  is  a  generic  term,  including  all  the  very 
ragged  men  and  boys  of  the  city — a  class  which,  in  times  of 
revolution,  may  be  terrible  enough,  but  which  is  no  more 
organized  for  mischief  than  the  mob  of  London.  The  upper 
and  middle  classes,  including  in  the  latter  class  all  labouring 
men  with  regular  employment,  are  in  this  instance  of  one 
accord.  Therefore  I  believe  that  the  change  of  Government 
will  be  made  without  any  disturbance  and  without  any  inter- 
ruption in  the  ordinary  business  and  social  relations  of  the 
place. 

In  all  likelihood,   however,  the  conquest  of  Naples  will 

c2 


20  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

only  be  regarded  by  Garibaldi  as  a  starting  point  for  fresh 
enterprises  much  more  uncertain  and  much  more  arduous. 
"  The  end  is  not  yet." 

Sept.  6. — After  spending  a  long  morning  at  Pompeii,  I 
went  with  a  young  English  officer  by  the  train  at  one  o'clock, 
towards  Salerno. 

As  soon  as  the  railroad  turns  away  from  the  Bay  of  Naples, 
it  traverses  a  valley  which  at  the  farther  end  narrows  into  a 
ravine.  Castles  crown  each  peak,  towns  and  villages  stretch 
in  white  lines  along  the  slopes.  The  mountains  are  covered  to 
the  top  with  trees,  ilex,  elm,  chestnut,  the  lower  slopes  with 
vines  in  festoons,  olives,  mulberries,  maize  yellowing  to  the 
harvest,  cotton  with  pink  and  white  blossoms,  tomatoes  golden 
among  the  green.  At  Nocera  we  saw  the  Neapolitan  sol- 
diers* in  their  light  blue  dresses,  crowding  the  staircase  and 
galleries  of  the  great  palace  which  serves  for  barracks. 

There  was  a  citizen  of  Salerno  in  the  train,  who  made 
polite  offers  of  his  services  there.  We  got  to  Vietri  in  about 
an  hour,  and  taking  a  carriage,  drove  at  a  furious  pace  from 
that  village  to  Salerno,  perhaps  two  miles  distant. 

There  we  found  the  place  all  excitement.  That  morning  a 
Provisional  Government  had  been  installed.  Pour  officers  of 
the  national  guard  had  taken  the  place  of  the  Intendente 
nominated  by  the  King.  The  Intendenza  itself  was  decorated 
with  Italian  colours,  and  the  arms  of  the  Bourbon  dynasty 
over  the  door  were  similarly  concealed. 

A  few  of  Garibaldi's  men  in  red  shirts,  the  only  article  of 
dress  which  is  de  rigueuv\  in  his  army,  were  walking  about  the 
town.  One  of  them  told  me  that  he  had  just  received  a 
telegraphic  despatch,  announcing  that  the  general  had  left 
Eboli  and  would  be  at  Salerno  by  six.  Inquiring  of  another 
for  General  Tiirr,  to  whom  I  had  an  introduction,  he  took  me 


*  They  were  part  of  the  force  which  had  just  evacuated  the  lines  in  front  of 
the  capital,  and  were  retreating  to  Capua — the  fatal  move  which  cost  Francesco 
his  crown. 

+  Even  the  red  shirt,  its  I  afterwards  observed,  was  not  indispensable.  There 
was  nothing  de  rigwur  in  that  army. 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 3  60.  21 

into  the  Intendenza,  and  presented  me  to  a  white-haired,  white 
bearded  old  gentleman,  who,  as  I  understood,  was  the  general's 
secretary.  He  was  very  civil,  but  could  not  or  would  not 
give  me  any  information. 

We  then  strolled  about  the  town,  and  went  to  the  cathe- 
dral, which  has  an  atrium  in  front,  with  columns  and  capitals 
taken  from  some  Eoman  temple.  There  are  a  number  of 
sarcophagi  under  the  arches,  which  had  been  appropriated  by 
Normans.  You  may  see  a  knight  in  armour  sculptured  rudely, 
reposing  above ;  and  on  the  side,  a  group  of  Cupids  and 
Bacchantes.  Two  pulpits  and  the  screen  of  the  choir  are  beau- 
tifully preserved  specimens  of  glass  mosaic  work,  such  as 
the  tomb  of  Henry  III.  at  Westminster,  long  ago  defaced  * 
In  the  crypt  below,  rich  in  marbles,  is  the  body  of  St. 
Matthew. 

Eetuming  to  the  beach,  we  passed  one  of  the  King's  "  Bava- 
rians," very  drunk,  wearing  a  kind  of  cockade  of  the  Italian 
colours,  crying,  as  well  as  he  could,  "Viva  Garibaldi,"  and 
supported  by  sympathizing  natives.  A  bystander  informed 
us  with  an  air  of  triumph,  that  two  hundred  of  these  Bava- 
rians had  the  previous  night  mutinied  at  Nocera,  killed  (am- 
mazato)  one  of  their  generals,  and  one  of  their  captains,  and 
then  fled  in  various  directions,  several  having  come  to  Salerno 
to  offer  their  services  to  Garibaldi.  This  story  was,  we  found, 
true  in  the  main,  only  "  the  general "  was  an  addition.  They 
had  murdered  a  captain.  My  companion,  as  a  military  man, 
took  a  very  different  view  of  the  feat,  which  our  Italian  friends 
seemed  to  think  meritorious  on  the  whole. 

As  the  day  declined,  the  crowd  gathered  more  thickly  on 
the  terrace  which  runs  along  the  shore  in  front  of  Salerno. 
New  detachments  of  tumultuary  national  guards  poured  in 
•from  the  neighbourhood,  armed  with  guns  of  all  sorts  and 
sizes,  and  without  any  pretence  to  uniformity  in  dress.  A 
strong  wind  was  blowing  from  the  west,  and  clouds  of  dust 

*  Is  it  our  damp  climate,  or  our  mischievous  nature,  which  mutilates  every 
monument  in  England?  The  mosaics  at  Salerno  look  as  if  they  had  been 
wrought  last  year. 


22  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

swept  along  the  terrace,  so  that  I  thought  if  the  General 
delayed  his  entry  much  longer,  we  should  have  no  sight  left 
to  see  him  withal.  The  sun  went  down,  and  left  the  hills 
purple  against  the  clear  orange  and  rose  of  the  sky. 

Still  he  came  not.  By-and-by,  men  set  out  to  meet  him 
with  bundles  of  torches  ready  for  lighting,  and  the  house- 
holders prepared  to  illuminate  their  windows.  Bands  of 
music  paraded  the  town,  and  the  crowd  kept  up  a  running 
fire  of  vivas  to  pass  the  time.  At  last,  about  half-past  seven, 
a  louder  and  more  continuous  cheer  was  heard  ;  two  or  three 
carriages  drove  in,  surrounded  with  people  waving  torches. 
It  was  he  at  last.  As  he  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  Inten- 
denza,  the  national  guard  closed  in  to  keep  off  the  crowd,  and 
escorted  him  up  the  staircase.  A  few  minutes  after,  he 
appeared  at  the  balcony,  while  some  one  next  him  held  a 
moderator  lamp  so  as  to  throw  the  light  full  on  his  face.  He 
stood  bareheaded,  fanning  himself  with  his  black  wide-awake, 
and  looking  like  anything  but  the  daring  freebooter  that  he 
is.  He  has  the  most  benign  expression  of  countenance,  and 
his  partial  balflness  and  long  beard  give  him  even  a  venerable 
look.  He  might  serve  as  model  for  the  portrait  of  the  most 
benevolent  of  ancient  philosophers,  whoever  that  may  have 
been  *  Long  after  he  had  retired,  the  crowd  continued  to 
cheer,  "  disturbedly,"  as  the  old  stage  direction  says.  In  a 
little  while  all  the  town  was  lighted  up.  Nothing  could  be 
more  beautiful  than  the  lines  of  light  spreading  along  the 
steep  slopes  of  the  hills  and  flashing  in  the  sea  below.  By- 
and-by  the  moon  rose,  and  touched  with  cold  greenish  light 
the  rocky  summits  of  the  hills,  convents,  and  castles,  and 
white  villas  in  the  slope,  bright  enough  to  distinguish  the 
grey  rows  of  olives  above  from  the  thicket  of  lemon  and  fig 
trees  below,  and  at  last  blending  with  the  ruddy  splendour 
that  shone  upon  town  and  beach  and  sea. 

We  retired  at  last  to  sup  and  sleep  at  the  Hotel  Vittoria 
(almost  the  last  house  on  the  road  to  Yietri). 

*  The  busts  of  Euripides,  in  the  Vatican,  have  a  striking  resemblance  to 
Garibaldi. 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  23 

Sept  7. — About  half-past  nine,  we  heard  the  roar  of  vivas 
in  the  street,  and  coming  to  the  window,  saw  Garibaldi 
himself,  passing  in  the  direction  of  Vietri.  One  of  the 
crowd,  while  cheering  in  the  most  frantic  manner,  suddenly 
fell  in  a  kind  of  convulsive  fit.  I  asked  our  landlady,  a 
vivacious,  black-eyed  Calabrese  damsel,  whether  he  had  not 
been  drinking  the  General's  health.  "  No,"  she  said  ;  "  it  is 
joy.  Ah,"  in  a  tone  of  reproach,  "you  English,  who  have 
been  always  free,  cannot  imagine  the  delight  of  deliverance." 
And  she  made  a  gesture  as  if  she  were  about  to  fly. 

Beside  Garibaldi  sat  a  person  with  gold  lace  round  his  cape, 
who  we  were  told  was  General  de  Suget,  commander  of  the 
national  guard.  The  question  for  us  was,  Whither  were  they 
bound?  Our  landlord  assured  us  that  they  were  going  no 
farther  than  La  Cava :  he  had  it  from  the  best  authority — it 
was  certo,  certissimo.  So  we  forthwith  engaged  a  carriage  to 
take  us  to  La  Cava.  Just  as  we  were  setting  off,  came  our 
acquaintance  of  the  railway,  in  the  uniform  of  a  national 
guard,  who  told  us  that  Garibaldi  was  going  straight  to 
Naples,  and  that  we  might  still  be  in  time  to  catch  the  special 
train  that  was  to  take  him. 

We  drove  with  all  speed  to  the  station  at  Vietri,  which  was 
crowded  with  carriages  outside  and  people  inside.  There  was 
no  chance  of  getting  through  in  the  regular  way  ;  so  climbing 
up  a  somewhat  steep  bank,  and  getting  over  a  low  wall,  we 
gained  the  railway.  The  train  was  not  gone.  Without  asking 
any  one's  leave,  we  got  into  a  third-class  carriage,  containing 
already  about  thirty  people,  like  ourselves,  a  self-invited 
escort  for  the  Dictator.  We  were  welcomed  with  cries  of 
"  Viva  l'lnghilterra."  It  seems  that  the  Neapolitan  authorities, 
after  the  departure  of  the  King,  had  sent  a  telegraphic 
message  to  General  Garibaldi,  asking  when  and  where  it 
would  be  his  pleasure  to  receive  a  deputation.  The  answer 
was:  "Immediately,  at  Salerno."  Accordingly,  the  deputa- 
tion came  early  on  Friday  morning.  To  their  question,  when 
would  the  General  honour  Naples  with  his  presence,  he 
answered,  "  At  once,"  saying  that  he  preferred  a  spontaneous 


24  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

to  a  prepared  welcome.  So  every  one  was  taken  by  surprise. 
We  congratulated  ourselves  upon  our  good  luck  in  being  there 
to  see.  During  the  whole  of  our  journey,  the  thirty  or  forty 
occupants  of  the  carriage  where  we  were  did  not  cease  shout- 
ing and  singing.  Some  were  in  the  uniform  of  the  national 
guard,  and  almost  all  were  armed  in  one  way  or  other.  The 
most  conspicuous  figure  was  a  priest  on  the  podgy  side  of 
forty,  in  the  usual  long  black  gown  and  broad-brimmed 
hat,  with  a  musket  and  wide  tricolor  scarf.  His  bass  voice 
was  loudest  of  all  in  the  choruses,  and  in  the  cheers  as 
we  passed  each  successive  station.  In  the  intervals  he  was 
smoking  regalias,  which  he  brandished  with  the  left  hand,  as 
he  brandished  the  musket  with  the  right.  The  songs  were 
interminable.  Eather,  as  it  was  always  the  same  tune  and 
the  same  chorus,  I  should  call  it  one  song  of  which  the  verses 
were  extemporized  by  one  or  other  of  the  company.  I 
managed  to  remember  two  of  these  verses,  which  I  give  by 
way  of  specimen. 

"  Siamo  Italiani, 
Giovani  freschi, 
Contro  ai  Tedeschi, 
Vogliamo  pugnar. 

(Chorus.)  Viva  l'ltalia ! 

Viva  Pnnione ! 
Viva  Garibaldi ! 
E  la  liberta ! 

Morte  a  Francesco, 

Del  nome  secondo, 
Piu  belva  nel  mondo, 

Trovar  non  si  pud. 

(Chorus.)  Viva  l'ltalia,  &c. 

The  tune  resembled  the  ordinary  chant  of   the   saints' 

litany,    "Sancte  ,   ora    pro   nobis,"   allegro    instead  of 

adagio. 

At  every  station  a  mob  of  curious  people  were  gathered, 
who  exchanged  cheers  with  the  occupants  of  the  train,  but 
it  was  evident  that  they  scarcely  believed  Garibaldi  himself 


W.  G. Ciark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA FEL  IN  i860.  25 

to  be  present.  Events  had  hastened  to  their  denouement  so 
rapidly,  that  people  could  hardly  credit  the  evidence  of  their 
senses.  We  stopped  at  Nocera,  Torre  dell'  Ammziata,  and 
Portici,  for  a  few  minutes.  The  demonstrations  of  welcome 
came  from  all  classes;  from  the  fishermen  who  left  their 
boats  on  the  beach,  from  the  swarthy  fellows,  naked  to  the 
waist,  who  were  winnowing  their  corn  on  the  flat  house-roofs, 
as  well  as  from  the  national  guards  who  crowded  round  the 
carriage  to  see  the  famous  chief. 

At  Naples  there  was  a  little  delay  while  the  Minister  of 
the  Interior,  who  has  transferred  his  services  directly  to 
the  Dictator,  made  a  complimentary  speech,  not  a  word  of 
which  was  audible  to  us.  Then  Garibaldi  got  into  the 
carriage  which  was  waiting  for  him,  and  drove  slowly  by 
the  Strada  Nuova,  the  Strada  di  Porto,  and  the  Largo  del 
Castel  Nuovo  to  the  Foresteria.  A  few  carriages  followed 
containing  the  deputation,  and  perhaps  a  dozen  of  his  officers 
in  their  red  shirts.  He  himself  wore  his  ordinary  costume, 
red  shirt,  black  wide-awake,  black  neckcloth,  and  a  coloured 
silk  handkerchief  knotted  and  hanging  down  his  back,  to 
serve,  I  suppose,  on  occasion  for  protection  against  the  sun. 
A  detachment  of  national  guards  went  before  and  behind. 
We  elbowed  our  way  among  the  shouting  crowd,  and  kept 
close  by  his  carriage  all  the  time.  The  excitement  and  enthu- 
siasm were  great,  but  the  crowd  was  an  extemporary  crowd, 
composed  of  persons  who  had  suddenly  left  their  work  at  the 
news.  Naples  had  been  taken  by  surprise.  The  windows 
were  not  filled  with  expectant  faces,  the  houses  were  not  deco- 
rated with  flags,  because  no  one  knew  that  he  was  coming. 
This  robbed  the  event  of  its  beauty  as  a  spectacle,  but  it  threw 
no  doubt  on  the  heartiness  of  the  welcome. 

Garibaldi  sat  for  the  most  part  apparently  unmoved,  but 
from  time  to  time  he  lifted  his  hat,  and  smiled,  as  it  were, 
with  the  eyes  rather  than  the  lips.  One  of  his  men,  with  red 
shirt  and  plaid  scarf  and  plumed  hat,  well  armed,  stood  behind 
the  carriage  at  his  back,  keeping,  as  I  thought,  a  sharp  eye 
upon  all  who  came  near,  as  if  looking  for  the  handle  of  a 


26  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

dagger,  or  the  butt  end  of  a  pistol.  As  we  passed  the  Castel 
del  Carmine,  a  number  of  the  King's  troops,  still  in  garrison 
there,  were  looking  on.  The  mob  in  passing  called  to  them, 
and,  with  menacing  gestures,  demanded  that  they  should  cry, 
"Viva  Garibaldi."  Some  few  obeyed,  but  the  majority  stood 
with  folded  arms  and  closed  lips,  notwithstanding  the  impre- 
cations of  the  crowd  below.  The  procession  at  last  reached 
the  great  open  place  (its  shape  forbids  me  to  call  it  a  square), 
in  front  of  the  palace.  Then  Garibaldi  left  his  carriage  and 
entered  the  Foresteria,  a  large  house  intended  for  the  reception 
of  foreign  guests  of  distinction.  A  few  minutes  afterwards  he 
appeared  at  an  open  window  on  the  first  floor,  and  walked 
along  the  balcony  to  the  centre  of  the  building.  Loud  cries, 
not  like  the  rolling  cheers  of  an  English  crowd,  but  confused 
and  inarticulate,  greeted  his  appearance.  He  leaned  with  his 
left  arm  on  the  iron  framework  of  the  balcony,  and  waited 
patiently  hat  in  hand.  At  last  the  crowd  began  to  understand 
that  he  wanted  to  speak  to  them,  and  gradually  the  cries  and 
shouts  died  away  into  silence,  obedient  to  reiterated  "  Zitti, 
zitti,"  from  the  quieter  spirits.  It  was  to  the  following  effect : — 

"  You  have  a  right  to  exult  in  this  day,  which  is  the  com- 
mencement of  a  new  epoch  not  only  for  you  but  for  all  Italy, 
of  which  Naples  forms  the  fairest  portion.  It  is,  indeed, 
a  glorious  day  and  a  holy — that  on  which  a  people  passes 
from  the  yoke  of  servitude  to  the  rank  of  a  free  nation.  I 
thank  you  for  this  welcome,  not  only  for  myself  individually, 
but  in  the  name  of  all  Italy,  which  your  aid  will  render  free 
and  united."* 

He  spoke  with  a  clear  and  loud  voice,  which  was  heard  by 
all.  The  phrase  "  Italia  intiera  "  occurred  twice  in  his  speech, 
and  was  pronounced  with  unusual  distinctness  and  emphasis, 
eliciting  cheers  of  especial  meaning. 

Wearied  with  dust,  heat,  and  excitement,  I  went  home  to 
bathe  and  rest,  and  found  that  some  patriot  had  picked  my 
pocket. 

*  No  newspaper,  that  I  saw,  contained  a  perfectly  accurate  report  of  this 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  27 

Meanwhile  the  Dictator  went  to  the  cathedral,  where 
a  service  of  some  kind  was  performed,  and  thence  to  the 
Palazzo  d'Angri,  where  he  has  taken  up  his  abode  for  the 
present. 

About  three  o'clock  I  drove  up  the  Toledo,  and  found  the 
street  in  front  of  the  Palazzo  blocked  up  by  a  dense  mass  of 
carriages  and  people  on  foot,  crying  "  Viva  Garibaldi !"  at  the 
top  of  their  voices,  to  bring  him  to  the  window.  At  last  one 
of  his  men  appeared  and  laid  his  cheek  upon  his  hand,  im- 
plying that  the  general  had  gone  to  lie  down — "  his  custom 
always  of  an  afternoon"  (as  I  am  told).  He  gets  up  about 
three  in  the  morning  and  transacts  a  vast  amount  of  business 
before  the  rest  of  the  world  is  out  of  bed.  Before  the  day 
was  over,  every  house,  almost  every  window  in  the  Toledo 
and  Chiaia  and  main  streets  of  Naples  had  its  flag.  There 
seemed  to  be  considerable  difference  of  opinion  as  to  what  the' 
Italian  tricolor  was.  All  were  agreed  as  to  the  colours, 
green,  white,  red  ;  but  whether  they  should  be  placed  like  the 
French,  parallel  to  the  staff,  or  like  the  Dutch,  at  right  angles ; 
and  whether  the  green  should  come  first,  or  the  red,  seemed 
to  be  a  moot  point  which  each  householder  decided  according 
to  his  fancy.  The  white  portion  of  the  flag  was  adorned 
either  with  a  portrait  of  Garibaldi,  or  with  a  red  shield  and 
the  white  cross  of  Savoy.  At  sunset  the  town  was  illumi- 
nated, as  the  Italians  say,  a  giorno ;  crowds  of  pedestrians 
and  a  multitude  of  carriages  paraded  the  main  streets.  The 
noise  was  indescribable.  The  hero's  name  was  repeated  in  all 
manner  of  forms,  as  if  it  was  a  declinable  noun — Garibaldi, 
Garibaldo,  Garibalda — nay,  it  was  metamorphosed  into  Galli- 
bar  and  Gallipot,  and  Galliboard ;  at  last  the  two  first  syllables 
were  suppressed,  and  "  Yiva  'Board"  was  the  favourite  cry, 
the  sound  of  the  last  syllable  being  prolonged  to  the  utmost. 
You  heard  too,  "  Viva  Vittorio  Emmanuele,"  and  still  more 
frequently,  "Viva  l'ltalia  unita,"  which  at  length  was  shortened 
into  una,  and  when  people  got  so  hoarse  that  they  could  not 
articulate  any  longer,  they  held  out  the  forefinger  and  shook 
it  as  they  passed,  indicative  of  their  desire  for  unity.     Men, 


28  VJ CATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

women,  and  boys,  crowded  the  carriages  and  clung  to  them 
like  swarming  bees — I  counted  thirteen  persons  in  a  small 
vehicle  drawn  by  one  horse.  Some  waved  flags,  some 
brandished  daggers,  holding  them  occasionally  in  unpleasant 
proximity  to  one's  throat,  and  shrieking  with  menacing 
scowls,  "Viva  Garibaldi!"  others  danced  frantically  along, 
waving  torches  over  their  heads.  I  have  never  seen  such 
a  sight  as  the  Strada  di  Toledo  presented  as  you  looked  up 
it,  the  long  lines  of  stationary  lights  converging  in  the 
distance,  and  the  flags  drooping  from  the  windows,  and  down 
below  the  mad  movements  of  the  torches,  and  the  waved 
banners  and  gleaming  arms.  Here  and  there  an  excited 
orator  addressed  the  crowd  about  him  in  wild  declamation; 
little  bands  of  enthusiasts,  headed  sometimes  by  a  priest  and 
sometimes  by  a  woman,  went  dancing  through  the  streets  and 
burst  into  the  cafes,  compelling  all  present  to  join  in  the 
popular  cry.  I  was  forcibly  reminded  of  the  scenes  of  the 
French  Ee volution  and  Mademoiselle  Louise  Theroigne.  When 
I  was  in  the  Cafe  d'Europa  a  priest  rushed  in  with  frantic 
gestures,  with  eyes  starting  from  his  head,  with  a  banner  in 
one  hand  and  a  knife  in  the  other,  uttering  horrible  and 
inarticulate  howlings.  Having  seen  him,  I  can  understand 
the  frenzy  of  the  ancient  Bacchantes. 

A  friend  of  mine  saw  a  young  and  beautiful  girl,  belonging 
apparently  to  the  upper  class,  who,  standing  up  in  a  carriage, 
began  to  address  the  crowd  quietly  at  first,  but  warming 
gradually  into  a  fury  of  enthusiasm,  the  veins  in  face  and 
neck  swollen,  and  ending  with  "  Morte  ai  Borboni,"  shrieked 
out  with  the  accents  and  gestures  of  a  Eachel. 

Sept  8. — The  diversion  was  repeated  on  this  night  (and 
again  on  Sunday,  the  9th),  with  more  vigour  and  violence 
and  extravagance  than  ever. 

An  unfortunate  man  who  did  not  cry  "Viva  Garibaldi" 
when  he  was  bidden,  was  ripped  open  by  one  who  carried 
a  dagger,  and  died  on  the  spot.  An  English  officer  saw 
him  lying  dead.  A  proclamation  next  morning  from  the 
new  minister  of  police  entreated  the  people  to  leave  their 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  FEL  IN  1 8  60.  29 

arms  at  home,  but  it  did  not  appear  to  have  much  effect. 
These  people  have  not  been  accustomed  to  official  en- 
treaties. 

On  the  afternoon,  Garibaldi  went  to  the  Church  of  the 
Piedigrotta,  seeing  (as  the  paper  informed  us)  that  it  had 
been  the  ancient  custom  of  the  Neapolitan  Sovereigns  to  pay 
their  devotions  to  the  Madonna  of  that  ilk  on  the  8th  of 
September. 

There  used  to  be  a  great  parade  of  troops  on  this  day,  and 
country  people  came  in  from  far  and  near ;  but  this  year  it 
had  lost  all  its  usual  characteristics.  There  were  no  troops 
and  few  visitors,  and  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  completed  the 
failure.  This  I  heard  from  others,  as  I  spent  the  day  at 
Puzzuoli  Cumae  and  Baise.  I  returned  in  time  for  the  per- 
formance at  the  San  Carlo,  which  the  Dictator  was  present  at. 
The  performance  was  listened  to  with  impatience ;  people 
seemed  to  care  for  nothing  but  shouting  "Viva"  between  the 
acts.  Some  English  midshipmen,  from  boxes  in  the  third 
tier,  made  themselves  very  conspicuous,  by  the  energy  with 
which  they  waved  their  tricolor.  The  spectacle  was  spoilt 
by  the  avarice  of  the  managers,  who  had  doubled  the  prices 
and  consequently  halved  the  audience.  The  thousand  or 
fifteen  hundred  who  were  present  did  their  best  to  com- 
pensate for  the  beggarly  account  of  empty  boxes.  "Viva 
Venezia"  seemed  to  be  the  favourite  cry.  I  saw  the  Dictator 
emile .  grimly  when  he  heard  it.  Among  the  persons  who 
came  to  pay  their  respects  to  him  was,  as  I  was  told,  the 
very  Admiral  who  had  commanded  the  Neapolitan  fleet  at 
Palermo,  and  also  Liborio  Eomano,  who  bowed  in  the 
humblest  manner,  "  con  illimitato  rispetto." 

The  ballet  was  brought  to  an  untimely  end  by  some  one  in 
a  shooting-coat  rushing  on  the  stage  and  crying  out,  "Viva/' 
&c.  in  which  the  whole  corps  de  ballet  joined,  crowding  round 
the  box  where  the  General  was  and  lifting  their  arms  in 
the  theatrical  fashion  of  supplication.  A  body  of  national 
guards,  with  drawn  swords,  escorted  Garibaldi  through  the 
thronged  corridors  to  his  carriage.     Some  one,  in  loud  voice, 


30  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

cried  "  Silenzio  nel  nome  de  Garibaldi ! "  which  was  answered 
by  a  prolonged  shout. 

Sept.  9. — About  ten  o'clock,  as  I  was  walking  by  Sta. 
Lucia,  I  saw  a  great  crowd  gathered  round  a  brightly  blazing 
pile — a  curious  sight  on  a  summer's  morning.  Asking  a  by- 
stander the  meaning  of  it,  I  was  informed  that  the  pile  con- 
sisted of  the  furniture,  books,  and  papers  of  an  obnoxious 
agent  of  police.  He  was  about  to  make  his  escape.  Some 
of  the  mob  being  informed  of  it  were  on  the  watch,  and  as 
soon  as  the  cart  containing  his  chattels  emerged  from  the 
door  of  the  fortified  place  where  he  lived,  they  pounced  upon 
it,  made  a  heap  of  its  contents,  and  set  fire  to  them.  They 
were  dancing  round  the  fire  in  wild  excitement.  Old  women 
threw  up  their  skinny  arms  and  shrieked,  and  the  children 
were  mad  with  delight.  I  saw  one  man  seize  a  loose  sheet  of 
manuscript,  which  had  been  blown  away  from  the  pile, 
crumple  it  in  his  hand,  throw  it  down,  and  stamp  on  it,  then 
fold  his  arms  and  "  stare  with  his  foot  on  the  prey,"  in  the 
attitude  of  Clytemnestra  stamping  on  the  corpse  of  Agamem- 
non. The  Neapolitans,  generally  speaking,  are  not  handsome 
in  feature  nor  picturesque  in  dress — they  are  common-place 
when  in  repose,  but  when  excited  with  passion  their  counte- 
nances and  gestures  are  a  study  for  an  actor  or  a  painter. 
While  they  were  thus  engaged,  a  rumour  spread  that  the 
owner  of  the  furniture  was  making  his  escape  by  sea.  In- 
stantly the  crowd  dispersed.  Some  put  off  in  boats,  others 
clambered  round  the  rocky  point  and  along  the  sea-wall — all 
animated  with  a  desire  of  vengeance.  They  were,  however, 
disappointed.  The  obnoxious  functionary  either  was  already 
gone,  or  else  he  prudently  waited  for  a  more  favourable  oppor- 
tunity. 

It  is  probably  because  the  officials  of  the  King  have  been 
for  the  most  part  as  prudent  as  their  master,  and  made  their 
escape  in  time,  that  so  few  acts  of  violence  have  been  com- 
mitted during  these  revolutionary  days.  It  is  not  for  want  of 
will  on  the  part  of  the  people.     To-day  I  read  in  the  paper 


W.  G. Clakk.]  NOTES  OF  TEA VEL  IN  i860.  31 

that  as  Garibaldi  was  returning  from  a  drive,  some  one  fol- 
lowed him,  crying,  "  Yiva  Francesco  II.,"  when  a  "  Guardiano 
della  Dogana  "  came  up  and  shot  him  dead  !  The  mob  wanted 
to  inflict  indignities  on  the  corpse  (as  their  wont  is),  but  the 
Dictator  interfered,  and  ordered  that  it  should  be  decently- 
buried.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  blamed  the  slayer  for 
excess  of  zeal. 

This  afternoon  I  saw  at  the  Castel  Nuovo  the  King's  troops 
with  bag  and  baggage  and  arms  evacuating  the  place,  and  the 
national  guards  marching  in.     A  considerable  crowd  assem- 
bled, but  there  was  no  manifestation  of  feeling  against  the 
soldiers.     About  150  of  them  waited  for  an  hour  or  more  in 
the  street  outside.      Passers-by  talked  to  them  in  friendly 
terms.     As  far  as  I  could  judge  from  the  countenances  of  the 
men,  they  were  quite  indifferent,  and  did  not  seem  to  care 
where  they  went.     They  were  well  armed  and  clothed,  and 
evidently  had  been  well  fed.     Had  they  been  well  led  too, 
things  would  have  taken  a  very  different  turn.     While  they 
were  still  waiting  for  orders,  a  regiment  of  Garibaldians  came 
by,  marching,  it  was  said,  under  General  Tiirr,  to  repress  a 
reactionary  movement  at  Ariano.     The  contrast  which  these 
filibusters   presented  to  the  royal   troops   was   exceedingly 
striking.      Of  the  Garibaldians,  no  two  men  were  armed  or 
clothed  alike  :  some  had  only  one  shoe,  some  no  shoes  at  all ; 
there  were  boys  of  twelve  and  thirteen  years  old  in  the  ranks, 
side  by  side  with  grey-bearded  veterans  ;  there  were  the  most 
bizarre  contrasts  as  to  personal  stature,  such  as  one  has  only 
seen  in  the  army  of  Bombastes  Furioso,  and  they  made  no 
pretence  of  keeping  line  or  keeping  step.     Many  of  them 
carried  loaves  stuck  on  the  end  of  their  muskets  or  bayonets. 
Yet  these  are  the  men  before  whom  a  well-appointed  army  of 
150,000  men,  with  a  king's  name  for  a  tower  of  strength, 
have  broken,  and  fled,  and  melted  into  nothing. 

Apropos  of  the  boys,  I  was  told  by  one  who  had  seen  the 
battle  of  Melazzo,  that  they  did  excellent  service,  and  showed 
no  sign  of  fear — laughing  and  singing,  when  exposed  to  a 
murderous  fire,  as  if  their  young  lives  were  of  no  account. 


32  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  '        [Italy. 

"  If  such  things  be  done  in  the  green  tree,"  the  kingdom  of 
Italy  may  in  reality  be  formidable  to  her  neighbours  a  few- 
years  hence,  and  justify  the  alarm  which  led  Louis  Napoleon 
to  appropriate  Nice  and  Savoy  for  the  protection  of  France. 

Sept.  11. — Now  that  the  shouting  is  over,  we  have  some 
leisure  for  thinking  what  it  means,  what  realities  lie  under 
this  surface  of  triumph. 

On  Wednesday  night,  Sept.  5th,  or  rather,  early  in  the 
morning  of  Thursday,  the  King  left  his  palace,  committing 
the  town  to  the  care  of  the  general  commanding  the  na- 
tional guard.  The  official  paper,  Constitutional  Journal,  as  it 
was  called,  contained  on  Thursday  a  proclamation  from  the 
King  in  dignified  terms,  promising  that  when  it  should  please 
the  Divine  Justice  to  restore  him  to  his  throne,  he  would  still 
preserve  the  constitution  which  he  had  granted.  To  this  was 
added  a  protest,  countersigned  by  the  prime  minister  De 
Martino,  in  which  Garibaldi  is  called  "  un  ardito  condottiere." 

The  same  journal  of  Friday,  changing  the  title  of  con- 
stitutional to  that  of  official,  and  substituting  Naples  for  the 
Two  Sicilies,  contains  a  proclamation  of  Garibaldi  to  the 
people,  dated  that  morning  at  Salerno,  and  a  letter  from 
Liborio  Eomano  to  "  the  most  invincible  Dictator,"  announcing 
the  impatience  of  Naples  for  the  arrival  of  its  "Kedeemer," 
and  professing  "  to  await  his  further  orders  with  unbounded 
respect."  This  man  had  two  days  before  countersigned  the 
deeds  of  Francis  the  Second  in  his  capacity  of  Minister  of  the 
Interior.  His  ostentatious  treason  has  offended  even  the 
Neapolitans. 

The  mode  in  which  the  title  now  borne  by  Garibaldi  was 
conferred,  is  singular.  Some  half-dozen  persons,  including 
Liborio,  announced  that  on  the  invitation  of  the  General 
they  had  formed  themselves  into  a  provisional  Government, 
and  in  virtue  of  the  authority  so  derived  they  declared 
General  Garibaldi  dictator.  A  curious  ruse  this  for  investing 
the  transaction  with  a  semblance  of  legality.  It  can  only 
impose  upon  those  who  do  not  see  that  arguing  in  a  circle 
proves  nothing.   By  what  authority,  we  may  ask,  did  Garibaldi 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  33 

invite  the   said  half-dozen  to    form  a  provisional   Govern- 
ment ? 

The  gazettes  of  Saturday  and  the  two  following  days  are 
filled  with  decrees  nominating  ministers,  confirming  all  sub- 
ordinate employes,  except  pluralists,  in  their  posts,  recognising 
the  national  debt,  &c. 

The  ministers  named  are  not  in  general  (as  I  am  told)  men 
of  commanding  ability,  but  they  are  all  moderate  men,  and,  as 
such,  give  satisfaction  to  the  party  represented  by  the  Comitato 
Unitario,  the  Cavour  party.  The  party  which  calls  itself  the 
Partito  d'Azione,  of  which  Crespi,  De  Pretis  and  Bertani 
(perhaps  I  should  now  include  Mazzini)  are  the  leaders,  is, 
however,  believed  to  have  the  Dictator's  affections,  and  in 
reality  to  guide  his  councils.  Garibaldi  has  already  alarmed 
the  moderates  by  the  violence  of  his  language  more  than 
once.  On  Friday,  in  answer  to  an  address,  he  called  Lanio- 
riciere  "  a  renegade  head  of  a  set  of  ragamuffins  without 
country  and  without  faith." 

The  King  of  Sardinia  (I  am  told)  sent  an  aide-de-camp  to 
consult  about  the  mode  of  annexation,  to  which  he  replied,  "  It 
is  not  even  to  be  thought  of  till  I  get  to  Eome  ;"  and  this  story 
is  confirmed  by  the  proclamation  of  this  morning,  September 
11th,  to  the  Sicilians,  in  which  he  declares  his  intention  of 
proclaiming  Italian  unity  from  the  summit  of  the  Quirinal. 
This  audacious  boast  has  dismayed  the  moderate  party  exceed- 
ingly. In  a  constitutional  regime  the  ministers  would  all 
have  resigned. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  political  agitations  I  have  found 
time  to  visit  many  of  the  permanent  "  sights  "  of  Naples,  and 
especially  the  Museo  Borbonico,  which,  like  the  British,  con- 
tains several  museums  in  one.  The  picture  gallery  may,  I 
suppose,  be  ranked  as  the  sixth  in  combined  excellence  and 
size,  after  those  of  the  Louvre,  Dresden,  Madrid,  and  the  two 
at  Florence.  It  has  not  so  many  great  pictures  as  the  Vatican, 
or  even  perhaps  our  National  Gallery,  but  they  are  small 
galleries.     In   sculpture,   it  ranks  next  to  the-  Vatican  and 

D 


34  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

before  the  Louvre  ,  in  ancient  bronzes  and  mosaics  it  is  facile 
princeps ;  in  ancient  frescoes  it  is  unique.  The  frescoes* 
taken  all  from  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  are  exceedingly 
interesting.  In  point  of  art,  their  quality  is  very  various. 
Some  figures  are  drawn  and  coloured  with  a  breadth  and  bold- 
ness that  reminds  one  of  the  Venetian  school.  There  is,  for 
example,  a  brown  stalwart  Bacchante  which  Titian  might  have 
painted.  But  in  general  they  recall  the  style  of  the  earlier 
naturalists  of  Florence  more  than  any  other  modern  school 
The  "house -sign -and -ornamental  painters"  of  a  country 
town  in  the  first  century  had  attained  a  mastery  over  pencil 
and  brush  which,  till  Masaccio  came,  the  greatest  artists  of 
modern  times  failed  to  equal.  But  then  the  devotional 
feeling,  the  divine  calm  that  charms  us  in  Giotto  and  Era 
Beato,  is  altogether  wanting.  Their  conceptions  are  of  the 
earth,  earthy.  I  suppose,  however,  that  we  should  have 
found  this  devotional  element  in  the  works  of  the  best 
painters  contemporary  with  Phidias.  He,  at  least,  believed 
in  the  gods  he  moulded,  Zeus  and  Athene. 

In  these  frescoes,  even  when  the  drawing  is  bad,  the  con- 
ception is  often  good,  and  now  and  then  we  meet  with  a 
dash  of  humour,  which,  coming  to  us  from  a  long-buried 
world,  is  infinitely  charming.  The  idea  we  derive  from  our 
schooldays  of  the  old  Eomans  is  that  of  a  grim,  savage,  ear- 
nest people,  who  were  always  fighting,  marching,  sacrificing, 
making  military  roads,  innumerable  laws,  and  interminable 
orations,  growing  by-and-by  foully  and  desperately  wicked 
Nothing  brings  us  so  near  to  them  as  a  glimpse  of  their  capa- 
city for  fun  such  as  we  get  in  the  dramatists  now  and  then, 
in  Cicero's  letters,  or  in  Suetonius,  or  in  these  frescoes  from 
Pompeii.  For  instance,  there  is  a  series  of  small  pictures 
(absurdly  described  in  the  catalogue  as  signs  of  shops)  repre- 
senting fat  winged  Cupids  hard  at  work  at  various  trades.  In 
one  they  are  making  boots,  very  like  the  modern  "  Bluchers." 
I  cannot  tell  why  they  are  comical,  but  I  defy  any  one  to 
look  at  them  without  laughing — which  I  take  to  be  the  best 
proof  that  they  are  comical. 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  35 

In  the  centre  of  the  room  is  a  recent  addition,  quite  the 
reverse  of  comical — a  wax  mask  found  in  a  tomb  at  Cumas 
along  with  a  headless  skeleton,  from  which  it  is  inferred  that 
the  person  interred  had  been  decapitated.  It  is,  I  believe, 
the  only  relic  of  the  kind  in  existence.  The  chances  are  im- 
mensely against  the  preservation  of  so  fragile  an  object.  In  the 
tomb  were  found  some  coins  of  Diocletian.  A  few  years  ago 
the  remains  would  have  been  at  once  assumed  to  be  those  of  a 
Christian  martyr,  and  a  new  saint  added  to  the  calendar. 

I  have  been  to-day,  Sept.  12th,  with  a  party  of  English  and 
Italians  to  visit  the  prisons  of  Naples,  in  virtue  of  an  order 
given  by  I  know  not  what  minister.  First  we  saw  some 
dungeons  ^at  the  Prefecture  of  Police,  behind  the  Largo  del 
Castello — places  without  light  or  air,  or  bed  or  seat,  where 
we  were  assured  people  were  kept  for  a  fortnight,  or  even 
a  month,  without  trial.  One  of  these,  built  for  a  common 
latrina,  had  been  used,  as  one  of  the  new  officials  told  us, 
for  a  prison,  and  a  man  was  confined  for  eight  days  there,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  his  toes  were  found  to  be  gnawed  to 
the  bone  by  rats.  The  sight  and  smell  of  the  place  made  two 
of  our  party  ill  for  the  whole  day. 

Then  we  went,  by  steep,  narrow,  filthy  bye-streets,  to  Sta. 
Maria  Apparente.  There  the  cells  had  been  newly  cleansed  and 
whitewashed,  so  that  there  was  nothing  disgusting  in  their 
appearance;  but  the  prison  system  in  vogue  under  Ferdinand 
was  such  as  to  convert  the  most  spacious  and  airy  room  into  a 
place  of  torture.  There  is  also  a  winding  passage  cut  in  the 
rock,  which  seems  formerly  to  have  been  divided  into  cells. 
Several  unfortunates  had  carved  their  names,  with  the  date  of 
their  imprisonment.  One  recorded  that  he  had  been  buried 
(sepolto)  for  four  years,  1856 — 1860 ;  another  added  to  his 
name  the  words,  "  Eeo  senza  delitto." 

After  that  we  climbed  up  to  Sant  Elmo,  saw  its  vast  sub- 
terranean galleries  tier  above  tier,  with  sloping  staircase  (if 
that  may  be  so  called  which  has  no  steps),  like  the  passages 
in  the  Mausoleum  of  Hadrian.     There  are  prisons  also  in  St. 

r>2 


36  r A  CATION  TOURISTS,  AAD  [Italy. 

Elmo,  though  they  have  been  chiefly  used  to  punish  military 
offenders.*  We  walked  round  the  ramparts,  now  sentinelled 
by  Piedmontese  troops  and  by  the  national  guard,  and  soon, 
it  is  said,  to  be  demolished.  As  a  fortress,  St.  Elmo  is  for- 
midable to  the  town,  but  of  little  use  against  an  enemy  from 
without,  at  all  events,  if  he  approached  by  land,  as  it  is  com- 
pletely commanded  by  the  hill  on  which  the  Camaldoli  stands. 
If  we  may  trust  the  story  told  us  by  the  officer  who  was  in 
command  of  the  fortress,  the  gunners  wished  to  bombard  the 
town  on  Sunday,  and  when  their  officers  refused,  they  shut 
them  up  in  a  guard-room,  all  but  the  commandant,  who,  as  he 
informed  us,  pretended  to  be  with  them  in  feeling  in  order  to 
prevent  their  design.  According  to  his  account,  he,  with  the 
aid  of  a  few  soldiers,  got  a  gun  in  such  a  position  as  to  com- 
mand the  mutineers,  who,  not  being  able  to  point  the  guns 
themselves,  at  last  desisted  from  their  purpose,  and  went  away 
to  their  homes  or  elsewhere.  So  the  officer  in  question  retains 
his  command  under  the  Dictator.  When  I  told  this  story  to  an 
eminent  Garibaldian  colonel,  he  said  that  he  did  not  believe 
a  word  of  it.  The  story  is,  indeed,  palpably  inconsistent. 
Why  should  sixty  gunners  (for  that  was  their  number)  not  be 
able  to  point  a  gun  without  their  officers  ?  and  how  could  he 
get  a  gun  to  bear  upon  all  the  soldiers  within  the  fortress  ? 
Fancy  a  man,  wearing  epaulettes  and  a  sword,  telling  such  a 
lie  with  unblushing  face  ! 

*  A  long  account  of  what  we  saw  that  day  in  the  prisons  was  given  in  a  letter 
published  in  the  Times  early  in  October,  by  Lord  Llanover,  who  was  one  of  the 
party.  The  facts  there  stated  are,  of  course,  strictly  correct,  but  I  hesitate  to 
accept  some  of  the  inferences  drawn  or  implied.  We  must  remember  that  the 
prison  at  the  Prefecture  of  Police,  far  the  foulest  of  all,  had  been  recently 
devoted  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  originally  intended,  and  we  had  no 
proof  beyond  the  word  of  an  employe  of  a  few  days'  standing  that  it  had  ever 
been  used  for  a  prison  at  all.  And  in  the  other  cases  our  informants  were  all  men 
who  had  just  been  appointed  to  their  offices  by  the  new  Government,  who  knew 
nothing  of  the  former  system  of  their  own  knowledge,  but  were  anxious  to  blacken 
the  late  reign,  and  could  not  fail  to  see  that  each  atrocious  detail  communicated  a 
thrill  of  sensation,  rather  agreeable  than  otherwise,  to  their  auditors.  We 
have  evidence  enough,  from  more  trustworthy  sources,  of  the  cruelties  practised 
by  Ferdinand.  But  I  do  not  think  there  is  any  proof  that  the  prison  system 
at  Naples  under  Francesco  II.  was  at  all  worse  than  it  was  in  England  under 
George  the  Third. 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IZV  1 8  60.  37 

Sept.  13. — The  same  party  which  had  visited  the  prisons 
of  Naples  went  to  that  of  Ischia  in  a  despatch-boat,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Marryatt,  a  son  of  the  novelist,  and 
kindly  placed  at  our  disposal  by  Admiral  Mundy.  On  our 
landing  we  were  assailed  by  a  crowd  of  natives  offering 
donkeys  and  figs,  three  donkeys  at  least  to  each  man,  and 
more  figs  than  one  could  eat  in  a  month,  clamouring  in  all 
tones  from  howls  of  exultation  to  whines  of  distress,  till  the 
poor  stranger  became  so  bewildered  that  he  did  not  know 
whether  he  was  expected  to  mount  the  figs  and  eat  the 
donkeys  or  vice  versa. 

The  prison  we  were  to  see  is  in  the  Castle  of  Ischia,  which 
Stanfield's  picture  has  made  familiar  to  English  eyes.  Only 
as  we  saw.  it  the  sea  was  rippling  quietly  about  the  base  of  the 
breakwater  in  the  foreground,  not  tumbling  in  wild  billows 
over  it. 

Some  difficulty  was  made  about  our  admission ;  but  the 

combined  authority  and  eloquence  of  Lord  LI and  Mr. 

Edwin  J ,  aided  by  the  fact  that  we  had  come  in  a  ship  of 

war,  triumphed  over  all  obstacles. 

The  prisons  here  were  tenanted  only  by  fleas.  They  were 
not  particularly  dark  or  dirty,  or  in  any  way  horrible.  We 
asked  in  vain  for  the  torture-chamber  and  the  thumb- 
screws, and  on  the  whole  could  not  but  feel  disappointed  at 
the  result  of  our  inquiry.  We  were  shown  the  room  where 
Poerio  was  confined  during  some  of  his  ten  years  of  durance. 
There  were  four  rooms  en  suite  so  arranged  that  an  inspector 
could  look  on  from  a  window  in  his  chamber  above,  and  see 
what  was  doing  in  any  of  them.  The  wooden  tressels  on 
which  the  prisoners  slept  and  some  fragments  of  their  clothing 
still  remained.  They  had  the  liberty  of  walking  in  a  small 
walled  courtyard. 

The  Tschian  prisons  were  under  the  charge  of  the  same 
keepers  as  before,  old  soldiers  chiefly,  who  were  very  much 
alarmed  at  our  visit  and  our  questions,  and  as  anxious  to 
dissemble  the  rigours  of  the  former  Government  as  the  new 
keepers  of  the  Neapolitan  prisons  had  been  to  exaggerate  them. 


38  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

Sept.  15. — I  went  by  railway  to  Castellamare,  and  thence, 
with  a  carriage,  in  an  hour  and  a  quarter  to  Sorrento.  The 
Neapolitan  coachmen  drive  like  Jehu  the  son  of  Nimshi. 
Even  when  one  takes  them  by  the  hour  they  scarcely  abate 
their  ordinary  pace,  which  is  very  different  from  the  snail-like 
motion  of  a  London  or  Paris  cabman  under  similar  conditions. 
One  of  Dr.  Johnson's  immortal  truths  was  communicated  to 
Mr.  Boswell  in  these  words :  "  Sir,  there  is  something  very 
exhilarating  in  the  rapid  motion  of  a  post-chaise  ; "  and  I  fancy 
that  the  Neapolitan  driver  feels  the  pleasure  so  intensely  that 
he  cannot  forego  it  for  the  sake  of  sparing  his  cattle  or  spinning 
out  the  time,  even  when  to  him  time  is  money. 

The  drive  to  Sorrento  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the 
world.  The  road  at  first  follows  the  coast-line,  winding  into 
each  cove  and  rounding  each  headland,  then  strikes  across  the 
valley  where  Vico  is  situated,  crossing  the  gorge  by  a  noble 
viaduct,  doubles  the  next  promontory,  and,  by  a  gradual  descent, 
comes  to  the  comparatively  level  plain  of  Sorrento.  This  plain 
is  composed  of  a  couche  of  tufa  perhaps  three  hundred  feet 
deep  at  the  base  of  the  hills,  and  sloping  gently  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  where  it  breaks  away  in  an  abrupt  precipice, 
varying  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in 
height.  This  tufa  has  been  deposited  in  the  hollows  of  the 
limestone  hills  by  some  pre-historic  volcano.  It  has  been  cut 
into  deep  gorges  by  mountain  torrents  many  ages  ago  by  slow 
degrees,  for  the  channel  is  not  sensibly  deeper  than  it  was  two 
thousand  years  since,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  substructions  of 
Eoman  bridges,  cellars,  &c.  still  apparent.  The  plain  is  of 
wonderful  fertility,  and,  except  where  there  is  a  street,  a  house, 
or  a  lane  sunk  between  high  walls,  it  is  like  a  continuous 
garden,  "  a  contiguity  of  shade,"  fruit  trees  of  all  kinds 
oranges,  lemons,  figs,  pomegranates,  and  trellised  vines,  where 
you  may  walk  under  a  roof  of  matted  leaves  and  pendent 
clusters.  On  the  amphitheatre  of  hills  which  shelters  the 
plain  on  east,  south,  and  west,  you  see  terrace  above  terrace, 
partly  artificial  and  partly  the  natural  formation  of  the  white 
limestone  rock,  sprinkled  with  grey  olives,  relieved  by  tthe 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  39 

brighter  green  of  carob-tree,  or  fig,  or  vine,  up  to  the  foot  of 
the  steep  crag,  or  the  verge  of  the  native  forest. 

No  wonder  that  the  Eomans  were  fond  of  such  a  place. 
The  beauty  of  Baiae  must  have  been  in  great  part  artificial, 
even  before  its  neighbourhood  was  altered  and  spoiled  by  the 
eruptions  of  the  Solfatara  and  the  Monte  Nuovo,  and  now  it 
presents  a  somewhat  bare  hill-side  cumbered  with  shapeless 
ruins.  Baiae,  too,  must  always  have  been  much  hotter  than 
Sorrento,  for  the  former  looks  towards  the  south-east,  the 
latter  due  north*  When  the  poet  said,  "  Nullus  in  orbe  sinus 
Baiis  praelucet  amcenis,"  he  meant  an  especial  stress  to  be  laid 
on  "  amcenis,"  and  referred  not  to  the  natural  beauty  only,  but 
to  the  society  and  various  artificial  agrSmens  of  the  place. 
If  people  ever  read  Statius  now-a-days,  they  would  find  that 
even  among  the  Eomans  there  were  some  who  preferred 
Sorrento.  Perhaps  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius  in  '79,  which 
half-suffocated  the  people  at  Baiae,  but  so  far  as  we  know  did 
not  affect  Surrentum,  may  have  contributed  to  establish  the 
latter  in  popular  favour.  Certain  it  is,  that  the  ground  there 
was  so  valuable  they  they  built  villas  below  the  cliff  on 
foundations  laid  in  the  sea  itself.  Large  blocks  of  lava  in  a 
regular  line  may  be  seen  below  the  water  from  the  Hotel  della 
Sirena,  and  to  reach  the  shore  you  descend  through  galleries 
still  covered  with  stucco,  and  showing  traces  of  colour.  The 
face  of  the  rock,  is  filled  with  artificial  niches  and  caves, 
evidently  belonging  to  Eoman  houses.  On  either  side  of  the 
city  is  a  deep  ravine,  offering  at  every  step  the  most  lovely 
combinations  of  tufa  rock  and  ruins  and  luxuriant  creepers. 
Eound  the  city  is  a  mediaeval  wall  of  great  strength  once,  but 
now  crumbling  and  ruinous.  In  the  centre  is  the  Cathedral, 
an  ancient  church  with  an  open  atrium  like  that  of  Salerno, 
but  thoroughly  modernized.     Outside  there  are  some  columns 

*  The  modern  Sorrentines  maintain  the  superiority  of  their  town  to  Naples 
in  amenity  and  healthiness.  They  have  a  couplet,  the  produce  of  a  native 
genius,  which  they  quote  with  as  much  pride  as  if  he  had  succeeded  in  making 
it  rhyme : — 

"  Napoli  bella,  Sorrento  civile  ; 
Chi  venga  ammalato  a  Sorrento  si  sana." 


40  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

of  costly  marble  fitted  with  capitals  not  originally  belonging 
to  them,  the  spoils  probably  of  one  or  more  ancient  temples. 
Near  the  Cathedral  is  a  remarkable  loggia,  open  on  two  sides, 
like  the  Portico  of  Orcagna,  only  on  a  smaller  scale.  The 
arches  are  round,  and  the  capitals  are  carved  in  the  flat 
manner  characteristic  of  Italian  Gothic.  It  is  called  the 
"  Settina  dei  cavalieri,"  but  I  was  not  fortunate  enough  to 
find  any  one  who  could  give  me  an  intelligible  account  of 
its  destination. 

I  rode  in  the  afternoon  of  Saturday  to  the  Deserto,  a 
convent  now  abandoned,  and  situated  on  the  crest  of  a  hill 
south-west  of  Sorrento,  commanding  a  view  of  the  bay  of 
Salerno  as  well  as  the  bay  of  Naples.  The  place  was 
tenanted  only  by  a  peasant  (a  "  colon "  they  call  him,  still 
retaining  the  Latin  word,)  and  his  family.  The  cells  were 
fast  going  to  ruin,  and  so  was  the  wall  which  had  inclosed 
round  the  convent  an  irregular  space  of  perhaps  a  hundred 
acres.  Though  the  wind  was  "proprio  scirocco,"  there  was 
a  delicious  coolness  about  it  as  I  stood  on  the  convent  roof. 
My  guide,  a  good-humoured  and  in  his  way  intelligent  fellow, 
had  been  employed  with  others  by  the  Count  of  Syracuse 
to  excavate  an  ancient  cemetery  close  by,  which,  from  his 
mention  of  the  gold  ornaments  and  other  relics  found,  I 
suppose  may  have  been  the  burying-place  of  Theorica,  a 
Greek  city,  supposed  to  have  occupied  the  site  of  the  neigh- 
bouring village  of  Torca. 

"This  campo  santo,"  said  my  guide,  "was  two  centuries 
(due  secoli)  old ;  before  the  world." 

"  Before  the  world  ?"  I  asked.    "  How  could  that  be  ?" 

"  I  mean,"  he  said,  "  before  this  world ;  in  the  time  of 
another  world,  which  was  destroyed  by  a  deluge." 

"  And  that,"  I  asked,  "was  two  secoli  ago  ?" 

"  Precisamente,  eccelenza." 

"  And  how  many  years  are  there  in  a  secolo  ? " 

"  A  hundred,  or  thereabouts." 

"Well,"  said  I,  with  the  air  of  an  inquirer  thirsting  for 
information,  "  what  happened  about  the  deluge  ?  " 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  41 

"  The  flood  was  sent,  eccelenza,  because  the  world  was  full 
of  bad  people ;  but  there  was  a  signore  called  Noe,  who  was 
good.  Dunque,"  he  proceeded,  putting  his  finger  alongside 
of  his  nose,  as  their  manner  is  when  coming  to  the  point 
of  a  story,  "  Jesus  Christ,  made  a  great  ship,  and  put  Noe  in 
it ;"  and  so  he  went  on  with  the  narrative. 

I  have  given  the  man's  exact  words.  I  tell  the  incident, 
as  it  seems  to  me  characteristic  of  the  amount  of  education  of 
an  ordinary  Neapolitan  of  that  class.  There  is  no  point  in 
the  story  except  this — that  it  is  a  fact, 

I  have  always  noticed  that  genuine  tradition  has  a  tendency 
to  diminish  the  interval  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  the 
event  of  which  it  preserves  the  memory.  I  remember  asking 
a  farmer,  who  lived  on  the  field  of  battle  near  Nbrdlingen, 
whether  he  had  ever  heard  of  such  a  battle.  "  0 !  yes,"  he  said, 
"  he  had  often  heard  his  father  speak  of  it,  and  his  father,  who 
had  seen  it,  told  him."  The  remotest  event  is  always  supposed 
to  be  "in  my  grandfather's  time."  This  is  characteristic  of 
genuine  tradition.  Forgery,  on  the  other  hand,  has  a  ten- 
dency to  magnify  a  nation's  antiquity,  and  may  sometimes 
be  detected  and  distinguished  by  this  mark. 

Sept.  16. — I  learn  that,  last  night,  a  commissary  of  police, 
accompanied  by  some  gens  d'armes,  arrested  the  Archbishop 
of  Sorrento  and  carried  him  off  to  Naples.  He  had  been 
the  King's  tutor,  and  so,  I  suppose,  was  suspected  very 
naturally  of  favouring  the  Eoyal  cause.  He  is  much 
respected,  they  say,  by  the  people,  and  is  a  good  man. 
Surely  it  is  a  mistake  for  a  Government  which  has  just 
proclaimed  liberty  to  tread  in  the  steps  of  the  old  tyranny. 
What  harm  could  an  aged  priest  do  if  left  alone  ? 

Though  the  Palermitan  monks,  and  Father  Gavazzi,  and 
a  few  priests  have  declared  loudly  for  Garibaldi,  and  though 
some  have  even  joined  the  Neapolitan  volunteers,  the  great 
majority  are  evidently  for  the  King.  The  spirit  of  Garibaldi's 
movement  is  thoroughly  anti-Papal. 

Attempts  are  being  made  by  the  clergy  to  enlist  the  super- 
stitious feelings  of  the  people  in  favour  of  the  King.     It  was 


42  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy- 

reported  that,  on  the  day  of  the  King's  departure,  the  Virgin 
of  Santa  Lucia  wept  tears  of  blood.  The  church  was  crowded 
with  persons  who  went  to  see  next  day.  My  informant  saw 
the  streaks  which  the  tears  had  left.  Last  Sunday,  too,  I  have 
heard  vaguely  that  a  friar  preaching  somewhere  appealed 
suddenly  to  an  image  in  the  church,  and  asked  whose 
emissary  Garibaldi  was,  and  the  image  answered  distinctly 
"  Satan's." 

We  shall  see  whether  Saint  Januarius's  displeasure  will  be 
shown  in  the  non-liquefaction  of  the  blood  next  Wednesday. 
And  in  that  case,  will  Garibaldi  adopt  the  plan  of  the  French 
general  in  command  at  Naples,  who  threatened  to  shoot  the 
officiating  minister  unless  the  miracle  were  immediately  per- 
formed ? 

Sept.  17. — In  company  with  an  English  friend,  I  took 
a  boat  from  Sorrento  to  Capri.  A  steady  scirocco  carried 
us  in  an  hour  and  a  half  to  the  entrance  of  the  Blue  Grotto, 
where  a  smaller  boat  from  the  little  port  of  Capri  met 
us.  In  this  we  entered  the  low  mouth  of  the  cave  with 
some  difficulty,  as  there  was  a  swell  rolling  in.  One  has  a 
natural  aversion  to  hackneyed  sights  which  you  are  bound 
to  see  because  "everybody"  sees  them,  and  I  went  to  this 
grotto  prepared  to  find  it  unworthy  of  its  fame  ;  but  I  was 
compelled  to  admit  the  contrary.  It  is  like  a  scene  of 
enchantment,  or  the  dream  of  some  Eastern  tale-teller — a 
cave  with  a  floor  of  liquid  turquoise  and  a  roof  of  frosted 
silver.  How  is  it  that  the  same  effect  is  not  repeated  in 
other  instances?  There  are  caves  enough  in  other  shores. 
How  is  it  that  Capri  alone  is  favoured  with  two  exhibiting 
this  wonderful  appearance,  and  why  is  one  a  "  blue"  and  the 
other  a  "green"  grotto  ? 

The  colour  of  the  sea  outside  the  cave  was  a  mixture  of 
dark  purple  and  indigo — such  a  colour  as  I  have  only  seen 
when  a  strong  wind  was  blowing;  and  the  sky  was  rather 
veiled  than  clouded — as  is  the  case  generally  during  a  scirocco. 
We  remembered  the  oivoira  ttovtov,  "the  wine-like  sea"  of 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  43 

Homer,  but  it  is  not  likely  that  the  familiar  epithet  which  is 
as  frequently  applied  to  the  sea  as  "swift-footed"  is  to  Achilles, 
should  have  been  suggested  by  a  rare  and  exceptional  pheno- 
menon. The  phrase  probably  came  down  to  Homer  from 
earlier  and  ruder  poets,  who  would  observe  nature  as  the 
author  of  "  Chevy  Chase "  observed  it,  but  would  not  scruti- 
nize it  like  Wordsworth.  They  saw  that  gold  was  red,  and 
woods  were  green,  and  they  needed  no  other  epithet  even  for 
variety's  sake.  I  believe  that  oivoyfr  simply  meant  coloured, 
like  wine,  as  distinguished  from  the  bright  transparent  water 
of  a  fountain  (a/yAaov),  and  from  the  dark  black  water  of  a 
well  (jieXav).  In  this  sense,  the  epithet  is  always  appli- 
cable to  the  sea,  whether  it  be  calm  or  troubled,  whether  it 
be  blue,  or  green  or  purple. 

We  landed  at  Marina,  a  little  village  lining  the  beach  at 
the  only  point  where  there  is  a  beach.  Elsewhere  a  wall  of 
steep  rock  rises  abruptly  from  the  sea.  We  rode  on  donkeys 
through  the  vineyards  and  olive-grounds,  to  the  little  town 
of  Capri,  perched  along  a  ridge,  and  thence  up  to  what  are 
supposed  to  be  the  remains  of  one  of  Tiberius'  villas.  It  was 
a  festival  at  Capri,  so  we  saw  all  the  belles  of  the  island, 
plump  brunettes,  with  dark  eyes  and  hair,  tight-laced  black 
bodices,  and  white  muslin  handkerchiefs  thrown  over  their 
shoulders.  Capri  is  famous,  we  were  told,  for  the  industry 
and  morality  of  its  inhabitants,  which,  we  will  hope,  is  the 
reason  why  so  many  of  our  countrymen  have  chosen  this 
island  for  the  site  of  their  hermitage. 

Or  does  the  gloomy  spirit  of  Tiberius  still  dwell  there  as 
the  genius  loci,  attracting  kindred  spirits?  Lest  this  should 
offend  any  one,  let  me  hasten  to  say  that  I  do  not  consider 
the  stories  told  by  Suetonius  and  even  Tacitus  as  worthy  of 
belief.  Court  scandal  is  the  most  easily  invented  of  all 
scandals,  it  is  the  most  readily  credited,  and  the  most  difficult 
of  disproof.  The  memoirs  of  hangers-on  about  a  Court  are 
always  to  be  received  with  suspicion,  be  they  even  written 
by  a  Due  de  Saint  Simon,  or  a  Lord  Hervey,  much  more 
when  they  are  written  by  some  nameless  lackey  who  has  no 


44  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

honour  to  tarnish,  and  is  therefore  quite  irresponsible  for  his 
statements.  Suetonius  and  Tacitus  probably  derived  their 
Court  gossip  from  a  similar  source,  for  it  is  very  rarely  that 
they  give  authority  for  their  assertions.  They  only  reject  a 
story  when  it  is  palpably  inconsistent  with  some  other  story 
they  have  heard.  When  two  memoir-writers  had  told  the 
same  tale,  they  accept  it  and  endorse  it  without  a  suspicion 
that  both  may  be  lying.  The  medals  which  are  supposed 
to  confirm  the  worst  charges  against  Tiberius  are  found,  to  the 
disgrace  of  the  ancient  world,  at  many  other  places  besides 
Capri.  The  story  told  by  Suetonius  about  Tiberius  throwing 
criminals  down  from  a  precipitous  rock  for  his  amusement, 
is  probably  a  fiction.  But  it  is  likely  enough  that  the  tre- 
mendous precipice  shown  as  the  Salto  di  Tiberio  (or  Timperio, 
as  the  Capriotes  call  him)  may  have  been  in  Suetonius'  mind 
when  he  repeated  or  made  the  tale.  The  peculiarity  just 
alluded  to  in  the  Capriote  dialect  reminded  me  of  a  cognate 
fact — that  the  modern  Greeks  express  the  sound  of  b  by  m 
and  p.     For  instance,  they  spell  tobacco,  "  tampakko." 

One  bourgeois,  a  Corsican,  has  opened  a  little  restaurant  at 
the  Salto  di  Tiberio.  He  has  bad  wine,  worse  water,  and 
makes  exorbitant  charges.  I  am  sorry  to  say  this  of  an  old 
soldier  decorated  with  the  St.  Helena  medal.  He  has  put  up 
an  announcement  at  the  Marina  in  the  following  terms  (I 
give  it  literatim  et  punctuatim)  : 

"  Avis  au  Salto  Tiberio  onna  ovver  un  restaurant  de  ce  lo 
calon  guii  de  la  vue  du  golfe  de  Salerno  et  Pesto."  * 

Apropos,  I  noticed  at  Pompeii  a  jocular  recommendation 
of  the  Hotel  de  Diomede,  printed  by  the  landlord,  beginning, 
"  Je  ne  suis  pas  ce  terrible  Diomede  qui  faisait  tant  de  peur 
aux  Troyens  et  Caesar."  The  "  et  Caesar  "  is  admirable.  A  name 
at  which  the  world  grew  pale  is  always  good  for  rounding  a 
sentence. 

*  The  interpretation  is  this  : — "  Avis  :  au  Salto  de  Tiberio  on  a  ouvert  un 
restaurant.    De  ce  local  on  jouit  de  la  vue,"  &c. 


W.  G.  Clark  ]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 8  6c .  45 


Extract  of  a  Letter,  dated  Naples,  Sept.  18th. 

Naples  has  passed  from  the  government  of  the  King  to  that 
of  the  Dictator  with  more  ease  and  with  less  disturbance  of 
public  order  than  any  one  could  have  anticipated.  Business 
has  not  been  suspended  for  a  single  day,  and,  but  for  the 
noisy  demonstrations  of  delight  which  continued  for  three 
days  after  the  entry  of  Garibaldi,  a  stranger  might  have  lived 
in  Naples  without  knowing  that  there  had  been  a  change  of 
masters.  The  newspapers  will  have  given  you  fully  detailed 
accounts  of  Garibaldi's  facile  conquest,  and  of  the  tumultuous 
joy  with  which  it  was  hailed  at  Naples.  I  have  been  through- 
out an  amused  and  interested  looker-on ;  but  I  need  not  tell 
a  tale  with  which  you  are  already  familiar.  I  will  merely 
mention  summarily  the  successive  events  in  order  to  add  a 
touch  here  and  there  from  personal  observation.  Up  to  the 
last  moment  there  were  some  who  believed  that  the  King 
would  not  abandon  Naples  without  a  struggle.  On  the  after- 
noon of  Wednesday,  Sept.  5,  it  was  known  that  his  troops 
had  received  orders  to  fall  back  from  Salerno,  and  it  was 
supposed  that  they  would  occupy  La  Cava  and  Nocera,  and 
defend  a  pass  which  is  so  well  calculated  for  defence.  But 
later  in  the  day  we  heard  that  they  were  abandoning  all 
their  positions  in  front  of  Naples,  and  were  marching  by 
way  of  Nola  to  Capua.  It  was  obvious  that  the  King  had 
given  up  the  game  for  lost,  and  that  he  himself  must  follow 
his  troops  and  abandon  his  capital.  All  that  night  there  was 
an  unusual  stir  about  the  Palace  ;  every  window  was  lighted, 
and  hurrying  shadows  flitted  past  within  ;  crowds  waited 
round  the  gates  in  the  vain  hope  of  seeing  the  departure  of 
the  Court,  their  motive  being,  as  I  gathered,  not  loyalty,  but 
curiosity.  Carts  loaded  with  furniture  passed  out  from  time 
to  time,  the  property,  I  suppose,  of  Goldsticks,  and  Chamber- 
lains, and  Lords-in-waiting.  "  The  rats  are  leaving,"  said  one 
of  the  crowd.  A  Council  of  Ministers  was  held  in  the  Palace, 


46  •     VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

which  did  not  separate  (it  is  said)  till  three  in  the  morning. 
They  were  engaged  in  "redacting"  the  two  proclamations 
which  appeared  in  the  Gazette  of  next  day,  in  the  second  of 
which,  countersigned  by  D.  Martino,  Garibaldi  was  called 
"  un  ardito  condottiere."  At  the  breaking  up  of  the  Council, 
the  King  went  on  board  ship  for  Gaeta,  the  Ministers  dis- 
persed to  their  homes,  except  Liborio  Eomano,  who  hastened 
to  offer  his  services  to  the  Dictator.  The  conduct  of  this 
Eomano  is  universally  condemned.  While  Minister  of  the 
King  he  was  in  correspondence  with  Garibaldi,  and,  instead 
of  defending  the  interests  of  the  Crown,  he  did  all  in  his 
power  to  thwart  them.  He  wrote,  immediately  after  the 
retirement  of  the  Sovereign,  a  letter  to  Garibaldi,  couched  in 
the  most  fulsome  and  abject  language.  A  man  must  be  morbo 
proditor  to  be  proud  of  his  treason,-  as  Eomano  seems  to  be. 
On  Thursday,  September  6th,  I  went  to  Salerno,  saw  Gari- 
baldi's entry  there,  and  returned  with  him  to  Naples.  In 
some  respects  his  reception  at  Salerno  was  more  striking  than 
that  at  Naples.  The  people  of  Salerno  had  been  expecting 
him  for  some  hours,  and  had  had  time  to  make  preparations  , 
the  people  of  Naples  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  the  crowds 
that  gathered  hastily  all  along  the  line  of  his  passage  through 
the  city  were  evidently  half-incredulous,  and  doubted  whether 
it  were  he  or  not.  There  were  no  flags  on  the  houses.  This 
was  all  Garibaldi's  doing,  who  said  he  preferred  a  spontaneous 
welcome.  The  square  in  front  of  the  Foresteria,  from  a  bal- 
cony of  which  he  addressed  the  people,  was  not  a  quarter  full. 
The  demonstrations,  however,  on  that  and  the  two  following 
nights  were  the  most  noisy  and  tumultuous  scenes  that  I  have 
ever  witnessed.  As  far  as  I  could  judge,  the  makers  of  the 
noise,  in  very  few  instances,  belonged  to  the  lower  classes. 
The  shriekers,  the  spouters,  the  torch-bearers,  the  wavers  of 
flags,  and  the  brandishers  of  daggers,  were  persons  from  the 
well-fed,  well-dressed  orders.  The  lazzaroni  are,  I  believe, 
quite  passive  and  indifferent ;  the  priests  and  peasantry 
Eoyalist— but  the  priests  are  naturally  timid,  and  the  pea- 
santry only  feel  keenly  on  a  question  of  cheap   bread  and 


W.  G.  Clakk.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  47 

cheap  fruit.  A  Masaniello  must  appeal  to  this  sentiment  to 
have  success  either  with  peasants  or  lazzaroni. 

The  process  by  which  a  show  of  decency  and  order  was 
given  to  Garibaldi's  nomination  as  Dictator  was  curious. 
First  half-a-dozen  individuals,  with  Eomano  among  them, 
constituted  themselves  a  Provisional  Government  on  the  in- 
vitation of  the  Dictator  of  Sicily,  and  then,  by  virtue  of  their 
authority  as  Provisional  Government,  they  nominated  him 
Dictator  of  the  Two  Sicilies.  His  first  acts  gave  satisfaction. 
He  chose  his  Ministers  from  the  Moderate  party — the  party 
(that  is)  which  follows  the  inspirations  of  Cavour.  And  for 
a  few  days  "  all  was  for  the  best,  under  the  best  of  all  possible  " 
dictatorships.  But  latterly,  the  acts  and  words  of  the  Dictator 
have  given  great  alarm.  In  his  proclamation  to  the  people  of 
Palermo  he  spoke  of  the  miserable  men  who  counselled  im- 
mediate annexation,  and  declared  that  he  would  proclaim 
Italian  unity  on  the  top  of  the  Quirinal.  Then,  in  an  order 
of  the  day  apropos  of  the  death  of  De  Flotte,  he  alluded  sar- 
castically to  the  Government  of  Louis  Napoleon.  Finally,  in 
a  letter  to  one  Brusco,  he  contradicted  a  rumour  that  he  had 
been  reconciled  to  Cavour,  and  said  that  he  could  never  be 
friends  with  "men  who  had  humiliated  the  national  dignity 
and  sold  an  Italian  province  " — which  seemed  even  to  include 
Victor  Emmanuel.  People  here  are  aghast  at  his  imprudence. 
They  ask  themselves,  Is  this  a  game  which  he  is  playing  with 
the  secret  connivance  of  the  French  Emperor,  whose  heart  is 
with  Italy,  though  he  is  obliged,  as  the  eldest  son  of  the  Church, 
to  keep  up  a  show  of  opposition  ?  Or  is  the  Emperor  bribing 
Garibaldi's  counsellors  to  urge  him  on  a  path  that  must  lead 
to  his  ruin  ?  Is  Victor  Emmanuel  consulted,  and,  if  so,  does 
he  approve? 

The  telegraph  is,  of  course,  interrupted  at  Gaeta,  and  we 
only  heard,  yesterday,  of  Victor  Emmanuel's  entry  into  the 
Eoman  provinces.  Is  thi5  step  taken  in  conjunction  with 
Garibaldi,  or  is  it  intended  to  anticipate  and  in  a  measure 
thwart  him  ?  These  questions  may  be  answered  before  you 
receive  this  letter.     At  present,  every  one  seems  lost  in  un- 


48  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

certainty.  I  have  spoken  of  the  Moderate  party,  which 
includes,  I  suppose,  the  vast  majority  of  educated  men  above 
twenty-five  years  old.  The  other  party — the  party  of  action 
— consists  of  Bertani,  Crespi,  and,  of  course,  Mazzini,  and 
boys  in  general.  The  latter  party  seems  to  have  lost  its  head 
in  the  intoxication  of  success.  They  talk  of  marching  to 
Eome  as  one  talks  of  taking  a  drive  along  the  Chiaia.  Father 
Gavazzi  *  is  the  prophet  of  the  party.  His  somewhat  common- 
place declamation  has  had  great  success.  He  preaches  every 
alternate  evening  in  the  square  of  San  Francesco  di  Paola. 
To  hear  democracy  lauded  in  the  front  of  a  Bourbon  palace  is 
a  fact  sufficiently  piquant  to  give  a  zest  to  the  most  ordinary 
oratory,  just  as  the  mildest  jest  becomes  irresistibly  comical 
in  church. 

Several  other  decrees  of  the  Dictator  have  given  great  dis- 
satisfaction, as,  for  instance,  that  appointing  Alexander  Dumas  *f" 
Director  of  the  National  Museum,  and  commissioning  him  to 
prepare  a  great  work  on  the  antiquities  of  Naples  and  the 
neighbourhood.  The  Neapolitans  are  justly  indignant  at 
having  a  vagabond  foreigner,  of  abandoned  character  and  no 
knowledge  of  antiquities  or  of  art,  set  over  the  heads  of  so 
many  persons  infinitely  his  superiors. 

The  Dictator's  weakness  is  said  to  be  his  submission  to 
favourites.  Any  one  may  lead  him  by  the  nose,  if  he 
takes  hold  the  right  way.  Bertani  is,  according  to  the 
"  Moderates,"  his  evil  genius.  Meanwhile,  with  the  growing 
discontent  of  the  Moderates,  we  hear  from  time  to  time  of 
reactionary  movements  at  Avellino,  and  other  places.  Forty 
peasants    were   brought    in    yesterday,   tied    together    with 

*  A  mistake.  I  heard  the  Father  once  afterwards,  and  read  other  discourses, 
printed  from  shorthand  writers'  notes.  He  always  counsels  moderation,  and 
disbelieves  in  unity  without  monarchy. 

t  The  pranks  of  this  man,  while  dressed  in  his  brief  authority,  were 
incredible.  I  saw  him  one  night  paradiig  Naples  in  fantastic  costume, 
attended  by  a  score  of  men  waving  flags.  At  each  station  of  the  National 
Guard  they  stopped,  formed  a  ring  round  Dumas,  and  cheered. 

He  wrote  to  Admiral  Mundy  requesting  arms  and  ammunition  for  his  body 
guard,  and  when  his  letter  was  returned  to  him  byway  of  answer,  he- applied- 
to  the  French  Admiral,  whose  reply  was  as  decided,  and  still  less  flattering. 


.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  49 

ropes — a  sight  of  ill  omen  for  the  new  Government.  On 
Saturday,  the  Archbishop  of  Sorrento,  the  King's  tutor,  was 
arrested,  and  brought  to  Naples.  Last  night,  there  was  a 
general  alarm  and  anticipation  of  reactionary  movement 
among  the  lazzaroni  in  Naples  itself.  The  national  guard 
was  under  arms  all  night,  but  nothing  happened.  My  impres- 
sion is,  that  things  are  getting  rapidly  worse,  both  here  and 
in  Sicily,  and  that  Garibaldi  will  not  be  able  much  longer  to 
govern  the  country.  The  sooner  the  annexation  takes  place 
and  a  regular  Government  established,  the  better  for  all 
parties. 

Sept.  18. — I  went  with  Mr.  D to  Sta.  Maria  Maggiore, 

at  present  the  head-quarters  of  the  revolutionary  army. 
Finding  that  we  were  too  late  for  the  ten  o'clock  train,  we 
engaged  a  large-wheeled  single-horse  vehicle,  something  like 
the  now  extinct  English  taxed  cart,  and  in  little  more  than 
two  hours  reached  Sta.  Maria.  The  road  passes  through 
Aversa,  and  lies  for  the  most  part  over  a  perfectly  flat  and 
exuberantly  fertile  country,  called  par  excellence  Terra  di 
Lavoro,  for  every  yard  is  under  cultivation.  On  the  way,  we 
fell  inwith  a  party  of  Neapolitan  soldiers  wearing  their  side- 
arms.  They  were  making  their  way  across  country  to  join  the 
royal  troops  at  Capua,  or  where  best  they  could.  We  had 
some  difficulty  in  finding  our  way  into  Sta.  Maria,  owing  to 
the  barricades  which  defended  the  entrance  of  the  principal 
streets.  Happening  to  ask  some  question  of  a  portly  gentle- 
man whom  we  saw  in  the  street,  he  volunteered  to  show  us 
over  the  town,  escorted  us  to  the  amphitheatre,  and  offered  us 
the  shelter  of  his  house,  which  he  said  was  not  magnificent, 
but  entirely  at  our  disposal,  such  as  it  was.  The  last  offer 
we  declined  for  want  of  time,  but  it  was  made  in  all  sincerity. 
This  is  one  instance  of  many  within  my  experience  of  the 
especial  favour  with  which  we  English  are  regarded  at  the 
present  time  by  the  Liberal  party.  Our  new  friend  gave  us  to 
understand  that  he  was  one  of  the  principal  legal  functionaries 
of  the  place,  whether  as  judge  or  advocate  we  did  not  know, 

E 


50  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

and  the  frequent  respectful  greetings  that  he  received  attested 
the  truth  of  his  pretension.  He  was  an  ardent  Garibaldian, 
and  anti-Papal  to  the  uttermost.  As  a  boy,  he  had  been 
educated  by  the  Jesuits  at  the  Collegio  Komano,  but  the 
oppression  under  which  he  had  suffered  with  his  countrymen 
had  completely  effaced  the  lessons  of  the  fathers,  and  had 
inclined  the  tree  in  the  opposite  direction  to  that  in  which 
the  twig  had  been  bent.  He  told  us  that  Ferdinand,  who  lived 
hard  by  at  Caserta,  regarded  Sta.  Maria  with  peculiar  aversion, 
and  kept  it  under  police  regulations  of  extra  strictness.  He 
used  to  say,  "  Whenever  I  go  through  Sta.  Maria,  I  tread  on 
republican  stones."  The  employment  of  Lamoriciere's  mer- 
cenaries by  the  Pope  had  alienated,  as  our  friend  said,  the 
firmest  of  his  Holiness's  friends.  Italy  was  now  virtually 
a  Protestant  country. 

The  amphitheatre  is  still  a  magnificent  ruin.  The  two 
walls  which  formed  the  outermost  corridors  of  the  ellipse 
were  unluckily  built  of  hewn  stone,  decorated  with  marble 
columns  at  the  entrance.  These,  therefore,  were  pulled  down 
to  furnish  materials  for  the  palace  at  Caserta,  and  probably 
also  for  earlier  buildings.  The  brick  and  rubble  work  remains 
nearly  intact.  The  amphitheatre  of  Capua,  when  entire,  was, 
except  the  Coliseum,  the  largest  of  all.  It  served  as  a  model 
for  that  of  Puteoli.  The  subterranean  constructions  are  on 
the  same  plan.  The  chambers  and  passages  were  lighted  by  a 
large  longitudinal  opening  along  the  major  axis  of  the  ellipse, 
and  by  square  openings  all  round.  At  the  time  of  the 
exhibitions,  of  course,  beams  were  laid  over  them,  and  the 
whole  area  strewn  with  a  thick  covering  of  sand.  One  may 
see  the  places  where  the  beams  rested.  The  vast  space 
underground  did  not  serve  merely,  as  we  are  told  in  the 
guide-books,  for  prisons  of  criminals  and  dens  of  wild  beasts, 
but  it  was  the  residence  of  the  gladiators.  There  are  plenty 
of  conduits,  wells,  and  drains  for  carrying  off  the  rain  water, 
so  as  to  keep  the  place  always  dry  and  habitable.  The  stone 
seats  for  spectators  have  shared  the  fate  of  the  outer  walls, 
and  been   carried   off.      I   observed,  that   in   some   of  the 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  51 

corridors  arches  of  brickwork  had  been  added  subsequently 
to  the  erection  of  the  building,  in  order  to  strengthen  the 
supports  of  the  cavea. 

Eeturning  to  the  town,  we  took  leave  of  our  volunteer 
cicerone,  and  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  General  commanding 
in  the  absence  of  Garibaldi,  Hieper,  or  Eber,  as  his  name  is 
variously  spelt.  I  had  been  acquainted  with  him  when  dis- 
charging a  more  peaceful  mission  at  Constantinople  some 
years  ago.  The  palazzo  to  which  we  were  directed  is  a 
charming  residence,  with  large  lofty  rooms  painted  somewhat 
in  the  Pompeian  style,  and  polished  floors  deliciously  cool, 
with  a  garden  of  lemon  and  orange-trees  behind. 

First  came  a  ruddy-bearded  aide-de-camp  to  ask  our  busi- 
ness.    I  begged  him  to  aver  la  bonta,  &c.  &c. 

"Sprechen  Sie  Deutsch,  mein  Herr?"  he  said. 

I  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  said  that  I  supposed  he 
was  a  Hungarian,  like  the  General. 

No,  he  was  "Echt  Deutsch  aus  dem  grossherzogthum  Baden." 

There  were  many  Germans,  he  told  us,  in  the  army,  even 
Bavarians  and  Austrians,  who  looked  forward  to  making  "  ein 
Deutschland,"  after  they  had  made  Italia  una.  Meanwhile 
they  must,  I  should  think,  have  to  exercise  all  their  pro- 
verbial national  patience,  hearing,  as  they  do,  perpetually 
repeated  cries  of  "  Morte  ai  Tedeschi  I"  We  found  the  General 
suffering  from  a  fever  caught  in  the  marshes  of  Cosenza,  and 
scarcely  able  to  walk.  However,  the  politeness  of  a  true  gen- 
tleman never  fails.  He  got  up  from  the  sofa,  and  gave  us  a 
kind  welcome,  though  he  must  have  wished  us  at — the  head- 
quarters of  Francesco  II.  He  gave  us  a  written  permission 
to  visit  the  outposts,  of  which  we  availed  ourselves  at  once. 

In  the  streets  at  intervals  we  found  bodies  of  the  Gari- 
baldians  with  piled  arms,  sitting  or  lying  on  heaps  of  straw 
strewn  on  the  shady  side ;  some  sleeping,  some  smoking, 
some  mending  their  clothes,  some  cheapening  figs — (although, 
without  cheapening,  you  get  for  a  halfpenny  as  many  as  one 
could  eat  in  a  day),  all  apparently  in  high  spirits  and  good 
health,  more  like  "jolly  beggars"  than  a  regular  army.     A 

E  2 


52  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

barricade  of  boughs  is  placed  across  the  brick  arch  of  Koman 
work  which  formed  the  gate  of  old  Capua,  and  is  on  the  road 
to  the  new — distant  about  two  miles.  Half  a  mile  beyond  is 
the  line  of  infantry  sentries,  who  stand  at  irregular  intervals, 
from  fifty  to  one  hundred  yards  apart.  They  take  their  work 
easily,  leaning  against  a  vine-clad  poplar  in  any  attitude  they 
may  fancy.  Provided  they  do  their  work,  Garibaldi  and  his 
officers  do  not  seem  to  care  how  they  do  it.  A  martinet 
would  be  sorely  out  of  place  here.  A  quarter  of  a  mile  far- 
ther in  advance,  four  poplar  trees  have  been  felled,  and  lie 
across  the  road.  In  front  of  them  is  a  sentry  on  horseback. 
We  asked  him  if  we  could  see  the  Neapolitan  outposts.  "  0 
yes,"  he  said,  "  come  along  with  me,  and  I'll  show  you  them. 
When  we  go  forward,  they  always  come  out  to  look  at  us." 
When  we  had  gone  about  a  hundred  yards,  they  did  come  out 
accordingly,  two  on  horseback  and  four  on  foot,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  off.  Having  satisfied  our  curiosity,  we 
returned,  in  obedience  to  the  advice  of  the  General,  who  had 
warned  us  not  to  go  too  far,  as  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
picking  up  stragglers.  What  earthly  good  it  would  have  done 
them  to  pick  us  up,  I  cannot  conceive.  If  they  had  taken  a 
fancy  to  pick  us  off,  it  would  not  have  been  so  pleasant. 

Our  expedition  terminated  without  the  shadow  of  an  ad- 
venture, but  it  was  interesting  as  the  only  glimpse  I  had  ever 
had  of  a  state  of  war.  Evidently  it  is  not  in  Garibaldi's  army 
that  one  must  look  for  "  pride,  pomp,  and  circumstance." 

We  returned  by  railway.  As  we  passed  the  splendid  Palace 
of  Caserta,  we  saw  the  great  square  in  front  filled  with  troops. 
They  are  under  the  command  of  General  Tiirr.  At  night,  I 
am  told,  they  sleep  inside  and  outside  of  the  palace,  as  they 
best  may. 

This  is  the  result  of  Ferdinand's  policy.  His  army  is 
scattered,  and  revolutionary  soldiers  occupy  every  corner  of 
his  favourite  abode.  It  is  reported  that  he  had  no  misgivings 
and  no  remorse,  and  that  almost  his  last  words  were  that 
"he  died  with  the  consciousness  of  having  done  his  duty." 
He  sowed  the  wind,  and  his  son  has  reaped  the  whirlwind. 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  53 

Sept.  19. — I  have  just  returned  from  San  Gennaro,  where 
I  have  witnessed  the  far-famed  miracle.  I  went  about  half- 
past  eight  and  found  the  Cathedral  partially  filled,  and  a 
dense  crowd  in  and  about  the  chapel  of  San  Gennaro — a 
spacious  octagon  on  the  south  side  of  the  nave.  National 
guards  were  keeping  the  door.  At  a  quarter  before  nine,  a 
loud  shout  rose  from  the  crowd  within.  It  was  a  greeting  to 
the  saint,  whose  image  in  silver  gilt  had  just  been  placed  on 
the  altar.  The  shout  was  renewed  as  the  priest  adjusted  the 
mitre  and  cope  with  which  the  image  was  clothed,  and  again, 
as  an  attendant  lighted  candle  after  candle  beside  it.  An 
aged  priest,  standing  within  the  altar  rails,  then  raised  aloft 
the  vessel  containing  the  sacred  blood,  and  at  once  a  forest  of 
waving  arms  rose  above  the  crowd,  and  the  building  rang  with 
frenzied  exclamations.  Some  other  priests  and  assistants  now 
appeared  in  the  organ  loft  ready  to  lead  the  Te  Deum  when- 
ever the  miracle  should  be  achieved  ;  meanwhile,  the  old  man 
continued  to  hand  round  the  vessel  to  let  all  the  bystanders 
see  that  there  was  no  deception,  that  the  blood  was  really 
solid.  The  vessel  in  question  is  a  kind  of  monstrance,  round, 
with  glass  on  each  side,  and  two  handles,  one  above,  one  below. 
It  is  more  like  a  carriage-lamp  than  anything  else  I  can  think 
of.  Inside,  are  two  small  phials  containing  an  opaque  sub- 
stance, the  blood  of  the  saint.  In  order  to  show  that  it  was 
solid,  the  priest  turned  the  monstrance  upside  down,  holding 
a  lighted  candle  behind  it,  and  showed  it,  round  to  the  spec- 
tators just  as  a  conjuror  does  before  commencing  his  perform- 
ance. All  this  time  the  crowd  kept  shrieking  and  screaming 
■ — the  old  women  especially  were  frantic  in  their  cries  and 
gestures,  moaning,  and  sobbing,  and  stretching  out  hands  in 
nervous  tension.  Some  men  even  were  affected  with  this 
hysterical  passion,  and  wept  and  moaned  like  the  women. 
The  confusion  of  endlessly  reiterated  prayers,  uttered  in  such 
tones  that  they  resembled  imprecations,  reminded  me  of  the 
chorus  of  the  priests  of  Baal  in  the  Elijah;  only  here  the 
trebles  preponderate  over  the  basses.  Mendelssohn  may 
have  witnessed  some   such  scene;  but,   so    far  as  I  know, 


54  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

the  like  is  only  to  be  seen  at  Naples,  and  in  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem  on  Easter  Sunday. 
Tor  any  other  parallel,  one  must  go  among  fetish-worshipping 
savages. 

The  priest  then  turned  his  back  on  the  audience,  and  the 
agitation  of  the  crowd  reached  a  point  where  it  could  no 
longer  be  expressed  in  articulate  cries,  for  nothing  was 
heard  but  sobs  and  groans.  A  very  few  minutes  had  elapsed, 
when  the  priest  suddenly  turned  round  and  exhibited  the 
blood  liquid  !  A  wild  howl  of  exultation  rose  up  ;  flowers 
were  thrown  towards  the  saint,  and,  strange  to  say,  a  number 
of  birds  let  loose  *  which  the  spectators  had  brought  with 
them  for  the  purpose.  Never  had  the  miracle  been  performed 
so  soon.  All  were  agreed  on  this,  and  eager  discussions  were 
going  on  in  all  parts  of  the  church  as  to  the  exact  time  it  had 
taken.  Was  it  three  minutes  or  four,  or  four  minutes  and  a 
half?  The  old  women  were  wild  with  joy.  It  was  clear  that 
San  Gennaro  was  in  the  best  of  tempers  towards  his  dear 
clients,  and  not  at  all  displeased  with  them  for  turning  out 
their  king.  Two  of  Garibaldi's  red-shirted  soldiers,  who  were 
making  their  way  out  of  the  chapel,  were  the  objects  of 
tenderly  affectionate  demonstrations  ;  old  women  held  up 
their  hands  to  bless  them,  others  patted  them  on  the  back  and 
smiled  approvingly.  As  soon  as  the  shout  that  greeted  the 
miracle  had  ceased,  the  men  in  the  organ  loft  began  the  Te 
Deum,  and  the  spectators  joined  in  fervent  chorus.  Above  the 
din  we  heard  the  guns  of  all  the  forts  thundering  out  their  joy. 
(There  must  be  some  means  of  telegraphic  communication  with 
the  forts,  as  very  few  minutes  elapsed  before  the  cannon  was 
heard.)  By-and-by  the  sacred  vessel  was  carried  to  the  high 
altar,  and  successive  bodies  of  worshippers  were  admitted 
within  a  railed  space  to  kneel  and  kiss  it,  having  first  assured 

*  This,  I  afterwards  learned,  is  the  custom  at  all  the  great  festivals  of  the 
Church,  and  symbolizes  the  soul's  joy  when  delivered  from  the  sins  and  sorrows 
of  earth.  It  is  a  literal  rendering  of  that  passage  in  the  Psalms,  "  My  soul  is 
escaped  as  a  bird  out  of  the  snare  of  the  fowler.  The  snare  is  broken,  and  we 
are  delivered." 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  55 

themselves  by  means  of  the  candle  that  the  liquefaction  had 
taken  place.  Some  of  the  crowd  near  us  were  very  anxious 
that  we  should  do  the  like.  "  Make  way,"  they  said,  "  for  the 
English  Signori.  Sergeant,"  to  the  officer  of  the  national 
guard  who  was  keeping  the  wicket,  "admit  the  English 
Signori."  But  we  declined  the  honour,  and  waited  till  the 
priest — the  same  who  had  officiated  in  the  chapel — brought 
it  round.  As  there  was  no  candle  placed  behind  it  for  our 
benefit,  and  as  the  outer  glass  was  dimmed  with  the  kisses  it 
had  received,  we  were  not  able  to  ascertain  the  fact  of  the 
liquefaction.  But  all  who  have  seen  it  before  and  after  with 
the  aid  of  the  light,  agree  that  the  blood,  if  blood  it  be,  is 
certainly  solid  first  and  liquid  afterwards.  There  is  no 
deception  so  far.  But  admitting  that,  I  cannot  but  remember 
that  I  have  seen  the  Wizard  of  the  North  and  Wiljalba 
Frikell  do  as  much,  and  more,  with  their  enchantments.  It 
is  certain  that  the  belief  of  the  crowd  in  the  chapel  was 
genuine  and  profound.  This  crowd  consisted  of  persons  of 
all  ranks,  though  the  poorer  classes  preponderated.  It  would 
scarcely  have  been  prudent  for  Garibaldi,  in  presence  of  this 
intense  and  deeply-seated  superstition,  to  forbid  the  miracle  as 
the  Times  hoped  he  would.  An  entente  might  have  been  the 
consequence. 

"Paris  vaut  bien  une  messe,"  said  Henri  Quatre.     Gari- 
baldi may  say,  "  Naples  vaut  bien  un  miracle.  " 

Some  days  ago  I  was  expressing  to  a  Neapolitan  my  wish 
to  see  the  liquefaction.  "  Do  not  mention  it,"  he  said  ;  "  it  fills 
me  with  shame."  I  cannot  doubt  that  this  is  the  general 
feeling  of  most  educated  men,  but  it  is  not  universal,  for 
among  the  weepers  and  the  kissers  to-day  I  saw  several  who, 
from  their  dress  and  bearing,  certainly  ought  to  belong  to  that 
class.  One  young  priest,  of  rather  attractive  countenance,  came 
out  of  the  chapel,  his  eyes  red  and  his  cheeks  swollen  with 
weeping,  but  most  of  his  order  seemed  impassive  and  did  not 
attempt  even  to  counterfeit  devotion.  The  venerable  old  man 
in  rose-coloured  robes,  who  officiated,  showed  no  feeling  what- 
ever.    Probably  perfect  self-possession,  with  a  little  manual 


56  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy 

dexterity,   is  the   quality  most   requisite   in  the   officiating 
minister.* 

Sept.  19. — This  evening  our  dinner  was  enlivened  by  ani- 
mated accounts  of  a  battle  which  had  taken  place  in  the 
morning,  and  at  which  half  a  dozen  of  the  guests  of  the  hotel 
had  had  the  luck  to  be  present.  They  had  to  tell  of  hairbreadth 
escapes,  exemplary  coolness  under  first  fire,  the  cowardice  of 
the  Garibaldian  troops,  and  their  own  courage.  England  had 
nearly  lost  an  eminent  barrister  and  an  eminent  artist  by  a 
grape-shot,  which  carried  away  part  of  their  carriage,  a  third 
had  arrested  the  flight  of  a  regiment  with  his  umbrella,  a 
fourth  had  parried  a  cannon-ball  with  his  walking-stick. 

The  real  facts,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  gather  them  by 
subsequent  inquiries,  are  these  :  General  Hieper  and  Colonel 
Eoskow,  commanding  the  centre  and  left,  had  orders  to  make 
a  feigned  attack  upon  Capua,  while  Garibaldi  and  Tiirr  were 
to  cross  the  Volturno  a  few  miles  up  the  river  and  cut  off  a 
body  of  the  enemy,  occupying  a  plain  on  the  other  bank. 
Eoskow,  however,  mistaking  his  instructions,  attempted  a 
real  attack.  As  soon  as  he  advanced  into  an  open  space  in 
front  of  the  gate  of  Capua,  and  within  reach  of  the  artillery 
having  no  artillery  himself,  his  men  were  cut  down  by  the 
fire  from  the  bastions,  and  refused  to  advance.  As  soon  as  a 
body  of  royal  cavalry  showed  itself,  they  fled  precipitately,  the 
officers  being  the  first  to  set  the  example.  Such  was  the 
panic  that  they  rushed  through  Sta.  Maria,  and  did  not  stop 
till  they  had  passed  the  town,  and  saw  at  last  that  there  was 
no  man  pursuing.  One  of  my  informants  saw  with  his  own 
eyes  two  of  Garibaldi's  officers  crouching  under  a  haystack  to 
strip  off  their  red  shirts,  lest  they  should  be  recognised.  A 
more  disgraceful  panic  was  never  seen.  The  good  folks  of 
Sta.  Maria,  that  republican  city,  made  haste  to  take  all  the 
tricolor  flags  from  their  windows.     Even  that  which  floated 

*  The  secret  is  known  only  to  the  priests  of  San  Gennaro  and  Mr.  R.  Monck- 
ton  Milnes,  who  tells  me  that  he  has  not  merely  witnessed,  but  once  performed 
the  miracle. 


W.  G.  Clabk.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  57 

from  the  windows  of  the  house  which  was  General  Hieper's 
head-quarters  disappeared.  The  national  guards  stripped  off 
their  uniforms,  and  all  was  prepared  for  the  return  of  his 
Majesty.  Had  the  royal  army  had  a  leader,  they  might  have 
marched  to  Naples  unopposed.  Meanwhile,  Hieper  had  nothing 
to  do,  and  did  it.  Tiirr  and  Garibaldi,  on  the  right  wing,  found 
their  road  barred  by  a  fire  of  artillery  which  they  could  not 
face,  and  finally  retreated  to  Caserta.  The  number  of  killed 
and  wounded  in  the  revolutionary  army  amounts,  according  to 
the  best  informed  statements,  to  about  one  hundred  and  fifty. 

The  varying  accounts  of  this  engagement  illustrate  the 
propensity  of  Italians  in  general,  and  Neapolitans  in  particu- 
lar, to  invention  and  credulity  combined.  The  Lampo  for 
instance,  a  Garibaldian  organ,  had  the  audacity  to  affirm  that 
the  royalist  losses  amounted  to  eight  thousand  in  killed  and 
wounded,  whereas  they  could  not,  by  the  nature  of  the  case, 
have  exceeded  twenty  or  thirty.  But  invention  is  not  confined 
to  the  Neapolitans.  On  the  authority  of  one  of  Garibaldi's 
generals,  it  was  asserted  that  the  possession  of  Chaiazzo  was 
the  object  which  the  General  had  in  view  in  making  his 
attack,  and  that  that  object  had  been  attained.  Military  men 
not  connected  with  either  party  affirmed  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  hold  Chaiazzo,  being  a  position  quite  isolated 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  that  no  one  would  have 
thought  of  making  such  an  attempt.  Up  to  the  day  I 
left  Naples,  September  22d,  it  was  a  matter  of  doubt  whether 
it  had  really  been  taken  or  not.  The  last  news  I  heard  before 
leaving  was  that  it  been  retaken  by  the  royal  troops ;  but  it 
was  doubted  whether  this,  too,  was  not  an  invention  to  cover 
the  other  lie,  and  account  for  the  fact  that  it  was  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Garibaldians  no  longer. 

One  lives  at  Naples  in  an  atmosphere  charged  with  falsehood, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  get  a  breath  of  native  truth.  From  the 
evidence  of  independent  witnesses,  it  is  certain  that  the  Gari- 
baldians met  with  a  severe  check,  the  moral  effect  of  which 
has  been  very  great,  and  more  than  counterbalances  the  mani- 
festation of  San  Gennaro's  favour  in  the  morning. 


58  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AM)  [Italy. 

Sept.  20. — Hearing  that  it  was  probable  the  battle  would 
be  renewed  this  morning,  I  went,  in  company  with  Colonel 

B (who  had  seen  the  engagement  of  the  previous  day), 

an  English  officer,  and  another  friend,  to  Sta.  Maria,  whence, 
finding  all  tranquil,  we  proceeded  to  St.  Angelo,  a  village 
about  three  miles  off,  above  which  is   a   hill  commanding 
a  wide  view  of  the  scene  of  war.     Leaving  our  carriage  at 
the  village,  we  climbed  through  oak  coppice  to  the   sharp 
edge  of  the  hill.     In  ascending,  we  had   a  good  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  plain   of  Capua,  and  of   some    2,500   cavalry 
occupying  it.     From  the  ridge  we  looked  over  the  winding 
Volturnus,  on  the  farther  bank  of  which  is  another  plain, 
divided  by  a  low  range  of  hills  from  that  of  Capua,  and  also 
occupied  by  the  royal  troops.     There  were  two  regiments  of 
cavalry  and  three  or  four  of  infantry  ;  double  sentries,  at  short 
intervals,  lining  the  bank  of  the  river.     We  were  so  near  that 
we  heard  the  words  of  command,  and,  occasionally,  one  man 
calling  to  another.     As  we  were  some  time  examining  them 
with  our  glasses,  we  at  last  attracted  their  attention,  and  a 
little  knot  of  men  gathered  on  the  bank  and  fired    about 
twenty  shots  at  us,  without  hitting  or  coming  near  us.     A 
tremendous  thunderstorm,  which  had  been  threatening  for 
some  time  and  at  last  broke,  was  much  more  effectual  in  dis- 
lodging us  from  our  position.     We  crept  behind  an  overhang- 
ing rock,  hoping  that  the  rain  would  cease.     From  our  lair, 
looking  south,  we  had  a  prospect  of  bare,  peaked  hills,  with 
castles  on  the  top,  and  agreed,  that  if  we  had  been  transported 
there  in  sleep,  we  should,  on  waking,  have  thought  ourselves 
in  Ehine-land.     But  close  round  us  were  growing  shrubs  that 
never  clothe  the  bleak  northern  hills — dwarf  ilex,  and  myrtle, 
and  the  judas  tree.     As  we  descended  we  were  caught  in  a 
still  more  violent  shower,  and  took  refuge  in  the  crater  of  an 
extinct  lime-kiln,  where  we  found  a  dozen  or  more  peasants 
and  Garibaldini  already  housed.     One  was  a  captain  of  artil- 
lery, who  gave  us  rum  and  tobacco,  and  in  the  course   of 
half  an  hour  communicated,  unasked,  the  story  of  his  life. 
He  told  us  of  his  innamorata,  showed  us  her  picture  and  hand- 


W. G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  59 

writing,  and  said  that  he  had  joined  Garibaldi  that  he  might 
have  an  opportunity  of  doing  some  heroic  deed,  and  might  say 
on  his  return  to  the  lady  of  his  love  (here  he  threw  open  his 
arms),  "  Ecco-mi  !  son  degno  di  te  ! " 

Sept.  21. — On  going  out  after  breakfast,  instead  of  being 
assailed  by  half  a  dozen  cabmen  shouting  in  my  ears,  crack- 
ing their  whips  in  my  eyes,  and  driving  across  my  path, 
the  wheels  just  missing  my  toes,  I  found  the  stand  deserted. 
It  was  the  same  at  another  stand.  There  was  not  a  cab  to  be 
had.  On  inquiry,  I  found  that  the  Government  had  pressed 
such  carriages,  public  and  private,  as  they  could  lay  hold  off, 
and  sent  them  to  Santa  Maria  for  the  conveyance  of  wounded 
men.  The  other  cabmen  had  made  off  directly,  and  hid  them- 
selves and  their  horses.  Everybody  inferred  that  a  great 
battle  was  expected,  so  I  immediately  walked  off  to  the  rail- 
way station,  where  I  arrived  just  as  the  train  was  starting. 
(At  these  times  a  ticket  is  a  needless  formality — quite  an 
unnecessary  expense.  You  are  never  asked  for  your  ticket, 
nor  expected  to  pay  anything  except  a  small  gratuity  to  the 
official  who  gets  you  a  seat.  It  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows 
nobody  good.  Even  a  time  of  war  has  its  advantages.)  When 
I  reached  Santa  Maria,  I  found  that  I  had  again  come  on  a 
false  alarm.  The  carriages  had  been  impressed  to  bring  back 
to  Caserta  those  who  had  been  wounded  on  the  previous  Wed- 
nesday— such  of  them,  that  is,  as  were  capable  of  removal.  I 
went  to  see  those  who  remained  in  one  of  the  hospitals  at 
Santa  Maria.  The  wards  were  tolerably  clean  and  airy,  and 
the  wants  of  the  poor  sufferers  seemed  as  well  attended  to  as 
circumstances  permitted  ;  but  it  was  a  sad  sight.  In  one  case 
the  ball  had  entered  the  eye  and  gone  out  in  the  neck — a  ter- 
rible wound  ;  but  the  surgeon  said  he  had  hopes  of  saving  the 
man's  life.  In  another  case  the  ball  had  carried  away  part  of 
the  lower  jaw  and  all  the  teeth.  The  saddest  case  of  all  was 
that  of  a  poor  child  of  ten  years  old,  who,  with  his  father,  was 
driving  a  cart  on  the  day  of  the  battle.  They  were  compelled 
to  come  into  the  field  to  help  in  moving  the  wounded. 
While  so  engaged,  a  grape-shot  killed  the  father  and  carried 


60  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy, 

off  the  son's  leg.  Amputation  had  been  performed,  and  he 
was,  they  said,  "  doing  well."  Doing  well !  When  I  saw  him, 
he  seemed  to  be  asleep.  It  was  piteous  to  see  his  sad,  pale 
face,  rosy  with  health  but  two  days  ago,  now  showing  sorrow 
and  suffering  even  in  sleep.  No  one  had  been  to  see  him  or 
inquire  after  him.  Poor  child  !  I  suppose,  then,  he  has  no 
mother,  and  is  an  orphan  indeed.  What  a  sorrowful  begin- 
ning of  life  for  him  !  Perhaps  he  was  the  eldest  of  the  family, 
proud  of  having  in  charge  his  motherless  brothers  and  sisters, 
and  being  able  to  work  for  them.  Think  of  those  little  ones 
in  their  cottage,  waiting  and  wondering  why  father  and 
brother  do  not  come  home  at  sunset.  How  war  scatters  its 
miseries,  farther  and  wider  than  its  grape-shot,  over  the  quiet 
happy  fields ! 

There  was  one  man  in  hospital  the  bones  of  whose  hand 
had  been  splintered  by  a  bullet.  He  looked  as  vivacious  as 
if  nothing  had  happened  to  him.  He  was  a  Venetian,  had 
escaped  to  Piedmont,  entered  the  service  there,  was  disgusted 
at  not  having  the  medal  for  the  war  of  '59,  and  so  deserted  to 
join  Garibaldi  and  fight  for  the  liberation  of  his  native  town. 
He  said  that  his  only  regret  was,  that  he  had  not  had  a  chance 
of  killing  one  of  the  enemy  before  he  was  wounded  himself,  and 
of  washing  his  hands  in  his  blood.  And  he  said  the  terrible 
words,  "  Lavar  mi  le  mani  nel  suo  sangue,".  with  the  sweetest 
of  smiles,  as  when  a  gourmet  speaks  of  some  favourite 
dainty.  While  I  was  there,  Colonel  da  Porta,  a  Sicilian  com- 
manding his  battalion,  came  in,  and  filled  the  man  with  delight 
by  announcing  his  nomination  as  sottotenente  (ensign). 

The  field  ambulance  of  this  strange  army  is  under  the  direc- 
tion of  a  Piedmontese  lady,  the  Contessa  della  T.,  who  attracted 
great  attention  in  Naples  (which,  without  being  uncharitable, 
one  may  suppose  was  not  displeasing  to  her)  by  the  singu- 
larity of  her  manners,  language,  and  costume.  She  was  dressed 
in  a  white  braided  hussar  tunic,  trousers,  and  boots  outside, 
with  spurs,  and  a  Spanish  hat  with  plumes,  and  a  sword 
which  clanked  as  she  walked  in  an  alarming  way.  She  was 
attended  by  three  or  four  Calabrians,  dressed  like  the  conven- 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  61 

tional  brigands  of  the  stage,  who  served  as  her  body-guard. 
She  talked  in  all  languages,  and  somewhat  took  off  the  grace 
of  her  charitable  deeds  by  blowing  a  trumpet  so  loudly  before 
her.* 

In  returning,  we  visited  the  palace  of  Caserta.  No  one  was 
permitted  to  enter  the  gardens  without  an  order,  which  we 
had  some  difficulty  in  procuring.  I  was  referred  from  one 
general  to  another,  all  royally  lodged  in  the  palace ;  at  last 
General  Medici  was  good  enough  to  let  us  pass  through  his 
apartments  on  the  ground  floor. 

The  arrangement  of  the  gardens  resembles  that  of  the 
gardens  at  La  Granja  in  Spain,  only  on  a  much  larger  scale. 
An  aqueduct  conveys  a  copious  stream  of  water  to  the  side  of 
a  steep  ilex-clothed  hill  about  two  miles  off,  at  the  back  of 
the  palace.  Thence  it  descends  first  in  a  natural  waterfall 
over  rough  rocks,  and  afterwards  in  small  cascades  alternating 
with  still  pools,  to  the  plain.  From  the  foot  of  the  waterfall 
to  the  palace  the  distance  is  3100  yards.  Avenues  of  ilex 
and  other  trees  bound  the  terraces  on  either  side,  and  there  is 
an  abundance  of  statues,  gods,  men,  dolphins,  monsters,  and 
grottoes.  At  the  foot  of  the  waterfall  are  two  groups  in 
marble,  representing  on  one  side  Diana  and  her  nymphs,  on 
the  other,  Actseon  torn  by  his  hounds,  all  reflected  in  the 
dark  deep  water.  The  rocks  about  are  clothed  with  acacia, 
oleander,  and  aloe.  In  the  largest  pool  was  a  shoal  of  old  carp 
and  one  stately  swan,  which,  accustomed  to  be  fed  by  royal 
hands,  came  sailing  up  to  ask  for  biscuit  of  the  intruders.  From 
the  highest  terrace  is  a  beautiful  and  singular  view.  You  look 
over  the  palace  and  the  densely  wooded  level  plain  in  which 
it  lies,  like  a  dark  green  sea,  beyond  the  rim  of  which  rise  the 
highlands  of  Capri,  and  the  Punta  di  Sorrento. 

The  palace  itself  is  more  than  200  yards  square,*f-  if  my 

*  When  a  lady  chooses  to  dress  and  behave  like  a  man,  she  forfeits  the 
immunities  of  her  sex,  and  it  is  no  longer  ungallant  to  criticise  her  actions. 

t  Vanvitelli,  the  architect,  published  a  description  of  the  palace  in  1756,  from 
which  it  appears  that  the  outer  sides  measure  respectively  920  and  720 
Neapolitan  palms.  A  copy  of  this  rare  work  is  found— as,  indeed,  what  rare 
book  is  not  ? — in  the  library  at  Keir. 


62  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

rough  measurement  be  right,  and  is  divided  into  four  courts, 
with  an  open  arcade  occupying  the  ground  floor  from  gate  to 
gata  A  broad  staircase,  lined  with  costly  marbles,  leads  to 
a  great  octagon  hall  occupying  the  centre  of  the  pile,  with 
four  windows  at  the  angles  looking  each  into  a  separate  court. 
The  octagon  is  supported  by  pillars  of  African  marble  taken 
from  the  temple  of  Serapis  at  Puzzuoli.  All  the  palaces 
I  have  ever  seen  yield  in  magnificence  to  this  ;  Versailles  is 
rnesquin  in  comparison.  What  would  Ferdinand  have  said 
had  he  lived  to  see  it  occupied  by  a  rabble  of  revolutionary 
troops,  lighting  camp  fires  in  the  centre  of  his  courts,  cooking, 
playing  cards,  smoking,  and  singing  Garibaldi's  hymn  ?  I  can 
easily  conceive  that  the  generals  who  are  enjoying  royal 
luxuries,  and  exercising  among  them  more  than  royal  power, 
are  not  anxious  for  the  arrival  of  Victor  Emmanuel,  who 
would  relegate  them  to  some  less  sumptuous  abode,  and  to 
some  inferior  position. 

When  I  reached  the  railway-station,  I  found  a  train  of 
empty  trucks  and  cattle  waggons  just  starting.  A  number  of 
the  red-shirted  gentry  demanded  that  a  carriage  should  be 
attached  to  it  for  their  use.  The  station-master  declared  he 
had  none,  whereupon  they  threatened,  hustled,  and  collared 
him,  and  finally  carried  him  off  to  the  palace,  to  answer  to 
some  one  for  his  contumacy.  This  is  one  instance  among 
many  of  the  insolence  which  has  made  the  liberators  more 
unpopular  at  Naples  than  ever  were  its  former  masters. 

The  train  started  without  waiting  for  the  issue  of  the 
dispute.  I  got  upon  a  truck  with  a  number  of  common 
soldiers  (Garibaldians),  whose  behaviour  presented  a  very 
favourable  contrast  to  that  of  their  officers.  One  provided 
me  with  an  inverted  basket  to  sit  upon,  another  compelled 
me  to  accept  a  cigar  (very  bad,  it  is  true,  but  the  best 
he  had),  a  third  insisted  upon  my  taking  a  cartridge  as  a 
keepsake.  One  of  them  had  been  an  artist,  he  told  me, 
and  had  abandoned  his  easel  at  Milan  to  carry  a  musket  in 
Calabria. 

Never,  surely,  was  there  such  a  motley  army  as  this.     It 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  63 

contains  men  of  all  ranks,  and  of  all  characters ;  there  are 
men  of  high  birth  and  gentle  breeding,  there  are  also  outcasts 
and  vagabonds ;  there  are  generous  and  chivalrous  enthusiasts, 
there  are  also  charlatans  and  impostors,  and  unhappily  it  is 
not  always  the  former  who  fill  the  highest  places. 

I  have  seldom  seen  any  earthly  object  arrayed  in  such 
glory  as  was  Vesuvius  in  the  splendour  of  that  calm  evening. 
Through  vistas  of  vine-clad  poplars  we  saw  the  cone  all  ruddy 
purple,  every  furrow  in  the  outer  shell  of  the  mountain  dis- 
tinctly marked  with  blue  shadows,  which  deepened  towards 
its  base  into  the  richest  ultramarine.  The  more  recent  lava- 
streams  were  (like  the  cone)  of  a  bright  purple,  and  looked, 
to  my  fancy,  like  piles  of  grapes  poured  out,  waiting  for  the 
winepress  that  should  extract  from  them  the  famous  Yesuvian 
product — Lacryma  Christi. 

The  name  Lacryma  Christi,  by  the  way,  which  shocks 
English  ears,  at  least  when  translated,  is  an  instance  of  the 
familiarity,  and,  as  it  seems  to  us,  irreverence  with  which 
Italians  treat  sacred  persons  and  things.  I  remember  to  have 
read  a  lecture  of  Dr.  Newman's,  in  which  he  maintained  the 
thesis,  that  the  profane  and  blasphemous  oaths  habitually 
used  by  the  people  in  Italy,  proved  that  the  objects  of  de- 
votion were  always  present  to  their  minds  in  whatever  aspect, 
and  that  the  state  of  mind  of  an  Italian  was  far  preferable  to 
the  apathy  and  indifference  of  the  lower  orders  in  England. 
To  this  one  might  reply  on  behalf  of  our  countrymen,  that 
their  favourite  expletive,  by  the  same  reasoning,  proves  the 
thought  of  eternal  salvation  to  be  always  present  to  their 
minds.  Again,  Dr.  Newman's  proposition  would  lead  to  the 
further  inference  that  a  man  is  religious  at  heart  in  proportion 
to  the  profanity  of  his  language,  "  which  is  absurd,"  as  Euclid 
says.  Again,  many  of  the  Italian  oaths  are  obscene.  Dr, 
Newman  would  find  it  difficult  to  -twist  this  fact  into  an 
argument  for  their  purity  of  mind.  In  some,  too,  which  he 
who  has    once    heard  would   gladly  forget,    profanity  and 


64  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

obscenity  are  combined  to  form  a  result  which  outrages  every 
good  feeling.  Eemembering  these,  one  can  only  think  of 
Dr.  Newman's  argument  with  disgust,  as  something  more 
than  disingenuous. 

All  men  of  education  in  Southern  Italy  disclaim  any  sym- 
pathy with  the  religion  of  the  lower  orders,  which  is  mere 
paganism  disguised  under  new  names,  and  consists  in  the 
worship  of  a  number  of  local  deities.  The  Madonna  of  one 
shrine  is,  in  the  popular  imagination — for  it  is  not  definite 
enough  to  be  called  a  creed — quite  a  different  person  from 
the  Madonna  of  another. 

The  friar  who  tends  the  little  chapel  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Grotto  of  Puzzuoli  begged  one  day  of  a  passing  stranger,  "  for 
the  Madonna."  "  La  Eeina  degli  Angeli  e  ricca  abbastanza," 
said  the  stranger.  "  Ah  !  bah  !  "  said  the  friar,  "  non  a  mica 
la  Eeina  degli  Angeli !  e  la  povera  Madonna  della  Grotta, 
che  le  manca  anche  per  pagare  l'olio"  (she  has  not  enough 
to  pay  for  the  oil  to  light  the  lamps  of  the  tunnel). 

A  friend  among  many  good  stories  told  me  one,  hen  trovato, 
if  not  vero,  which  illustrates  the  primitive  simplicity  of  their 
faith.  A  woman  at  Naples,  praying  the  Madonna  to  come 
and  heal  her  son,  took  care  to  give  her  address — "Vieni, 
Maria,  vieni,  numero  tredici,  vicolo  della  Scrofa,  terzo  piano, 
seconda  porta  a  man  destra." 

Nowhere,  probably,  in  the  world  is  the  separation  so  great 
between  the  well-to-do  classes  and  the  poor  as  it  is  in  South 
Italy.  They  are  quite  distinct  in  religion,  thought,  and 
feeling.  Between  the  highest  and  the  lowest  there  is,  indeed, 
outwardly  a  familiarity  of  manner  which,  at  first  sight,  would 
point  to  an  opposite  conclusion.  We  see  none  of  the  hauteur 
on  the  one  side,  or  the  servility  on  the  other,  which  is  so 
common  in  England ;  but  the  familiarity  is  only  superficial 
and  apparent.  There  is  a  deep  unfathomed  gulf  fixed 
between  those  who  have  something  and  those  who  have 
nothing  to  lose.  A  householder  or  shopkeeper  at  Naples 
speaks  of  the  lazzaroni  as  a  Hindoo  living  beside  a  jungle 
might  speak  of  the  tigers.    So  there  is  probably  no  country 


W.  G.  Ciark.]         NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 860.  65 

in  the  world  where  the  opinion  of  the  middle  and  upper 
classes  is  so  fallacious  a  test  of  the  popular  opinion.  The 
newspaper  controversies  and  the  theatre-riots  of  Naples  only 
indicate  the  division  of  opinion  in  the  middle  and  upper 
ranks — some  holding  with  Victor  Emmanuel,  some  with 
Mazzini,  some  with  Cavour,  some  with  Garibaldi — but  they 
tell  us  nothing  of  the  sentiments  of  the  masses.  The  mob  of 
the  towns,  the  priests  and  the  peasantry,  are  probably  more 
inclined,  by  this  time,  to  the  old  than  to  the  new  Government. 
If  you  asked  a  contadino  his  opinion  early  in  September, 
the  answer  was  always  to  the  same  effect :  "  Be  Vittorio, 
Be  Giuseppe,  Ee  Francesco,"  it  is  all  one  provided  he  gives 
us  "  da  mangiare  a  buon  mercato."  And  when  they  find  that 
prices  are  enhanced  instead  of  lowered,  under  the  new  reign, 
they  will  be  sure  to  throw  the  blame  on  the  Government.  I 
do  not  doubt  that  if  universal  suffrage  were  honestly  applied 
to  test  the  opinion  of  Southern  Italy,  a  large  majority  would 
be  found  for  Francesco  II.,  at  least  in  the  Abruzzi  and  the 
provinces  adjacent  to  the  capital.  Cavour  threw  a  slur  on 
his  master's  cause,  and  made  a  flaw  in  his  claim,  by  resting  it 
on  a  successful  repetition  of  that  French  juggling  imposture, 
which  is  as  discreditable  to  statesmen  as  the  miracle  of  San 
Gennaro  is  to  priests.  The  intelligence  of  a  country  should 
rule  it  and  determine  its  destinies ;  and  if  all  the  intelligence 
be,  as  in  South  Italy,  centred  in  one  class,  that  class  should 
alone  be  called  upon  to  give  its  suffrage. 

Sept.  22. — The  last  news  I  heard  before  leaving  Naples 
was,  that  Garibaldi's  "  moderate  "  Ministry  had  resigned  in  a 
body,  and  that  a  set  of  Eed  Eepublicans  had  succeeded 
them.  People  are  beginning  to  fear  that  in  his  heart  the 
General  wishes  for  a  republic,  and  that  he  will  play  Victor 
Emmanuel  false.  After  the  use  he  made  of  the  King's  name, 
which  has  indeed  been  a  tower  of  strength  to  him,  this  would 
be  an  act  of  perfidy  without  parallel  in  history.  The  confi- 
dence felt  in  Garibaldi  has,  however,  been  so  much  shaken, 
that  it  is  looked  upon  as  a  possible  contingency.  It  is  re- 
ported, that  to  an  aide-de-camp  whom  the  King  sent  to  him 

F 


ffi  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy- 

two  days  ago,  he  said,  "  Tell  your  master  that  if  a  republic 
should  be  necessary,  I  will  do  my  best  to  make  him  Dicta- 
tor."    This  doubt  of  Garibaldi's  intentions  was  evidently  felt 
by  the  Ministry,  who  a  few  days  ago  insisted  upon  taking  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  Victor  Emmanuel.    The  Dictator  did  not 
take  it,  probably  on  the  plea  that  he  was  already  his  subject. 
In  three  weeks  I  have  seen  the  extinction  of  a  popularity 
that   seemed  boundless.      The  people  who  were  wild  with 
delight  at  the  arrival  of  Garibaldi  would  now  be  equally 
delighted  to  get  rid  of  him.     The  reasons  for  this  change  are 
obvious.     His  refusal  to  declare  at  once  the  annexation  of 
Southern  Italy  to  Northern  has  alienated  the  moderate  party, 
and  generated  suspicion  of  his  intentions,  which  his  violent 
language  on  several  occasions  has  tended  to  confirm.     In  his 
proclamation  to  the  Palermitans,  he  said  that  he  would  pro- 
claim Italian  unity  from  the  top  of  the  Quirinal  only — thus 
menacing  even  France.     In  an  order  of  the  day  lamenting  the 
death  of  one  of  his  officers,  he  praised  him  for  being  a  true 
democrat ;  in  a  letter  to  one  Brusco,  published  in  the  official 
journal,  he  proclaimed  his  irreconcileable  hostility  to  the  men 
who  had  humiliated  the  national  dignity  and  sold  an  Italian 
province.     All  this  has  created  a  feeling  that  he  is  dragging 
Naples  on,  not  towards  a  peaceful  union  with  the  rest  of  Italy, 
but  towards  an  abyss  of  anarchy  and  war.  Again,  many  of  the 
decrees  issued  by  him  far  outstep  the  limits  of  a  confessedly  tem- 
porary and  transitional  power.    He  declares  the  royal  property 
to  be  nationa]  property — he  banishes  the  Jesuits  and  confiscates 
their  goods — he  does  the  like  to  the  most  eminent  prelates — 
he  abolishes  State  lotteries — he  forbids  the  payment  of  gamorra 
— he  concedes  the  right  of  fishing  in  the  ports — all  which 
may  be  useful  measures,  but  not  necessary  to  be  done  at  once 
(unless  the  banishment   of  the  prelates   be   regarded   as   a 
measure  of  security).     These  and  a  number  of  other  measures 
might  be  left  to  the  consideration  of  the  regular  Government. 
His  nomination  of  Alexander  Dumas  to  be  director  of  the 
national  museum,  offended  all  men  of  education.     The  offence 
was  increased  by  the  summary  dismissal,  without  compen- 


W.G.Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  QJ 

sation,  of  all  the  employes  of  the  museum,  and  by  a  paper 
issued  by  the  new  director  full  of  insolence  and  arrogance,  in 
which  he  told  the  Neapolitans  that  want  of  education  had 
degraded  them  to  the  level  of  brutes,  and  that  he  was  about 
to  raise  them  by  showing  them  all  that  was  great  in  politics 
and  beautiful  in  art.  If  this  offended  the  upper  classes,  the 
seizing  of  the  carriages  yesterday  was  a  measure  which  has 
still  more  deeply  offended  the  lower — not  the  owners  and  drivers 
alone,  but  others  who  see  that  their  rights  of  property  may  be 
any  day  similarly  invaded.  Add  to  these  causes  of  complaint, 
the  bullying  and  insolent  demeanour  of  many  of  Garibaldi's 
officers,  and  the  natural  reaction  and  discouragement  which 
could  not  but  follow  such  a  fever  of  excitement,  and  we  shall 
see  enough  to  account  for  the  decline  of  his  popularity.  "  I'll 
make  you  a  bet,"  said  a  Neapolitan  to  me,  "that  his  power 
will  not  last  as  ong  as  Masaniello's."  "Que  venga  il  Ee 
Vittorio  Emmanuele  e  venga  subito,  con  venti  mila  soldati 
per  cacciarci  da  Napoli  questa  canaglia !  "  was  the  fervid 
exclamation  of  another  who  had  made  himself  hoarse  with 
shouting  "  Viva  Garibaldi "  on  the  7th  of  September. 

Garibaldi's  character  was  thus  summed  up  by  a  friend  of 
mine  at  Turin  :  "  He  is  a  brave  soldier,  but  a  great  fool/' 
using  the  phrase  (I  suppose)  in  the  sense  of  "  un  grand  fou." 
I  thought  it  harsh  at  the  time,  but  my  Neapolitan  friends, 
chiefly  belonging  to  the  "moderate"  party,  were  agreed  in 
thinking  it  not  so  far  from  the  truth.  He  was  of  course  the 
chief  topic  of  conversation  during  my  stay  at  Naples.  I  give, 
in  as  few  words  as  I  can,  the  residuum  of  much  talk. 

As  a  soldier,  he  is  of  undaunted  courage  and  a  master 
of  the  "  dodges "  (passez-moi  le  mot)  which  are  required  in 
guerilla  war,  but  he  has  no  conception  of  a  general's  duties  in 
the  field  ;  he  is  ignorant  of  the  very  rudiments  of  tactics, 
and  incapable  of  organization  on  a  large  scale.  He  is  kind 
and  gentle  in  his  manners,  and  reluctant  to  hurt  any  one's 
feelings,  while  he  is  reckless  of  their  lives.  His  bravery  and 
gentleness,  his  generosity  and  disinterestedness,  secure  him 
the  personal  affection  of  all  around  him,  and  that  constitutes 

f2 


68  VACATION  T0URI8TS,  AND  [Italy. 

his  great  merit  as  a  commander.  He  pushes  his  love  of 
simplicity  to  a  point  bordering  on  affectation,  and  is  almost 
ostentatious  in  his  dislike  of  pomp.  He  is  illogical,  pre- 
judiced, and  obstinate  to  a  degree  never  before  combined.  He 
thinks  cavalry  useless,  and  has  a  profound  contempt  for 
cannon.  He  is  perfectly  certain  that  he  has  only  to  appear 
before  the  walls  of  Eome,  and  the  French  will  leave  it,  taking 
with  them  the  Holy  Father.  "  What  if  they  don't?"  it  was 
urged.  "  0,  but  they  will !"  was  the  answer,  in  the  tone  of  a 
man  who  admits  no  further  discussion.  He  thinks  that  the 
walls  of  Mantua  and  Yerona  will  fall,  like  those  of  Jericho, 
at  a  shout.  He  is  very  easily  imposed  on,  and  believes  in  all 
those  who  are  about  him.  Familiarity  breeds  respect,  and  no 
proof  will  convince  him  of  the  dishonesty  of  any  one  whom 
he  has  once  trusted.  He  has  not  the  moral  courage  to  say 
"  No  "  to  a  request  of  any  of  these  favourites.  His  ignorance 
is  such  that  the  smallest  show  of  knowledge  completely  im- 
poses upon  him.  He  thinks  Crespi  a  statesman,  and  Dumas 
a  scholar.  However,  in  forming  an  estimate  of  him,  as  of 
other  extraordinary  characters  in  history,  we  ought  to  be  on 
our  guard  against  the  tendency  natural  to  men  to  reduce  emi- 
nence to  the  ordinary  level  by  discovering  a  number  of  small 
failings.  And  when  all  abatements  are  made,  there  remain 
the  great  facts.  His  achievements  are  to  be  accounted  for. 
He  alone  had  gauged  correctly  the  real  weakness  of  the 
Neapolitan  power,  and  the  strength  of  his  own  seemingly 
feeble  means,  and  he  had  the  courage  to  test  practically  the 
truth  of  his  conclusions.  His  life-long  devotion  to  one  great 
idea,  and  his  strength  of  will,  have  made  him  "  a  king  of 
men,"  and  distinguish  him  from  the  crowd,  who  are  always, 
on  their  own  showing,  victims  to  "  circumstances  over  which 
they  have  no  control." 

I  left  Naples  for  Civita  Yecchia  on  the  afternoon  of  this 
day.  On  board  the  steamer  I  met  General  Bosco.  He 
was  prevented  by  illness  from  following  the  army  to  Capua, 
and  was   in   Naples  when   Garibaldi   arrived.      The    latter 


W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  69 

has  required  or  advised  him  to  leave  the  country  for  a  while  : 
he  is  therefore  going  to  Paris.  He  says  that  all  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  equipment  and  feeding  of  the  Neapolitan 
troops  are  very  good  ;  that,  in  general,  the  material  order  of 
the  army  is  excellent,  but  that  the  late  King  ruined  its  morale 
by  introducing  a  system  of  promotion  which  has  neither  the 
advantages  of  the  Austrian  nor  of  the  French  system.  The 
officers  are  not,  as  in  the  Austrian  army,  taken  from  the  upper 
classes  in  society,  and  who  therefore  command  the  respect  of 
the  soldiers,  and  have,  or  ought  to  have,  a  nice  sense  of  per- 
sonal honour  ;  neither  are  they,  as  in  the  French  army,  chosen 
in  great  measure  from  among  the  bravest  and  most  intelligent 
men  in  the  ranks ;  but  they  are  men  without  either  social 
rank  or  individual  merit.  As  far  as  I  could  understand,  pro- 
motion is  made  by  seniority,  and  is  excessively  slow.  There 
were  some  men,  he  said,  still  lieutenants  at  fifty.  Most  of 
these  old  officers  are  married  men  and  very  poor,  having  little 
or  nothing  but  their  pay  to  live  on,  so  that  their  interests  and 
anxieties  are  with  their  families  and  not  with  the  regiment, 
and  thus  ces  peres  de  famille  are  capable  of  any  treason  or 
baseness  if  only  they  can  avoid  exposing  lives  so  valuable  at 
home.  In  the  higher  grades,  of  course,  exceptions  are  made. 
General  Bosco's  own  case  is  an  instance.  He  was  only  a  major 
at  the  accession  of  the  present  King — if  I  may  still  call 
Francesco  II.  "  the  present  King." 

Between  the  police-office,  the  custom-house,  and  the  rail- 
way-station, a  traveller's  patience  is  sorely  tried  at  Civita 
Vecchia,  as  might  be  expected,  seeing  that  there  is  in 
prescribing  formalities  a  most  elaborate  system,  and  in  exe- 
cuting them  no  system  at  all.  One  who  knows  Eome 
well  tells  me  that  utter  confusion  reigns  in  all  the  depart- 
ments of  administration,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  In 
their  normal  state,  the  Government  offices  are  like  what  they 
were  in  England,  in  the  days  when  Samuel  Pepys  was  at  the 
Admiralty ;  just  now  they  are  in  the  condition  which  the  said 
offices  must  have  been  in  after  the  news  of  William's  landing 


70  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy 

at  Torbay  had  reached  the  metropolis.  In  the  best  of  times 
-every  official  pilfers  quietly,  in  proportion  to  his  rank  ;  now 
there  is  a  general  scramble. 

I  was  eager  to  see  Rome  in  this  supreme  crisis  of  its 
fortunes.  I  find  that  the  crisis  is  like  that  of  a  fever,  through 
which  the  patient  passes  in  unconsciousness.  It  is  said 
that  there  is  a  committee,  or  committees,  somewhere,  in 
communication  with  the  revolutionists  at  Genoa  and  Naples  ; 
but  no  one  seems  to  know  or  care  anything  about  it.  At 
Naples,  in  the  last  days  of  Francesco,  the  committees  kept 
issuing,  three  or  four  times  a  day,  bulletins  of  news  and  in- 
flammatory placards  ;  here  I  see  nothing  of  the  kind.  People 
in  the  cafes  talk  about  the  movements  of  the  Piedmontese 
without  fear  or  restraint ;  but  also,  as  it  seems  to  me,  with- 
out interest  or  sympathy.  I  see  "  Viva  Garibaldi  !"  "  Viva 
Vittorio  Emmanuele !"  scribbled  on  the  walls ;  but  these  inscrip- 
tions are  apparently  of  old  date,  and  the  police  have  not  taken 
the  trouble  to  efface  them — perhaps  the  most  effectual  way 
of  neutralising  their  effect,  just  as  the  Irish  denunciations  of 
English  tyranny  are  perpetually  contradicted  by  the  fact  that 
they  are  allowed  to  be  expressed.  I  see  no  groups,  as  at 
Naples,  gathered  round  some  one  who  has  the  latest  news  to 
tell.  We  are  in  complete  ignorance  as  to  what  is  going  on  at 
Ancona  or  Capua.  We  do  not  even  know  for  certain  where 
the  nearest  outposts  of  the  Piedmontese  army  lie.  All  com^ 
munications  are  interrupted,  and  the  latest  intelligence  is 
conveyed  in  private  letters  from  Turin  or  Paris.  If,  however, 
the  people  here  were  not  indifferent,  we  should  surely  hear  a 
great  deal  of  false  news  and  reports,  originating  in  excited 
imaginations. 

The  Giornale  di  Roma — the  only  paper  allowed  to  be 
printed — gives  us  news  from  Shanghai,  and  a  discussion  as 
to  whether  the  Matilda  of  Dante  was  an  Italian  Princess  or 
a  German  Saint,  but  contains  not  a  word  of  news  respecting 
the  invading  army.  It  was  so  with  the  Government  organ 
a,t  Naples  in  the  last  days  of  Francesco.  Meanwhile,  every 
one  believes  that  the  days  of  the  Pope's  "reign,  as  a  temporal 


.  W.  G.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  71 

sovereign,  are  numbered.  The  denouement  is  certain,  in 
whatever  way  it  may  be  brought  about.  We  who  look  on 
are  like  the  reader  of  a  novel  who  has  peeped  at  the  last 
page  and  seen  that  it  ends  happily,  so  that  he  goes  through 
the  book  with  diminished  interest,  but  with  some  curiosity 
nevertheless  to  see  by  what  ingenious  process  the  author 
will  extricate  his  characters  from  their  embarrassment. 

The  conduct  of  the  plot  is  no  doubt  all  settled  between  the 
great  collaborateurs  at  Turin  and  Paris.  The  Eomans,  in  the 
meantime,  are  not  at  all  sorry  to  let  other  people  play  their 
game,  and  give  effect  to  their  wishes,  without  being  involved 
in  the  risk  and  worry  of  an  insurrection : 

"  If  fate  will  have  me  king,  why  fate  may  crown  me 
Without  my  stir." 

When  a  man  can  lie  at  his  ease  while  other  people  climb 
the  tree  to  shake  the  ripe  fruit  down  to  the  ground  within 
his  reach,  who  can  wonder  at  his  acquiescence  in  so  comfort- 
able an  arrangement? 

The  Holy  Father,  it  is  said,  remains  at  the  Vatican,  freed 
from  most  of  the  cares  of  government;  eating  heartily  and 
sleeping  soundly,  cheerfully  preparing  himself  for  the  scaffold 
or  the  stake,  thus  enjoying  by  anticipation  all  the  glories 
of  martyrdom,  together  with  a  comfortable  assurance  that 
he  will  not  be  called  upon  to  endure  the  pain  thereof. 

An  ardent  Protestant  asked  the  English  clergyman  the 
other  day,  "  What  arrangements  he  had  made  in  the  event  of 
the  fall  of  the  Papacy  V  expecting,  I  suppose,  that  he  would 
put  on  his  surplice  and  bands,  and,  followed  by  his  clerk 
proceed  to  read  himself  in  at  St.  Peter's  according  to  the  form 
prescribed  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

There  is  a  very  general  idea  prevalent,  both  among  the  foes 
and  the  friends  of  the  Pope,  that  the  destruction  of  his 
temporal  will  entail  the  ruin  of  his  spiritual  power.  Among 
Protestants  the  wish  is  father  to  the  thought,  and  the  im- 
patient interpreters  of  prophecy  find  no  warrant  in  their 
texts   for   breaking   the   fall  of    Antichrist   half-wav   down, 


72  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italy. 

Among  devout  Eomanists  the  notion  arises  from  their  attach- 
ment to  the  tradition  of  their  Church,  which  holds  the  two 
powers  to  be  inseparable,  and  which  clutches  at  the  sub- 
stantial patrimony  of  St.  Peter  with  as  much  tenacity  as 
his  metaphorical  keys.  In  reality,  I  doubt  whether  ardent 
anti-Komanists  are  wise  in  advocating  the  abolition  of  the 
temporal  power.  The  notorious  scandals  of  the  Papal 
administration  tend  to  throw  a  slur  upon  his  spiritual 
pretensions.  If  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule  his  own  house- 
hold, how  shall  he  rule  the  Church  of  Christ  ?  How  can  the 
worst  of  temporal  sovereigns  be  the  best  of  spiritual  fathers  ? 

I  believe  that  his  position  as  spiritual  sovereign  would 
be  strengthened  by  the  abolition  of  the  temporal  power.  It 
is  a  reform  as  urgently  needed  as  the  reforms  which  were 
brought  about  within  the  Eoman  Church  after  Luther's 
secession.  Prom  those  reforms  the  Church  derived  new 
strength  and  a  fresh  lease  of  existence.  That  lease  is  now 
run  out,  and  can  only  be  renewed  on  condition  of  parting 
with  the  temporal  power.  The  world  is  not  yet  ripe  for  the 
destruction  of  the  spiritual  domination,  and  till  then  the 
powers  of  Napoleon,  and  Victor  Emmanuel,  and  Garibaldi 
all  united  will  not  prevail  against  it.  Not  martyr  flames 
nor  trenchant  swords  shall  do  away  that  ancient  institution. 

Sept.  23. — The  gardens  of  the  French  Academy  on  the  Pin- 
cian,  open  to  the  public  this  (Sunday)  afternoon,  are  planted 
in  a  manner  rather  unusual  now-a-days.  Narrow  walks 
intersect  each  other  at  right  angles,  bordered  on  each  side  by 
tall  hedges  of  box  overtopped  by  ilex  and  bay  (here  meriting 
its  name  of  laurus  nobilis),  with  generally  at  each  angle  a 
cypress  or  pine.  Such  a  garden,  delightfully  cool  and  plea- 
sant beneath  this  Italian  sun,  would  be  damp,  and  chill, 
and  mouldy  in  England.  Nevertheless  the  lieges  of  Elizabeth 
used  to  love  "pleached  alleys,"  and  I  could  fancy  that 
Shakespeare  planted  for  himself  some  such  "trim  plea- 
saunce  "  at  New  Place.  I  wonder  if  there  was  more  sunshine 
in  England  in  those  days.  In  Spenser  and  Shakespeare 
it  is  almost  always  sunshine — a  notable  storm  now  and  then 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRA  FEL  IN  1 8 60.  73 

— but  sunshine  as  a  rule.  Is  there  any  truth  in  the  fancy  of 
all  old  people  that  the  weather  used  to  be  warmer  and  finer 
when  they  were  young?  Or  is  it  that  nature  has  kindly 
provided  for  men,  whether  poets  or  not,  that  only  the  sunny 
hours  of  life  shall  make  a  lasting  impression  on  the  memory, 
like  the  dial  that  says,  "  Horas  non  numero  nisi  serenas  ? " 

In  sight  of  the  stone  bench  where  I  am  sitting  are  a 
group  of  children,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  years  old,  playing 
with  a  heartiness  which  we  are  accustomed  to  think  a  special 
characteristic  of  English  children.  It  is  a  sunny  hour  for 
them.  Their  game  is  called  Ladri  e  Sbirri.  The  first  thing 
they  do  is  to  stand  round  in  a  ring.  Each  holds  out  three 
fingers.  The  biggest  boy  counts,  beginning  from  his  left 
hand,  three,  six,  nine,  &c.  up  to  twenty-one,  after  which 
he  goes  on  counting  each  boy  as  one  till  he  gets  to  thirty-one, 
and  number  thirty-one  is  the  Capo  Sbirro.  This  elaborate 
device  is  to  prevent  cheating  in  the  choice  of  a  leader. 
The  Capo  Ladro  is  chosen  in  the  same  way.  The  head 
spy  and  the  head  robber  then  choose  their  men  alternately. 
The  Sbirri  tie  a  handkerchief  for  distinction  round  the  left 
arm,  and  start  in  chase  of  the  robbers.  Some  of  the  stone 
seats  are  supposed,  "by  making  believe  very  much,"  to  be 
caves,  where  they  are  secure.  If  the  robbers  succeed  in 
escaping  all  to  the  same  cave,  they  win  the  game.  It  was 
curious  to  observe  how,  even  in  the  ardour  of  the  game, 
the  slow,  trainant,  distinct  enunciation  of  the  Eomans  was 
preserved.  A  strange  contrast  to  the  confused  gibberish 
of  the  Neapolitans. 

Sept.  25. — The  Pope  had  ordered  solemn  prayers  for  three 
days — a  triduo  is  the  name  still  in  use,  adopted  like  so  many 
others  from  Pagan  Eome — to  be  offered  for  the  success  of  his 
arms.  These  were  repeated  for  three  successive  evenings  at 
vesper  time,  in  one  of  the  chapels  of  St.  Peter's.  Swiss  guards 
lined  each  side  of  the  chapel,  and  the  Holy  Father  himself,  in 
scarlet  cope,  knelt  in  front  of  the  altar,  and  once  during  the 
ceremony  offered  incense.     The  persons  present — five  or  six 


74  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Italt. 

hundred  in  number — joined  in  the  chanting  with  great  appa- 
rent fervour,  but  before  the  service  was  over,  a  large  part  had 
scurried  off,  and  taken  their  place  in  a  double  line  leading 
to  the  door,  by  which  his  Holiness  was  to  pass  on  the  way 
to  the  Vatican.  The  Pope  looked  placid  and  benignant  as 
ever,  and  showed  no  trace  of  care  or  trouble  in  face  or  figure. 
People  dropped  on  their  knees  to  receive  his  benediction. 

An  Englishman,  whose  Protestantism  has  been  intensified 
by  residence  in  Eome,  to  whom  I  spoke  of  the  effective  per- 
formance I  had  just  witnessed,  said,  "Yes,  they  are  consum- 
mate actors,  but  I  have  long  felt  that  the  play  has  lost  its 
attractiveness  by  too  much  repetition,  and  now  it  is  more 
dreary  to  me  than  ever,  for  I  know  that  there  is  no  money  to 
renew  the  dresses  and  decorations,  or  to  pay  the  wages  of  the 
scene-shifters  and  candle-snuff ers." 

Early  in  October  I  returned  by  way  of  Marseilles  and  Paris* 
All  the  Frenchmen  I  talked  with  on  the  steamer  and  in  the 
railway  carriage  showed  great  irritation  against  Italians  in 
general,  and  Garibaldi  in  particular.  They  were  very  sore 
about  Castelfidardo,  and  the  fate  of  the  Pope's  French  volun- 
teers, who  had  fought  like  lions  "  un  contre  cent"  and  before 
succumbing  to  numbers  had  annihilated  a  whole  regiment  of 
Piedmontese.  If  their  opinion  could  be  taken  as  an  index  of 
the  general  feeling  of  France,  the  Emperor  would  be  taking  a 
popular  course  if  he  were  to  restore  the  status  quo  in  Italy  by 
force  of  arms,  leaving  only  Lombardy  to  Piedmont,  as  a  com- 
pensation for  Savoy  and  Nice.  It  was  agreed  that  the  posi- 
tion of  Austria  in  Venice  was  intolerable.  "  Que f aire?"  My 
suggestion  that  Austria  should  sell  it  was  ridiculed  as  "  une 
idee  vraiment  Anglaise"*  they  not  seeming  to  remember  that 
the  great  Napoleon  netted  a  good  round  sum  by  a  similar 
transaction  with  regard  to  Louisiana. 

These  same  Frenchmen  showed,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  no  good 
will  towards  England.     They  spoke  out  their  sentiments  with 

*  Now  (December,  1860),  this  very  plan  is  recommended  by  several  journals 
in  France,  as  the  only  solution  of  the  difficulty. 


W.  G.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  Itf  1 860.  75 

that  complete  disregard  of  a  stranger's  feelings  which  dis- 
tinguishes them  from  all  other  nations,  and  makes  them 
essentially  the  rndest  nation  in  Europe.  They  told  me  that 
every  one  knew  the  great  ultimate  purpose  of  the  Emperor's 
policy  was  the  humiliation  of  England ;  that  in  less  than 
ten  years  he  would  take  Gibraltar  from  us,  and  give  it  to 
Spain,  he  would  take  the  Ionian  Islands  and  give  them  to 
Greece,  thus  making  allies  for  himself  everywhere  at  our 
expense ;  that  he  would  seize  Egypt,  and  cut  us  off  from  India, 
&c.  &c. 

A  countryman  whom  I  met  at  Paris  had  been  the  object  of 
similar  polite  attentions  in  crossing  France.  One  of  his  fellow- 
travellers,  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  war,  rubbed 
his  hands  and  said  with  a  cheerful  smile,  "  Oui,  Monsieur, 
nous  vous  mangerons  les  entrailles." 

The  French  say,  and  by  constantly  affirming  it  have  half- 
persuaded  themselves,  that  they  are  stronger  than  we,  and 
would,  in  the  event  of  a  war,  be  certainly  victorious,  but 
beneath  their  boasting  lurks  a  feeling  of  distrustful  fear,  which 
will  give  them  pause,  and  make  them  reflect  that  they  may 
find  a  cheaper  and  safer  way  of  gratifying  their  national 
vanity  by  continuing  to  brag  of  what  they  will  do  than  by 
trying  to  do  it. 


76  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia. 


2.  A  TOUR  IN  CIVIL  AND  MILITARY  CROATIA, 
AND  PART  OF  HUNGARY. 

BY  GEORGE  ANDREW  SPOTTISWOODE. 

At  the  end  of  October  last,  our  party,  consisting  of  my 
brother  and  sister,  myself,  and  the  courier,  found  ourselves 
at  Trieste.  A  somewhat  erratic  course  had  brought  us  from 
Innsbruck  by  Salzburg  and  Ischl,  through  Styria  to  Brack, 
where  we  joined  the  Vienna  and  Trieste  railway.  We  had 
been  well  rewarded  for  devoting  one  day  to  Adelsberg,  where 
we  had  spent  some  hours  in  exploring  the  intricacies  and 
beauties  of  its  caves  ;  and  were  now  making  preparations  for 
continuing  our  journey  farther  south. 

Utterly  abjuring  steamboats,  both  on  general  grounds  and 
also  on  account  of  a  too  recent  experience  of  them  by  some 
of  our  party  in  the  Mediterranean,  we  had  intended  to  pro- 
ceed by  land.  The  lateness  of  the  season  warned  us  to  push 
on  without  visiting  Pola  or  the  other  places  of  interest  in 
Istria.  We  accordingly  took  the  direct  route  to  Fiume,  which 
begins  to  ascend  the  mountains  behind  Trieste,  immediately 
after  quitting  the  town ;  and  then  striking  off  from  the  road 
to  Laibach,  continues  along  a  high  ridge  overlooking,  on  the 
left,  the  desolate  region  called  the  Karst.  Here  the  eye 
ranges  over  an  immense  tract  of  stony  country,  without 
catching  a  trace  of  vegetation  except  here  and  there  a 
wretched  stick  of  a  tree,  bearing  the  few  twigs  which  the 
bitter  north-east  wind  allows  to  grow. 

But  though  no  vegetation  meets  the  eye,  there  is  a  pecu- 
liarity about  this  district  which  considerably  modifies  its 
apparent  sterility.     The  surface  is  honeycombed  throughout 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 8  60.  JJ 

with  circular,  funnel-shaped  holes,  twenty,  fifty,  or  a  hundred 
feet  or  more  in  diameter,  and  at  the  bottom  of  these  funnels 
is  always  a  little  spot  of  rich  black  mould,  in  every  case 
showing  marks  of  diligent  culture.  Until  these  are  dis- 
covered, the  traveller  is  at  a  loss  to  understand  whence  the 
population  of  the  large  whitewashed  villages,  scattered  at 
distant  intervals  over  this  region,  derives  its  subsistence.  A 
little  beyond  Castelnuovo,  we  first  catch  sight  of  the  country 
sloping  towards  Fiume.  A  steep  hill  descends  at  our  feet  to 
a  sea  of  tumbled  rocks  at  the  bottom,  and  some  miles  in  front 
rises  a  wall  of  bare  stony  mountains,  gorgeous  with  the  pink 
and  orange  hues  of  sunset.  A  purple  slumber  gradually  steals 
over  them,  followed  by  the  grey  twilight,  which  at  last  hides 
them  from  our  eyes. 

Fiume  is  a  pretty  town  of  ten  or  twelve  thousand  inha- 
bitants. As  you  look  out  of  the  hotel-window  over  the  quay, 
the  mountains  of  Istria  on  the  right  and  some  islands  in 
front  inclose  a  fine  harbour,  the  great  drawback  to  which  is 
the  difficulty  of  access.  Here,  as  everywhere,  the  hotel  was 
half  occupied  by  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  there  being  in 
the  town  nearly  as  many  soldiers  as  inhabitants. 

The  intelligence  of  the  new  constitutions  which  were  to  be 
granted  to  the  different  Austrian  states  had  been  received 
very  coldly  by  the  people  of  Fiume.  The  studiously  vague 
terms  in  which  the  announcement  was  conveyed,  left  them 
in  doubt  of  the  point  on  which  their  anxiety  chiefly  centred ; 
namely,  whether  they  were  in  future  to  form  a  part  of  Hun- 
gary or  of  Croatia.  They  much  preferred  the  former  country ; 
as,  being  the  richer  of  the  two,  they  thought  it  would  be 
able  to  do  the  most  for  the  encouragement  of  their  free  port. 
But  whatever  hopes  they  may  have  allowed  themselves  to 
entertain  on  the  subject  have  been  disappointed ;  for  Fiume 
has  since  been  declared  to  belong  to  the  kingdom  of  Croatia, 
and  Hungary  Proper  remains  without  a  port  of  its  own.  They 
were  also  full  of  complaints  of  the  favour  shown  by  the 
Government  to  their  rival,  Trieste,  while  they  themselves 
were  burdened  with  duties  and  taxes  which  disabled  them 


78  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia. 

from  entering  into  a  fair  competition  with  that  city.  The 
increase  in  the  taxes  during  the  last  twelve  years  is  extra- 
ordinary :  a  house  which  at  the  former  period  was  rated  at 
eighteen  shillings,  now  pays  fifteen  pounds. 

During  the  short  hour  of  liberty  in  1848,  the  trade  of 
Fiume  showed  some  signs  of  vigour,  but  since  the  re- 
establishment  of  arbitrary  government  in  the  Austrian  states 
it  has  languished.  Open  spaces  along  the  shore  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  town,  with  remains  of  timber  lying 
about,  were  once  occupied  by  shipbuilders,  but  are  now 
deserted  and  forlorn.  A  large  and  profitable  trade  in  staves 
for  beer-barrels  has,  however,  lately  been  opened  with  England ; 
and  under  the  freer  institutions  now  promised,  Fiume  may 
regain  some  of  her  former  prosperity. 

A  remarkable  sort  of  timber  used  to  be  a  remunerative 
article  of  export  in  former  times.  It  had  the  appearance  of 
oak,  but  when  sawed  up,  it  was  found  to  be  full  of  circular 
chambers  filled  with  cigar-shaped  preparations  of  tobacco. 
The  forests  where  this  timber  was  grown  were  not  indicated 
to  us  :  our  informant,  who  had  evidently  made  a  good  deal  of 
money  by  some  trade  or  other,  loudly  regretted  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  good  old  days,  and  the  prying  disposition 
of  the  custom-house  officials. 

The  want  of  communication  with  the  interior  is  another 
great  drawback  to  Fiume.  The  railway  from  Vienna  to  the 
Adriatic  was  originally  intended  to  pass  through  part  of 
Hungary,  and  to  reach  Trieste  by  way  of  Fiume  ;  but  it  has 
been  constructed  along  the  present  line,  at  great  additional 
expense,  in  order  to  punish  the  Hungarians  for  their  share 
in  the  events  of  1848.  An  Englishman,  who  was  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Fiume  last  autumn,  has,  I  understand,  since 
been  endeavouring  to  take  steps  for  the  formation  of  a  railway 
from  Sissek  to  Fiume,  in  connexion  with  which  a  line  of 
steamers  is  proposed  between  that  port  and  England.  The 
only  communication  at  present  between  Fiume  and  the  forests 
and  corn-producing  plains  of  Hungary  is  the  Luisenstrasse — 
a  good  road,  but  the  tolls  on  it  are  so  heavy  as  to  make  it  in 


G.  A.  Sfottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  79 

a  commercial  point  of  view  comparatively  useless.  The  reader 
will  perhaps  gain  some  idea  of  the  disadvantages  under  which 
this  part  of  Europe  lies  from  want  of  means  of  transport, 
when  he  learns  that  it  is  cheaper,  as  well  as  more  certain, 
as  regards  time,  to  import  corn  to  Fiume  from  Kussia  by- 
Odessa,  than  from  Hungary. 

We  received  great  kindness  during  our  stay  at  Fiume  from 
Mr.  Hill,  the  English  vice-consul,  and  Mr.  Francovich,  a 
timber-merchant,  to  whom  we  had  a  letter  of  introduction. 
The  former  amused  us  much  with  stories  of  persons  he  had 
met  with  in  the  course  of  his  official  residence  in  the  town. 
The  incidents  related  in  the  following  story,  which  was  told 
us  by  Mr.  Hill,  occurred  to  a  gentleman  with  whom  I  am 
well  acquainted,  and  who,  after  serving  with  distinction  in  the 
army,  had  at  the  period  of  their  occurrence  lately  taken  holy 
orders. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night,  one  summer,  some  three  and 
twenty  years  ago,  Mr.  Hill  was  called  up  by  a  messenger,  who 
had  ridden  in  hot  haste  from  a  village  about  eighteen  miles 
inland,  and  who  said  that  an  English  gentleman  and  his  son 
were  in  trouble,  and  had  been  ill-treated  and  placed  in  con- 
finement by  some  peasants,  with  whom  they  had  had  the 
misfortune  to  quarrel.  It  was  a  matter  of  a  few  minutes 
for  Mr.  Hill  to  present  himself  at  the  house  of  the  governor,  of 
whom  he  demanded  the  services  of  a  surgeon  and  a  lawyer. 
With  these  companions  he  set  off  for  the  village  indicated, 

where  he  found  Mr. and  his  son,  a  boy  of  about  fourteen, 

in  a  peasant's  cabin,  wounded  and  handcuffed.  Leaving  the 
surgeon  to  administer  what  relief  he  could,  Mr.  Hill  and  the 
lawyer  hastened  to  the  house  where  the  trial  (as  it  was  called) 
was  proceeding.  At  the  centre  of  a  table  sat  the  Giudice  dei 
Nobili,  on  his  right  the  judge  of  the  peasants,  and  on  his  left 
the  Eoman  Catholic  priest  of  the  village. 

After  some  discussion,  in  which  Mr.  Hill  defended  his 
clients  from  various  accusations,  the  judge  objected  that  the 
passport  was  a  forged  one ;  for,  having  been  issued  at  the 
commencement  of  her  present  Majesty's  reign,  King  William's 


80  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia. 

name  had  been  erased,  and  that  of  Queen  Victoria  substituted. 
This  difficulty  was  scarcely  explained  away,  when  the  judge 
objected  again  that  Mr. was  described  as  a  lieutenant- 
colonel. 

"  And  why  not  ? "  said  Mr.  Hill. 

"Well,"  answered  the  judge,  "he  may  be  a  lieutenant- 
colonel,  but  a  little  way  further  on  he  is  described  as  a 
gentleman  !     What  can  you  say  to  that  ? " 

The  idea  of  a  lieutenant-colonel  being  also  a  gentleman 
was  beyond  the  imagination  of  an  Austrian  official.  Beaten 
out  of  this  position,  however,  he  renewed  the  attack ;  and, 

taking  up  a  visiting  card,  showed  that  Mr. was  described 

as  the  Eev. .     This  did  appear  rather  staggering ;  but 

Mr.  Hill  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  Knowing  nothing  of  the 
circumstances  of  this  particular  case,  he  rushed  into  a  general 
explanation  of  English  manners. 

"  Oh,  that's  only  your  ignorance.  In  England,  livings 
belong  to  private  persons,  and  when  their  sons  are  not  old 
enough  to  take  them,  they  put  in  some  one  to  keep  them  for 
a  time.  Meanwhile,  the  son  goes  to  college,  and  then  he 
puts  on  a  red  coat  and  goes  into  the  army  (they  don't  allow 
him  to  go  into  the  navy,  because  sailors  swear,  and  soldiers 
are  not  allowed  to  swear),  and  then,  after  a  time,  he  leaves 
the  army  and  takes  orders." 

"  But,"  interrupted  the  priest,  "  he  can't  be  really  a  priest, 
for  he  has  his  son  with  him." 

"Are  we  not  in  a  Greek  village?"  inquired  Mr. Hill ;  "and 
has  not  the  Greek  priest  a  wife  and  children  \  And  though 
the  Greek  priest  can  only  marry  one  wife,  an  English  priest 
may  marry  as  many  as  he  pleases,  in  succession." 

"  But  I'm  sure  he  is  an  impostor/'  persisted  the  priest,  "  for 
he  says  he  knows  Latin,  and  I  can't  understand  him." 

Mr.  Hill  reminded  the  Court  of  the  difference  in  the  mode 
of  pronunciation  of  Latin  among  different  nations,  and  claimed 

that  Mr. should  be  brought  in  to  answer  for  himself. 

The  surgeon  had  by  this  time  produced  a  great  change  in 
his  appearance,  and  Mr.  Hill  insisted  on  the  irons  being 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  81 

taken  off  before  the  examination  was  proceeded  with.     On  a 

trial  in  writing,  Mr. 's  Latin  was  found  to  be  superior 

to  the  priest's,  so  that  difficulty  was  disposed  of.  But  the 
priest  was  not  beaten  yet. 

"  Well,  at  any  rate,  I  am  sure  he  is  a  bad  man,  for  he  has 
got  a  devil's  machine  with  him." 

"A  devil's  machine !  How  do  you  know  it  is  a  devil's 
machine  ? " 

"  Oh,  I'm  sure  it  is.     Look  here  ! " 

And  he  produced,  with  an  air  of  triumph,  a  number  of  rods 
tied  together,  and  a  book  containing  a  collection  of  the  most 

frightful-looking  little  imps,  with  which  poor  Mr. was 

supposed  to  make  his  incantations.  Unfortunately  for  the 
priest,  this  horrible  apparatus  turned  out  to  be  nothing  but  a 
fishing-rod  and  fly-book. 

Mr.  Hill  conquered,  but  was  glad  to  carry  off  his  charge  as 
fast  as  he  could  to  Fiume.     Before  starting,  however,  Mr. 

was  taken  to  a  window  of  the  house,  from  which  he 

was  shown  the  peasants  who  had  maltreated  him,  being 
flogged  all  round.  On  his  arrival  at  Fiume,  he  represented 
his  case  to  the  higher  authorities,  objecting  to  the  punish- 
ment being  put  off  on  the  least  guilty  parties,  and  insisting 
that  the  judges,  and  not  the  peasants,  should  be  punished. 
The  correspondence  was  kept  up  in  the  ordinary  official  form 
for  a  twelvemonth  ;  and  the  Austrian  authorities  at  last  made 
an  end  of  the  matter,  by  leaving  the  magistrates  in  their 
offices,  but  flogging  the  peasants  all  round  a  second  time. 

Bare  rocks,  and  steep  mountains,  almost  destitute  of  vegeta- 
tion, were  the  chief  features  of  the  country  after  leaving  Fiume. 
On  the  southern  slopes  of  the  hills,  however,  vines  are  culti- 
vated, and  trained  over  the  stones  which  abound  everywhere, 
in  order  to  catch  as  many  of  the  sun's  rays  as  possible.  At 
the  little  village  inn  of  JSTovi,  where  we  slept,  we  were 
warned  to  beware  of  the  great  scourge  of  this  district,  the 
Bora.  This  wind  blows  with  such  violence  from  the  north- 
east, that  it  is  often  impossible  for  man  or  beast  to  stand 
against  it.     The  whole  country  lying  on  the  north  and  north- 

G 


82  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Ceoatia. 

east  of  the  Adriatic  is  afflicted  with  it.  Its  visits  are  rare  in 
summer,  but  increase  in  frequency  towards  winter,  when  it 
often  rages  uninterruptedly  for  three  weeks. 

It  was  a  bright  cold  morning  when  we  left  Nbvi  for  Zengg 
(or  Segna).  Our  road  is  on  the  slope  of  the  bare  mountains 
of  the  mainland,  which  sweep  upwards  to  our  left,  and  on  our 
right  the  equally  bare  hills  of  Isola  Yeglia  confine  the  sea 
within  a  narrow  channel.  A  strange-looking  streak  of  foam 
and  spray,  which  crosses  the  water  at  one  spot  a  little  before 
us,  attracts  our  attention.  Before  long,  we  know  that  this  is 
the  point  where  the  Bora  first  strikes  the  sea.  Presently 
another  and  another  streak  appears,  and  soon  the  whole 
surface  of  the  sea  is  covered  with  white  foam,  and  clouds  of 
rainbow-coloured  spray  chasing  one  another  furiously  in  every 
direction,  the  wind  meanwhile  raging  without  intermission, 
bitter  and  icy.  The  sun  blazing  in  the  cloudless  sky  seemed 
to  mock  at  the  sea,  and  the  bare  motionless  rocks  looked  on 
helpless  as  the  wind  made  long  furrows  on  her  surface. 
Without  a  murmur  she  suffered,  yet  neither  sun  nor  moun- 
tains werer  ashamed. 

The  road,  after  the  fashion  of  country-roads,  runs  high  or 
low,  now  near  the  sea,  now  mounting  the  face  of  the  rock, 
without  any  intelligible  purpose.  With  its  usual  judgment, 
it  chooses  the  most  exposed  point  of  the  most  exposed  moun- 
tain for  one  of  these  displays  of  engineering.  Mala  Draga  is 
the  appropriate  name  of  the  place. 

We  had  got  out  of  the  carriage,  and  were  holding  our  own 
with  difficulty  against  the  wind,  when  we  suddenly  saw 
seat-cushions,  books,  and  plaids  neatly  lifted  out  by  the  wind, 
and  making  their  way  rapidly  up  the  hill.  A  general  chase 
ensued,  ending  in  the  capture  of  the  greater  part  of  our 
property,  which  we  prudently  packed  into  the  bottom  of-  the 
carriage,  with  myself  spread  out  on  the  top  of  all  to  prevent 
further  accident. 

Zengg  is  the  head-quarters,  or,  in  the  imaginative  language 
of  the  inhabitants,  the  birthplace,  of  the  Bora.  The  town, 
a  seaport,  lies  at  the  mouth  of  a  rocky  gorge,  down  which  the 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]   NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  83 

wind  blows  in  one  steady,  pitiless  storm  for  nearly  six  months 
in  the  year.  It  is  rather  picturesque,  half  Italian  in  some  of 
its  features  ;  and  an  old  mediaeval  castle  frowns  over  it.  The 
port  shares  with  Fiume  the  trade  in  timber  from  the  interior, 
and  is  frequently  visited  by  English  vessels,  which  import  the 
Manchester  cotton  prints,  crockery,  and  Sheffield  ware,  which 
are  met  with  in  every  town  and  village  along  this  coast. 

An  amusing  account  of  the  Uscoc  pirates,  the  former 
inhabitants  of  Zengg,  and  of  their  misdeeds  and  final  removal 
to  the  mountains  which  still  bear  their  name  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Karlstadt,  will  be  found  in  Sir  Gardiner  Wilkinson's 
work  on  Dalmatia  and  Montenegro.  It  would  appear  that 
the  climate  has  not  deteriorated  since  their  time,  for  in  1607, 
when  the  Austrian  Government,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  Vene- 
tians, commanded  the  Uscocs  to  desist  from  all  "hostilities 
against  the  Turks/'  as  their  piracies  were  called  in  polite 
language,  they  "  despatched  one  of  their  voivodas  to  the 
Imperial  Court  to  represent  the  impossibility  of  living  at 
Segna  without  piracy,  and  to  pray  that  the  taxes  levied  on 
certain  Morlacchi  villages  [in  Dalmatia]  might  be  assigned  for 
their  maintenance." 

The  delays  incident  to  posting  through  a  country  not 
often  visited  by  tourists,  promised  to  increase  as  we  advanced 
farther.  We  decided,  therefore,  to  strike  up  to  the  north- 
east through  Croatia  into  Hungary.  There  is  but  one  road 
into  and  one  road  out  of  Zengg,  so  that  our  route  was  not 
affected  by  this  change  of  plan  till  we  reached  the  first  post 
station,  Xuta  Loqua.  As  we  get  away  from  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  town  some  symptoms  of  vegetation  appear,  and 
in  one  place  vines  are  cultivated.  The  ascent  is  tolerably 
rapid,  and  in  the  upper  part  the  road  is  carried  through  oak 
woods,  with  beautiful  views  of  the  Adriatic  with  its  islands, 
and  occasionally  Zengg,  crowned  by  its  old  castle. 

At  the  summit  we  pass  through  a  new  wooden  gate,  behind 
which  we  discover  a  picquet  of  Austrian  soldiers,  with  a 
hastily  built  guard-house ;  and  above  our  heads  two  cannon 
are  planted,  commanding  the  pass.     All  the  hamlets  on  this 

g2 


84  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia, 

side  the  mountain  swarm  with  soldiers.  The  fear  of  Gari- 
baldi and  his  Hungarian  legion  has  called  up  these  locusts, 
which,  wherever  we  went,  were  devouring  the  land.  So  great 
is  the  alarm  his  name  inspired  into  the  authorities,  that  not  long 
before  our  visit,  all  the  Austrian  lighthouses  in  the  Adriatic 
were  extinguished  for  some  time.  Even  the  town  clock  at 
Fiume  was  not  allowed  to  shine,  lest  it  should  light  some 
Garibaldian  vessel  to  its  harbour.  The  result  of  this  measure 
was,  however,  that  Austrian  and  neutral  vessels  could  no 
more  reach  Trieste  than  Garibaldian  ships  of  war.  This 
quite  unexpected  inconvenience,  combined  with  the  raising  of 
the  insurance  on  vessels  proceeding  to  these  ports,  at  last  made 
the  Austrian  Government  rescind  this  absurd  order. 

From  Xuta  Loqua  the  Dalmatian  road  turns  off  to  the 
right,  and  passing  through  Ottochacz,  crosses  the  Velebich 
mountains,  and  descends  thence  to  Knin,  near  which  place 
the  roads  to  Zara,  Sebenico  and  Spalato  diverge.  Travellers 
visiting  Dalmatia  almost  invariably  make  use  of  the  steamers 
which  proceed  either  from  Trieste  or  Fiume,  and  touch  only 
at  the  principal  towns  on  the  coast.  Much  of  the  interest 
arising  from  a  tour  in  an  unfrequented  country  is  thereby 
lost.  As,  however,  it  is  five  or  six  days'  land  journey  from 
Trieste  to  Zara,  any  one  whose  time  is  limited  would  probably 
do  well  to  profit  by  the  steamer  as  far  as  the  latter  place,  and 
then  make  his  way  onwards,  either  in  the  light  carriages  of 
the  country,  or,  perhaps  better,  on  horseback.  We  were 
unable  to  gain  any  certain  intelligence  as  to  the  organization 
of  the  post  beyond  Zara. 

The  road  between  Xuta  Loqua  and  Jezerana  passes  over  a 
wild  country,  and  about  a  mile  beyond  the  latter  place  crosses 
the  Kapella  mountain,  a  part  of  the  Julian  Alps,  from  the 
summit  of  which  there  is  a  fine  view,  closed  by  the  range  of 
mountains  overhanging  Zengg.  The  descent  of  the  Kapella 
on  the  north-east  side  is  through  a  forest  of  pines,  which  has 
suffered  much  from  storms  ;  and  the  road  winds  its  way  round 
the  funnel-shaped  holes  which  here,  as  in  the  Karst  men- 
tioned above,  are  the  distinguishing  feature  of  the  country. 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  85 

Karlstadt  is  a  town  of  some  seven  thousand  inhabitants ; 
the  older  part  of  it  is  inclosed  by  strong  fortifications,  but 
beyond  the  glacis  which  surrounds  them  are  large  suburbs. 
The  young  poplars  which  have  just  been  planted  here,  replace 
those  removed  by  order  of  the  military  authorities  during  the 
Italian  war  of  1859.  The  Government  were  so  terrified  at 
the  successes  of  the  Franco-Italian  army  that  they  did  not 
feel  safe  even  here. 

It  may  be  doubted,  however,  whether  the  mass  of  the 
people  in  these  parts  are  not  still  in  ignorance  of  the  real 
character  of  at  least  some  of  the  engagements  which  took 
place  during  that  campaign  ;  for  we  frequently  saw  prints  at 
country  inns  representing  incidents  of  the  battles  of  Magenta 
and  Solferino,  and  it  was  hinted  to  us  that  these  were  circu- 
lated by  authority,  and  that  innkeepers  and  others  were 
"  invited  "  to  purchase  them.  The  natural  conclusion  on  the 
part  of  the  people  is,  of  course,  that  these  battles  were  Austrian 
victories. 

From  Karlstadt  there  is  water  communication  with  the 
Danube  by  means  of  the  Kulpa  and  the  Save,  and  good  roads 
lead  to  the  ports  of  Fiume  and  Zengg,  and  into  Dalmatia  ; 
but  the  tolls  on  the  road  to  Fiume  are  very  heavy,  and  the 
navigation  of  the  Kulpa  is  difficult  and  tedious,  on  account  of 
the  alternate  floods  and  want  of  water.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
these  disadvantages,  Karlstadt  is  the  centre  of  a  considerable 
trade,  especially  in  corn,  tobacco,  and  wood.  Sissek,  at  the 
junction  of  the  Save  and  Kulpa,  is  the  great  depot  where  is 
collected  the  timber  of  Bosnia,  and  the  other  neighbouring 
districts.  It  is  conveyed  thence  in  barges  up  the  Kulpa,  to 
Karlstadt,  from  which  place  it  is  taken  to  Fiume  or  Zengg 
in  the  little  waggons  of  the  country.  A  peasant,  generally 
accompanied  by  his  wife  or  son,  occupies  four  or  five  days  in 
the  journey ;  his  cart  contains  about  five  pounds'  worth  of 
wood,  and  he  receives  about  thirty  shillings  for  its  transport. 
The  wood  is  principally  exported  to  England  in  the  form  of 
staves  ;  and  the  forests  of  Bosnia  bid  fair  to  attract  to  them- 
selves a  large  portion  of  the  commerce  which  used  to  be 


86  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia. 

almost  monopolized  by  Norway.  It  is  hoped,  also,  that  the 
Admiralty  will  make  use  of  the  timber  of  this  country  for 
ship-building ;  and  the  Austrian  Government  is  stated  to  be 
willing  to  facilitate  this  commercial  intercourse  with  us,  as 
it  is  at  this  moment  very  desirous  of  cultivating  friendly 
relations  with  England. 

A  gentleman,  who  owns  some  forests  on  the  other  side  of 
the  Turkish  frontier,  and  who  held  contracts  from  the  English 
Government  during  the  Crimean  war,  hearing  that  we  were  in 
Karlstadt,  offered  to  take  us  an  excursion  of  two  or  three 
days,  to  see  his  forests.     We  gladly  availed  ourselves  of  this 

opportunity,  and  Mr. having  shown  our  passports  to  the 

Commandant  at  Karlstadt,  and  obtained  permission  for  us 
to  enter  the  Military  Erontier,  we  started  by  daybreak  one 
morning,  though  the  weather  looked  unpropitious,  for  the 
snow  was  beginning  to  fall  slowly  and  steadily.  When  we 
drove  into  the  back  yard  of  the  post-station  at  Vojnich,  about 
twenty  miles  from  Karlstadt,  the  carriage  was  full  of  snow, 
and  the  post-master  would  give  us  no  horses,  as  the  road 
by  which  we  were  to  proceed  was  not  a  post-road.  The 
accommodation  of  the  inn  did  not  at  that  time  seem  very 
inviting  ;  but,  on  our  return  a  few  days  afterwards,  we  thought 
it  almost  luxurious.  A  broad  entry,  with  a  floor  of  earth, 
divided  the  house  into  two  parts.  On  one  side  was  the 
kitchen,  and  a  room  for  the  usual  frequenters  of  the  place  ; 
drovers,  carters,  and  soldiers.  On  the  other  side,  two  low 
rooms,  with  an  arch  between  them,  contained  two  or  three 
beds  each.  A  universal  bedroom  upstairs  completed  the 
establishment. 

After  some  delay  we  arranged  with  the  peasants  for  four 
horses  to  take  us  on  to  Maljevacz,  a  fort  on  the  border,  whence 
we  were  to  cross,  snow  permitting,  into  the  Turkish  terri- 
tory. A  wild-looking  man,  with  a  red  Turkish  cloak,  and 
something  between  a  cap  and  an  extempore  turban,  drove 
the  wheelers,  while  his  companion  acted  as  postilion  for  the 
leaders.  The  fare  as  well  as  the  accommodation  of  Maljevacz 
being  considered  questionable,  we  packed  up  some  bread,  a 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  i860.  87 

small  cask  of  wine,  and  a  piece  of  beef,  which  we  bought  of 
the  landlord,  who  was  also  a  butcher. 

It  was  growing  dusk  when,  after  a  laborious  journey  in 
the  snow,  we  drove  through  the  black  and  yellow  striped 
gates  of  Maljevacz.  The  fort  consists  of  a  single  two-storied 
building,  from  the  central  portion  of  which  three  arms  pro- 
ject in  different  directions  ;  the  whole  being  surrounded  by  a 
loopholed  wall.  The  present  building  occupies  the  site  of  one 
which  was  burned  down  by  the  Turks  in  1819.  Accommo- 
dation is  provided  on  the  ground -floor  for  the  soldiers,  and  on 
the  first-floor  for  the  director  or  quarantine-officer,  the  doua- 
nier,  and  the  priest.  We  were  received  with  great  hospitality ; 
for  each  of  the  three  gave  up  a  room,  so  that  at  last  we  were 
all  housed.  Having  brought  provisions  to  so  dreary  a  spot, 
we  thought  it  selfish  to  consume  them  by  ourselves ;  we 
therefore  invited  the  commandant  and  the  other  officers  to 
supper.  The  courier,  in  the  meantime,  foraged  about,  and 
collected  chickens  and  turkeys,  the  staple  food  of  the  country, 
and  by  dint  of  great  exertions,  a  supper,  magnificent  for  such 
a  place,  was  at  last  got  ready.  It  is  true  that  the  chickens 
and  turkeys  were  stringy  and  tough,  and  that  the  soup  ap- 
peared in  a  wash-hand  basin  which  we  had  lately  used,  and 
which  was  made  available  several  times  during  the  repast ; 
its  last  use  being  to  contain  a  salad,  composed  principally  of 
cold  potatoes  and  onions  with  oil  and  vinegar.  But  every 
one  took  everything  in  good  part,  and  the  priest  superintended 
the  succession  of  the  courses,  changed  the  plates,  wiped  the 
knives  and  forks,  and  was  always  at  hand  whenever  any 
attention  could  be  shown  to  any  one.  By  the  help  of  five 
languages — English,  French,  German,  Italian,  and  Slavonic — 
all  of  which  were  talked  simultaneously,  and  of  which  most  of 
the  company  understood  two,  we  made  ourselves  very  happy, 
and  interchanged  ideas  on  all  sorts  of  subjects — the  snow, 
the  forest,  the  frontier,  the  Turks,  and  even  the  Volunteers. 

The  cries  of  the  sentinels  every  quarter  of  an  hour  during 
the  night  were  anything  but  cheerful.  One  of  them  was 
stationed  just  opposite  my  window,  and  as  I  unclosed  my 


88 


VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND 


[Croatia. 


shutter  in  the  morning,  I  saw  him  open  the  cloak  which  he 
had  put  over  his  head,  howl  for  the  last  time,  and  then  stand, 
the  picture  of  misery,  with  the  snow  deepening  round  him, 
till  he  was  relieved.  There  was  no  getting  away  from  the 
place  that  day,  as  it  was  necessary  to  construct  a  sledge  for 
the  carriage ;  and  even  so  simple  a  machine  as  two  logs  of 
wood,  hewn  moderately  square  and  placed  under  the  wheels, 
could  not  be  put  together  in  less  than  a  day.  Even  the  wood 
itself  had  to  be  fetched  from  the  Turkish  side. 

As  we  are  now  fairly  in  Military  Croatia,  the  following 
outline  of  the  peculiar  constitution  of  this  border  land  may 
not  be  uninteresting.  The  Military  Frontier  of  Austria  is  a 
long  strip  of  territory  intervening  between  the  Austrian 
dominions  and  Turkey,  extending  from  Dalmatia  to  Tran- 
sylvania, which  latter  district,  though  under  a  somewhat 
similar  form  of  government,  does  not  form  part  of  the  military 
frontier  strictly  so  called. 

The  country  is  divided  into  fifteen  districts,  fourteen  of 
which  furnish  each  a  regiment  of  infantry;  the  fifteenth 
maintaining  a  battalion  of  river  artillery.  Commencing 
from  the  boundary  of  Dalmatia,  the  regiments  with  their 
head-quarters  are  as  follow : — 


KARLSTADT   DISTRICT. 

Regiment.  Head-Quarters. 

Lika Gospich. 

Ottocha Ottochacz. 

Ogulin Ogulin. 

Szluin Karlstadt. 

BANAT   DISTRICT. 

1st  Banat  Regt.         .    .    Glina. 
2nd      do Petrinia. 

WARASDIN  DISTRICT. 

Warasdin  Kreuz    .    .    .  )  t>,^„„„ 
St.  George    ....         Belovar- 


SLAVONIAN   DISTRICT. 

Regiment.  Head-Quarters. 

Gradiska     ....    Neu  Gradiska. 
Brod Vincovcze. 

SYRMIAN   DISTRICT. 

Peterwardein  .    .    .    Mitrovicz. 


Tschaikist  Battalion.    Tittel. 

BANAT   FRONTIER. 

German  Banat     .    .    Pancsova. 
Illyrian  Banat      .    .    Weisskirchen. 
Roman  Banat.     .    .    Karansebes. 


Transylvania  furnishes  four  regiments  of  infantry,  two 
Szekler  and  two  Wallachian,  and  one  regiment  of  Szekler 
hussars. 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  I  8 60.  89 

Scattered  military  colonies  had  been  formed  on  the  frontiers 
of  Hungary  from  a  very  early  period,  but  the  present  syste- 
matic organization  of  extensive  districts  dates  from  the  period 
when  Hungary  was  added  to  the  other  dominions  of  the 
house  of  Hapsburg.  A  bulwark  against  the  Turkish  power 
was  desirable  and  even  necessary  in  days  gone  by,  and  a 
sanitary  cordon  as  a  protection  from  the  plague  may  have 
mitigated  the  ravages  of  this  scourge  in  Eastern  Europe  ;  but 
the  rulers  of  the  heterogeneous  mass  of  states  swayed  by  the 
sceptre  of  Austria  were  wise  in  their  own  generation  when 
they  projected  a  system  which  gave  them  a  numerous  force 
of  hardy  soldiers,  sympathising  with  none  of  the  neighbouring 
nationalities,  untroubled  by  regret  for  the  loss  of  or  aspira- 
tions after  political  rights,  and  knowing  scarcely  any  other 
life  than  that  of  the  rude  camp  in  which  they  were  nurtured. 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  slow  but  steady  progress  by 
which  this  system  has  been  advanced,  from  its  commencement 
in  the  west  to  its  present  limits  eastward.  The  Karlstadt 
and  Warasdin  districts  were  formed  at  the  end  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  placed  under  the  immediate  authority  of 
the  Austrian  war-office.  The  Banat  Border  District  was 
formed  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  is  so  called  from  its 
being  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Ban  of  Croatia.  The 
Slavonian  District  was  not  formed  till  the  beginning  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  was  at  first  of  much  greater  extent ; 
but  the  Hungarians,  by  this  time  seeing  the  true  object  of 
these  encroachments  by  the  military  power,  succeeded  in 
effecting  a  considerable  reduction  in  its  extent,  for  it  is  now 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  military  frontier.  In  the  latter 
half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a  district  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Theiss  and  the  Danube  was  assigned  to  the  Tschaikist 
battalion  of  gunboats,  which  had  been  originally  raised  at 
Komorn  during  the  wars  with  Frederic  the  Great.  A  little 
later  in  the  same  century  the  Banat  frontier  (of  Temesvar) 
was  constituted,  and  the  modified  military  system,  which  at 
present  obtains  in  Transylvania,  was  established. 

The  whole  southern  frontier  of  the  Austrian  states,  from  the 


90  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia. 

shores  of  the  Adriatic  to  the  eastern  limit  ot  Transylvania, 
is  thus  under  military  government.  The  system  has  not  been 
extended  northwards  from  this  point,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  it  never  may  be.  It  is  a  system  which,  whatever  reason 
may  have  existed  for  it  in  former  times,  is  now  of  use  only 
to  extinguish  the  efforts  of  the  different  provinces  to  regain 
the  freedom  of  which  they  have  been  stealthily  but  steadily 
despoiled  by  Austria.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Hungary,  of 
which  country  these  districts  are  in  some  degree  dependencies, 
may  under  the  new  regime  develop  some  plan  for  removing 
at  least  the  most  objectionable  features  of  their  constitution. 

It  remains  to  notice  some  of  the  leading  characteristics  of 
the  system.  The  districts  mentioned  above  are  again  par- 
celled out  into  smaller  portions ;  the  male  population  from 
the  age  of  sixteen  to  sixty  within  each  district  forms  a  regi- 
ment ;  the  men  of  the  different  smaller  portions  within  that 
district  forming  the  different  companies  of  the  regiment.  The 
boundaries  of  the  regiments  and  of  the  companies  are  indi- 
cated on  the  principal  roads  by  high  posts,  carrying  iron 
plates,   on    which    may  be    seen   in    raised    letters    either 

"  Boundary  of  and  Eegiments,"  or  " Eegi- 

ment,  boundary  of and Companies."     The  colonel  of 

each  regiment  resides  at  the  town  or  village  which  is  its  head- 
quarters. The  captains  and  other  officers  have  officers'  quar- 
ters provided  within  the  limits  of  their  companies.  The 
officer  is  also  the  magistrate  within  the  limit  of  his  military 
jurisdiction,  there  being  no  civil  government  whatever. 

Along  the  whole  line  of  the  frontier  are  placed  at  intervals 
forts  or  stations  like  that  at  Maljevacz.  Between  these  forts 
there  is  a  chain  of  buildings  called  chardaks,  in  each  of 
which  a  certain  number  of  soldiers  are  stationed  to  prevent 
persons  from  crossing  the  border  at  any  unauthorized  place 
or  time.  These  chardaks  are  square  buildings  of  two  floors, 
the  upper  one  surrounded  by  a  gallery  in  which  the  sentinel 
keeps  watch,  the  whole  being  covered  by  a  high  roof.  The 
garrison  is  changed  on  the  Monday  in  each  week.  For  this 
weekly  term  of  duty,  which  recurs  several  times  in  the  year, 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TRJ  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  91 

and  which  with  going  and  returning  sometimes  occupies  him 
one-third  of  the  year,  the  soldier  receives  no  pay,  and  has  to 
provide  his  own  food.  In  the  event  of  being  called  out  of  the 
country,  to  which  he  is  at  all  times  liable,  he  receives  five 
kreuzers  (about  2d.)  a  day,  and  half  a  loaf  of  black  bread. 

Each  family  receives  a  portion  of  land  to  cultivate.  The 
portion  allotted  to  each  is  sufficient  for  its  support,  but  the 
occupants  have  little  time  to  cultivate  it.  This  land  is  the 
property  of  the  State,  and  inalienable.  A  glance  at  the  houses 
and  their  inhabitants  as  they  swarm  out  of  their  dark  smoky 
cabins  is  sufficient  to  show  the  result  of  this  system.  Every 
man  (or  rather  boy,)  is  compelled  by  law  to  marry  at  seven- 
teen, in  order  to  keep  up  the  supply  of  soldiers  for  the  State. 
Although  the  soil  is  good,  the  inhabitants  have  to  purchase 
many  articles  of  subsistence  from  the  Turks.  A  market  is 
held  at  Maljevacz  every  Monday;  at  the  two  markets  pre- 
ceding our  visit,  no  business  had  been  done,  as  the  borderers 
had  no  produce  to  exchange,  and  what  little  money  they  had 
was  useless,  for  the  Turks  will  not  take  Austrian  paper,  except 
at  a  ruinous  discount.  Improvement  is  impossible  under  the 
present  system.  No  manufactures  are  permitted  in  the  country. 
No  one  would  be  allowed  to  settle  in  it,  even  if  disposed  to  do 
so  ;  neither  may  any  of  the  present  inhabitants  leave  it. 

Erom  these  military  districts  Austria  can  raise  a  force  of 
140,000  men,  ready  at  any  moment  to  march  into  a  disaffected 
province,  and  assist,  as  they  did  in  Hungary  in  1848,  in  exter- 
minating all  symptoms  of  rebellion. 

The  last  morning  of  our  stay  at  Maljevacz  was  occupied 
in  bargaining  for  some  specimens  of  the  work  of  the  Croat 
women.  These  consisted  of  aprons,  curiously  woven  and  em- 
broidered with  heavy  fringe  round  them,  and  of  girdles  and 
socks  of  the  same  kind  of  work.  The  news,  that  we  were 
inquiring  about  such  things,  spread  rapidly  through  the 
village ;  and  we  had  women  of  all  ages  eagerly  offering 
aprons,  old  and  new,  and  everything  else  they  could  think 
of.  Sharp  dealing  must  be  an  "innate  idea"  in  the  human 
race ;  for  these  people,  who  had  no  trade  in  their  work,  and 


92  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Croatia. 

evidently  knew  nothing  of  what  it  was  worth,  at  once  asked  a 
high  price,  and  stuck  to  it  manfully.  A  sharp  skirmish  was 
carried  on  with  each  in  turn,  for  we  could  do  nothing  when  they 
were  all  in  our  room  at  the  same  time ;  and  I  must  confess 
that  we  often  had  the  worst  of  it.  One  little  girl  in  a  Greek 
costume  battled  hard,  and  when  we  got  her  to  abate  one 
florin  in  a  very  long  price,  retired  temporarily  from  the  field ; 
but  returned  in  half  an  hour  to  say  that  her  papa  would  not 
let  the  work  go  for  less  than  the  sum  originally  asked.  She 
would  have  done  honour  to  New  York. 

Herr  Direktor  was  a  great  man,  in  his  own  estimation,  in 
this  establishment.  He  was,  on  the  present  occasion,  the 
possessor  of  a  sledge,  which  we  coveted  greatly.  The  other 
officers  interceded  in  turn  that  we  might  be  allowed  to  use  it, 
but  without  effect ;  so  a  deputation  of  us  went,  and  by  some 
means  managed  to  soften  him.  He  was  a  little  man,  with  a 
screwed-up  face  and  big  spectacles,  and  would  never  talk 
anything  but  French  to  us.  The  power  he  exercised  over 
that  language  was  extraordinary.  Conjugations  and  termi- 
nations of  all  kinds  he  dispensed  with  as  unnecessary;  and 
his  rather  slender  vocabulary,  which  we  soon  learnt  by  heart, 
came  out  time  after  time  in  its  well-known  order,  solemn  and 
stately,  with  decent  intervals  between  the  words. 

We  were  quite  sorry  to  part  from  the  kind,  open-hearted 
old  priest,  who  "gave  all  that  he  had  from  his  heart,"  and 
who  had  exerted  himself  so  much  for  our  comfort.  Under 
some  pretence  or  other,  we  managed  to  get  each  one  of  the 
officers  to  accept  some  recompense  for  the  trouble  we  had 
given  them.  The  new  silver  money  w^hich  we  had  with  us,  and 
which  some  of  them  had  never  even  seen,  was  very  welcome. 
The  incipient  thaw  delayed  our  sledge  nearly  six  hours  on 
the  nineteen  miles  of  road  to  Yojnich,  and  the  carriage  which 
followed  at  a  little  interval,  with  a  multitude  of  horses  and 
men,  was  ten  hours  on  the  road. 

A  good  road  leads  from  Yojnich  by  Glina  to  Petrinia  and 
Sissek.  There  is  also  a  pretty  road  from  Maljevacz  to  Petri- 
nia, down  the  river  Glina,  passing  through  Topusca,  where 


G.  A.  Spottiswoodb.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  93 

there  are  remains  of  Eoman  baths  of  Diocletian's  time.  All 
such  excursions  were,  however,  impossible  for  us,  and  we 
hurried  back  as  soon  as  we  could  to  Karlstadt  and  thence  to 
Agram. 

This  place  is  the  capital  of  Croatia,  but  is  not  an  interest- 
ing town.  The  cathedral  is  a  fine  gothic  building,  well  cared 
for,  and  the  Bishop  appears  to  be  a  botanist.  The  sights  are 
mentioned  in  Murray,  but  are  not  bewildering,  either  in  num- 
ber or  variety.  It  being  Sunday  when  we  were  there,  we  had 
a  good  opportunity  of  seeing  the  costumes  of  the  peasants 
who  came  into  the  market  in  the  morning  to  sell  their  farm 
produce.  As  for  the  men,  some  of  them  wore  great  white 
cloaks,  like  blankets,  with  quaint  devices  on  them ;  others, 
brown  felt  jackets,  embroidered  at  the  sides,  and  broad- 
brimmed  hats  with  artificial  flowers  round  the  crown ;  others, 
again,  wore  coats  or  jackets  of  sheepskin,  with  the  fur  inside, 
some  white  and  some  brown,  with  gorgeous  conventional 
flowers  or  other  patterns  on  the  back  and  sleeves.  All  their 
legs  were  encased  in  felt  hose,  and  on  their  feet  they  had 
clumsy  low  shoes,  fastened  with  long  sandals  round  the  ankle. 
But  how  shall  I  describe  the  costume  of  the  female  popu- 
lation? They  wear  folded  handkerchiefs,  of  a  somewhat 
Eoman  character,  on  their  heads.  Their  bodies  are  encased  in 
sheepskin  jackets,  or  waistcoats,  ornamented  like  those  of 
the  men,  and,  like  theirs,  apparently  worn  for  life.  Under 
this  is  a  very  scanty  piece  of  unbleached  drapery,  which 
descends  nearly  to  the  knees,  with  a  pretty  red  stripe  near 
the  lower  edge ;  and  the  costume  is  completed  by  a  pair 
of  Wellington  boots.  Voila  la  paysanne  Croate.  The  town 
population,  however,  are  quite  different  in  their  dress,  are  well 
up  in  the  last  fashions,  and  wear  crinoline  and  steel-petticoats 
of  gigantic  proportions. 

The  latter  part  of  the  road  to  Warasdin  is  through  pretty 
forest  scenery.  The  town  itself  is  in  the  middle  of  a  marshy 
plain ;  the  houses  are  low  and  irregular,  and  the  streets  im- 
passable on  account  of  the  mud.  The  railway  from  Mahr- 
burg,  on  the  Vienna  and  Trieste  line,  along  the  soutt    side 


94  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Hungary. 

of  the  Platten  See  to  Stuhlweissenburg,  and  Buda  (Pest),  was 
to  be  opened  on  the  1st  of  January,  1861.  At  the  time  of 
our  visit,  trains  only  ran  to  Gross  Kanizsa — a  world's  end  sort 
of  place,  with  streets  deep  in  mud. 

The  arrival  of  an  English  party  excited  the  liveliest  interest 
in  the  hotel  at  Kanizsa.  The  servants  looked  through  our 
keyholes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  lions ;  and  the  daughter 
of  the  house,  though  dressed  for  a  hall,  put  on  an  apron  and 
enacted  supernumerary  housemaid,  in  order  to  gain  admit- 
tance to  our  rooms.  The  ball  was  being  given  in  the  hotel 
in  honour  of  a  Jewish  wedding.  The  people  goodnaturedly 
asked  us  to  join  them  ;  and  after  making  what  preparation  we 
could,  we  were  soon  engaged  in  the  waltz  or  polka,  taking 
first  one  partner,  then  another,  one  turn  round  the  room.  In- 
troductions and  conversation  were  equally  unnecessary,  and, 
in  some  cases,  equally  impossible,  for  none  of  our  party  could 
speak  a  word  of  Hungarian,  and  several  of  the  natives 
spoke  nothing  else.  We  were  by  this  time  in  Hungary,  and 
though  the  country  was  beginning  to  be  much  agitated,  and 
the  Hungarians  count  all  Englishmen  as  friends,  the  presence 
of  two  white-coated  Austrian  officers  effectually  checked  any 
allusion  to  political  affairs.  The  band  serenaded  us  at  night, 
and  in  the  morning  we  counted  sixty  people  collected  at  the 
hotel-door  to  witness  our  departure.  A  general  doffing  of 
hats  on  all  sides,  with  cries  of  " gliickliche  reise"  takes  place, 
and  then  we  drive  out  into  the  street.  Arrived  there,  we  go 
bump,  bump,  into  the  holes,  which  lie  concealed  deep  below 
the  surface  of  the  mud.  We  hope  it  will  be  better  when  we 
get  out  of  the  town  ;  but  in  vain.  For  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles 
we  had  to  tumble  out  of  one  hole  into  another.  The  road, 
though  marked  out  with  a  neat  ditch  on  each  side,  had  never 
had  a  stone  laid  on  it,  and  was  left  in  its  native  state.  A 
passage  wide  enough  for  one,  and  sometimes  two,  carriages, 
had  been  cleared  in  the  snow,  which  was,  in  one  place,  eight 
feet  deep.  At  one  time  we  gave  up  the  road  and  fairly  took  to 
the  forest,  which  was  a  good  deal  better.  Towards  the  end  of 
this  day's  journey,  some  innovating  proprietor  had  conceived 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  95 

the  idea  of  laying  down  stones,  but  had  not  proceeded  further 
than  leaving  large  heaps  of  them  in  the  centre  of  the  road. 
But  with  all  these  drawbacks,  the  horses  took  us  at  the  rate 
of  six  miles  an  hour. 

Kesthely  is  prettily  placed  on  a  rising  ground,  overlooking 
one  end  of  the  Platten  See.  There  is  a  School  of  Agriculture 
here,  and  the  superior  style  of  cultivation  adopted  as  one 
approaches  the  town  shows  the  good  influence  it  has  had  on 
the  neighbourhood.  We  lionized  the  gardens  of  the  country 
house  of  some  noble  at  the  northern  end  of  the  town.  In 
one  part  of  the  grounds  vras  a  summer-theatre,  the  walls  of 
which  were  formed  of  a  high  beech  hedge,  cut  out  into 
hollows  for  the  boxes.  A  low  hedge  screened  the  orchestra, 
behind  which  was  a  raised  stage,  backed  by  a  continuation  of 
the  beech  hedge,  which  surrounded  the  theatre.  Another 
curiosity  was  a  sundial,  of  which  the  index  was  a  fir-tree, 
and  the  hour  figures  were  traced  in  box. 

The  country  inns  in  Hungary  are  usually  considered  to  be 
almost  intolerable ;  but  our  experience  of  them  was,  on  the 
whole,  favourable.  Certainly  nothing  can  exceed  the  dirt  of 
the  archway  by  which  you  drive  in,  or  of  the  back  yard  by 
which  you  frequently  approach  the  house.  Nor  does  the 
appearance  of  the  stairs  by  which  you  invariably  ascend  to 
the  rooms  for  guests,  reassure  the  doubting  traveller.  But 
once  arrived  at  the  long  passage  on  the  first  floor,  at  one 
end  of  which  is  always  the  saloon  or  the  billiard-room,  the 
prospect  brightens.  A  row  of  long,  narrow  rooms,  with  one 
or  two  windows  at  one  end,  the  door  at  the  other,  a  stove  in 
one  corner,  and  generally  three  beds,  is  the  usual  plan  of  the 
upper  part  of  the  house.  It  was,  of  course,  often  difficult  to 
make  the  people  understand  that  three  gentlemen  and  a  lady 
could  not  well  sleep  in  one  room ;  but  this  point  settled,  we 
met  with  nothing  but  readiness  on  the  part  of  every  one  to  do 
their  best  for  their  guests.  The  floors  are,  of  course,  dirty; 
but  the  same  may  be  said  of  those  of  most  continental  inns. 

The  view  of  a  bay  of  the  Platten  See,  near  which  the  road 
from  Kesthely  runs  for  some  distance,  with  the  conical,  flat- 


96  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Hungary  . 

headed  hills  in  front,  is  one  of  the  prettiest  that  we  saw  in 
our  journey  across  Hungary.  The  hills  and  sloping  ground 
are  all  covered  with  vines,  and  there  is  an  air  of  neatness 
and  comfort  about  the  neighbourhood  which  one  usually  looks 
for  in  vain.  Two  roads  lead  from  Tapolcza  to  Veszpre'm  :  one, 
direct,  inland  ;  the  other,  more  or  less  by  the  shore,  passing 
near  the  baths  of  Fured.  We  chose  the  latter,  as  we  were 
told  it  was  passable ;  but  we  were  soon  planted  in  a  snow- 
drift, fifty  or  sixty  yards  long,  higher  than  the  carriage, 
through  which  a  narrow  winding  passage  had  been  cut  wide 
enough  for  country  carts,  but  scarcely  so  for  a  carriage.  A 
pull  all  together  extricated  us  at  last ;  and  as  night  closed  in 
we  were  driving  across  the  fields  leading  to  the  baths  of  Fured. 
The  place  consists  of  several  large  hotels,  which  looked 
gaunt  enough  with  their  closed,  unlighted  windows.  Hardly 
expecting  to  find  any  one  in  the  place,  we  were  surprised  to 
hear  that  we  could  not  be  accommodated  on  account  of  all 
the  rooms  being  occupied.  Summer  rooms,  without  stoves, 
were  out  of  the  question  at  this  season,  and  the  remainder 
were  taken  by  gentlemen  of  the  neighbourhood,  who  had  come 
to  attend  a  sort  of  county  meeting  about  enlarging  the  baths. 
Through  the  kindness  of  the  Director,  however,  we  at  last  got 
rooms,  and  were  much  interested  during  dinner,  which  we 
had  in  the  restaurateurs  own  apartment,  by  his  graphic 
account  of  the  sufferings  of  himself  and  his  family  during  the 
bombardment  of  Pest  by  the  Austrians  in  1848.  Here,  we 
found,  the  Hungarians  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  conceal 
their  sentiments,  and  those  persons  with  whom  we  had  an 
opportunity  of  conversing,  openly  avowed  their  wish  to 
separate  from  Austria.  The  arbitrary  system  of  taxation 
pursued  by  the  Austrian  Government  appeared  to  me  to  be 
one  main  cause  of  the  disaffection  of  their  Hungarian  and 
Croat  subjects.  According  to  the  accounts  given  to  us,  each 
proprietor  was  assessed  arbitrarily,  on  the  principle  that,  if 
he  was  not  worth  a  certain  sum,  he  ought  to  be ;  no  explana- 
tion from  the  taxpayer  being  required  or  allowed.  To  take 
an  instance,  which  occurred  just  before  our  visit,  and  which  was 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  I  §  60.  97 

mentioned  to  ns  at  the  time.  A  butcher  at  Fiume  had 
contracted  for  a  monopoly  of  the  supply  of  meat  to  that  town 
for  a  year.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  lost  money  ;  but  the 
Austrian  authorities  considered  that  he  ought  to  have  made  a 
handsome  profit,  and  taxed  him  accordingly.  It  was  in  vain 
that  the  poor  contractor  offered  to  show  his  books,  or  give 
any  explanation.  He  ought  to  have  made  a  profit ;  there- 
fore he  did  so  ;  therefore  he  must  be  taxed  proportionably : 
an  example  of  a  priori  reasoning  more  satisfactory  to  the 
Government  than  the  contractor. 

The  sights  of  Fured  itself  are  soon  exhausted.  They 
consist  of  the  pump-room  and  theatre ;  a  row  of  baths  out 
in  the  lake,  and  a  steamboat  pier.  The  steamboat  itself  is  a 
great  resource  to  the  frequenters  of  the  baths  in  summer,  and 
is  perpetually  steaming  up  and  down  the  lake.  At  the  time 
we  saw  it,  it  was  under  repair  in  anticipation  of  next  summer, 
when  probably  one  of  its  principal  occupations  will  be  to 
convey  visitors  from  the  railway-station  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  lake.  A  great  increase  in  the  number  of  visitors  is 
expected  next  year,  as  Fured  will  then  be  within  a  few  hours 
of  Pest  by  the  railway. 

The  great  attraction  of  Fured,  however,  in  summer  must 
he  the  never-failing  spring  of  Sauerwasser,  which  tastes  like 
Selzer  water,  and  is  slightly  tonic.  Add  to  this,  the  strains 
of  the  gipsy  band,  excursions  among  the  woods  and  vineyards 
of  the  neighbourhood,  on  the  lake,  or  to  the  promontory  of 
Tihany,  and  you  have  the  means  of  passing  a  few  summer 
weeks  very  agreeably :  at  least,  if  you  are  fond,  as  all  Hun- 
garians are,  of  life  at  a  watering-place. 

Tihany  was  snowed  up,  so  we  could  not  see  it.  For  the 
benefit,  however,  of  the  British  paterfamilias,  by  whom  this 
part  of  the  world  has  not  been  much  visited,  I  may  mention 
that  it  is  a  remarkable  promontory  stretching  almost  across 
the  lake.  A  miniature  copy  of  the  Platten  See,  inclosed  in 
a  crater-like  basin,  one  of  the  oldest  monasteries  in 
Hungary,  with  views  over  the  lake,  and  caves  with  an  echo 
and   unaccountable    fossils,    are  the    sights  of  Tihany,    as 

H 


98  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Hungary. 

detailed  by  Murray,  whose  account  is  confirmed  by  the 
natives. 

Veszprem  is  about  two  hours'  drive  from  Eured ;  its  streets 
are  as  dirty  as  those  of  other  Hungarian  towns,  but  its 
situation  is  rather  more  picturesque  than  usual.  The  road 
between  this  and  Stuhlweissenburg  is  in  very  bad  order,  and 
as  dreary  as  can  well  be  imagined.  Usually  flat,  it  sometimes 
crosses  low  ridges,  from  the  summit  of  which  the  eye  ranges 
over  an  expanse  of  utter  monotony.  The  driver,  however, 
does  his  best  to  minimize  the  dulness  of  the  journey  by 
completing  the  distance  of  twenty-eight  English  miles,  without 
drawing  rein,  in  three  hours,  through  a  heavy  sea  of  mud  and 
half-melted  snow.  Although  Stuhlweissenburg  was  a  great 
city  in  the  old  days  of  the  Hungarian  monarchy,  and  is  the 
resting-place  of  St.  Stephen,  we  did  not  summon  courage  to 
wade  through  the  deep  mud  which  held  possession  of  the 
streets,  but  contented  ourselves  with  what  we  saw  of  its 
heavy-looking  renaissance  buildings  on  our  way  to  the  hotel. 

We  are  glad,  at  no  great  distance  from  Pest,  to  catch  our 
first  sight  of  the  Danube,  here  rolling  its  heavy  waters  south- 
wards through  the  interminable  plain.  Before  long,  we  descry 
the  Blocksberg.  Passing  under  its  crags,  with  the  river  to  our 
right,  we  have  a  full  view  of  the  Palatine's  palace  on  the 
heights  of  Buda.  Turning  to  the  right,  we  cross  the  suspen- 
sion-bridge, and  are  in  Pest. 

Pest  is  in  a  state  of  ferment.  All  man-kind  is  in  the 
national  costume.  "  Pork-pie  "  hats  with  streaming  ribbons, 
or  perhaps  fur  caps  surmounted  by  a  tall  white  feather ;  in 
either  case,  with  the  arms  of  Hungary  in  a  little  medallion  in 
front ;  long,  straight,  fur-trimmed  coats,  with  cords  and  tassels 
thrown  back  over  the  shoulders  ;  tight  breeches  and  Hessian 
boots :  such  is  the  costume  in  which  every  Hungarian  gen- 
tleman now  makes  a  point  of  appearing. 

Grave  political  events  pass,  unheard  of,  over  the  head  of  a 
traveller  in  most  continental  countries,  and  he  usually  receives 
the  first  intelligence  of  their  occurrence  through  the  columns 
ot  the  English  newspapers,  which  await  him  from  time  to 


G.  A.  Spottiswoode.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  i860.  99 

time  at  the  post-office  of  some  capital.  All  that  a  hasty- 
traveller  can  hope  for,  is  to  watch  the  little  indications  which 
catch  his  eye  as  he  runs  through  a  country.  These,  if  he  is 
wise,  afterwards  serve  to  correct  his  judgment  on,  or  give  him 
an  insight  into,  events  which  he  would  otherwise  have  mis- 
understood, or  not  have  comprehended.  The  sin  which  so 
easily  hesets  a  tourist,  is  that  of  generalizing  on  the  scanty 
data  within  his  reach.  What  a  man  saw,  if  truly  related,  is 
always  worth  something  ;  what  he  thought  about  it,  is  probably 
worth  very  little.  I  have  told  the  reader  as  shortly  as  I  can 
what  I  saw,  and  I  spare  him  my  reflections  thereon. 


H2 


100  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 


3.     SLAVONIC  RACES. 

BY   A   FORMER    RESIDENT   AND   RECENT   TRAVELLER   AMONG   THEM. 

The  populations  of  the  Slavonic  race  in  Europe  comprise 
about  eighty-seven  millions  of  souls,  and  speak  languages 
differing  scarcely  more  from  each  other  than  some  of  the  dia- 
lects of  the  ancient  Greek.  The  large  majority  belong  to  a 
common  form  of  religion ;  and  a  considerable  proportion  look 
beyond  their  own  frontiers,  to  the  protection  of  a  great  foreign 
power. 

Desiring  rather  to  sketch  what  is  common  to  these  nation- 
alities, than  to  dwell  at  tedious  length  on  their  minute  differ- 
ences, which  constitute  the  charm  and  delight  of  ethnological 
inquiry  in  the  schools  of  Agram  and  Prague,  I  propose  in  the 
following  pages  to  make  a  few  general  remarks  upon  the 
various  branches  of  the  Slave  family  of  nations.  My  sum- 
mary pretends  to  be  little  more  than  an  abridgment  of — 
indeed,  is  frequently  a  literal  translation  from — the  researches 
of  Grimm,  Yuk,  and  Schafgarik,  yet  I  hope  it  may  contribute 
to  attract  notice  towards  a  subject  on  which,  perhaps,  less 
attention  than  it  merits  has  hitherto  been  directed  in  this 
country. 

Nor  is  the  present  moment  inopportune  for  such  an  inquiry 
— whether  we  look  to  the  great  social  problems  in  solution 
in  Russia,*  or  to  the  efforts  which  Austria  is  making  to  com- 
bine the  existence  of  an  ancient  monarchy  with  an  imperious 
demand  for  local  franchises,  or  to  the  progress  of  the  Turkish 

*  In  addition  to  the  numerous  pamphlets  on  the  Serf  Question,  see  "Le 
Raskol ;  Essai  Historique  et  Critique  sur  les  Sectes  Religieuses  en  Russie." 
Paris,  1859.  (Raskol,  from  the  Russian  verb  raskolot,  to  separate  ;  raskol, 
schism ;  raskolnek,  schismatic.) 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  101 

Government  in  carrying  out  the  reform  of  Selim  and  Mah- 
moud. 

In  order  to  comprehend  the  affinities  and  mutual  sympa- 
thies of  the  Slave  races,  it  is  necessary  to  touch  on  their  early 
history,  and  we  must  at  once  go  a  long  way  back,  even  to  the 
sixth  and  seventh  centuries  of  our  era.  At  that  epoch,  nearly 
the  whole  space  between  the  Adriatic,  Black,  and  Baltic  seas 
was  occupied  by  tribes  of  Slave  race,  who  filled  the  space  left 
vacant  by  successive  migrations  of  the  Teutons,  southward. 

The  formation  of  a  Slavonic  empire,  which  might  otherwise 
have  been  possible,  was  then  prevented  by  an  invasion  of 
Hungarians,  who,  in  the  tenth  century,  after  carrying  the 
terror  of  their  ravages  from  the  free  marts  of  Bremen  to  the 
"  golden  gate  "  of  Byzantium,  from  Eheims  in  the  east  to 
Eome  on  the  south,  were  finally  driven  back  by  a  coalition  of 
Germany  under  Otho,  and  effected  a  lasting  lodgment  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  Slavonic  tribes. 

It  is  not,  however,  Vienna,  it  is  hardly  Pest  or  Presburg, 
but  it  is  Debreczin,  with  its  houses  scattered  like  the  tents  of 
the  first  Tartar  encampment,  which  is  now  the  characteristic 
home  of  the  Magyar.  To  this  day  the  great  plains  of  Central 
Hungary  are  occupied  by  a  population  who  live  in  the  saddle  ;* 
who  speak  a  language  differing  completely  from  the  Slave  or 
the  German,  but  akin  to  that  of  their  old  opponents,  the 
Osmanlis.  They  had  driven  them  across  the  Balkan,  at  Nissa 
(1443),  but  had  succumbed  to  their  terrible  artillery  at  Mohacs 
(1526),  "funestum  clade  Ludovici  Eegis  Hungarise  locum." 
They  were  a  race  who  engrafted  on  an  Eastern  stock  the 
institutions  of  chivalry  with  much  of  the  haughty  freedom  of 
Western  feudalism,  and  who  despised  the  "misera  contri- 
buens  plebs" — the  Slave,  the  Wallach,  and  the  Saxon,  as 
"  captives  of  the  bowf  and  the  spear." 

*  "Lora  termett  a  Magyar"  -Hungarian  proverb,  "The  Hungarian  is 
born  a  horseman  ; "  literally,  "  on  horseback." 

t  "  Oh,  save  and  deliver  us  from  the  arrows  of  the  Hungarians !  "—Litany 
of  the  middle  ages.  "  Misera  contribuens  plebs."— Statutes  of  the  Hung. 
Diet. 


102  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

The  central  plains  of  Hungary,  namely,  those  which  are 
watered  by  the  Maros,  the  Szamos,  and  the  Theiss,  are  sur- 
rounded by  people  of  Slavonic  race.  To  the  north-west  are 
the  Slovaks,  the  Moravians  and  the  Bohemians :  to  the  north- 
east are  the  Eussians :  to  the  south-west  the  Slovenes,  the 
Croats,  the  Dalmatians  and  the  Bosnians ;  while  to  the  south 
are  the  Servians. 

However,  this  circle  of  Slave  nationalities  is  not  completely 
unbroken.  To  the  south-west  a  German  offshoot  separates 
Moravia  from  Illyria ;  while  to  the  east,  in  Transylvania,  Wal- 
lachia  and  Moldavia,  are  the  Eumans,  half  Latin  and  half 
Slave. 

These  Slave  populations  are  subjects,  respectively,  of  Eussia, 
Austria,  Turkey,  Prussia,  and  Saxony. 

As  to  Eussia ;  the  Slave  element  constitutes  a  great 
majority  of  the  population  of  Eussia  in  Europe ;  and  appa- 
rently nearly  eleven-thirteenths  *  of  the  whole  population  of 
the  empire.  In  Prussia  and  Saxony,  the  Slave  element  is 
weak  ;  being,  in  the  former  kingdom,  about  one-eighth  of  the 
population,  and  in  the  latter  about  one  per  cent.  In  the 
Austrian  Empire,  since  the  cession  of  Lombardy,  the  Slaves 
probably  form  a  numerical  majority.  Lastly,  in  Turkey  in 
Europe,  they  nearly  equal  the  aggregate  of  all  the  other 
populations,  including  the  Ottoman  Turks. 

But  the  importance  of  the  Slave  eminent  in  each  state 
does  not  depend  wholly  upon  its  numerical  proportion.  It 
depends  largely  upon  its  unity  and  cohesion.  In  Eussia,  the 
Slave  population  forms  a  compact  mass  ;  but  in  Austria  it  is 
split  into  six  or  seven  distinct  nationalities,  the  most  numerous 
of  which,  the  Chechians,  amount  to  above  6,000,000  ;  while 
the  German  element  in  the  empire  is  represented  by  nearly 
8,000,000  ;  and  the  Magyar  by  about  5,000,000.  In  Turkey, 
the  Slave  element  is  weakened,  relatively  to  its  numbers, 
by  its  division  into  Mussulman  and  Christian. 

*  See,  for  Russia,  the  statistics  of  M.  de  Koeppen ;  for  Austria,  von 
Czornig  ;  and  for  Turkey,  Van  Reden  ;  also  Heuschling's  "  Empire  de 
Turquie."    Brussels,  1860. 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  103 

Let  us,  at  the  risk  of  some  tedium,  trace  the  ramifications  * 
of  their  two  great  stems,  the  Eastern  and  the  Western. 

I.  The  Eastern  Slaves  comprehend  the  Russians,  the  Servo- 
Illyrians,  and  the  Bulgarians. 

1.  The  Russian  branch  is  divided  into — 

(a)  The  Eussians  proper,  who  form  the  bulk  of  the  popula- 
tion of  the  middle  provinces  of  Eussia  in  Europe ;  numerous 
Slaves  scattered  throughout  Asiatic  Eussia  are  of  the  same 
race  :  they  all  belong  to  the  Greek  Church,  and  their  numbers 
are  about  37,000,000. 

(b)  The  Eussniaks,  Euthenians,  Eussinians,  or  Malo-f*- 
Eussians,  who  are  found  in  Southern  Eussia,  the  South  of 
Poland,  Galicia,  Lodomeria  or  Eed  Eussia,  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  Hungary,  and  are  scattered  over  Moldavia 
and  Wallachia.  The  Zaporoyne  Cossacks  belong  chiefly  to 
this  race,  the  Cossacks  of  the  Don  are  more  mixed  with 
pure  Eussians  ;  their  numbers  are  given  at  15,000,000  ;  they 
principally  belong  to  the  Greek  Church,  but  a  portion  of 
them  are  United  Greek  Catholics,  acknowledging  the  Pope  of 
Eome  as  head  of  their  Church. 

2.  The  Rlyrico- Servian  branch  comprises — 

(a)  The  Illyrico-Servians  proper,  with  five  subdivisions : 
(a)  the  Servians  lying  between  the  rivers  Timok,  Drina,  Save, 
Danube,  and  the  Balkan  ;  their  numbers  are  about  1,500,000. 
In  earlier  times,  and  especially  towards  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  many  of  their  race  emigrated  to  Hungary, 
where  they  now  number  about  750,000,  exclusive  of  their 
relatives,  the  Slavonians  in  the  so-called  kingdom  of  Sla- 
vonia :  they  belong  almost  entirely  to  the  Greek  Church. 
(ft)  The  Bosnians  ;  between  the  Balkan  mountains  and  the 
rivers  Drina,  Verbas,  and  Save.  Their  numbers  are  about 
1,200,000  ;  they  belong  to  the  Greek  Church,  except  about 
100,000,  who  are  Moslems.     (7)  The  Montenegrins  (Czerno- 

*  This  is  principally  taken  from  "  The  Languages  and  Literature  of  the 
Slavic  Nations."    New  York,  1850  ;  following  Schafgarik. 

t  "Malo  (Russian),  "little  :"  the  southern  provinces,  of  which  Kiewwas 
the  capital,  were  called  "  Little  Russia."— See  Gibbon,  chap.  xxx. 


104  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

Gortzi).  These  have  spread  themselves  from  Bosnia  to 
Antiorri,  on  the  sea-coast,  and  have  never  been  thoroughly^ 
subjugated  by  the  Turks ;  they  enjoy  a  sort  of  military 
republican  freedom :  their  chief  was,  till  lately,  the  Yladika, 
or  military  Bishop,  and  they  are  at  this  moment  governed 
by  a  prince  of  the  same  family.  They  amount  to  nearly 
120,000  souls,  and  belong  to  the  Greek  Church.  (S)  The 
Slavonians.  These  are  the  inhabitants  of  the  Austrian  king- 
dom of  Slavonia,  and  the  duchy  of  Syrmia,  between  Hungary 
on  the  north,  and  Bosnia  on  the  south.  Their  numbers  are 
about  300,000,  and  they  belong,  except  a  small  minority,  to 
the  Greek  Church.  (e)  The  strip  of  country  along  the 
Adriatic,  between  Croatia  and  Albania,  which,  together  with 
the  adjacent  islands,  is  called  the  kingdom  ofDalmatia,  and 
belongs  to  the  Austrians;  it  has  about  400,000  inhabitants, 
all  of  whom,  except  15,000  Italians,  belong  to  the  Slave  race ; 
they  are  all  Eoman  Catholics,  with  the  exception  of  about 
80,000,  who  belong  to  the  Greek  Church. 

(b)  The  Austrian  kingdom  of  Croatia  of  our  time,  with 
the  Croatians  in  Hungary,  Carniola,  and  Istria,  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Turkish  Sandjak  Banialouka,  contains 
about  1,500,000  souls  ;  of  these,  very  few  belong  to  the  Greek 
Church  ;  some  are  Moslems,  the  rest  are  Boman  Catholics. 
The  Croats  are  divided,  in  respect  to  their  language,  into  two 
parts  ;  one  of  them  bearing  affiirity  to  the  Servians  and  Dalma- 
tians ;  the  other,  to  the  Slovenes  of  Carniola  and  Carinthia. 

(c)  The  Slovenes  comprise  the  Slavic  inhabitants  of  the 
duchies  of  Styria,  Carinthia,  and  Gorz,  with  parts  of  Carniola, 
Istria,  and  Venetia  ;  they  also  extend  to  the  banks  of  the 
rivers  Baab  and  Muhr  in  Hungary :  they  number  above 
1,000,000,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  Erotestants,  they 
are  all  Boman  Catholics ;  they  call  themselves  Slovenes,  but 
are  known  locally  as  Wendes,  in  Styria,  Carinthia,  and 
Venetia ;  as  Krainer,  in  Carniola ;  as  Vandals,  in  Western 
Hungary,  &c. 

3.  The  Bulgarian*  branch  :  the  Bulgarians  occupy  Bulgaria, 
*  Some  ethnologists  have  thrown  doubt  on  the  Slavonic  origin  of  the  Bui- 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  105 

large  portions  of  Bumelia  and  Macedonia,  with  small  part  of 
S.Servia,  Albania,  and  even  Thessaly.  They  are  about  5,000,000 
in  number,  and  are  the  remnant  of  a  great  nation :  about 
80,000  more  are  scattered  throughout  Bessarabia,  and  25,000 
live  in  the  Banat  and  Transylvania.  Most  of  them  belong  to 
the  Greek  Church,  but  1,500,000  of  those  in  Turkey  are 
Mussulmen. 

II.  The  Western  Slaves  comprise  the  Chechians,  the  Polish 
or  LecMan,  and  the  Sorbian  Wendish  branches. 
1.  The  Chechians  are  divided  into — 

(a)  The  Bohemians  and  Moravians.  These  are  the  Slavic 
inhabitants  of  the  kingdom  of  Bohemia  and  the  Margravate 
of  Moravia,  both  belonging  to  the  Austrian  Empire.  They 
are  about  4,000,000  in  number,  of  whom  about  100,000  are 
Protestants,  the  rest  Catholics.  Schafgarick  includes  also 
44,000  of  the  Slavic  inhabitants  of  Prussian  Silesia  in  this 
race. 

(b)  The  Slovaks.  Almost  all  the  northern  part  of  Hungary 
is  inhabited  by  Slovaks  ;  besides  this,  they  are  scattered 
through  the  rest  of  that  country,  and  speak  different  dialects. 
They  are  reckoned  at  about  two  millions. 

2.  The  Polish-Lekhian  branch  :  this  comprises  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  present  kingdom  of  Poland ;  of  what,  since  1772, 
are  called  the  Eusso-Polish  provinces  of  the  duchy  of  Posen ; 
and  of  Galicia  and  Lodomeria  :  the  bulk  of  the  people  in 
this  latter  country  are  Eussniaks,  or  Euthenians.  The 
peasantry  are  Eussians  and  Eussniaks,  in  the  provinces  which 
were  formerly  called  White  Eussia,  Black  Eussia,  and  Eed 
Eussia,  and  which  were  conquered  by  the  Poles  in  former 
times  ;  in  Lithuania,  the  peasantry  are  Lithuanians  or  Let- 
tones — a  race  of  a  different  family  of  nations.  In  all  these 
countries,  only  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities  are  Poles,  or 
Slaves  of  the  Lekhian  race.  To  the  same  race  belongs  also  the 
Polish  population  of  Silesia,   and  an  isolated  tribe  in  the 

garians  ;  but  as  it  is  admitted  that,  even  if  of  the  same  family  of  nations  as 
the  Finns  and  the  Magyars,  their  distinctive  nationality  became  early  lost, 
they  are  here  considered  as  a  Slave  people.— See  Karamsin,  Klaproth.  Ritter. 


106  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

Eussian  province  of  Pomerania  called  Cassubes  or  Slovines. 
The  Slaves  of  the  Lekhian  race  hardly  amount  to  the  number 
of  10,500,000  ;  in  Eussia,  6,500,000  ;  in  Austria,  2,000,000  ; 
in  Prussia,  2,000,000  :  all  are  Catholics,  with  the  exception  of 
500,000  Protestants. 

3.  The  Sorabian  ( WendisK)  branch.  These  are  remnants  of 
the  old  Sorabae,  and  several  other  Slavic  races  in  Lusatia. 
Their  number  is  about  150,000,  and  they  are  chiefly 
Protestants. 

There  is  no  doubt  that,  besides  the  races  here  enumerated, 
other  Slavic  tribes — inconsiderable  in  numbers — are  scattered 
through  Germany,  Transylvania,  Moldavia,  and  Wallachia, 
and  even  through  the  whole  of  Turkey  and  Greece :  thus,  for 
instance,  the  Tchachonic  dialect,  spoken  in  the  eastern  part  of 
Ancient  Sparta,  and  the  dialects  of  some  of  the  Greek  islands, 
have  been  proved  to  be  of  Slavic  origin.* 

As  to  their  history.  That  of  the  eastern  slaves  is  partly 
the  history  of  Eussia  and  Poland  ;  too  extensive  a  subject, 
and  too  well  known,  to  dwell  on  here.  The  Illyrian  slaves 
were  early  divided  into  small  states,  amongst  which  the 
trading  Eepublic  of  Eagusa  deserves  mention.  The  local 
situation  of  most  of  these  western  states  made  them  dependent 
on  Hungary  ;  thus,  Croatia,  Slavonia,  Dalmatia,  sometimes 
under  the  title  of  kingdoms  and  sometimes  as  dukedoms, 
became  at  length  provinces  of  the  larger  kingdom,  and  ulti- 
mately of  the  Austrian  Empire.  Bosnia  and  the  Herzegovine 
are,  to  this  day,  divided  in  religion  and  language. 

The  early  history  of  Servia — which  country  has  always  been 
considered  by  the  southern  Slaves  as  the  centre  of  their 
nationality — requires  a  few  words  of  further  explanation. 
Materials,  perhaps,  exist  in  national  sources  f  as  yet  imper- 
fectly examined ;  but,  amidst  a  maze  of  confusion,  little  has 
yet  been  discerned  beyond  a  qualified  acknowledgment  of  the 
supremacy  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  with  a  government  under 
chiefs  elected  by  the  people,  accounts  of  encroachments  on 

*  See  Leake's  "  Morea." 

t  See  Ranke's  "  Servia,"  chap.  i.  note. 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  10J 

the  part  of  Constantinople,  and  of  successful  resistance  on 
that  of  the  Servians.  At  a  very  early  period,  numerous 
dukes,  princes,  and  bans,  separate,  and  almost  independent  of 
monarchical  authority,  exercised  sway  in  the  country  now 
called  Servia,  and  in  the  adjoining  provinces :  Bosnia  and 
the  Herzegovine  being  frequently  detached  from,  and  as  fre- 
quently united  to,  Servia  Proper.  The  authority  of  the 
provincial  chiefs,  then  called  Grand  Shupans*  was  con- 
solidated by  the  defeat  of  the  army  of  Monomachus  in  1043. 
The  power  of  Servia  next  became  consolidated  under  a  single 
ruler,  and  reached  its  acme  in  the  fourteenth  century  under 
Duschan;  for  then  the  sway  of  the  "Macedonian  Christ- 
loving  Tzar" — such  being  the  proud  title  assumed  by  the 
Servian  monarch — extended  from  the  Danube  to  the  Adriatic, 
and  seemed  likely  to  dispute  with  the  rising  power  of  the 
Ottoman  the  possession  of  Constantinople  itself. 

A  mythical  period  follows,  in  which  the  adventures  of 
Krai  Marco  fill  almost  the  same  position,  with  a  curious 
resemblance  in  some  of  the  details  of  the  legend  to  those  of 
King  Arthur,  of  our  own  story  ;  for  Krai  Marco  casts  his  good 
sword  into  an  enchanted  mere,  and  awaits,  in  an  enchanted 
cave,  the  independence  of  the  Servian  nation.  Marco  is, 
however,  taken  in  bondage,  and  serves  the  Sultan.  The 
Ottoman  power  now  gains  ground;  then  follows  the  fatal 
defeat  of  Kossova  (1389) ;  a  momentary  hope  from  the 
victories  of  Hunyad  (1443)  :  further  on,  we  hear  of  religious 
dissensions  ;  then,  of  a  Servian  princess  offering  the  country 
as  a  fief  to  Eome :  next,  the  Servians  throw  open  their 
fortresses  to  the  Ottomans;  then,  the  great  Hungarian  and 
Turkish  wars,  and  the  yearly  passage  of  Ottoman  hosts.  For 
a  few  years  Servia  becomes  subject  to  Austria  (1718-39); 
then,  the  Servians  join  Austria,  allied  with  Eussia,  against 
the  Porte  (1788).      It  is  not  worth  while  to   extend  these 

*  Shupans,  "  Lords  of  the  Sunny  South  : "  "  shupa,"  terra  aprica,  the  coast 
of  the  Adriatic.  (Vuk's  Servian  Dictionary.  Vienna,  1852.)  In  that  curious 
mixture  of  Slave  and  Latin,  the  modern  Rouman,  jupan  is  now  the  term 
employed  in  addressing  a  respectable  servant  or  mechanic. 


108  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

fragmentary  notes,  nor  to  continue  them  to  the  present  time,  by 
describing,  at  length,  the  details  of  the  Servian  war  of  inde- 
pendence ;  nor  how,  under  her  two  chieftains,  Kara-George  and 
Milosch,  she  has  succeeded  in  establishing  for  herself  a  position 
of  quasi-independence.  Eeference  has  been  already  made  to 
the  semi-independent  existence  of  Montenegro. 

The  language  of  these  various  populations  divides  itself 
into  two  principal  idioms  :  each  of  these  into  three  where  the 
difference  is  less.*  Of  the  Southern  dialect  are  the  Slovaks, 
the  Serfs,  and  Bulgarians ;  of  the  northern,  the  Bohemians, 
Poles,  and  Eussians.  The  northern  had  a  wider  expanse; 
the  southern  was  "  shut  in  between  the  sea,  the  Hungarians 
and  the  Turks."  f 

The  Slaves  who  came  over  the  Danube  into  Moesia,  Mace- 
donia, Thessaly,  and  Epirus,  and  subsequently  formed  alli- 
ances with  the  still  powerful  Greek  Empire,  adopted  the  faith 
of  the  Eastern  Church  :  so,  too,  the  Southern  Slaves ;  and, 
later,  the  Bulgarians  and  Servians.  Croatia  and  Bulgaria 
were  converted  to  Christianity  in  the  seventh  century,  by 
Italian  priests,  and  Carinthia  in  the  ninth,  if  not  the  eighth 
century.  About  the  same  time  the  southern  portion  of  the 
Moravian  Pannonian  slaves  were  baptized.  Under  Swatopulk, 
during  whose  reign  Moravia  nourished,  the  Pannonians  sent  a 
Christian  Embassy  to  Constantinople :  in  862,  the  Emperor 
Michael  sent  them  Methodius  and  Constantine  (Cyril),  Greeks 
by  birth,  from  Thessalonia,  but  skilled  in  the  Slavonic 
tongues,  and  they  began  a  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into 
the  Slavonic  idiom.  The  Bohemians  were  converted  about 
the  end  of  the  ninth  century,  their  rulers  made  open  profes- 
sion of  Christianity  in  the  tenth  :  the  North- Western  Slaves 
were  the  last  converted.  The  Greek  rite  made  considerable 
progress  among  the  Moravians  and  Poles,  and  Eussia  com- 
pletely adopted  the  faith  of  the  Greek  Church  about  the  end 
of  the  tenth  century. 

This  difference  of  ritual  has  facilitated  foreign  influence 
and  produced  enmities  between  peoples  of  the  same  race. 
*  Grimm.  t  Ibid. 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  109 

The  populations  of  the  Greek  rite  suffered  the  hardest  lot : 
the  Northern  through  the  invasions  of  the  Mongols ;  the 
Southern,  as  the  fortunes  of  Byzantium  waned  and  fell, 
through  the  Ottomans,  against  whom  the  Servians  had  vali- 
antly striven.  Soon  followed  the  apostasy  of  the  Southern 
Slaves  *  The  Eussian  Church  gradually  withdrew  itself 
from  the  no  longer  independent  Patriarch  of  Constantinople, 
and  another  portion  acknowledged  the  Archbishop  of  Carlo- 
witz. 

Various  institutions  and  forms  of  life  have  fallen  under  our 
observation  in  Slave  countries,  the  traces  of  which  might, 
perhaps,  by  a  broader  inquiry,  be  detected  as  existing 
in  all. 

A  difference  in  the  tenure  of  land  is  observable  in  Eastern 
and  Western  Europe.  In  most  of  the  countries  which  we 
have  been  considering,  the  relation  of  proprietor  and  culti- 
vator is  very  different  from  that  to  which  we  ourselves  are 
accustomed.  In  Eussia  the  serf  seems  to  possess  a  sort  of 
right  to  his  cottage  and  plot  of  ground ;  in  Moldavia  and 
Wallachia  (where  it  will  be  remembered  there  is  a  strong 
Slavonic  element  in  the  population),  much  the  same  state  of 
things  exists.  Turnbull  and  Paget  mention  the  prevalence  of 
somewhat  similar  customary  rights,  in  the  zone  of  the  Aus- 
trian Empire  occupied  by  Slave  populations :  and  although 
in  Servia  the  division  of  the  land,  formerly  held  by  the 
Turkish  conquerors,  has  rendered  almost  every  peasant  a  pro- 
prietor, the  recognition  of  a  sort  of  lien  of  the  cultivator  on 
the  soil  may  be  traced  in  the  circumstance  that,  when  a 
family  becomes  too  numerous  to  subsist  on  the  portion  of 
ground  belonging  to  it,  its  members  are  considered  entitled 
to  receive  unoccupied  land  belonging  to  the  commune. 

The  communal  organization  in  Slave  countries  is  strong, 
and,  it  may  be  added,  has  many  good  points.     This  is  the  case 

*  An  interesting  account  of  the  apostasy  of  the  Albanians  and  Bosnians 
(derived  from  reports  of  Roman  Ecclesiastics  to  the  Pope  and  Propaganda)  is 
to  be  found  at  the  end  of  Ranke's  "  Letzen  Unruhen  in  Bosmien,  1820-32." 
A  similar  apostasy  took  place  in  Georgia. — See  "  Chardin,"  vol.  ii.  p.  44. 


110  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

in  Eussia  *  In  Servia  the  commune  existed  throughout  the 
Turkish  times,  for  it  was  ever  the  principle  of  the  Ottoman 
conquerors  to  interfere  as  little  as  might  be  with  the  internal 
affairs  of  the  Christian  races  subjected  to  their  sway.  Its 
present  condition  is  curious  ;  whether  in  regard  to  problems 
of  self-government  or  to  those  of  national  prosperity.  A 
commune  in  Servia  is  composed  of  two  or  three  neighbouring 
villages,  or  a  single  village  if  sufficiently  large  may  be  of 
itself  a  commune.  At  the  principal  village  reside  the  kmet 
(mayor)  and  the  priest ;  the  church  of  the  commune  and  the 
school  are  usually  situated  there ;  each  commune  has  a 
communal  chest;  the  land  belonging  to  the  commune  is 
cultivated  each  year  for  the  communal  account.  The  rent  of 
the  inn  (mehana),  where  one  exists,  and  that  from  pasture- 
ground  and  oak-woods,  are  the  principal  sources  of  the 
communal  funds :  moreover,  the  communal  capital,  being 
lent  at  a  moderate  interest  to  the  members  of  the  commune, 
increases  yearly.  The  building  and  repairs  of  the  church, 
school,  residence  of  the  kmet,  and  mehana  are  defrayed  from 
the  communal  funds,  and  the  commune  has  the  sole  control  of 
its  property ;  but  must  render  a  yearly  statement  of  its 
employment  to  the  Government.  The  members  of  the  com- 
mune elect  their  chief  (kmet),  who  is  removable  in  a  few 
specified  cases.  In  each  commune  there  is  a  petty  court, 
composed  of  the  kmet,  as  president,  and  two  assessors :  in 
civil  matters,  its  decision  is  final  in  claims  not  exceeding 
two  hundred  Turkish  piastres  (about  11  14s.)  ;  in  criminal 
matters  it  can  inflict  three  days'  imprisonment  or  ten  blows. 
A  tax,  proportionate  to  the  number  of  adult  males,  is  payable 
yearly  by  the  commune  to  the  Government,  but  the  commune 
subdivides  the  amount  among  families,  according  to  their 
means  ;  similarly  as  to  other  Government  charges.  The  pro- 
portion of  taxes  paid  by  each  adult  male  to  the  Government, 

*  "  Et  d'abord  il  faut  conserver  le  mode  d'adrainistration  des  communes 
russes  par  les  assemblies  communales  (mirskie  skhody).  Tout  le  monde  en 
Russie  est  d'accord  la  dessus."  —  TourguenefF,  "Emancipation  des  Serfs," 
p.  44.    Paris,  1860. 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  \    \\\ 

and  including  a  yearly  payment  of  six  shillings  to  the  priest, 
one  shilling  and  fourpence  to  the  schoolmaster,  and  eight- 
pence  to  the  kmet,  amounts  to  from  twenty-four  shillings  to 
twenty-seven  shillings  yearly.  The  communes  have  lately 
established  a  pension  fund  for  widows  of  priests  and  school- 
masters. The  prefect  of  the  district,  head  of  the  arrondisse- 
ment,  and  Government  engineer  receive  rations  and  forage 
for  their  horses  when  they  visit  the  commune  on  public 
business. 

In  the  mountain  districts,  taking  a  general  average,  a 
commune  consists  of  from  seventy- five  to  eighty-five  houses, 
containing  each  one  or  more  families  (see  the  next  paragraph, 
upon  the  Sadruga),  and  amounting,  in  the  whole,  to  about 
500  to  560  souls ;  among  whom  there  may  be  from  ninety 
to  ninety-six  taxpayers.  Each  household  possesses,  on  an 
average,  about  twenty  head  of  cattle,  sixty  sheep,  two  or 
three  horses,  fifty  goats,  twenty-five  pigs.  In  the  plain,  a 
commune  comprises  about  120  houses,  900  to  1000  souls, 
and  140  taxpayers.  Here,  each  household  possesses  four  or 
six  oxen  (few  are  so  poor  as  to  have  only  two),  twenty  to 
twenty-five  sheep,  sixty  pigs,  scarcely  any  goats,  and  about 
the  same  number  of  horses  as  on  the  mountain. 

Another  remarkable  institution,  peculiar*  perhaps  to  the 
southern  Slaves,  is  the  Sadruga :  curious,  as  a  practical  illus- 
tration of  theories  which  have,  of  late  years,  much  occupied 
a  certain  school  of  political  economists.  It  consists  of  an 
association  of  persons,  occupying  either  one  or  adjoining 
dwellings ;  taking  their  meals  together ;  holding  and  managing 
their  property  in  common.  In  the  larger  towns,  the  Sadruga 
is  now  scarcely  met  with ;  but  in  the  country  districts,  and 
especially  on  the  frontier,  it  still  subsists.  Each  of  these 
communities  has  a  head-man  (Starjeschina),  who  directs  its 
affairs,  and  distributes  the  household  duties.  All  property 
acquired  by  a  member  belongs  to  the  community,  except  a 


*  Haxthausen,  "  Transcaucasia,"  mentions  a  somewhat  similar  institution 
as  existing  among  the  "  Ossetes." 


1 12  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

few  articles,  as  clothes,  the  embroidered  dresses  of  the  women, 
arms,  &c,  which  are  considered  personal  property.  At  the 
death  of  the  father,  the  children  remain  members  of  the 
Sadruga ;  and,  as  they  reach  the  age  of  fifteen,  acquire  a 
participation  in  the  profits :  the  Starjeschina  is  the  natural 
guardian  of  children  left  orphans.  The  widow  of  a  member 
continues  to  enjoy  the  same  benefits  as  her  husband,  but  must 
take  her  share  in  the  household  duties  of  the  community. 
Till  of  late  years,  the  law  opposed  great  difficulties  to  the 
dissolution  of  such  a  partnership ;  but  these  provisions  have 
been  relaxed,  and  the  institution  is  gradually  disappearing. 
In  Servia,  the  members  of  a  Sadruga  must  be  relations  by 
blood,  or  according  to  the  church  canons  (as  godfather  and 
godson)  ;  but  the  original  idea  of  the  institution — common 
to  the  Austrian  and  Turkish  Slavonic  races — is  to  be  probably 
sought  in  the  facilities  it  afforded  for  defence  in  an  unsettled 
state  of  society.* 

Extract  from  "  Civil  Code  of  the  Principality  of  Servia." 
Part  II.  chap.  xv. 

"  §  507.  Zadrouga  est  la  communaute  de  la  vie  et  des  biens,  basee  sur  la 
parente  ou  l'adoption.  Zadrouga  s'appelle  aussi  la  maison  commune  pour 
difference  de  la  vie  separee. 

"  §  508.  Les  biens  et  les  possessions  de  la  Zadrouga  appartiennent  a  tous 
ceux  qui  participent  a  la  communaute  ;  les  acquisitions  des  Zadrougas  sont 
communes. 

"  §  509.  Les  effets  exclusivement  appartenant  a  quelqu'un  des  Zadrougas, 
sont  sa  propriete,  comrae  par  exemple  :  les  habits,  l'argent,  servant  comme 
decoration  (nakit)  des  femmes,  le  lit,  les  chemises,  &c.  &c. 

"  §  510.  On  ne  peut  pas  disposer  de  la  propriete  commune  sans  l'accord  de 
toutes  les  personnes  du  sexe  male  qui  sont  majeurs  et  maries.  Le  Starje- 
china  (le  commandant  de  la  Zadrouga)  dirige  la  maison  commune,  mais  il  ne 
peut  pas  aliener  quelque  chose  sans  le  consentement  prealable  des  Zadrougas  ; 
neanmoins  les  dispositions  du  Starjechina  sont  valables  si  les  Zadrougas  ne 
protestent  pas  pendant  une  annee  contre  ses  arrangements. 

"  §  512.  Qui  se  separe  et  prend  son  partage,  quoique  restant  dans  la  maison, 
est  regarde  comme  eloigne  de  la  Zadrouga. 

"  §  523.  Les  veuves  de  la  Zadrouga  restent  dans  la  communaute  et  jouissent 
du  partage  de  leurs  maris  ;  mais  elles  doivent  travailler." 

*  See  also  Vuk's  German  Dictionary,  Sadruga. 


Races.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  113 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  nation  occurs  in  the  early- 
history  of  nearly  all  the  Slaves.  When  those  of  the  eastern 
branch  were,  as  has  been  above  described,  under  the  sway  of 
a  number  of  independent  rulers,  the  Shupan,  or  chief  of  each 
province,  seems  to  have  governed  with  the  assistance  of  a 
permanent  assembly  called  the  Sabor.  Nor  does  this  state  of 
things  appear  to  have  been  substantially  altered,  even  when 
the  government  of  these  petty  states  was  concentrated  in  a 
single  hand  ;  for  we  find  the  Tsar  Duschan,  though  limiting 
the  attributions  of  the  Sabor  considerably,  in  the  laws  which 
bear  his  name,  yet  established  those  laws  in  "  An  Assembly 
of  our  Orthodox  Council,  composed  of  the  Patriarch  Joaniki, 
and  of  all  the  Arch-priests  and  Ecclesiastics,  small  and  great, 
of  myself  the  pious  Stephen,  and  all  the  notables  of  the 
empire,  small  and  great."  In  Servia,  even  throughout  the 
Turkish  times,  the  Turks  were  in  the  habit  of  assembling  the 
rayahs,  to  fix  amongst  themselves  the  incidence  of  taxation, 
and  other  questions  of  administration  ;  and  the  elders  of 
those  assemblies  held  a  sort  of  conference  with  the  Turkish 
governors.  As  the  people  threw  off  the  Turkish  yoke,  such 
assemblies  claimed  wider  attributions  ;  and  this  is  the  germ  of 
the  Skouptschina  (or  National  Assembly),  which,  though  not 
mentioned  in,  or  implicitly  recognised  by,  the  Fundamental 
Statute  (Ustaw)  of  1838,  has  continued  to  be  convoked  from 
time  to  time  in  the  country. 

The  third  chapter  of  Ranke's  History  of  Servia  contains  a 
curious  account  (principally  drawn  from  Vuk)  of  the  Servian 
national  superstitions,  showing  the  extent  to  which  pagan 
rites  have  become  intermingled  with  Christian  ceremonies 
among  the  southern  Slaves.  Such  are  the  immediate  references 
of  every  act  in  life  to  the  Deity :  the  belief  in  supernatural 
agencies  ;  the  Vampyre  ;  the  Veda,  who  bears  the  plague  ; 
and  the  Yili,  who  watches  over  the  heroes  of  the  nation. 

Eanke  mentions  the  great  Servian  festival  in  honour  of  the 
dead  ;  while  the  "  new  Code  of  Montenegro" — for  even  Monte- 
negro has  now  its  Code — refers  (Art.  87)  to  the  "  barbarous 
custom  prevailing  among  men  and  women,  of,  when  any 

1 


114  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Slavonic 

one  dies,  cutting  the  hair,"  &c,  and  prohibits  this  under  pain 
of  a  "  fine  of  two  ducats  of  gold,  whether  the  offender  be  a 
man  or  a  woman."  As  to  the  "  Otescha,"  or  forcible  abduc- 
tion of  the  bride,  it  existed  till  very  late  years,  and  was  only 
put  an  end  to  by  Prince  Milosch. 

The  Slave  element  is  almost  exclusively  to  be  sought  among 
the  classes  attached  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  In  making 
this  broad  statement,  we  speak  of  Christian  Europe,  for  it  is 
otherwise  in  Bosnia,  and  we  also  put  out  of  the  question 
Eussia  and  Poland,  where  the  state  of  things  is  different,  and 
Servia  and  Montenegro,  where  only  one  class,  that  of  a  small 
proprietary,  can  be  said  to  exist.  In  Bohemia,  in  Moravia, 
in  Galicia,  Hungary,  and  Croatia,  the  bourgeoisie  are  of 
German,  Italian,  or  Jewish  origin  ;  and,  if  it  be  objected  that 
in  the  Banat  and  Wallachia  a  considerable  retail  trade  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  Servians,  these,  we  may  reply,  are  all 
Austrian  Slaves,  of  the  south  of  Hungary,  who  form  an 
exception  to  the  general  rule.  Accordingly,  the  literati  of  the 
southern  Slaves  are  not  to  be  found  among  a  higher  class  than 
the  village  clergy,  and  masters  of  village-schools.  Dobrowsky, 
and  Kollar,  Schaffgarik,  Schour  Yuk  Karadjoitch,  all  belong 
to  this,  or  even  a  lower  class.  With  the  exception  of  their 
beautiful  ballads,*  and  an  attempt  to  note  down  and  dwell  on 
what  is  peculiar  to  the  Slave  peoples,  there  is  little  of  origi- 
nality in  their  literature.  "  Toutes  les  productions  litteraires 
des  Slaves  occidentaux  sont  des  imitations  des  modeles 
Strangers  ;  ou  si  elles  visent  a  l'originalit^,  ce  n'est  qu'une 
originality  de  forme  qu'ils  empruntent  a  la  poesie  ou  a  la  langue 
populaire,  sans  que  la  conception  ou  les  idees  y  portent  le 
cachet  de  la  liberty  et  de  la  puissance  cr^atrice."  t  Not  only 
is  this  the  case  with  the  western  Slaves,  but  to  a  certain 
degree  with  the  northern  Slaves  also  ;  for,  with  the  exception 
in  Poland  of  the  brilliant  but  fanciful  Mickievicz  and  his 

*  A  list  of  the  principal  collections  of  Slave  ballads  (Russian/  Servian,  and 
Illyrian)  will  be  found  at  p.  61  of  the  "  Essai  sur  la  Philologie  Slave,"  men- 
tioned above. 

t  "  Les  Slaves  Occidentaux,"  p.  61. 


Baces.]  NOTES  OF  TBA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  115 

school,  and  some  well-known  authors  of  repute  in  Kussia, 
their  literature  contains  little  that  is  remarkable.  But  from 
their  national  songs,  and  periodical  publications,  and  alma- 
nacks, much  out-of-the-way  information  as  to  the  traditions, 
superstitions,  customs,  and  aspirations  of  the  Slaves  is  to  be 
gleaned.  We  would  especially  call  attention  to  the  Servian 
Dictionary  of  Vuk,  so  often  referred  to  in  this  paper ;  many 
of  the  articles  of  which  would  well  repay  translation. 

When  I  use  the  word  "  aspirations,"  I  do  not  wish  to 
convey  an  exaggerated  idea  of  future  danger  and  disturbance, 
such  as  is  occasionally  apprehended.  Among  a  comparatively 
educated  population,  as  the  Austrian  Slaves  and  the  Bul- 
garians, ideas  of  a  Slave  nationality  may  have  some  exist- 
ence ;  while  it  would  be  a  matter  of  reasonable  doubt  how 
far  these  ideas  could  ever  be  conceived  or  shared  by  (for 
example)  the  Servian  swineherd  or  the  rayah  of  Bosnia 
however  much  the  former  may  prize,  and  the  latter  envy,  the 
concessions  which  two  generations  of  freemen  have  extorted 
from  the  reluctant  but  politic  Sultans. 


i2 


116  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutheeland. 


4.  A  GOSSIP  ON  A  SUTHEELAND  HILL-SIDE. 

Half-past  five  !  The  rain  pattering  against  the  window- 
panes,  and  the  birches  ontside  swishing  and  rasping  against 
the  walls,  with  a  vehemence  that  tells  of  a  rattling  south- 
wester.  Dark  grey  mist  driving  past,  only  permitting  us  to 
see  some  fifty  yards  of  the  lake — lead-coloured,  flecked  with 
foam,  and  long  white  waving  streaks  like  a  tideway.  To 
dress  or  not  to  dress  ?  To  turn  out  and  drive  seven  miles  in 
the  teeth  of  the  storm,  and  find  our  horizon  capable  of  being 
touched  with  the  point  of  a  ramrod  when  we  reach  the 
stalking-ground,  or  to  turn  in  under  the  warm  bedclothes 
again,  to  wake  at  nine  o'clock,  with  a  guilty  conscience,  to 
the  reality  of  a  glorious  morning,  so  clear  and  bright  after  the 
rain  that  I  can  almost  count  the  stones  on  the  top  of  Ben- 
Clebric — to  be  told  that  the  household  is  aweary  of  mutton 
and  languishes  for  venison — to  find  the  river  in  full  spate  and 
salmon  impossibilities — to  have  one's  health  tenderly  inquired 

after  by  Donald  ? Never  !  Tub — sleep-dispeller,  welcome  ! 

and  to  breakfast  at  six  with  a  Sutherland  appetite. 

Before  the  terminal  gooseberry  jam  is  attained,  the  sharp 
sound  of  wheels  on  the  wet  gravel  announces  the  arrival  of 
Donald,  kindest-hearted  and  keenest  of  stalkers,  and  his 
cheery  inquiries  as  to  my  state  of  preparation  are  promptly 
answered  by  my  appearance  at  the  door. 

We  are  going  to  go  whatever  the  weather  may  be,  but  we 
go  through  the  ceremony  of  discussing  whether  there  is  a 
chance  of  its  being  worth  the  while,  and  after  an  interchange 
of  prophecies,  believed  in  by  neither  of  the  prophets,  we  climb 
into  the  dog-cart,  and  turn  down  sharp  by  that  wonderful 
post-office,  whose  master  is  a  "  Mairchaunt,"  and  where  you 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  \{J 

can  buy,  or  at  least  order,  everything,  from  a  red  hackle  to  a 
reaping-machine. 

How  deliciously  the  fresh  breeze  sweeps  round  the  corner, 
inflating  our  lungs  to  their  innermost  cell,  and  how  the  waves 
lap  and  jump  under  it !  A  wild  night  last  night,  judging 
from  those  piles  of  foam  along  the  shore,  but  those  great 
straggling  rifts  are  beginning  to  show  patches  of  the  cold 
blue  northern  sky  beyond.  Nothing,  after  all,  but  a  sea-fog ! 
Whether  the  weather  be  wet  or  dry,  wet  we  shall  be  on  the 
hill,  and  those  rifts  will  let  light  enough  through  to  show'  us 
deer,  if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst. 

Trundle  along  powney,  through  the  stone-inclosed  patches 
of  oats,  trying  to  look  ripe  and  failing  most  dismally  in  the 
attempt ;  past  little  fields,  half  arable,  half  pasture,  where  the 
cow  feeds  tended  by  the  bit,  bareleggit  lassie,  wet  through 
already,  but  caring  nothing  for  wet  now,  whatever  she  may  do 
when  she  finds  herself  a  wrinkled  crone  at  forty,  bent  double 
with  rheumatism.  Then  through  the  fresh  sweet  birch  cop- 
pice, where  the  "  Ladies  of  the  wood"  are  tossing  their  lithe 
arms,  and  sprinkling  sweet  odours  and  sparkling  raindrop 
gems  on  every  side ;  where  the  blackcock  whirrs  up  and  sails 
away  on  his  strong-beating  wings,  and  the  daintily  tripping 
roe  crosses  the  road  shyly,  seeking  her  cozy  lair,  amongst  the 
sweet  bog  myrtle  and  warm  tussock  grass,  after  her  night's 
marauding  amongst  the  oats. — Then  a  moment's  pause  to  pick 
up  Jeemie  the  gillie,  and  Clebric  the  muckle  deer  hound,  and 
out  on  to  the  great  brown  moor. 

Something  like  the  character  of  the  people,  serious  and 
cheerful  at  once  ;  quiet  and  reserved  in  general  tone,  but  with 
bright  patches  of  vivid  green  and  bits  of  rarely-scented  shrub 
here  and  there ;  lighted  up  with  little  eyes  of  water  moist 
and  gleaming  as  those  of  a  girl  who  has  been  crying  for  sheer 
happiness,  and  breaks  into  a  smile  amidst  her  tears.  Light 
and  shade,  rigid  fanaticism  and  wild  poetical  fervour  alterna- 
ting in  fitful  gleams :  the  light  at  any  rate  predominating 
amongst  those  slim  well-grown  lasses  and  lither  lads  rattling 
on  before  us  at  a  hand  gallop,  going  to  gather  in  their  marsh 


118  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

hay.  Pass  them  we  cannot,  nor  does  Donald  seem  particu- 
larly anxious  to  do  so.  We  would  we  "had  our  Gaelic"  to 
understand  the  chaff  that  passes !  It  must  have  some  fun 
in  it  to  cause  bright  eyes  to  sparkle  brighter,  and  some  wit  to 
produce  such  a  severe  struggle  for  instant  rejoinder !  Poor 
down-trodden  Sutherland  highlanders !  who  to  see  you  gal- 
loping along  in  that  fashion  would  ever  suppose  that  you  had 
all  been  transported  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  years 
ago?  We  are  told  so  in  "prent  buiks,"  and  so  it  must  be 
true,  but  still  it  is  rather  puzzling  to  make  out  why  there  are 
so  many  more  of  you  now  than  there  were  before  you  were 
deported  in  thousands.  Verily,  if  all  is  true  that  is  said 
about  you,  you  must  be  a  wonderfully  prolific  people  ! 
Expound  unto  me,  Donald,  how  it  happens  that  there  are 
so  many  more  people  in  Sutherland  now  than  there  used 
to  be? 

"  'Deed  Sir,  I  cannot  say,  except  because  the  old  Duchess- 
Countess  moved  the  people  down  from  the  hills,  where  they 
were  starving,  to  the  sea,  where  they  get  the  fishing,  and  a 
chance  of  getting  in  their  crops  oftener  than  once  in  three 
years,  which  is  about  the  average  in  the  higher  glens." 

"  Ah !  well.  I  should  not  wonder  either  ;  but  another  cause 
is  the  discontinuance  of  your  good  old  custom  of  cutting  each 
other's  throats.  When  you  left  off  that,  you  became  too  nume- 
rous for  the  land,  as  it  used  to  be.  If  old  Sir  Eobert  Gordon 
is  to  be  trusted,  there  never  were  such  a  set  of  people  for 
sticking  dirks  into  each  other's  weams,  as  you  Sutherlanders 
used  to  be  in  the  old  time,  friend  Donald." 

"  Hoot  toot !  'Deed  Sir,  no  !  It  was  not  the  Sutherland 
folks,  it  was  thae  fallows  from  Assynt,  and  Edderachillies  and 
Strathnaver,  who  were  aye  coming  over  the  marches,  and 
lifting  cows  and  raising  blood-feuds  that  were  hard  to  quell. 
The  Sutherland  lads  were  aye  decent  people — except  some  of 
the  clans,  maybe." 

"  Well,  I  believe  that  you  really  were,  as  you  are,  better 
than  your  neighbours,  but  there  is  many  a  broad  blood-spot 
in    your   country — even  in  the  fair  gardens  of  Dunrobin. 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  119 

But  we  won't  quarrel  about  that  now :  what  is  that  heap 
of  stones  by  the  loch-side  ?  it  looks  like  a  Pictish  tower." 

"  Aye,  'deed  is  it ;  and  there  is  another  on  the  Island,  and 
another,  and  another  on  the  other  side.  Do  you  know  what 
they  were  made  for,  sir  ?  The  old  wives  say,  some  that  they 
were  built  by  the  Pechts,  and  some  by  the  Feen :  they  must 
have  been  gay  small  folk  that  lived  inside  them." 

"  Not  I,  Donald !  I  used  to  think  that  the  Pechts  got  into 
the  chambers,  and  put  a  big  stone  at  the  entrance  to  keep  the 
enemy  out,  and  built  them  hour-glass  fashion  to  prevent  the 
said  enemy  scrambling  into  them;  but  when  I  considered 
that  an  able-bodied  man,  with  a  bit  of  burnt  stick,  could 
pick  the  whole  affair  down  in  no  very  long  time,  the  Pechts 
inside  being  as  utterly  unable  to  prevent  it  as  a  rabbit  is 
being  dug  out  of  his  burrow,  I  doubted.  As  they  seem 
always  to  have  been  built  within  sight  of  each  other,  some 
people  have  supposed  that  they  were  watch-towers,  and  those 
on  the  coast  may  have  answered  the  purpose  well  enough.  Most 
of  the  inland  ones  do  not,  however,  seem  situated  on  very  good 
look-out  points,  and  in  old  times,  when  the  country  was 
covered  with  wood,  must  have  been  useless  for  that  purpose  ; 
unless,  indeed,  they  were  there  before  the  woods.  When  the 
minister  of  Keay  amused  himself  by  pulling  them  to  pieces, 
about  a  hundred  years  ago,  he  found  nothing  in  them  but 
wee  querns,  and  deers'  bones  and  antlers.  He  gives  drawings 
of  them,  with  rude  stone  roofs,  with  a  small  hole  in  the  top  ; 
but  I  suspect  that  he  confounded  those  mysterious  slab-built 
Uags  with  the  real  hour-glass  tower.  The  Bishop  of  Ossory, 
who  was  antiquity-hunting  in  Sutherland  about  the  same 
time,  found  many  of  them  entire  :  I  wish  I  could  now." 

"  Weel,  sir,  some  do  say  that  they  kept  their  corn  in  them, 
and  the  old  folks  say  that  the  good  people  are  veiy  fond  of 
being  about  them,  but  I  cannot  say  much  about  that.  If  you 
want  to  see  a  good  one  you  must  go  to  Dun-Dornadilla,  on 
the  road  to  Loch  Hope." 

"  Aye !  that's  the  best  of  them  now.  The  one  built  by 
King  Cole  in  Strath-dhu  is,  I  hear,  very  tumble-down.     I 


120  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

have  seen  very  perfect  chambers  in  the  one  in  Golspie  Glen, 
and  have  wormed  my  way  from  one  to  the  other  in  great 
wonderment ;  but  the  quaintest  of  them  all  for  situation  is 
that  at  Store  Point,  which  is  connected  with  the  mainland 
by  a  natural  arch,  and  where  Thorkill,  the  Orkney  chief, 
concealed  his  lady-love." 

Clattering  on  past  curious  mounds  of  gravel,  which  look 
very  like  glacial  moraines,  our  attendant  carts  suddenly 
diverge  across  the  moss  and  plunge  into  the  swollen  stream, 
the  very  ponies  seeming  to  enjoy  the  fun,  and,  half  swimming, 
half  scrambling,  with  shouts  and  screams,  and  ringing  laughter 
from  the  haymakers,  they  gain  the  wet  fields  on  the  other  side, 
where  the  coarse  marsh-grass,  rich  mottled  brown,  like  the 
hair  on  an  old  stag's  neck,  is  piled  up  in  vast  cocks. 
"  Farewell,  lassies  !  " 

"  Gude  day,  and  a  muckle  hart  for  you,  sir  !  " 
We  must  confess  that  we  are  not  very  well  off  for  houses 
along  the  road,  and  that  the  gaps  between  them  are  consi- 
derably longer  than  those  between  the  Villas  of  Highgate 
Hill,  but  we  can  see  three  at  once,  and  that  is  three  more 
than  one  can  see  in  the  same  distance  on  many  a  better 
frequented  highland  road.  The  shepherds  are  scattered  about 
in  their  bothies,  and  make  but  a  small  show.  You  must  go 
to  the  richer  straths  and  the  borders  of  the  sea,  if  you  want 
society  in  Sutherland.  There  is  some  comfort,  however,  in 
thinking  that  the  inns  are  placed  with  judicious  care,  and 
that  there  is  no  fear  of  your  being  unable  to  get  from  one  to 
the  other  in  an  easy  day's  march  ;  and  when  you  reach  them, 
can  you  not  take  your  ease  in  them? — most  comfortable  of 
hostelries ! 

It  is  hardly  fair  to  blame  the  proprietor  for  not  building 
more,  or  enlarging  those  already  built.  Those  already  exist- 
ing are  absolutely  empty  two-thirds  of  the  year,  and  are  let 
at  the  magnificent  rent  of  ten  pounds  a  year.  As  every  one 
of  them  has  been  built  at  the  expense  of  the  present  duke 
and  his  father,  the  tourist  owes,  I  think,  a  considerable  debt 
of  gratitude  to  the  family  ;  had  their  erection  depended  on 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  121 

private  speculation,  they  would  never  have  existed  at  all. 
They  would  doubtless  hold  more  tourists  if  they  were  larger, 
but  whether  if  they  were  larger  they  would  have  more  people 
in  them  is  another  matter.  One  great  comfort  is,  that  express 
care  is  taken  to  prevent  their  being  occupied  exclusively  by 
resident  sportsmen,  a  common  nuisance  in  the  Highlands,  but 
often  the  only  means  by  which  the  host  can  make  money. 
If  the  Sutherland  inn  is  full — and,  with  the  exception  of  the 
one  at  Lairg,  I  never  found  one  so — you  can  always  get  a  bed 
somewhere,  often  at  the  manse,  as  you  do  in  the  Tyrol.  Any- 
body who  wishes  to  speculate  in  the  innkeeping  line  would 
be  received  with  open  arms  by  the  duke's  agents,  I  am  pretty 
sure ;  but  unless  he  is  actuated  by  the  purest  philanthropy, 
and  is  prepared  to  wait  till  the  "Anti-condensation  of 
Atlantic  mist"  Company  is  in  full  play,  he  must  not  expect 
a  quick  return  for  his  outlay.  The  Reay  family,  to  the  end  of 
their  reign,  always  stopped  and  dined  at  a  green  knoll  near 
the  Crask  still  called  Lord  Reay's  Table  :  now  you  have  a 
good  inn. 

By-the-bye,  I  remember  an  anecdote  of  this  same  road  before 
it  was  made,  worth  the  recording.  When  the  father  of  the 
last  Lord  Reay  who  possessed  the  estate  changed  his  residence 
from  Skibo  to  Tongue,  his  son  was  put  into  a  creel  on  one 
side  of  a  pony,  and  counterbalanced  by  his  younger  brother, 
the  admiral,  in  another ;  the  old  lord  being  a  great  lord,  and 
not  easily  counterbalanced,  had  his  opposite  creel  filled  with 
big  stones.     Remember,  this  is  not  so  very  many  years  ago. 

The  only  house  we  need  trouble  ourselves  about  just  now 
stands  clear  and  white  on  the  brown  moor,  like  a  target,  with 
a  black  window  for  a  bull's-eye,  the  habitation  of  shepherd 
Rory.  Trundle  on,  powney,  you  shall  soon  be  up  to  your 
hocks  in  the  warm  heather  in  his  stable. 

At  last,  the  last  bridge,  and  the  last  torrent,  and  the  house 
we  have  seen  so  long  is  reached.  A  real  two-storied  house, 
well  built,  and  warm,  and  if  not  comfortable  and  clean,  the 
fault  is  the  holder's  ;  for  a  head  shepherd  is  no  unimportant 
personage,  and  must  be  well  treated.     In  many  cases,  he  is 


122  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

the  real  money-winner  of  the  concern,  and  in  all  a  most 
important  agent  in  increasing  the  balance  at  the  Golspri 
bank. 

"  How  are  ye  the  day,  Eory  ?" 

"  Brawly,  thank  you.  How's  yersel'  ?  Will  ye  na  come 
ben  the  hoose,  and  tak  a  drink  o'  milk,  or  ye  tak  the 
hill?" 

"  Aye,  deed  will  I ;  for  though  I  cannot  say  that  it  is  a 
potation  I  am  much  addicted  to,  I  know  that  you  will  be 
hurt  if  I  refuse  your  hospitality,  and  I  also  know  that  the 
sma'  still  whiskey-days  have  departed  from  Sutherland,  thank 
heaven!" 

The  pony  is  unharnessed,  the  dog-cart  drawn  to  the  side 
of  the  road,  and  Donald  disappears  with  Eory  to  hold  a 
solemn  confabulation  on  things  in  general,  and  deer  in  par- 
ticular ;  and  escaping  from  Mrs.  Eory's  hot  room,  that  makes 
one  steam  like  a  Geyser,  I  will  go  and  sit  on  the  parapet  of 
the  bridge  and  moralize. 

The  hills  I  am  going  to  stalk  are  under  sheep,  like  the 
greatest  part  of  Sutherland,  and  the  shepherds  wandering 
about  the  hills  see  a  good  deal  of  deer  life,  and  can  give  most 
valuable  information  concerning  them.  More,  indeed,  than 
one  desires,  as  if  he  has  seen  the  deer,  the  chances  are  that 
the  deer  have  seen  him.  Oh,  happy,  black  cattle  times, 
when  the  forester  had  the  right  and  the  power  of  impounding 
every  beast  that  strayed  beyond  its  appointed  limits,  and 
when  two-thirds  of  Sutherland  was  one  wild  unmolested  deer 
forest,  well  watched  and  well  tenanted !  Only  sixty  years 
ago !  Blessed  times !  when  the  foresters  had  a  legal  amount 
of  judicial  and  executive  power  which  would  make  the  Anti- 
preservation-of-anything  Society  of  our  own  days  open  their 
eyes  very  wide  indeed.  All  swept  away  by  those  wretched 
cheviots,  who,  indeed,  do  clothe  the  naked  and  feed  the 
hungry,  but  give  no  sport,  unless  the  double  system  of 
manoeuvring  which  has  to  be  practised  to  keep  clear  of  them, 
and  get  near  the  deer,  may  be  considered  in  that  light.  Now 
that  the  greater  part  of  Sutherland  is  disforested  (though  the 


Suthebland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  123 

map-makers  persist  in  scrawling  Dirrie-more  *  and  Dirrie- 
chatf  over  the  country  to  tantalize  us),  there  are  but  few 
peaks  left  clear,  where  the  scattered  remnants  of  the  great 
deer  herds  can  repose  in  security.  The  deer,  indeed,  rather 
like  the  sheep  than  not,  as  they  save  the  hinds  a  great  deal  of 
look-out  duty,  and  a  flock  scampering  about  three  or  four 
miles  off  is  instantly  seen  and  commentated  on  by  them.  But 
the  shepherds  and  the  collies  !  I  must  give  the  shepherd  the 
credit  of  trying  to  prevent  himself  spoiling  a  sport  which 
he  loves  in  his  heart  of  hearts  (and  I  suspect  takes  a  turn 
at  himself,  whiles)  as  much  as  he  can,  more  particularly 
when  he  is  treated  with  consideration,  and  a  tip ;  but  still 
he  cannot  help  the  hinds  sniffing  him  out  a  mile  off  and 
retreating  into  the  distance  with  their  antlered  lords.  Of 
course,  three  tourists  per  diem  blundering  across  the  moss 
would  put  off  every  deer  for  miles,  and  the  grand  sport  of 
deerstalking  would  soon  become  a  mere  matter  of  tradition  ; 
a  consummation  which  would  not  very  much  please  even  the 
non-deerstalking  population  of  Sutherland.  Independently 
of  the  number  of  men  employed  as  gillies  and  keepers,  the 
renters  of  these  shootings  spend  large  sums  of  money  every 
year  in  parts  of  the  country  where  no  reasonable  being  would 
willingly  pass  four-and-twenty  hours  without  a  stronger  in- 
ducement than  looking  at  sceneiy,  which  he  very  probably 
might  not  see  the  whole  of  the  season  after  all.  Eemember, 
0  tourist !  that  many  a  barren  mountain  top,  which  under 
no  other  circumstances  could  produce  a  penny  a  year,  either 
to  peasant  or  proprietor,  becomes  a  valuable  source  of  income 
to  both,  if  it  be  but  left  undisturbed. 

From  the  remotest  antiquity  this  Sutherland  has  been 
essentially  a  country  of  deer,  protected  by  the  sharpest 
laws.  I  fancy  that  it  was  a  conquered  country,  and  that 
the  conquerors  imposed  forest  laws  on  the  conquered,  as  the 
Normans  did  in  England.  At  any  rate,  never  at  any  period 
of  its  history  have  the  deer  been  less  protected  than  at 
present.     Sir  Eobert  Gordon,  who  wrote  a  book  in  the  seven- 

*  "  The  great  deer-forest."       t  "  The  deer-forest  of  the  Clan  Chattan." 


124  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

teenth  century,  which  I  think  has  been  prevented  from 
obtaining  popularity  by  being  described  as  "  A  Genealogical 
History  of  the  Earls  of  Sutherland,"  being  in  reality  the 
most  wonderful  collection  of  legends  and  stirring  highland 
tales  in  existence,  positively  boils  over  with  excitement 
when  he  touches  on  the  "  vert  and  venaison "  of  his  native 
country. 

"All  these  forests  and  schases  are  verie  profitable  for 
feeding  of  bestiall,  and  delectable  for  hunting.  They  are 
full  of  reid  deer  and  roes,  woulffs,  foxes,  wyld  catts,  brocks, 
skuyrells,  whittrets,  weasels,  otters,  martrixes,  hares,  and 
foumarts.  In  these  fforests,  and  in  all  this  province,  ther  is 
great  store  of  partridges,  pluviers,  capercaleys,  blackwaks, 
mure-fowls,  heth-hens,  swanes,  bewters,  turtledoves,  herons, 
dowes,  steares  or  stairlings,  lair-igig  or  knag  (which  is  a  foull 
like  unto  a  paroket  or  parret,  which  makes  place  for  her  nest 
with  her  beck  in  the  oak  tree),  duke,  draig,  widgeon,  teale, 
wildgoose,  rin  goose,  gouls,  wharps,  shot  wharps,  woodcock, 
larkes,  sparrowes,  snyps,  blackbuirds,  and  all  other  kinds  of 
wildfowl  and  birds  which  are  to  be  had  in  any  pairt  of  this 
kingdom." 

Well  put  in,  that  last,  Sir  Eobert,  or  we  should  have  had  to 
transcribe  the  index  to  Yarrell's  birds,  for  even  to  this  day, 
Sutherland  is  a  most  marvellous  country  for  "  fowl ; "  north 
enough  to  be  the  breeding-place  of  the  wild-goose  and  the 
widgeon,  and  the  winter  resting-place  of  innumerable  rare 
Arctic  birds,  and  yet  warm  enough,  thanks  to  the  gulf-stream, 
to  suit  the  roller  and  the  Bohemian  waxwing.  Some  indi- 
viduals in  Sir  Eobert's  list  have  disappeared,  as,  for  example, 
the  Capercailzie,  probably  from  the  destruction  of  the  woods  ; 
and  no  one,  I  fancy,  who  knows  him,  grieves  much  at  his 
absence,  for  two  or  three  birds,  the  size  of  turkeys,  to  the 
square  mile,  affording  no  sport  themselves,  and  not  permitting 
any  sport-affording  bird  to  approach  their  haunts,  and,  more- 
over, rather  apt  to  taste  like  particularly  tough  old  black- 
cocks, stuffed  with  blacking-brushes,  and  a  dash  of  turpentine, 
can  hardly  be  worth  the  keeping.     If  the  naturalist  wishes  to 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  125 

study  him,  let  him  go  to  the  "  Shramstein "  in  the    Saxon 
Switzerland,  and  make  the  most  of  him. 

That  curious  fowl,  the  "  Lair-igig,  or  Knag,"  has  also  dis- 
appeared with  the  oaks  into  which  she  used  to  dig  her  bill — a 
strange  cross  between  a  woodpecker  and  a  puffin  ;  if,  indeed, 
she  be  not  the  latter,  who  loves  to  breed  in  rabbit  holes,  and 
might  have  made  herself  comfortable  enough  in  a  rotten  oak- 
tree.  If  not  a  puffin,  goodness  and  Sir  Eobert  only  knew 
what  she  was — she  is  gone  like  the  Dinornis,  and  must  remain 
in  abeyance — 

"  To  the  Platonic  year,  and  wait  her  time, 
And  happy  hour  to  be  revived  again  "— 

by  Professor  Owen. 

As  far  as  I  can  make  them  out,  all  the  birds  named  by  Sir 
Eobert,  with  the  above-named  exceptions,  and  scores  of  others, 
fly,  fish,  scream,  trumpet,  and  whistle,  in  Sutherland  and  the 
bordering  sea,  to  this  day. 

True  it  is,  that  if  you  have  bad  luck,  you  may  drive  all 
round  Sutherland  without  seeing  anything  more  rare  than  a 
chance  grouse  or  an  accidental  blackcock,  just  as  you  may  do, 
barring  the  two  named,  on  a  Devonshire  or  Derbyshire  moor. 
But  wander  through  the  wilds,  and  peer  cautiously  at  the 
lakes,  and  above  all,  paddle  off  the  mouth  of  the  "Little 
Ferry,"  in  the  beginning  of  November,  when  the  sea  is  black 
with  birds,  and  the  air  resonant  with  the  cry  of  Haroldus 
Glacialis  and  his  Arctic  friends,  and  then  count  the  number 
of  strange  birds  you  have  seen.  Any  given  day  in  the  year, 
woodcocks  may  be  flushed  in  the  coverts,  and  snipes  on  the 
moor.  Wild  geese  breed  plentifully  about  some  of  the  lakes, 
and  the  young  are  pinioned  and  reared  by  the  farmers ;  so, 
0  tourist!  if  you  find  a  few  swimming  on  Loch  Shin,  do 
not  capture  them  and  bring  them  to  Lairg,  as  did  certain 
young  gentlemen  last  year,  or  your  triumph  in  your  woodcraft 
will  be  dashed  by  the  laughter  of  the  gillies,  and  the  blas- 
phemy of  the  proprietor — as  was  theirs.  The  IVTeganser  breeds 
on  Loch  Beannach,  as  I  know  to  my  sorrow,  for  I  once  slew  a 


126  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

whole  brood  of  three  at  a  shot,  unwitting  what  they  were ; 
and  he  who  fishes  up  Loch  Shin  without  hearing  the  hoarse 
cry  of  the  black-throated  diver,  warning  her  young  against 
his  approach,  must  be  unlucky  indeed. 

The  greater  number  of  Sutherland  birds  belong  to  classes 
that  love  the  wild  moor,  and  the  silent,  rarely  visited  loch, 
and  when  you  see  them,  it  is  nine  times  out  of  ten  when 
you  are  looking  for  something  else,  and  seldom  do  they 
show  themselves  to  the  passing  traveller  who  rattles  round 
the  country  in  the  mail  cart.  The  golden  eagles  were  de- 
stroyed by  the  farmers  because  they  killed  their  lambs,  and 
the  foxes  more  deservingly  for  the  same  reason,  and  the  osprey 
was  exterminated  to  supply  the  tourist  market  with  herself 
and  eggs,  much  to  the  Duke's  annoyance.  However,  the  eagles 
have  it  all  their  own  way  now.  It  has  been  found  that  the 
destruction  of  the  golden  eagle  has  caused  the  increase  of  the 
blue  hare  to  a  formidable  extent,  and  the  only  way  to  keep 
him  down  will  be  to  let  his  own  adversary  have  full  swing 
again.  I  do  not  regret  the  coming  fate  of  Lepus  variabilis, 
I  like  to  see  him  now  and  then,  as  he  frisks  among  the  stones, 
or  walks  about  on  his  hind  toes,  like  a  cross  between  a  kan- 
garoo and  a  dancing  dog,  but  he  is  an  awfu'  plague  both  to  the 
sheep-farmer,  the  deer-stalker,  and  the  grouse-shooter,  when 
he  becomes  too  numerous — spoiling  ten  times  as  much  grass 
as  his  head  is  worth,  ten  times  told,  putting  up  the  deer  in 
his  idiot  terror,  and  seeming  to  delight  in  running  up  hill, 
and  seating  himself  on  the  sky-line,  so  that  the  whole  world 
may  see  that  he  has  seen  something  alarming,  and  pestering 
your  pointers  and  setters  with  his  sneaky  draws,  and 
foolishly  astute  meanderings.  The  Osprey,  too,  may  come 
back  when  she  likes,  and  we  will  gladly  pay  a  tribute  of 
grilse  to  her  ladyship ;  indeed,  she  has  come  back,  and  was 
seen  last  summer  floating  and  peering  about,  and  speculating 
whether  she  might  trust  herself  and  her  family  on  Loch  Assynt 
again.  e 

What  particular  kind  of  weasel  a  "  whittret  "  (?whitethroat) 
was,  I  don't  know,  but  all  the  other  quadrupeds,  with  the 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  127 

exception  of  the  wolf,  may  be  had  now  for  the  seeking.  That 
British  tiger — the  wild-cat,  is  now  very  scarce,  but  two  kit- 
tens were  seen,  and  one  killed  last  year.  I  fancy  they  will 
soon  follow  their  old  comrade  the  wolf,  and  the  sooner  the 
better,  for  of  all  snarling,  ill-conditioned,  game-destroying 
brutes  in  the  world,  the  wild-cat  is  the  worst,  and  no  one  can 
hear  their  demoniacal  caterwaulings  at  night,  without  being 
seized  with  an  instant  and  intense  desire  to  extirpate  the  race 
there  and  then.  The  wolves  were  the  pest  of  Sutherland 
down  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  last  one 
having  been  destroyed  about  1700.  One  Timothy  Pont,  who 
travelled  through  Sutherland  about  1650,  speaks  of  it  thus  in 
his  MSS.  in  the  Advocate's  Library : — 

"  It  is  exceedinglie  weel  stored  with  fishes,  both  from  the 
sea  and  its  own  rivers,  as  also  dear,  roe,  and  dyvers  kinds  of 
wild  beasts,  specially  heir  never  lack  wolves,  more  than  are 
expedient ;  it  is  weel  stored  with  wood  also." 

I  am  in  the  habit  of  taking  something  readable  with  me  to 
the  hill,  to  pass  away  the  time  when  I  am  waiting  for  the 
deer  to  rise — a  habit  strongly  reprobated  by  Donald,  who 
assures  me  that  some  day  a  scart  of  wind  will  snatch  the 
paper  out  of  my  hand,  and  "  birl  it  o'er  the  hill  like  a  ghaist," 
to  the  terrification  of  all  the  deer ;  but  still  I  do  it ;  and  having 
by  chance  the  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  last  wolves  in 
Scotland  in  my  pocket,  you  shall  hear  it,  though  you  may 
have  heard  it  before — mine  is,  I  assure  you,  taken  from  the 
original  MSS.,  and  I  would  not  alter  a  word  for  the  world,  for 
it  is  evidently  taken  direct  from  the  Gaelic,  by  the  author. 

"  There  is  a  solitary  moorland  lake  near  the  march  between 
the  parishes  of  Farr  and  Eeay,  called  Loch  Soivy,*  which  has 
an  island  reputed,  in  former  ages,  as  a  place  of  resort  and 
shelter  for  wolves.  At  the  period  referred  to,  about  the  close 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  one  of  the  tenants  of  Trantle- 
more  in  Halladale,  named  Eric-Bain  Mackay,  is  said  to  have 

*  Soivy  is  synonymous  with  Foick ;  both  Gaelic  words  signify  the  unclean 
bed  or  den  of  a  fox,  wolf,  or  similar  wild  animal.  The  words,  especially  Foick, 
are  sarcastically  applied  to  a  filthy  or  neglected  habitation  or  apartment. 


128  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutheeland. 

wandered  alone  in  search  of  a  wolf,  which,  in  consequence  of 
depredations  committed  on  his  farm,  he  believed  to  be  lurk- 
ing in  his  neighbourhood.  The  reputed  shelter  afforded  to 
animals  of  prey  by  the  wild  grounds  around  Loch  Soivy, 
induced  him  to  approach  the  Loch,  and  in  his  eagerness  to 
make  a  complete  search  in  that  suspicious  neighbourhood, 
he  swam  to  the  island,  and  contrived  to  carry  his  gun  along 
with  him  ;  he  there  discovered  marks  of  a  wolf  having  been 
recently  on  the  island,  and  afterwards  found  its  den  in 
which  were  two  young  cubs.  He  instantly  killed  them,  and 
carried  them  homewards  along  with  him,  as  evidence  of  his 
success,  although  the  danger  of  meeting  the  dam,  and  being 
exposed  to  the  well-known  desperate  fierceness  of  a  she-wolf 
deprived  of  her  young,  occurred  to  him,  and  induced  him  to 
retreat  as  speedily  as  possible.  He  knew  that  the  old  wolf 
would  not  be  long  absent  from  her  den  ;  and  during  his  hur- 
ried progress  towards  the  strath  in  which  he  lived,  he  cast 
many  an  anxious  look  towards  the  loch  and  along  the  wide 
moor  over  which  he  was  hastening.  When  about  half  across 
the  uninhabited  hill-grounds,  he  observed  an  animal  at  a  dis- 
tance following  his  footsteps,  and  soon  discovered,  from  its 
peculiar  howl,  that  it  was  the  old  wolf  he  dreaded  to  meet 
while  carrying  off  its  young,  and  which,  no  doubt,  had  visited 
her  deserted  den  after  he  left  it.  His  speed  was  redoubled  ; 
but  his  exasperated  and  formidable  pursuer  was  quickly  gain- 
ing ground  on  him,  and  he  therefore  cast  aside  the  dead 
whelps,  and  stood  coolly  to  meet  the  fierce  attack  with 
which  he  was  threatened,  and,  when  within  gunshot,  he  took 
a  deliberate  aim,  and  fortunately  succeeded  in  shooting  the 
advancing  woE  Without  awaiting  to  reload  his  gun,  he  con- 
tinued to  run  homewards  at  his  fleetest  pace,  and  although 
one  of  the  best  runners  in  the  district,  he  only  succeeded  in 
gaining  the  descent  of  the  hill,  at  the  foot  of  which  his  house 
was  situated,  before  another,  a  male  or  dog  wolf,  was  noticed 
in  full  chase  after  him.  Mackay  arrived  with  great  difficulty 
at  a  rude  enclosure  near  his  house,  which  separated  the 
infolds  from  the  outfolds  of  his  small  farm,  before  the  close 


Sutherland,]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  130 

approach  of  this  second  and  equally  infuriated  wolf;  and 
having  managed  to  reload  his  gun,  and  ensured  a  certain 
aim  by  resting  it  on  the  wall  behind  which  he  stood,  he  shot 
this  old  dog  wolf  also.  After  this  long-remembered  slaugh- 
ter in  one  day,  by  a  single  individual,  of  two  full  grown  and 
two  young  wolves,  there  has  not  been  another  found  in  that 
district  of  country. 

"  The  death  of  the  last  wolf  and  her  cubs  in  the  forests  con- 
nected with  the  east  coast  of  Sutherland,  was  attended  with 
circumstances  still  more  remarkable.    For  several  years  before 
their  complete   extirpation,   the   wolves  were  decreasing  in 
number,  and  at  a  time  when  it  was  supposed  that  they  had 
been   all  destroyed,   some  nocturnal   ravages   amongst  the 
flocks  in  the  parish  of  Loth,  gave  indication  that  one  or  more 
wolves  still  survived  in  the  neighbourhood.     A  great  body  of 
the  inhabitants  met  together  in  order  to  scour  the  hilly  parts 
of  the  parish  of  any  of  these  ravenous  animals  that  might 
be  lurking  in  the  district ;  but  after  a  careful  and  laborious 
search,  no  wolf  could  be  found.    In  a  few  days  afterwards,  a 
person  of  the  name  of  Poison,  who  resided  at  Wester-Helms- 
dale,    followed   up  the    previous    more  general   search  by 
minutely  examining  one  of  the  wildest  recesses  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood  of  Glen  Loth,  which  he   thought   had   not  been 
thoroughly  ransacked  by  the  former  party.     On  this  occa- 
sion he  was  accompanied  by  only  two  young  lads — one  of 
them  his  son,  and  the  other  an  active  herd-boy.     Poison  was 
an  expert  hunter,  and  had  much  experience  in  tracing  and 
destroying  wolves,  foxes,  and  other  predatory  animals  ;  and 
being  well  acquainted  with  the  localities,  proceeded  directly 
to  the  wild  and  rugged  ground  that  surrounds  the  rocky  and 
nearly  inaccessible  mountain-gully  through  which  the  upper 
part  of  the  Burn  of  Sledale  runs  towards  Glen  Loth. 

"  After  attentively  looking  for  such  marks  of  the  animal  he 
was  in  search  of  as  his  experience  had  taught  him  to  distin- 
guish as  such,  Poison  discovered  a  narrow  opening  or  fissure, 
in  the  midst  of  large  pieces  of  fallen  rock,  which  he  felt 
certain  led  to  a  larger  opening  or  cavern  below,  and  which  it 

K 


130  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

was  very  probable  a  wolf  or  a  fox  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting.  Stones  were  thrown  in,  and  other  means  taken 
to  rouse  any  animal  that  might  be  lurking  within  the  opening, 
and  then  the  two  young  lads  contrived  to  force  themselves 
through  this  hole  in  order  to  examine  the  interior  parts  of  it, 
while  Poison  remained  on  the  outside.  The  boys  soon  disco- 
vered that  the  cavern  into  which  the  passage  conducted  them 
was  a  wolfs  den,  bestrewn  with  the  bones  and  horns  of 
animals,  feathers  and  eggshells,  and  enlivened  by  five  or  six 
active  wolf-cubs.  This  intelligence  being  communicated  to 
Poison,  he  directed  his  son  to  destroy  the  cubs  with  all 
possible  haste,  and  to  return  up  again ;  but  in  his  anxiety  to 
give  these  directions,  and,  if  possible,  to  see  the  interior  of  the 
cavern,  he  looked  down  into  the  passage,  and  his  head  thus 
deprived  the  persons  below  of  the  faint  light  afforded  by  the 
open  mouth  of  the  den.  They  therefore  directed  him  not  to  ob- 
struct the  light,  and  Poison  thereupon  stepped  a  few  paces  aside. 
In  an  instant  thereafter  he  heard  the  feeble  howl  of  the  young 
whelps  as  they  were  attacked  below,  and,  to  his  great  horror, 
saw  at  the  same  time  a  furious  full-grown  wolf,  evidently  the 
dam,  and  mad  with  rage  occasioned  by  the  cries  of  her  young, 
close  to  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  which  she  approached  unob- 
served among  the  rocky  inequalities  of  the  place,  and  which 
she  attempted  to  enter  at  one  bound,  from  the  spot  where  she 
was  first  seen,  before  Poison  could  reflect  how  he  should  act 
in  this  emergency.  He  instinctively  threw  himself  forward 
after  the  wolf,  and  succeeded  in  catching  a  firm  hold  of  the 
animal's  long  and  bushy  tail,  just  as  the  fore  part  of  the  body 
was  within  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  cavern,  and  her  hind 
legs  still  on  the  outside  of  it.  In  the  extreme  hurry  into  which 
Poison  was  thrown,  he  omitted  to  take  up  his  gun,  which  he 
had  placed  against  a  rock  when  aiding  the  boys  to  enter  the 
Opening,  and  probably  he  could  not  have  used  it  with  effect  at 
the  moment,  if  it  had  been  in  his  hands.  Without  apprising 
the  persons  in  the  cavern  of  the  danger  to  which  they  were 
exposed,  Poison  kept  a  firm  hold  of  the  wolf's  tail,  which  he 
rolled  round  his  left  arm,  and  while  the  animal  pulled,  and 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  131 

pressed,  and  scrambled,  and  twisted,  in  order  to  get  down  to 
the  rescue  of  her  cubs,  Poison  managed,  but  with  great  diffi- 
culty, and  by  pulling  the  tail  towards  him  with  all  his 
strength,  to  keep  her  from  going  forward.  This  struggle  con- 
tinued for  a  few  moments,  Poison,  getting  the  command  in  his 
right  hand  of  a  large  knife  or  dirk  which  he  carried  with  him, 
wounded  the  wolf  with  it  in  the  most  vital  parts  he  could 
reach.  She  made  another  vigorous  effort  to  move  forward, 
but  Poison's  strength,  and  his  secure  hold  of  her  tail,  kept  her 
back.  This  was  succeeded  by  a  desperate  struggle  to  retreat 
backwards,  but  the  hole  in  which  her  head  and  the  fore  part 
of  her  body  were  ensconced  was  too  narrow  to  admit  her  to 
turn  round  in  it,  and  when  Poison  found  her  pressing  back- 
wards, he  squeezed  her  forwards,  and  thus  kept  her  stationary 
in  the  narrow  mouth  of  the  cavern,  while  he  continued  to 
plunge  his  dirk  as  rapidly  as  the  struggle  would  permit  of, 
into  the  wolfs  side.  All  this  occurred  in  total  silence,  the 
wolf  being  mute  notwithstanding  the  wounds  she  received, 
and  Poison  being  also  silent,  in  consequence  either  of  the 
engrossing  nature  of  his  exertions,  or  of  being  unwilling  to 
alarm  the  young  persons  in  the  cavern.  They,  however, 
although  not  aware  of  what  was  passing  at  the  entrance  of 
the  den,  were  surprised  to  find  it  again  shut  up,  and  the  light 
excluded  from  them.  This  obstruction  having  continued 
sufficiently  long  to  annoy  the  boys,  Poison's  son  complained 
in  a  loud  voice  "of  the  continued  darkness ;  and  while  the 
father  happened  to  be  pulling  the  wolf  backwards  with  all 
his  strength,  his  son  asked  in  an  abrupt  tone,  'What  is 
keeping  the  light  from  us  V  and  was  directly  answered  by  the 
father,  'If  the  root  of  the  tail  breaks,  you  will  soon  know 
that.'  Poison  having  succeeded  in  mortally  wounding  his 
ferocious  prisoner,  dragged  her  out  of  the  hole  in  which  he  so 
fortunately  got  her  secured,  and  then  easily  killed  her ;  and 
she  and  her  dead  whelps  were  brought  home  by  him  as 
trophies  of  his  singular  rencounter  and  victory. 

"  The  anecdote  soon  became  known  throughout  the  whole 
country,  and  the  singularity  of  Poison's  answer  (which  tells 

k2 


]32  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

better  in  Gaelic,  the  language  in  which  it  was  spoken)  while 
uncertain  of  success  in  a  struggle  on  which  his  son's  life 
depended,  joined  with  the  fact  that  the  wolf  killed  under  such 
peculiar  circumstances  was  the  last  seen  in  Sutherland,  gave 
great  celebrity  to  this  exploit,  and  has  preserved  the  present 
traditional  account  of  the  occurrence  among  some  of  the 
country  people  to  the  present  day/'  * 

Mr.  Taylor  took  great  pains  to  make  out  the  time  when 
Mackay  and  Poison  lived,  respectively  at  Helmsdale  and 
Trantlemore,  and  the  time  of  their  deaths,  and  he  decides 
that  these  occurrences  took  place  between  1690  and  1700. 
It  gives  one  a  lively  hint  as  to  the  state  of  the  country 
— this  wolf  hunting  within  ten  miles  of  Dunrobin  ! 

The  boar  had  probably  departed  long  before  the  wolf ;  and 
I  know  no  other  mention  of  him  than  that  contained  in  the 
sad  and  really  beautiful  tradition  of  "  Dermid  the  Pure  and 
the  Boar  with  the  Poisoned  Bristles,"  of  which  Mr.  Scrope  has 
given  an  imperfect  condensation  from  the  Taylor  MSS. 

When  you  are  at  Tongue,  and  see  the  castellated  crags  of 
Ben  Loyal  standing  out  black  and  sharp  against  the  sky,  you 
may,  if  you  are  sentimentally  inclined,  croon  to  yourself : — 

"  Now  were  seen  in  their  wounds  the  son  of  O'Duin,  the 
excellent,  the  bloody  horseman  of  Fingal's  people,  and  the 
lovely  branch  of  the  twining  lochs  (Grana)  extended  on 
the  hill,  beneath  the  sun  at  noon.  That  hill  which  when 
we  approached  we  beheld  green,  red  was  its  hue  for  one 
duration  of  time  with  the  blood  of  the  hero  of  the  musical 
voice.  With  the  father  of  the  wild  sow,  they  buried  on  the 
hill  beautiful  Grana,  the  daughter  of  Cuchullin,  and  his  two 
white  dogs  along  with  Dermid.  The  hue  of  blood  covers  the 
field.  The  son  of  Duin  is  on  the  other  side.  I  grieve  that 
thou  art  laid  by  the  side  of  the  boar  under  the  sloping  banks 
of  yonder  hillocks,  son  of  O'Duin  ;  great  is  the  misfortune 
that  thou  hast  fallen  by  the  jealousy  of  my  wife.     Her  breast 

*  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  this  is  the  original  of  Hogg's  wild  boar  story. 
He  most  probably  obtained  it  from  some  Sutherland  drover,  and,  as  was  his 
wont,  appropriated  it. 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  133 

was  fairer  than  the  sun,  her  lips  were  redder  than  crimson 
blossoms,"  &c.  &c.  ad  infinitum. 

This  tradition  held  its  own,  not  improbably  by  the  right 
of  truth,  even  to  our  own  times.  I  quote  a  good  authority 
when  I  record,  that  the  spot  where  Dermid  and  Grana  were 
buried  (Ault-na-torc,  the  burn  of  the  boar),  marked  by  the 
usual  grey  cairn,  is,  or  at  least  was  very  lately,  held  in  reverence 
by  the  neighbouring  inhabitants,  and  to  injure  or  destroy 
the  only  remaining  tree  that  shaded  Dermid's  resting-place, 
was  held  to  be  so  extremely  unlucky  that  even  cattle  were 
prevented  from  approaching  it.  One  of  the  branches  was 
lopped  off  by  a  countryman,  several  years  ago,  and  some  mis- 
fortunes that  subsequently  befel  him  and  his  family  were 
attributed  to  the  rash  act.  I  quote  from  the  original  MSS. 
of  1837,  and  old  Eoss,  of  Tongue,  has  whispered  the  same 
legends  into  mine  own  ears,  long  since  then.    But  here's  Eory. 

"  Well,  what  deer  are  there  on  the  hill,  Eory  ? " 

"  'Deed  ye  ken  that  better  than  mysel,  for  I  heard  ye  were 
after  venaison,  and  no  one  has  been  on  the  hill  since  I  brought 
the  sheep  down  last  week.  'Deed  there  were  deer  on  Corrie 
Venchinch,  and  I  heard  your  shot  yestere'en,  and  heard  it 
tell ;  and  there  were  fine  staigs  about  the  muckle  rock. 
Ye  canna'  fail  o'  sport ;  but  'deed  it  looks  gay  moist." 

Gay  moist,  indeed !  and  the  burn,  high  in  spate,  not  only 
rattles  harshly  at  our  feet,  but  the  swish  of  the  wind  brings 
other  murmurs  with  it  that  tell  of  water  falling  over  rocks 
too  rarely  covered  to  be  rounded  by  its  action. 

"  It's  moist  up  there,  Eory,  no  doubt,  though  the  less  we 
say  about  its  gaiety  the  better." 

A  wet  walk  and  a  weary  we  shall  have  amongst  the  old 
moss-hags  before  we  gain  the  spurs  of  Ben-Clebric ;  with  no 
excitement  to  keep  us  going,  nothing  but  work  to  be  done 
to  gain  an  end,  which,  like  most  of  our  ends,  may  turn  out 
worthless  when  gained.  Up  along  the  burn  we  go,  following 
the  narrow  sheep-track,  deeply  indented  in  the  black  bank, 
crossing  the  sharp,  slaty  rocks  again  and  again,  till  it  turns  out 
of  our  course,  and  we  have  to  take  to  the  splashy  moor,  too 


134  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

wet  to  grow  heather  or  to  breed  grouse,  covered  with  tufts  of 
coarse  tussock  grass,  where  the  blue  hare  bounces  up  and 
squatters  through  the  plashes  like  some  strange  water-work, 
and  where  little  brown  moorland  birds  spring  up  every  few 
yards,  whistle  a  few  cheery  notes,  and  then  settle  down  into 
their  damp  beds  again.  Then  unto  the  burn  again,  now 
grown  smaller,  running  black  and  quiet  in  its  channel,  deeply 
cut  in  the  gravel,  with  an  edging  of  bright  green  turf,  and 
rushes  here  and  there,  and  walls  of  black  peat,  eight  or  ten 
feet  high,  a  little  wider  to  the  right  and  left — telling  a  story 
of  old,  old  times,  and  the  hard  work  the  little  burn  has  had 
to  make  its  way  in  the  world.  Quite  a  little  sheltered  valley, 
warm  and  cozy  in  this  stormy  day,  perfect  in  itself,  with 
little  streams,  little  meadows,  and  little  black  Alps  protecting 
it.  It  would  be  a  perfect  miniature,  even  to  its  close  little 
sky  of  mist,  were  the  effect  not  injured  by  the  roots  and 
stumps  of  ancient  birch  trees  sticking  out  from  the  boglike 
bones  from  a  sea-washed  churchyard. 

"  How  is  it,  Donald,  that  the  stumps  of  these  birches  show 
such  evident  marks  of  having  been  burnt  down  ? " 

"'Deed,  sir,  I  cannot  say.  They  do  say  that  the  great 
witch  of  Clebric  burnt  the  woods  down  about  some  quarrel 
with  a  hunter  who  did  not  give  her  venaison  ;  and  others  do 
say,  that  the  Danes  burnt  them  down  to  drive  out  the  Pechts, 
in  the  old  time  ;  but  'deed  I  do  not  know." 

You  may  take  which  explanation  you  like,  or  invent  a 
new  one  for  yourselves  ;  but  burnt  down  the  trees  about  here 
have  been,  plainly  enough.  How  a  wood  of  growing  trees 
could  have  been  burnt  to  the  stumps,  is  hard  to  understand  : 
were  the  woods  old  and  dead,  and  hung  about  with  what  the 
Tyrolese  call  "baum-haar,"  long,  hanging,  grey  mosses  ?  Had 
they  done  their  work,  and  got  as  much  out  of  the  soil  as  they 
could,  rendering  it  incapable  of  supporting  them  any  longer, 
and  so  died  as  they  stood,  making  it  fit  for  new  comers,  like 
the  Pechts  and  the  Feen  ?  I  don't  know  ;  there  are  the  burnt 
stumps,  testifying,  to  this  day,  of  their  burning,  with  three 
or  four  feet  of  turf  above  them. 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  135 

Old  Sir  Eobert's  list  of  birds  and  beasts  evidently  indicates 
a  country  far  more  wooded  than  Sutherland  is  now,  as  late  as 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Probably  the  firs 
came  to  an  end  simultaneously,  and  soon  buried  themselves 
in  the  peat  produced  by  their  decay  ;  the  stumps  being  full  of 
turpentine,  resisted  the  process,  and  remained  as  they  are  now. 
Peat  grows  fast,  and  the  fathers  of  young  men  tell  me  that 
they  remember  groves  of  pines  on  the  south  side  of  Lairg 
bridge,  where  they  now  dig  their  winter  fuel. 

The  old  birch  woods  still  linger  here  and  there  in  all  their 
pristine  beauty,  though  diminished  in  size.  On  the  lower  Shin, 
about  Scriberscross,  and  fringing  many  a  sparkling  loch  and 
wild  hillside,  may  the  sweet-scented  gleaming-leaved  birch 
be  found,  growing  on  a  soil  knee  deep  in  vegetable  mould,  or 
perched  on  the  top  of  a  moss-grown  boulder,  that  gives  it  an 
uncertain  foothold  for  the  time,  and  then  betrays  it  to  the  first 
great  blast  that  sweeps  from  the  sea.  It  is  curious  that  the 
great  destructive  agent  of  so  northern  a  tree  should  be  snow; 
thousands  of  birches  are  destroyed  whenever  snow  falls  early 
enough  to  find  the  leaf  on  the  tree  ;  and  as  far  south  as  Sussex 
I  have  seen  the  tops  of  innumerable  birches  snapped  off  by  its 
weight,  even  in  winter  time.  Struck  down  by  wind  or  snow, 
the  birch  lies  for  a  time  perfect  in  form  and  colour,  but 
crumbling  to  dust  internally  when  touched  by  the  foot ;  and 
in  the  powdery  humus  the  long  rich  moss  finds  a  fit  nidus 
for  its  spores,  and  in  a  short  time  all  is  covered  with  a  green 
soft  carpet,  dying  at  the  bottom,  growing  at  the  top,  the  dead 
part  furnishing  food  for  the  new  generation,  and  so  the  peat 
moss  grows  :  getting  gradually  dry  enough  for  heather,  and 
maybe  even  for  pasture. 

The  idea  of  the  first  canoe  must  have  been  taken  from  a 
birch  in  the  state  one  so  often  sees  it  in  the  north.  Long  after 
the  interior  has  crumbled  to  dust,  the  silver  bark  retains  its 
form  and  colour,  and  the  noble  savage  who  stumbled  over  it 
had  nothing  to  do  but  to  stitch  the  two  ends  together  with  a 
sinew,  dab  on  a  bit  of  gum,  and  learn  to  sit  steady  in  it.  In 
Sutherland  the  birches  were  too  small,  and  the  rivers  too  wild 


136  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Sutherland. 

to  induce  even  the  Pechts  to  take  to  this  form  of  boat-build- 
ing ;  being  a  pastoral  people,  an  ox's  hide  stretched  over  a 
basket  was  probably  their  sea  and  lake  going  machine. 

The  oak  in  which  the  Lair-igig  delighted  to  dig  her  bill  has 
vanished  altogether,  except  about  Dunrobin,  and  I  could  never 
hear  of  or  see  any  in  the  bogs,  so  that  I  expect  that  even  in 
the  old  times  they  were  strictly  localized.  Another  old  world 
tree,  the  alder,  is  plentiful  enough,  and  I  think  larger  than  I 
have  ever  seen  it  elsewhere,  but  it  seldom  leaves  the  river's 
edge,  where  the  cattle  love  to  shelter  themselves  under  its 
opaque  dark  green  leaves,  and  browse  on  the  rich  rank  grass 
that  springs  beneath  its  shade. 

Oh,  happy  trees  !  Hieronymus  Cardanus,  that  learned 
Theban,  says  that  you  live  longer  than  animals,  because  you 
never  stir  from  your  places ;  and  much  I  wish  that  I  might 
attain  to  length  of  days  by  remaining  in  this  sheltered  burn 
a  little  longer,  but  there  is  no  help  for  it — scramble  up,  and 
out  into  the  storm. 

Just  as  we  reach  the  top  of  the  first  low  ridge,  Donald 
drops  like  a  stone  in  the  heather,  and  I  drop  with  him  as  if 
we  had  both  been  shot  with  one  ball. 

"  'Deed,  sir,  there  are  deer ;  but  I'm  thinking  they're  just 
the  Loch  au  Fureloch  hinds  ;  tak  out  your  glass  and  see  if  ye 
ken  them." 

Aye,  'deed  do  I,  Donald,  as  well  as  I  know  the  pattern  of 
the  nails  in  your  shoe  soles,  and  I  have  studied  that  often 
enough  as  I  crawled  after  you.  There  are  the  sixteen  of 
them,  walking  daintily  about,  nibbling  at  the  coarse  grass, 
shaking  the  wet  off  their  hides,  with  a  vehemence  which 
surrounds  them  with  a  halo  of  spray,  holding  a  good  deal 
of  communication  with  each  other,  and — there — as  usual ! 
quarrelling  and  fighting,  rising  perfectly  upright  on  their  hind 
legs,  ears  well  laid  back,  and  striking  at  each  other  with  their 
sharp  fore  hoofs.     What  vixens  ! 

They  are  an  odd  little  sept,  these  Loch  au  Fureloch 
hinds ;  always  to  be  seen  about  the  same  spot  on  the  lower 
grounds  :  so  used  to  the  shepherd  that  they  do  not  move 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  137 

off  when  they  can  see  him  clearly,  and  watch  what  he  is 
about;  and  never  by  any  chance  is  there  a  stag  in  their 
company,  except  possibly  some  effeminate  hobbledehoy  of 
a  pricket,  too  weak-minded  to  take  the  risks  of  the  hill- 
side. 

It  must,  however,  be  understood  that  these  hinds  are 
Amazons,  not  vestals,  as  is  evident  from  the  number  of  calves 
trotting  about  amongst  them ;  unless,  indeed,  they  are  the 
lady-superintendents  of  an  educational  institution  for  young 
stags.  My  own  belief  is,  that  they  quietly  shirk  all  respon- 
sibility as  regards  the  safety  and  comfort  of  their  lords,  and 
have  formed  themselves  into  a  society  of  emancipated  and 
strong-minded  hinds  ;  a  most  detestable  state  of  things,  which, 
were  it  not  for  the  sake  of  the  calves,  I  would  alter  with 
a  rifle-bullet.  As  it  is,  we  show  ourselves  just  enough  to 
cause  them  to  move  off  quietly,  and  avoid  giving  them  the 
wind,  as,  if  they  suspect  anything,  and  have  no  facts  what- 
ever to  go  upon,  they  will  form  a  theory  of  their  own,  and 
make  as  much  mischief  on  the  hillside  as  they  possibly  can — 
"  like  Christians,"  as  Donald  would  say. 

Up  across  the  moss  we  splash,  towards  the  great  outlying 
buttress  of  Ben-Clebric,  a  brown  ridge  some  seven  or  eight 
miles  long,  streaked  with  meandering  strips  of  bright  green, 
marking  where  the  mountain  torrents,  cutting  deeply  into  the 
moss,  drain  the  soil  sufficiently  to  permit  the  Alpine  grasses 
to  flourish.  The  little  valleys  in  which  these  patches  lie  are 
the  corries  where  the  deer  love  to  feed,  and  about  which 
they  are  apt  to  lie  after  feeding,  particularly  early  in  the 
day,  before  they  draw  up  to  the  more  prominent  points  of 
the  hill  for  their  afternoon's  siesta.  Every  corrie — and  there 
are  scores  of  them — has  its  name ;  and  the  forester  and  shep- 
herd know  them  as  well  as  a  London  cabman  does  the 
streets. 

All  this  hillside  has  to  be  spied  most  carefully,  as,  although 
the  wind  is  in  the  wrong  airt  for  stags  to  be  on  it,  there  may 
be  a  hind  or  two,  who,  if  disturbed,  will  go  over  the  ridge  and 
scare  the  deer  on  the  other  side.     Before  our  work  is  fairly 


138  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland/ 

done,  the  mist  rolls  down  the  face  of  the  hill,  wave  after 
wave,  till  not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  of  the  base  is  left 
clear,  and  that  becomes  of  a  strange  lurid  reddish-purple 
from  the  shadow  on  the  heather, — a  mighty  pleasant  prospect 
for  a  deer-stalker ! 

However,  it  is  barely  ten  o'clock,  and  no  one  knows  what 
may  happen  till  the  mystic  hour  of  twelve,  when  it  is  the 
established  creed  of  the  hill  that  the  great  crisis  of  the 
weather  takes  place.  Scrambling  upwards  along  the  bed  of 
the  burn,  startling  the  grousecock  from  so  near  our  feet  that 
he  almost  chokes  himself  with  his  own  crow  as  he  vanishes 
in  the  mist,  we  reach  the  bothy  where  one  of  shepherd  Eory's 
deputies  lives,  for  week  after  week,  in  a  solitude  as  complete 
as  ever  hermit  enjoyed.  Indeed,  what  with  the  solitude  and 
his  enforced  temperance,  living  as  he  does  on  oatmeal  and 
water,  with  an  occasional  trout,  Donald  Dhu  would  be  on  a 
par  with  any  anchorite  of  them  all,  did  he  not  destroy  the 
virtue  of  the  thing  by  being  a  useful  man  instead  of  an  idle 
one,  counting  his  sheep  instead  of  his  beads.  A  wild  life  they 
live  on  the  hill,  these  shepherds,  but,  being  for  the  most  part 
men  of  reflection  and  observation,  it  is  by  no  means  without  its 
pleasures.  Wondrous  combinations  of  cloud  and  sunshine, 
that  would  be  denounced  as  ravings  by  a  southern  connois- 
seur if  faithfully  reproduced  on  canvas,  reward  his  early 
rising.  Not  once  or  twice  a  year  only  is  he  on  the  higher 
peaks  before  sunrise,  but  day  by  day  for  weeks  together  he 
sees  the  marvels  of  the  northern  sun  sweeping  round  the 
horizon,  and  till  evening  closes  in  he  is  face  to  face  with 
nature,  studying  every  shift  of  wind  and  swirl  of  vapour, 
and  gaining  a  practical  knowledge  of  meteorology  which 
would  astonish  an  astronomer  from  a  royal  observatory. 

Donald  Dhu's  only  companion  on  the  hills  is  his  colly  dog, 
as  wise  and  reflective  in  his  way  as  his  master ;  understanding 
his  every  word  and  gesture,  and  executing  his  commands 
with  a  zeal,  intelligence,  and  determination  perfectly  marvel- 
lous. He  is  not  a  demonstrative  dog  ;  he  will  hardly  give  you 
a  wag  of  his  tail  for  your  most  insinuating  advances ;  his 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  139 

master  loves  him  next  the  wife  and  bairns  :  but  there  is  no 
patting  and  caressing  or  good-dogging,  no  trying  to  wheedle 
or  natter,  or  assumption  of  superiority  on  his  part,  or  cringing 
and  finger-licking  on  that  of  colly,  but  a  real  strong  male 
friendship  between  them.  The  dog  is  a  good  hardworking 
dog,  who  knows  his  business  as  well  as  his  master,  and  is 
perfectly  aware  of  the  fact ;  grave  and  reserved,  perfectly 
conscious  of  his  own  importance,  he  would  scorn  to  posture 
for  a  mouthful  of  oatmeal  were  he  starving.  If  you  stop  and 
talk  to  Donald  Dhu,  colly  folds  himself  up,  puts  his  head 
between  his  paws,  and  watches  the  sheep  intently,  evidently 
saying  to  himself,  "Poor  fellow,  he  must  have  his  crack, 
I  suppose,  but  somebody  must  attend  to  business."  A  word, 
a  sign,  and  he  is  jumping  from  one  woolly  back  to  another, 
intent  on  singling  out  the  one  which  has  been  indicated  to 
him  by  a  gesture  so  slight  as  to  be  almost  imperceptible  to  a 
human  by-stander,  and  let  woolly-back  turn  and  twist  and 
wedge  himself  into  the  huddling  mass  as  he  may,  out  he  has 
to  come,  and  be  snipped,  or  clipped^  or  touched  up  in  some 
unpleasant  way  or  another,  in  spite  of  his  teeth.  But  the 
sight  of  sights  is  to  watch  two  shepherds  sorting  out  their 
respective  sheep  when  their  flocks  have  become  mixed  toge- 
ther; and  when  this  takes  place  on  a  hillside,  where  blue 
hares  are  numerous,  colly-dogs'  shrieking  struggle  between 
duty  and  inclination  is  a  study  for  a  moralist ! 

All  books  are  full  of  the  marvels  of  colly-dogism,  and 
from  what  I  have  myself  seen,  even  Mr.  Jesse  cannot  tell  me 
a  story  that  I  will  not  try  to  believe. 

Colly  dog's  early  training  is  a  rude  one,  but  I  think  that  it 
is  mutual,  and  that  the  shepherd  picks  up  a  good  deal  of  doj 
during  the  process.  He  is  too  wise  to  waste  his  breath  in 
reproving  any  little  outbreak  of  juvenile  impetuosity ;  but 
quietly  fills  his  plaid-neuk  full  of  chucky-stones,  with  which 
he  peebles  the  peccant  colly,  with  a  force  and  accuracy  that 
sends  him  off  on  three  legs,  filling  the  air  with  penitent 
howls.  Mark,  0  tourist,  when  six  colly  dogs  burst  out  upon 
you  from  the  shepherd's  door;  "mak'  as  if"  you  were  going 


140  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

to  pick  up  a  stone,  and  see  how  they  will  extend  from  the 
centre,  and  take  cover  behind  the  turf-stack,  popping  their 
heads  round  for  an  instant  to  fire  a  bark  at  you,  and  then 
dodge  back  like  riflemen. 

Neither  Donald  Dhu  nor  the  collies  being  at  home,  we  take 
the  liberty  of  inspecting  his  habitation.  The  bothy  is  some 
twelve  or  fourteen  feet  long,  and  about  four  feet  high  in  front, 
strongly  built  of  stone,  and  nestled  well  under  the  bank, 
which  almost  touches  the  heather  roof  in  the  rear,  making 
one  speculate  curiously  as  to  how  the  summer  thunder-storms 
treat  his  floor,  and  whether  he  goes  out  and  sits  on  the  roof 
for  the  sake  of  comparative  dryness  when  the  whole  sheet  of 
heather  behind  is  running  in  a  broad  stream.  There  is  a  pad- 
lock on  the  door ;  but  more  for  show  than  use,  for  the  key 
is  rusted  tightly  into  it,  and  all  power  of  locking  has  long 
since  departed  from  the  springs  ;  still  the  thing  looks  well, 
and  might,  probably,  prevent  a  particularly  conscientious  bur- 
glar from  breaking  in. 

Bending  low  through  the  doorway,  we  see  the  secrets  of 
Donald's  domestic  economy  laid  bare.  A  rude  bed  on  one 
side,  across  which  lay  a  pair  of  well-patched  and  well-soaked 
breeks  ;  a  table,  consisting  of  a  broad  flat  stone,  miraculously 
balanced  on  divers  bits  of  bogwood ;  a  shelf,  from  which 
depends  a  worsted  stocking  with  a  needle  sticking  across  a 
vast  rent,  Donald's  last  effort  at  mending  himsel'  given  up  in 
despair,  with  a  stern  determination  to  propose  to  the  pretty  lassie 
at  Lairg  next  Sabbath  ;  a  tin  plate,  a  fork,  stuck  into  the  shelf 
to  facilitate  finding,  a  basin,  with  a  little  dried  porridge  stick- 
ing about  it,  and  a  well  blacked  crock,  are  all  we  discover  in 
the  semi-darkness  until  we  stumble  over  something  which 
proves  to  be  a  stump  of  bogwood  with  the  roots  whittled  off 
to  sufficient  evenness  to  permit  of  your  sitting  upon  it  with- 
out being  tilted  into  the  fire,  that  is,  if  you  understand  it, 
and  are  very  careful.  Window  there  is  none ;  the  hole  in 
the  roof,  through  which  some  of  the  smoke  makes  its  exit 
when  the  fire  is  lighted,  does  double  duty  ;  and  as  we  become 
accustomed  to  the  twilight  which  fringes  the  perpendicular 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  141 

ray  passing  down  it,  we  become  aware  of  a  few  cast  antlers, 
well  gnawed  by  the  hinds,  a  brown  pan,  filled  with  water, 
in  which  lie  soaking  a  couple  of  dozen  split  trout,  red  as  sal- 
mon, twice  as  large  as  I  can  ever  catch — confound  that  otter  ! 
and  in  a  particularly  dark  corner,  a  couple  of  black  bottles, 
which  ought  to  contain  whisky  of  the  smallest  still,  but 
which  on  examination  hold  nothing  but  in  the  one  case  a 
driblet  of  sour  milk,  and  in  the  other,  some  tarry  abomina- 
tion used  for  doctoring  the  sheep  ;  that  little  parcel  wrapped 
up  in  a  pocket-napkin,  is  Donald's  well-thumbed  Bible,  and 
many  a  tough  bit  of  grace  and  free-will  does  Donald  puzzle 
over  when  his  work  is  done,  lighted  by  those  splinters  of  bog- 
wood  in  the  corner,  which  burn  more  brightly  than  wax — 
by-the-bye,  the  best  thumbed  side  of  Donald's  Bible  is  the 
Old  Testament.  If  you  have  imagination  enough  to  double 
the  length  of  Donald's  bothy,  without  increasing  its  breadth 
or  height,  to  turn  the  addition  into  a  cow-house,  of  the 
foulest  description — carefully  avoid  putting  up  any  partition, 
as  that  would  diminish  the  warmth,  both  of  yourself  and  the 
cow,  and  make  the  whole  affair  ten  times  more  filthy  and 
uncomfortable  than  it  is,  and  place  a  sea  of  liquid  manure 
before  the  door,  just  high  enough  to  permit  every  shower  to 
wash  a  fair  amount  of  it  into  the  hut — you  will  get  a  veiy 
tolerable  idea  of  a  superior  description  of  that  happy  home  of 
the  western  highlander — the  black  hut — from  which  he  has 
been  so  ruthlessly  torn.  If  you  doubt  it,  go  and  see  for  your- 
self, on  the  west  coast,  and  more  particularly  on  the  islands. 
Suppose  a  man  and  his  wife,  and  half-a-dozen  children,  with, 
in  all  probability,  one  if  not  two  grandfathers  and  grand- 
mothers, living  in  such  a  hovel,  depending  entirely  on  the 
miserable  crops  of  oats  or  potatoes,  without  the  remotest 
chance  of  a  paid  day's  work  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other, 
and  you  have  the  sort  of  existence  Donald  Dhu  would  have 
led  in  the  good  old  times. 

"I  suppose  he  is  not  very  much  overpaid  now,  is  he, 
Donald?" 

"  'Deed,  sir,  he's  no  that   ill  off ;  he  gets  good  wages,  a 


142  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

certain  number  of  sheep  to  himself,  lives  rent-free,  finds 
himself  in  oatmeal  for  two  or  three  shillings  a  week,  and 
gets  plenty  of  Braxy. 

"  What  is  Braxy  ?  dead  sheep,  is  it  not  ? " 

Well,  it  is  dead  sheep  ;  but  only  sheep  that  die  from 
rapid  inflammation  at  certain  times  of  the  year.  It  is 
questionable  whether  it  is  particularly  wholesome,  but  at 
any  rate  the  shepherds  do  pretty  well  on  it.  It  requires 
preparation,  however ;  salting  and  pressing,  and  other  little 
manipulations,  which,  when  carefully  described  by  an  enthu- 
siast in  the  art,  are  quite  enough  to  make  one  certain  that  it 
is  what  Juliana  Dame  Berners  would  call  "  an  ill  meat  for  a 
queasy  stomach,"  and  to  make  one  especially  shy  of  pallid 
salt  mutton  in  highland  districts. 

Swish !  what  a  drive  of  cold  wind  and  rain  as  we  put  our 
heads  out  of  the  bothy  door.  Never  mind,  we  will  get  to 
the  top  of  the  ridge,  perch  ourselves  like  a  couple  of  scarts 
to  the  leeward  of  a  big  stone,  and  wait  for  the  clearing. 

Under  this  mass  of  gray  gneiss  let  us  sit  down,  and  gossip 
confidentially  in  a  low  voice,  for  there  is  no  knowing  what 
may  hear  us.  Few  sounds  do  we  hear  but  the  whispering 
of  the  wind  amongst  the  wet  bents.  Now  and  then  the 
croak  of  the  ravens  waiting  about  the  stag  we  killed  yester- 
day, floats  down  the  wind,  and  the  imperative  "  cr-u-u-u-uck- 
go-back-go-back "  of  the  old  cock  grouse,  hints  that  we  are 
not  entirely  unnoticed  in  the  mist :  and  there  on  a  stone  sits 
a  golden  plover,  piping  out  the  saddest  and  wildest  of  bird 
music ;  what  has  he  done  to  make  himself  so  unutterably 
miserable?  There  he  sits  in  the  mist,  wilfully  solitary  for 
the  time,  giving  utterance  to  a  note  which  has  an  expres- 
sion of  the  most  intense  broken-heartedness,  perfectly  in- 
describable ;  I  know  of  no  inflection  of  the  human  voice  so 
unutterably  mournful.  He  must  have  lived  with  the  Pechts, 
and  be  grieving  over  their  downfall.  Throw  a  stone  at  him, 
Donald;  if  I  listen  to  him  for  five  minutes  more,  I  shall 
begin  to  believe  that  highland  improvements  are  a  delusion, 
and  that  it  is  never  going  to  stop  raining. 


Stjtheeland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  143 

To  make  a  small  bull,  I  never  heard  a  complete  silence  in 
the  open-air  world  yet.  The  two  most  silent  situations  I 
know,  are  an  Alp  above  the  snow  line,  and  a  gorse  common, 
baking  in  the  summer  sun ;  but  even  there  we  have  the 
grinding  of  ice  and  the  swish  of  falling  snow  in  the  one  case, 
and  the  crackling  of  the  gorse-buds  in  the  other,  to  tell  us 
that  Nature  never  sleeps.  I  wonder,  by-the-bye,  whether 
Jeemie  is  asleep  ?  he  ought  to  be  up  by  this  time ;  and 
putting  the  stag  on  the  pony  would  warm  us. 

"  'Deed,  sir,  no  ;  it's  hard  work  bringing  up  the  old  powney 
this  weather,  and  all  the  burns  in  spate  ;  and  he  knows  that 
we  shall  not  move  till  it  clears,  for  fear  of  doing  mischief ; 
and  now  it  wants  a  quarter  of  eleven.  Hoot !  how  it  rains  ; 
it's  very  hard  I  can  never  gae  out  for  a  day's  pleasure  without 
getting  my  claes  spoiled,  as  the  old  wine  said  when  it  rained 
at  her  husband's  burying.  Weel,  weel,  we  must  bide  where 
we  are  till  the  mist  rises,  and  then,  if  there  are  no  fit  staigs 
about  the  head  of  Brora,  we  must  go  over  toward  Clebric." 

"  By-the-bye,  Donald,  Mr.  Scrope,  who  was  a  great  hand  at 
deer-driving  in  Blair  Athol  Forest  in  old  times,  tells  a  story 
about  a  savage  individual  of  the  name  of  Chisholm,  who 
lived  for  years  in  a  cave  on  Ben  Clebric  ;  do  you  know  any- 
thing about  him  ? " 

"  Aye,  'deed,  sir,  I  mind  the  name  well  enough,  but  he  was 
not  a  wild  man  at  all,  but  a  decent  body  from  Eogart,  and 
he  only  stopped  in  the  cave  for  a  day  or  two,  and  glad 
enough  he  was  to  get  out  o't." 

"  How  ? " 

"  'Deed,  sir,  there  was  a  great  fox-hunting  at  Lairg,  and 
Chisholm,  who  lived  at  Bogart,  brought  over  a  dog  to  run 
against  the  Guns  of  Lairg;  they  were  all  Guns  in  those  days. 
Well !  they  found  a  fox  up  by  Loch  Craigie,  and  ran  him 
down  to  Lairg ;  and  a  gran'  run  they  had  o't.  Well !  there 
was  no  bridge  over  the  Shin  in  those  days,  nor  for  many 
a  day  after :  'deed,  I  remember  when  the  folks  did  not  cross 
the  water  of  Shin  for  months  together.  So  the  fox  swam  the 
lower  end  of  the  Loch  where  the  grilse  lie  whiles,  and  where 


144  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

we  saw  the  mouldiwarp  swim  across,  and  one  of  the  Guns' 
dogs  and  Chisholm's  after  him,  and  they  foregathered  with 
him  on  the  far  side  and  pit  him  down,  and  then,  as  they  wer'n't 
well  acquainted,  they  girned  at  each  other  and  fell  a  fighting 
over  him,  and  when  Chisholm  and  the  Guns  had  waded  and 
swum  across,  there  was  a  rare  tussle  between  them.  Now 
whether,  in  the  hurry  of  pairting  the  dogs,  one  of  the  Guns 
gave  him  a  blow  by  chance,  or  whether  from  vexation  it  was 
given  on  purpose,  I  cannot  well  say,  but  out  came  Chisholm's 
Skean  dhu,  and  three  or  four  of  them  were  lying  on  the 
heather  in  as  many  blows.  When  Chisholm  saw  the  red  bluid 
bubbling  over  the  plaids,  he  jealoused  it  was  time  to  be  off, 
and  he  ran  up  the  side  of  the  loch  and  slipped  in,  and  swam 
to  the  little  island  at  the  head  of  the  lower  loch,  and  then 
made  as  if  he  were  going  to  swim  off  to  the  other  side,  where 
the  birches  are  now  as  they  were  then ;  but  when  he  took  the 
water,  he  made  a  stroke  or  two,  and  then  dived  back  and  just 
kept  his  nose  out  of  water  like  a  hurt  wild  duck.  The  Guns 
all  crossed  the  water  again,  thinking  to  catch  him  as  he  made 
for  Eogart,  and  spread  out  across  the  way  to  Strathfleet,  and 
thought  they  had  him  sure.  Weel !  when  he  raised  his  head 
out  of  the  water  and  had  marked  them  down  well,  he  slipped 
down  again  and  swam  like  an  otter  up  to  where  the  big  boat- 
house  is,  and  up  along  thae  sandy  bits  by  the  loch-side  where 
we  killed  sae  many  sarpents  last  year,  keeping  well  under  the 
wood,  and  when  he  put  his  feet  on  the  heather  he  never 
stinted  or  stayed  till  he  got  to  Clebric,  where  there  was  a  cave 
he  knew  well  amongst  the  craigs  by  Cairn  Vadue.  Well,  the 
Guns  they  swat,  and  the  Guns  they  swore,  and  were  wud  for 
his  heart's  bluid,  but  they  could  get  no  guess  of  him,  and  all 
the  while  he  kept  the  hill,  and  saw  them  plowthering  about 
in  the  moss  hags  as  if  they  had  been  looking  for  a  wounded 
stag  ;  when  they  came  too  near  he  just  slipped  into  his  hole 
like  a  brock,  and  waited  till  they  were  gone.  Well!  they 
went  on  like  this  till  most  of  the  Guns  were  tired  of  looking, 
and  thought  that  Chisholm  had  slipped  back  to  Eogart  by 
Stra-na-shalg,  till  one  day  two  men  on  the  brow  yonder, 


Sutherland.]        NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  145 

which  we  cannot  see,  de'il  tak'  the  mist !  saw  a  man  standing 
on  the  grey  craigs  above  Loch  Furon  and  jealoused  it  was 
Chisholm  ;  so  they  stepped  back  and  stalked  him  like  a  stag. 
They  had  no  need  to  mind  the  wind,  for  his  nose  was  no'  so 
sharp  as  an  old  hind's,  and  so  they  got  close  up  to  him  before 
he  was  well  aware — so  close  that  he  saw  it  was  too  late  to 
mak5  out,  and  so  he  stood  steady  on  the  craig.  By  luck  they 
neither  of  them  knew  Chisholm  by  sight,  and  so  did  not  like 
to  dirk  him  at  once,  and  may  be  they  did  na'  like  the  chance 
of  a  dig  of  a  dirk  in  their  ain  weams ;  so  when  they  got 
up  to  him  one  said,  'It's  a  fine  day!'  ''Deed  is  it,'  said 
Chisholm,  'a  nice  saft  day.'  'Ye  have  na'  seen  Chisholm?' 
said  one  of  the  Guns.  '  No,  indeed  I  have  not !'  said  Chisholm ; 
and  I'm  thinking  it  was  nae  lie,  for  there  was  nae  wale  0' 
looking  glasses  in  the  cave.  '  We  are  looking  after  him  over 
the  muir,  and  cannot  forgeither  with  him.'  '  What  will  ye  gi'e 
me  if  I  pit  a  wrist  0'  his  into  each  of  your  hands?'  'All  the 
white  silver  in  our  pouches,  and  as  much  more  as  you  will 
from  clan  Gun,  for  we  hae  bluid-feud  with  him,  and  his  blood 
we'll  ha'e.'  'Weel  then,  tak'  you  this  wrist  and  tak'  you 
this  y'ane,  for  I'm  Chisholm !'  And  when  they  gripped 
his  wrists  he  kept  his  arms  clenchit,  and  just  made  a  jerk 
forward  and  sent  the  pair  o'  them  over  the  craigs  towards 
Loch  Furon,  but  whether  they  reached  it  whole  I  dinna 
ken.  But  Chisholm  went  back  to  his  cave  and  said  to 
himself — 

"  '  Weel,  I  hae  keepit  my  promise  ;  but  deil  burst  me,  if  I 
didna  forget  to  tak'  the  siller ! ' 

"  Well,  it  so  happened  that  some  other  Guns  who  were  out  on 
the  moss  saw  the  three  together  on  the  craigs,  and  saw  the 
two  men  thrown  over,  and  thought  sure  that  Chisholm  had  a 
hand  in  the  business,  so  they  followed  him  so  sharp  and 
close,  that  they  saw  him  enter  the  cave,  and  thought,  '  Now 
we  have  him  as  safe  as  a  salmon  in  a  cruive.'  Just  as 
Chisholm  was  going  into  his  cave,  he  turned  round  and  saw 
the  men  coming  in  a  straight  line  towards  him,  and  thought 
he  would  break  out,  but  there  were  over  many  of  them,  and 

L 


146  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

so  lie  stepped  into  the  cave,  and  they  followed  ;  and  he  went 
further  and  further  toward  the   end,  and  heard  them   aye 
groping  after  him,  till  he  got  to  the  bare  rock,  and  couldna 
get  further.     Well,  he  thought  it  was  all  over  with  him,  but 
he  stretched  out  his  hands  to  feel  whether  there  was  any  way 
to  win  further,  and  he  felt  the  edge  of  a  rock  over  his  head, 
and   he  gripped  it  and  drew  himself  up,  and  found  a  shelf 
where  he  could  lay  himself  along,  about  seven  feet  up  the  side 
of  the  cave.     Well,  the  Guns  they  came  on,  stumbling  and 
banning,  and  breaking  their  shins  in  the  darkness,  for  it  was 
as  mirk  as  a  wolf's  mouth,  and  stooping  down  to  feel  their 
way,  for  they  didna  ken  how  high  the  roof  was,  and  they  were 
fearful  of  breaking  their  heads.     Well,  the  first  Gun  ran  his 
head  against  the  end  of  the  cave,  and  cried  out,  '  Hoot,  lads, 
I  hae  him  !'  for  he  thought  that  Chisholm  had  hit  him  in  the 
head,  and  that  he  had  him  a'  safe,  but  he  hadna,  and  they 
groped,  and  they  felt,  and  they  glowered  into  the  darkness, 
till  their  eyes  shone  like  wild  cats,  but  deil  a  thing  could  they 
feel,  only  when  one  caught  the  ither  by  the  pow,  and  gied 
him  a  rug :  'tis  a  wonder  they  hadna  dirked  each  other  in  the 
dark !    and  all  the  time  Chisholm  lay  along    his  shelf,  and 
grinned  to  himself  at  the  clangamfrey  they  were  keeping 
below  him,  and  he  within  reach  of  their  hands.     Well,  what 
with  ane  thing,  and  what  with  another,  a  great  fear  came  on 
them  in  the  dark  cave,  and  they  thought  Chisholm  must  be  a 
warlock,  and  so  they  burst  out  and  ran  back  to  Lairg  as  fast 
as  their  feet  could  carry  them.     Well,  Chisholm  waited  till 
they  were  all  gone,  and  gloaming  was  come,  and  then  he 
slipped  down  to  Lairg,  where  there  was  an  old  woman,  his 
foster-sister's  aunt's  second  cousin,  who  was  married  on  a  Gun, 
and  he  said,  'Elsie,  I'll  gie  you  all  the  white  siller  in  my 
pouch ' — and  they  thought  more  of  the  white  siller  then  than 
they  do  of  the  red  gold  now — 'if  you  will  do  what  I  wish.' 
'  Aye,  'deed  will  I,'  said  the  old  carline,  blinking  her  eyes  at 
the  siller — '  'deed  will  I  for  ane  so  near  a  kin.'     '  Well,  then, 
you  ken  that  the  Guns  are  all  red-wud  at  not  catching  me,  and 
they  are  all  drinking  together.     Now,  when  they  are  fou,  slip 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  147 

you  down  ben  the  house,  and  tak'  a  shoe  and  a  stocking  off 
one,  and  a  shoe  and  a  stocking  off  another,  and  put  them  in  a 
heap  in  the  road  j  ust  where  the  sharp  stones  are,  and  then 
come  back  to  me.'  So  the  old  body  went,  and  she  found  that 
they  who  were  not  very  fou  had  put  off  their  clothes  before 
they  went  to  bed,  so  she  wan  them  easily  enough  ;  and  they 
who  were  blin  fou — and  that  was  the  maist  of  them — never 
fashed  their  thumbs  about  her  rugging  at  their  shanks,  and  so 
brought  out  the  hose  and  the  brogues,  and  turned  them  over 
with  a  fork,  as  if  she  were  mixing  a  midden.  Well,  when 
they  were  all  well  mixed,  Chisholm  went  before  the  house 
where  the  Guns  were  lying,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  '  Are 
ye  seeking  Chisholm?  I  hae  gotten  him  here.'  When  they 
heard  that,  out  they  toumelt  outright  glad,  the  fou  y'anes  without 
their  hose  and  shoon,  and  the  very  fou  y'anes  with  a  hose  and 
a  shoe  on  the  fane  fit,  and  nane  on  t'ither,  and  they  all  cried 
out,  '  Whar  is  he  ? '  and  he  stood  and  said,  '  Here  he  is,  ye 
may  hae  him  for  the  houding  ; '  and  when  they  gat  near  him, 
he  started  up  the  burn  by  the  blacksmith's  smiddy,  and  made 
play  for  Strathfleet  like  a  hunted  roe.  Weel,  the  Guns  went 
after  him  well  enough  at  first,  but  it  was  long  before  the  good 
duke — God  bless  him ! — made  the  roads,  and  never  a  track 
was  there  from  Lairg  into  Strathfleet,  but  the  Burn  that  falls 
into  the  Loch  by  the  Posi^ofnce,  and  he  with  his  good  brogues 
sped  up  it  fast  enough,  but  they  that  had  but  one  brogue, 
and  they  that  had  none,  made  but  a  bad  race  of  it :  'deed,  the 
ones  that  had  ane  made  the  worst,  for  the  ane  brogue  made 
them  bould  with  the  ane  fut,  and  they  bounced  the  ither  gay 
hard  against  the  sclate  stones,  whilst  the  ithers  went  hirpling 
on  tenderly  on  their  ten-taes.  Well,  they  soon  saw  that  it 
was  of  no  use  for  men  with  ane  brogue,  and  men  with  nane, 
to  tak'  the  hill  against  a  man  with  two,  so  they  ran  back  to 
Lairg  to  look  for  their  gear,  and  they  saw  the  heap  in  the 
road,  and  set  to  work  to  fit  themselves.  'That's  mine, 
Donald  ! '  '  Gie  me  my  brogue,  Eory  ! '  '  What  are  ye  to  walk 
off  wi'  my  hose,  Eurich  ? '  and  so  at  last  they  went  wild  to 
think  that  Chisholm  was  going  over  the  hill  all  the  time,  and 

l2 


148  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Sutherland. 

they  could  not  suit  themselves  without  breaking  the  com- 
mandment, and  taking  their  neighbour's  goods,  and  the  bluid 
got  hot,  and  the  skean-dhus  lap  out,  and  sixty  and  six  Guns 
lay  in  the  white  moonlight  with  the  red  bluid  bubbling  out  of 
them.  Sair  broken  was  the  clan  for  many  a  day — and  that's 
the  story  of  the  fox-hunt  o'  Lairg." 

"  Well,  Donald,  I  can  weel  believe  it,  but  that  is  a  very 
different  version  of  the  story  of  Chisholm  of  Cairn  Vaduc,  to 
the  one  I  have  generally  heard.  But  the  Clan  Gun  took  a 
deal  of  breaking  ;  they  seem  to  have  fluctuated  in  the  oddest 
manner  between  Sutherland  and  Caithness ;  when  times 
were  tolerably  quiet,  they  put  themselves  under  the  protection 
of  the  Earl  of  Caithness,  and  cultivated  their  oats  and  kail  in 
peace  ;  but  the  moment  there  was  any  chance  of  a  row,  they 
went  over  to  the  Earl  of  Sutherland,  and  fought  for  him 
through  thick  and  thin.  The  consequence  of  this  trimming 
policy  was,  that  whenever  there  was  a  good  understanding 
between  the  two  Earls,  which  happened  about  once  in  a 
generation,  and  never  lasted  much  over  eight  and  forty  hours, 
they  combined  their  forces,  and  offered  up  as  many  of  the 
luckless  Guns  as  they  could  catch,  on  the  altar  of  reconcilia- 
tion. Perhaps  the  cause  of  their  peculiar  position  may  be 
found  in  their  own  tradition,  that  they  were  Norwegians,  and 
took  the  name  of  Gun,  possibly  connected  with  Gunther, 
from  the  son  of  the  King  of  Denmark,  who  settled  in 
Caithness." 

"Well,  sir,  it  may  be,  but  they  were  sometimes  called  Clan 
Cruner,  from  one  Cruner,  who  was  their  chief.  But,  indeed, 
the  earls  did  not  always  finish  them  so  easily,  for  they  caught 
them  once  on  Ben  Graem,  and  shot  their  arrows  too  soon,  and 
the  Guns  took  them  at  short  range  and  beat  them  off,  and 
then  went  away  south,  to  Loch  Broom,  where  they  were 
attacked  again,  and  sair  harried." 

"  Well,  Donald,  to  cap  your  story,  I  will  tell  you  another, 
which  shows  that  the  Guns  were  not  always  as  sharp  as  their 
neighbours.  They  had  been  long  at  feud  with  the  Karnes, 
and  at  last  a  reconciliation  was   proposed.     It  was   agreed 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  149 

that  each  party  were  to  send  twelve  horse  to  the  chapel  of 
Saint  Tayre,  near  Girnigo,  to  arrange  the  matter.  The  Guns 
sent  their  twelve  horse,  and  when  they  reached  the  chapel, 
the  twelve  riders,  like  pious  lads,  went  in  to  hear  mass  ; 
whilst  they  were  inside,  the  Karnes  arrived  with  their  twelve 
horse,  as  agreed,  but  they  had  taken  the  liberty  of  putting 
two  men  on  each  horse,  and  they  overpowered  the  Guns,  and 
dirked  every  man  of  them.  Old  Sir  Eobert  says,  that  he  saw 
the  blood  on  the  walls  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years 
afterwards.  But  hang  the  Guns  !  let  us  think  of  the  rifles  ; 
see  how  the  mist  is  lifting,  and  how  pleasantly  the  north- 
wester begins  to  breathe  on  our  faces." 

Gently  and  gradually  our  tiny  horizon  increases  in  dia- 
meter, and  light  puffs  of  wind  come  up  from  a  quarter  oppo- 
site to  that  from  which  the  rain  has  been  pattering  so 
unmercifully  upon  us,  sharp  as  needles,  cold  as  ice ;  the 
white  fog  begins  to  boil  and  seethe,  and  at  last  is  caught  up 
bodily  and  carried  away  in  the  arms  of  the  strong  fresh 
breeze.  Stronger  and  stronger  comes  the  wind,  rolling  the 
mist  up  into  great  balls,  and  driving  them  against  the  hill- 
side with  a  force  that  scatters  them  into  nothingness.  Swell 
after  swell,  and  peak  after  peak,  stand  out  bold  and  clear, 
the  mist  hanging  round  to  leeward  of  them  for  a  moment, 
cowering  under  the  shelter,  till  the  conqueror  brushes  off  the 
last  trace  of  the  conquered,  and  the  great  central  basin  of 
Sutherland  lies  clear  at  our  feet. 

"  And  now  for  deer — what  are  you  spying  down  there  for, 
Donald  ?  we  must  have  given  the  wind  to  every  thing  as  we 
came  up." 

"  'Deed,  sir,  I'm  looking  for  Jeemie  and  the  powney ;  he 
cannot  get  the  staig  on  his  back  by  himself,  and  I  cannot 
make  out  the  creature." 

"  What  are  the  sheep  galloping  for,  down  there  ? — there ! 
they  wheel  round  in  a  mass  and  face  towards  the  burn.  Aye, 
there  is  the  white  powney,  and  Jeemie,  and  Clebric,  the  brute, 
rugging  his  arm  off  to  get  at  the  blue  hares.  They  will  not 
be  up  here  this  half-hour,  so  we  may  as  well  spread  ourselves 


150  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

and  our  plaids  out  to  dry  on  the  top  of  the  big  stone  and  wait 
till  they  do  come." 

If  you  look  at  your  map,  you  will  find  the  word  "  Suther- 
land "  written  over  across  a  far  larger  tract  than  is  encased 
within  the  hills  that  bound  our  horizon,  but  for  all  that  a  large 
proportion  of  Sutherland  proper  is  visible  from  our  station  on 
the  shoulder  of  Ben  Clebric.  In  old  times  Strathnaver  was 
really  independent  of  Sutherland,  though  the  Earl  of  that 
ilk  was  the  feudal  chief  of  the  Lords  of  Eeay,  and  had 
forest  rights  in  the  Eeay  country.  Sutherland  was  the  land 
south,  not  only  of  Caithness  but  of  Strathnaver.  Besides 
Strathnaver,  there  were  the  districts  of  Edderachillies  and 
Assynt,  quite  distinct  from  Sutherland,  inhabited  by  different 
races,  and  governed  by  their  own  chiefs  ;  the  latter,  indeed, 
belonged  more  to  the  "  Lord  of  the  Isles "  than  to  Scotland 
proper :  the  great  county  of  Sutherland  was  only  welded 
into  its  present  form  in  very  recent  times.  I  cannot  now, 
sitting  up  here  on  a  big  stone,  with  the  wind  blowing 
clean  through  me,  giving  me  the  sensation  of  being  clothed 
in  a  fishing-net  of  more  than  legal  mesh,  attempt  to  unravel 
the  tangled  web  of  the  ancient  history  of  Caithness  and 
Sutherland;  which  was  first  peopled,  and  why  every  little 
province  was  at  eternal  war  with  its  neighbours.  Even 
Sir  Bobert  Gordon,  who  spent  his  whole  life  in  rummaging 
out  the  traditions  of  the  country,  becomes  puzzled  and 
puzzling  on  the  subject.  He  believes  that  Caithness  should 
be  read  Catti-ness,  and  yet  abuses  the  Catti  of  that  ilk  on 
every  occasion,  and  exalts  the  Sutherland  Catti  beyond  all 
cess.  Even  the  name  of  the  Clan-Chattan  is  a  stumbling- 
block  to  him ;  and  he  is  by  no  means  clear  whether  they  are 
so  called  from  the  name  of  their  original  German  sept,  or  from 
the  fact  of  their  chief  having  literally  whipped  his  weight  in 
wild  cats  on  his  first  arrival  in  the  country  of  his  adoption. 
This  great  fight  took  place  A.D.  91.  Don't  be  afraid,  Donald, 
I  will  hold  it  tight. 

"  The   catti  and  usepii  were  expelled  from  Germany  for 
killing  of  a  Boman  generall  with  his  legions.     At  their  first 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  151 

arrival  at  Cony  Vale,  in  the  river  of  Unes  (a  commanding 
haven  in  that  country),  their  captaine  went  to  the  shore  to 
recreate  himself  and  spy  the  land,  when  he  was  suddentlie 
invaded  by  a  company  of  monstrous  big  wild  catts,  that  much 
endomaged  and  molested  the  country.  The  fight  between 
them  was  cruell,  and  continued  long ;  yet  in  the  end  (very 
grievouslie  wounded  in  severall  places  of  his  bodie)  he  killed 
them  all,  with  great  danger  of  his  lyff.  From  thence  the 
Thanes  and  Erles  of  Cattey,  or  Sutherland,  even  unto  this 
day,  do  carie  on  their  crest  or  bage,  abowe  their  armes,  a  catt 
sitting  with  one  of  his  feett  upward,  readie  to  catch  his  prey. 
Some  do  think  that  from  this  adventure  this  country  was 
first  called  cattey,  for  catt  in  old  Scottish  (or  Irish  language) 
signifieth  a  catt.  But  I  do  rather  incline  to  their  opinion 
who  think  that  as  Murrayland  was  so  called  from  the 
Murrays,  even  so  was  this  people  which  at  this  time  did 
arryve  ther,  called  catti."  A  cat's  a  cat,  Sir  Eobert,  no 
doubt ;  and  I  suspect  that,  although  you  are  too  true  a 
clansman  to  confess  it  openly,  you  sniffed  a  little  taint  of 
"  punning  heraldry "  in  your  "  crest  or  bage."  From  the 
prevalence  of  the  name  of  Morray,  or  Murray,  in  some  parts 
of  Sutherland  proper,  it  is  not  improbable  that  all  the  in- 
habitants of  the  most  north-eastern  side  of  the  highlands  are 
of  the  same  original  race.  In  an  old  charter,  even  the  Earl 
of  Sutherland  is  called  "  Moriff  conies  Sutherlandise." 

Whether  the  present  inhabitants  be  the  descendants  of 
Scandinavian  settlers,  or  of  Celtic  tribes  driven  out  of  their 
own  country  by  increasing  waves  of  pure  Scandinavianism, 
the  former  visited  the  country  often  enough,  and  left  their 
names  on  many  a  sculptured  stone,  and  on  the  more  endurable 
monuments  of  valleys  and  rivers.  Does  not  Helms-dale 
sound  like  a  name  in  an  Edda  ?  and  is  not  Lax-fiord,  the  bay 
of  the  salmon,  the  paradise  of  the  salmon-fisher  to  this  day  ? 

If  Sir  Thomas  Brown  is  correct  in  stating  that  a  brass 
Jews'-harp,  richly  gilded,  was  found  in  an  ancient  Norwegian 
urn,  Sutherland  may  be  indebted  to  the  Norwegians  for  its 
favourite,  I  had  almost  said  national,  instrument.     The  bag- 


152  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Sutherland. 

pipe  is  no  more  the  national  instrument  of  Scotland  than  the 
hurdy-gurdy.  Down  to  the  seventeenth  century  every  parish 
in  England  had  a  noise  of  "bagpipes,  and  every  miller  could 
play  upon  them  as  certainly  as  every  highland  smith  now 
thinks  he  can.  Sir  Eohert  Gordon  mentions  the  Earl  of 
Sutherland's  harper  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  oddly 
enough  records  that  he  died  from  drinking  whiskey,  "  a 
fainting  liquor  in  travel,"  but  gives  no  hint  of  the  pipes. 
The  Jews'  or  jaws'-harp  is  but  little  appreciated  by  us 
southerns,  except  by  the  youthful  population,  who  find  it  an 
excellent  accompaniment  to  the  whitey-brown  paper  ^and 
small-tooth  comb;  but  a  few  years  ago  it  was  very  popular 
in  Sutherland  as  a  means  of  producing  dance  music.  It  has 
rather  gone  out  of  fashion  lately ;  but  last  summer  I  heard  a 
succession  of  old  Gaelic  airs  played  upon  it  with  an  amount 
of  tenderness  of  feeling,  clearness  of  tone,  and  perfection  of 
time  which  electrified  me.  No  instrument  could  have  ren- 
dered the  rapid  inflections  and  changes  of  the  wild  old  airs 
more  perfectly,  and,  listening  to  it,  one  was  inclined  to  think 
that  it  must  be  older  than  the  pipes,  and  closely  connected 
with  the  old  metallic  stringed  chairshoes,  so  perfectly  was  it 
adapted  to  the  spirit  of  the  music.  When  I  leant  back,  and 
closed  my  eyes,  it  required  no  very  great  stretch  of  the 
imagination  to  make  believe  that  I  was  listening  to  some 
strange  old-world  fairy  music,  distant  yet  clear,  ringing  up 
from  far  below  some  green  hillock.  It  is  the  oddest  sound, 
soft  but  metallic,  coming  and  going,  as  if  borne  on  the  fitful 
waves  of  the  night  wind,  that  ever  I  heard. 

So  long  did  the  recollection  of  the  Danes  linger  in  Suther- 
land, that  when  the  country  was  being  surveyed  by  the 
Government  engineers,  in  1819,  the  people  of  the  west  took 
it  into  their  heads  that  they  were  a  detachment  sent  by  the 
King  of  Denmark  to  survey  the  country,  previous  to  his 
making  an  attack  on  Lord  Eeay  (the  then  proprietor),  in 
order  to  avenge  an  old  feud  existing  between  the  chief 
of  the  Mackays  and  the  crown  of  Denmark.  The  foun- 
dation   for    this   delicious   theory  being    the    fact    of   the 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  153 

trigonometrical    adepts  wearing    military-looking    foraging- 
caps. 

We  have  no  right  to  be  surprised  at  these  old-world  fancies 
having  lingered  so  long  in  Sutherland,  for  it  was  the  last 
part  of  Great  Britain,  if  not  of  Western  Europe,  in  which  the 
feudal  system  had  full  sway.  In  the  old  times,  not  so  very 
long  ago,  the  tacks -men,  who  were  generally  cadets  de 
famille — half-pay  officers — paid  their  rent  in  great  part  by 
furnishing  men  to  the  family  regiment,  over  which  the  chief 
had  absolute  command,  and  their  sons  and  relations  were 
promoted  according  to  the  number  of  men  they  furnished. 
Of  course  the  chief  made  it  pay  in  some  way  or  another ; 
his  regiment  was  so  much  political  capital,  and  the  more 
men  he  could  offer  to  the  Government  of  the  time,  the  more 
likely  he  was  to  get  tolerable  pickings  out  of  the  public 
purse.  In  those  days,  when  the  crops  failed  and  the  cattle 
starved,  the  people  were  kept  alive  by  the  chief,  like  hounds 
that  must  be  fed  though  the  frost  prevented  them  hunting. 

This  system  continued,  more  or  less  modified,  until  the 
highland  family  regiments  were  incorporated  into  the  Line 
and  recruited  for  in  the  usual  way — a  woeful  change  for  the 
men  who  had  been  accustomed  to  return  home  on  half-pay, 
take  a  farm,  and  pay  the  rent,  and  support  themselves  by 
making  bond-slaves  of  the  cotters,  forcing  them  to  return 
meal  and  eggs  and  hens,  and  an  indefinite  quantity  of  work, 
as  rent  for  their  miserable  crops.  I  once  saw  a  "  rent-roll," 
if  I  may  call  it  so,  of  a  farm  under  the  old  system,  as  late  as 
1811,  and  it  is  certainly  a  most  wonderful  document !  By  no 
means  the  least  curious  part  of  it  is  the  number  of  hens  to  be 
furnished  to  the  tacks-man ;  and  that  gave  me  the  key  to  the 
old  story  of  the  highland  laird,  who  gave  his  guests  "  ilk  a' 
ane  a  hen  boiled  in  broth,"  that  we  have  all  heard  of.  Money 
there  was  little  or  none,  a  few  hundred  half-starved  stots 
were  sent  south  every  year,  and  kelp  was  manufactured  to 
some  extent ;  and  at  one  time  a  "coal-heugh"  was  worked  at 
Brora,  and  salt  made  ;  but  the  coal  was  a  mere  small  oolitic 
basin,  and  soon  became  exhausted.     These   were  the  only 


154  .VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

sources  of  revenue  of  the  whole  country  sixty  or  seventy 
years  ago.  The  cattle  never  did  well:  they  were  too  heavy- 
hoofed  to  cross  the  deep  morasses  to  gain  the  best  mountain 
pasturage,  and  had  they  succeeded  in  doing  so,  would  have 
been  impounded  by  the  enraged  forester  to  a  dead  certainty ; 
there  was  no  winter  food  for  them,  and  the  Sutherland 
people  had  as  much  idea  of  growing  roots  or  artificial  grasses 
as  the  Terra  del  Fuegians  ;  the  consequence  of  which  naturally 
was,  that  in  hard  winters  the  cattle  died  by  hundreds  and 
thousands.  The  regular  practice  was  to  kill  every  second 
calf,  and  even  with  this  restriction  of  stock,  there  died  in  the 
parish  of  Kildonan,  during  the  spring  of  1807,  two  hundred 
cows,  five  hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  more  than  two  hundred 
ponies,  of  sheer  starvation.  It  is  a  positive  fact  that  not 
sixty  years  ago  the  wretched  people  had  occasionally  to 
support  life  by  bleeding  the  cattle,  and  mixing  the  blood  with 
meal  into  a  loathsome  sort  of  black  pudding. 

When  the  military  system  was  changed,  the  drain  of  able- 
bodied  men  ceased,  for  no  earthly  power  but  the  authority 
of  the  chief  could  induce  the  highlander  to  enter  the  army 
for  a  lengthened  period  (his  horror  of  foreign  service  was 
intense  :  the  shameful  way  in  which  the  highland  regiments 
had  to  be  trepanned  into  going  abroad  is  a  matter  of  history), 
and  the  whole  system  broke  hopelessly  down.  The  country 
became  filled  with  able-bodied  men,  who  looked  on  manual 
labour  with  the  most  intense  scorn,  and  left  all  the  hard 
work  to  the  women  with  an  assumption  of  superiority  worthy 
a  Eed  Indian  or  a  Prussian :  in  the  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  they  deserved  the  reproach  which  had  been 
cast  upon  their  neighbours  in  the  seventeenth,  by  their  own 
clansman — 

"The  people  of  that  country  are  so  far  naturally  given 
to  idleness  that  they  cannot  apply  themselves  to  labour, 
which  they  deem  a  disparagement  and  derogation  unto  their 
gentilitie." 

The  way  in  which  land  was  let  in  townships,  instead  of  to 
individuals,  being  afterwards  subdivided  amongst  the  small 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  155 

tenants,  the  community  being  answerable  for  the  rent,  was  an 
admirable  arrangement  for  these  gentry,  as  any  individual 
might  loaf  about  as  indolently  as  he  liked,  without  the 
slightest  necessity  of  his  raising  more  than  was  sufficient  for 
his  own  immediate  consumption,  his  rent  being  paid  for  him 
by  the  more  industrious  part  of  the  little  community ;  an 
admirable  encouragement  for  industry,  truly  ! 

On  this  system  the  whole  country  became  absolutely  useless 
to  the  community  at  large,  and  a  burden  on  the  proprietor ; 
exporting  nothing,  importing  nothing,  and  starving  regularly 
once  in  three  years  in  good  times,  and  every  other  year  in  bad 
ones.  If  a  Sutherland  man  had  advertised  for  a  place  in 
those  times,  he  would  have  expressed  his  desires  somewhat 
in  the  following  manner : — 

"Wanted  by  a  Highland  Gentleman,  used  to  habits  of 
idleness,  and  who  can  do  nothing,  a  place  where  there  is 
nothing  to  do.     Salary  not  so  much  an  object  as  oatmeal." 

It  was  to  remedy  this  state  of  things  that  Sir  William 
Alexander  endeavoured  to  induce  his  countrymen  to  emigrate 
in  1620.  The  men  in  those  times  were  principally  used  up 
in  the  Polish  service;  "they  haunt  Pole  with  the  extreme 
of  drudgery,"  he  says  himself ;  and  complains  bitterly  of  the 
misery  caused  in  Scotland  by  an  edict  of  the  French  king 
preventing  Scotchmen  from  enlisting  in  his  guards.  This  sort 
of  system  continued  longer  on  the  estate  of  the  Sutherland 
family  than  in  those  of  the  other  landowners  of  the  country  ; 
as,  having  other  sources  of  revenue,  it  was  able  to  spend  large 
sums  on  the  starving  population.  Lord  Eeay,  and  others, 
saw  early  that  their  only  chance  of  doing  any  permanent 
good  was  to  move  the  people  from  the  hills,  where  the  crops 
were  almost  certain  to  be  mildewed,  down  to  the  good  arable 
land  by  the  seashore,  and  to  devote  the  hills  to  sheep ;  and 
they  did  so. 

I  was  rather  amused  the  other  day  by  reading  a  com- 
parison between  Lord  Eeay  and  the  present  Duke  of  Suther^ 
land,  containing  a  half-concealed  laudation  of  the  former  for 
leaving  his  tenants  as  they  were,  and  keeping  up  the  family 


156  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Sutheeiand. 

regiment,  preferring  men  to  sheep  ;  the  real  fact  being  that 
he  moved  his  people  years  before  anything  of  the  sort  was 
done  on  the  Sutherland  estate,  and  still  longer  before  the 
Eeay  country  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland's  father.  This  lagging  behind  in  the  race  of 
improvement  caused  serious  embarrassment  when  the  new 
system  was  finally  determined  on ;  hundreds  of  squatters  from 
the  neighbouring  parts  of  Sutherland  and  Eoss  had  eagerly 
resorted  to  a  country  which  permitted  them  to  exist  in  all 
their  beloved  laziness  and  squalor ;  and  every  patch  of  ground 
that  could  possibly  be  cultivated  was  eagerly  seized  upon  to 
grow  oats  and  potatoes  enough  to  live  on  if  they  did  well ;  if 
not,  the  Morfear-chatt  would  not  let  them  starve.  Another 
cause  of  the  steady  demoralization  of  the  country  was  the 
enormous  quantity  of  illicit  distillation  carried  on — almost 
the  only  means  by  which  money  could  be  obtained. 

At  length  even  the  purse  of  the  Sutherland  family  began 
to  show  symptoms  of  exhaustion,  and  it  was  very  clear  that 
not  only  must  the  proprietor  be  ruined,  but  that  two-thirds  of 
the  population  must  starve  unless  some  change  was  made  ; 
and  had  it  not  been  made,  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt 
that  Sutherland  would  long  ere  this  have  suffered  the  fate  of 
Skibbereen,  and  from  precisely  the  same  causes.  Then, 
though  tardily,  Sutherland  followed  the  rest  of  Scotland,  and 
the  great  Sutherland  shifting  took  place,  concerning  which 
such  wild  and  ridiculous  statements  have  been  made.  One 
really  hardly  knows  whether  to  laugh  or  swear,  when  one 
reads  how  this  old  matter  has  been  raked  up  with  new  and 
original  embellishments,  and  used  as  a  means  of  annoyance 
to  the  present  duke,  who  had  as  much  to  do  with  it  as  the 
great  Cham  of  Tartary,  the  whole  affair  having  been  carried 
out  in  his  father's  time,  and  indeed  before  there  was  a  Duke 
of  Sutherland  in  existence.  The  measure  simply  consisted  in 
moving  the  people  from  the  hills  and  the  wilder  straths 
down  to  the  productive  borders  of  the  sea,  where  they  not 
only  had  good  land,  but  fish  at  their  doors,  enough  both 
for  their  own  support,  for  sale,  and  even  for  manure.     Each 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  157 

person  who  was  removed  had  long  warning  given  ;  every  one 
had  a  plot  of  ground  allotted  to  him  before  he  removed,  and 
received  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  start  him  in  his  new 
position,  and  he  was  even  paid  for  the  miserable  sticks  which 
supported  his  turf  roof,  and  which  the  highlanders  were  in 
the  habit  of  carrying  about  with  them  whenever  they  shifted 
their  bothies,  and  which,  from  the  difficulty  of  procuring 
them,  they  regarded  with  a  species  of  veneration.     That  the 
poor  people,  nursed  in  sloth  and  idleness,   and  profoundly 
ignorant  and  superstitious,  looked  with  horror  at  the  pro- 
jected change,   and  used  every  art  which  semi-savage  and 
illiterate  cunning  could  invent,  to  prevent  their  removal,  is 
most  true  ;  and  wild  was  the  lament  and  intense  the  horror 
at  the  prospect  of  being  located  on  the  "  wild,  black  Dornoch 
moors."      When  you  go  to  Sutherland,  just  take  a  look  at 
these  "  wild,  black  Dornoch  moors  "  now,  and  if  you  can  point 
me  out  a  brighter  specimen  of  cotter  prosperity  in  the  north, 
more  luxuriant  crops,  more  productive  potatoes  and  yellow 
oats,  be  kind  enough  to  let  me  know  its  whereabouts,  for 
I  should  like  to  see  it.     So  intense  was  this  terror  of  the 
change,  that  it  seemed  the   same  to   many  of  the  people 
whether  they  went  ten  miles  down  the  strath,  or  to  America ; 
and  to  America  some — not  many — went.  And  so  strong  is  the 
feeling  of  these  emigrants  against  their  old  landlord,  that  a 
very  few  years   ago,  when  a   relation  of  the   Morfear-chatt 
visited  Nova  Scotia,  they  came  sixty  miles  to  see   him  and 
were  so  frightfully  excited,  that  they  shook  hands  with  him 
with  the  most  intense  heartiness,  and  seemed  ready  to  kiss 
him. 

Not  one  of  these  people  need  have  gone  to  America  had 
he  not  wished  it ;  every  hand  that  would  labour  was 
wanted  in  the  country,  and  many  who  went  into  neighbour- 
ing counties  soon  returned,  and  eagerly  embraced  the  advan- 
tages offered  them. 

The  delicious  theory  that  these  changes  were  undertaken 
in  order  that  the  deer  might  be  undisturbed,  is,  I  am  grieved 
to  say,  incorrect ;  there  was  as  much  idea  of  preserving  snap- 


158  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

ping  turtles  as  deer,  when  they  were  made,  and  many  a  corrie 
and  wide  hillside  was  disforested  to  carry  them  out.  Indeed, 
the  old  Eeay  forest  and  Stack  are  almost  the  only  remains  of 
the  gigantic  deer  forests  which  existed  at  the  close  of  the 
last  century. 

But  why  move  all  the  people  at  once  ?  Why  not  let  them 
linger  on  and  die  out  on  the  old  hillsides  they  loved  so  well  ? 
Surely  a  few  cotters  could  not  have  interfered  much  with  the 
sheep-farmer  ?  Simply  because  by  so  doing  you  would  per- 
petuate the  old  mistake,  attempting  to  grow  corn  crops  on 
land  which  could  only  yield  a  return  to  the  community  at 
large  by  being  kept  as  a  winter  feeding.  Without  the  small 
straths  the  sheep  would  fail,  as  the  cattle  used  to  ;  your  whole 
hillside  would  be  absolutely  unproductive,  and  the  land- 
owner would  have  to  keep  the  people.  Moreover,  let  me 
whisper  in  your  ear.  The  sheep  used  to  go — goodness  knows 
where — and  it  was  impossible  to  make  the  shepherds  respon- 
sible for  the  flocks  under  their  care.  I  believe  that  there 
does  not  exist  a  more  thoroughly  honest  man  than  the 
Sutherland  highlander,  but  his  every  tradition  pointed  to 
cattle-lifting  as  an  honourable  pursuit,  and  the  difference 
between  sheep  and  cattle  is  not  so  very  great  to  a  starving 
man,  and  so  they  went.  Now,  I  believe  that  sheep-stealing 
is  an  unknown  crime  in  the  country. 

The  consequence  of  the  "  depopulation  "  of  Sutherland,  as  it 
is  called,  is,  that  there  are  more  people  in  it  at  this  present  than 
there  ever  were  at  any  previous  period  of  its  history ;  and  of  the 
turning  of  arable  land  into  sheep-pastures,  that  there  is  now 
a  far  greater  breadth  of  land  under  cultivation  than  there 
ever  was  before,  and  that  not  only  in  the  form  of  large  farms, 
but  of  cotters'  croftings.  And  the  improvement  in  the  art  is, 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  the  most  marked  that  has 
taken  place  in  any  part  of  Great  Britain  within  the  same 
period. 

Previously  to  1811,  the  rents  of  the  estate  of  Sutherland 
came  into  the  pocket  of  the  landlord;  from  1811  to  1833, 
all  the  rents  were  expended  on  improvements  in  the  country, 


Suthekland.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  159 

and  in  addition  60,0002.  was  transmitted  from  England  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  with  the  following  results  : — 

Previously  to  1811,  there  was  not  a  carriage-road  in  the 
country,  and  only  one  bridge  at  Brora,  and  a  small  one  at 
Dornoch. 

Between  1811  and  1845,  above  4.30  miles  of  road  were 
made,  and  many  more  have  since  been  opened.  There  is  not 
a  turnpike-gate  in  the  country. 

Previously  to  1811,  there  was  scarcely  a  cart  in  Suther- 
land, the  property  of  the  people,  the  carriage  of  the  country 
being  conducted  on  the  backs  of  ponies. 

In  1845,  the  tenants  paying  less  than  \0l.  a  year  rent  had 
890  carts  ;  the  larger  farmers,  240. 

Previous  to  1811,  the  cultivation  in  the  interior  and  on 
the  west  coast  was  carried  on  by  means  of  the  crass-crom — a 
crooked  stick  shod  with  iron,  with  a  small  projecting  bar  to 
rest  the  foot  upon. 

In  1845,  the  smaller  tenants  owned  569  ploughs;  the 
farmers,  139. 

Previous  to  1811,  there  was  hardly  a  shop  in  Sutherland, 
except  at  Dornoch,  one  in  Brora,  and  one  near  Helmsdale. 

In  1831,  there  were  46  grocery  shops,  and,  oddly  enough, 
one  of  the  first  symptoms  of  the  cotters  making  money  was 
the  demand  for  Hacking,  a  thing  unheard  of  in  the  good  old 
times. 

Previously  to  1811,  the  town  of  Helmsdale  did  not  exist; 
in  1840,  it  exported  37,594  barrels  of  herrings. 

Shall  I  go  on  ?  No,  you  will  fancy  that  I  am  talking  of 
America  instead  of  Scotland,  though  that  would  be  unfair, 
for  no  part  of  America  can  show  a  greater  advance  than 
Sutherland  has  made  within  the  last  fifty  years,  and  that  at 
the  expense  of  one  private  family.  I  do  not  happen  to  have 
any  hard  figures  to  throw  at  you  of  a  later  date  than  1845, 
but  there  is  no  question  whatever  that  the  country  has  im- 
proved immensely  in  all  respects  since  that  time.  I  am  sure 
that  I  hope  it  will  continue  to  do  so,  as  sincerely  as  I  believe 
it  will,  for  I  never  met  a  peasantry  in  any  part  of  Europe 


160  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland 

who  were  more  deserving  of  prosperity  than  the  kind-hearted, 
warm-hearted,  intelligent  Sutherland  highlanders.  Not  only- 
have  we  not  lost  soldiers,  but  we  have  gained  sailors,  by  the 
great  Sutherland  changes,  from  the  enormous  increase  of  the 
fisheries,  now  of  the  highest  importance.  It  is  true  that  the 
people  are  much  too  well  off  to  take  the  sergeant's  shilling 
readily,  but  that  there  is  plenty  of  military  spirit  in  the 
country  will  be  pretty  evident  to  him  who  watches  the  Gol- 
spie Volunteers  in  their  steady  determination  to  master  the 
difficult  problem  of  knowing  their  "  east  legs"  from  their 
"wast  legs."  No  reason  to  cry  out  against  Sutherland  sheep- 
farming  for  destroying  the  source  from  which  the  defenders 
of  the  country  may  have  to  be  drawn.  There  they  are,  soldiers 
and  sailors,  ready  and  willing  when  wanted,  not  only  in 
greater  numbers  than  ever  they  were,  but  every  one  of  them 
intrinsically  worth  three  of  the  old  hill  men  who  had  to  be 
cheated  and  bribed  into  a  service  they  hated. 

If  the  brown  moors  of  Sutherland  bore  you,  go  somewhere 
else,  but  do  not  anathematize  them  as  barren  and  unpro- 
ductive wastes.  They  bear  sheep  to  the  utmost  of  their 
power,  and  every  year  shows  some  improvement  in  the  pas^ 
turage.  Ask  the  West  Eiding  folks  whether  they  consider 
Sutherland  a  productive  country  or  not  ?  and  how  much  wool 
they  get  off  those  moors  ?  And  ask — but  no,  don't  ask  the 
sheep-farmers  how  many  sheep  they  feed,  for  they  will  regard 
you  with  a  grim  and  defiant  countenance,  and  shut  the 
portals  of  their  mouth  with  a  snap  like  a  fox-trap ;  not  that 
they  have  any  Jewish  superstition  against  numbering  their 
woolly  folk,  but  as  they  are  only  permitted  to  keep  a  certain 
number  by  their  leases,  to  prevent  overstocking  the  land, 
they  regard  the  question  as  doubt  thrown  on  their  honesty. 

I  wonder  the  ingenious  tourist  has  never  complained  that 
more  than  32,000  acres  of  Sutherland  are  kept  under  water 
for  the  purpose  of  producing  salmon  and  trout,  but  this  is 
a  subject  I  cannot  be  cross  upon,  for  the  glory  of  Sutherland 
is  her  lakes  and  her  rivers ;  and  old  Sir  Eobert  says  most 
truly,  that  "  there  is  not  one  strype  in  all  these  forests  that 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  161 

wants  trout,  and  other  sorts  of  fishes."  Though  the  salmon 
in  some  of  the  rivers  may  not  reach  the  average  size  of  their 
cousins  of  the  south,  their  number,  beauty,  and  powers  of 
fighting  compensate  well  for  the  loss  of  a  pound  or  two  when 
brought  to  scale.  Of  course,  the  gentle  tourist  need  not 
expect  to  have  salmon-fishing  for  the  asking  for  it.  A  salmon 
river  is  far  too  valuable  a  piece  of  property  to  be  left  open 
to  the  world ;  and  if  it  were,  who  is  to  pay  for  the  pre- 
serving 1  and  without  water-bailiffs,  who  must  be  paid,  how 
many  salmon  would  there  be  left  for  anybody?  Just  the 
exact  number  to  be  found  by  the  said  anybody  in  the  open 
Welsh  rivers,  a  quantity  very  easily  ascertained  by  any  one 
who  tries  them.  The  rivers  are  let,  some  for  sport,  some  for 
profit,  many  for  both,  in  all  cases  employing  a  considerable 
number  of  men,  and  furnishing  large  quantities  of  valuable 
food.  If  you  want  salmon-fishing,  put  money  in  thy  pouch, 
and  having  that,  you  may  indeed  get  fishing  worth  the 
paying  for ;  that  is  to  say,  if  you  are  content  to  wait  till 
one  of  the  present  renters  is  gaffed  by  grim  Gilly  Death,  for 
nothing  but  his  interference,  or  a  hopeless  bankruptcy,  would 
ever  make  the  renter  of  a  Sutherland  river  give  it  up  to  any 
one  else.  There  are,  however,  two  or  three  rivers  where 
salmon-fishing  may  be  had  by  the  day ;  and  amongst  these 
is  the  beautiful  lower  Shin.  This  river  has  one  great  advan- 
tage— you  are  sure  to  have  a  pleasant  way  of  spending  your 
Sunday  afternoon,  which,  if  you  are  neither  "free"  nor 
"  established,"  may  chance  to  hang  a  little  heavy  on  your 
hands  in  a  highland  inn  without  books.  If  you  can  enjoy 
a  quiet  study  of  natural  beauty,  you  have  merely  to  walk  up 
to  the  salmon-leap  at  the  Falls  of  the  Shin,  one  of  the  prettiest 
bits  of  white  foam,  black  swirl,  grey  rock,  and  feathery  birch, 
that  ever  gladdened  an  artist's  eye  ;  and  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, when  the  "  Slaps"  are  open,  the  bright  silver  bars, 
springing  up  at  the  falling  sheet  of  liquid  amber,  give  a  life 
and  spirit  to  the  scene  which  no  mere  tumble  of  water  can 
ever  possess.  You  may  sit  there  musing  happily  hour  after 
hour,  till  the  red  sunbeams  stream  horizontally  through  the 

M 


162  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

silver-stemmed  birch,  and  the  cold  damp  reek  of  the  cauldron 
warns  you  home  ;  and  as  you  go,  you  may,  if  you  are  roman- 
tically given,  ponder  on  the  fact,  that  Ossian  began  life  as  a 
herd-boy  in  Glen  Shin. 

In  these  enlightened  days  it  is  perhaps  necessary  to  men- 
tion, that  salmon  do  not  put  their  tails  in  their  mouths 
preparatory  to  making  a  leap  ;  they  give  a  series  of  sharp 
sculling  strokes  with  their  broad  helms,  which  sends  them 
sheer  out  of  the  water,  four  feet  and  more.  If  their  sharp 
noses  strike  the  sheet  of  falling  water,  they  penetrate  into  it, 
and,  continuing  the  original  sculling  motion,  force  themselves 
upwards  in  the  most  marvellous  fashion  ;  but  the  least  turn 
to  either  side  exposes  a  slight  surface  to  the  rush  of  water, 
and  then  down  they  go  ignominiously  into  the  black  swirl 
again. 

If  you  are  very  much  in  want  of  a  fish,  you  can  go  and 
sit  close  to  the  edge  of  the  fall,  armed  with  a  gaff,  and  strike 
the  fish  that  alight  on  the  rock  before  they  wriggle  back,  but 
it  is  not  a  course  I  can  advise  you  to  pursue,  unless  you  are 
anxious  to  inspect  the  interior  of  Dornoch  gaol.  It  is  true, 
that  that  establishment  is  clean  and  well  kept,  but  the  diet 
is  coarse,  and  the  pursuits  monotonous;  so,  on  the  whole, 
you  had  better  go  to  Mr.  Young,  take  out  a  ticket,  and  try 
a  fly. 

The  Sutherland  lakes  are  beyond  all  count.  I  remember 
being  taken  to  a  spot  whence  I  was  told  I  could  see  a  hun- 
dred at  once  (which  I  did  not,  for  the  mist  was  up  to  my  feet)  : 
and  their  products  in  the  shape  of  trout  are  as  various  in 
shape,  colour,  and  size,  as  the  lakes  themselves.  From  the 
little  black  tarn,  twice  the  size  of  a  blanket,  high  up  on  the 
hill,  to  the  freshwater  seas  of  Loch  Shin  and  Loch  Hope,  they 
all  are,  or  rather  were,  swarming  with  trout.  Up  in  the 
tarns  you  may  catch  endless  dozens  of  things,  which  a  person 
of  lively  imagination  might  class  as  trout,  but  which  look 
more  like  tadpoles,  which  have  gone  on  growing  as  such, 
lacking  the  strength  of  mind  or  strength  of  constitution  to 
develop   themselves   into  frogs.     The   larger  lakes   used  to 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  163 

furnish  trout  of  a  size,  colour,  and  flavour  not  to  be  surpassed 
by  Hampshire  itself.  For  the  last  two  or  three  years  the  trout 
in  some  of  the  lakes  have  been  infested  with  tapeworm,  which, 
I  am  told,  was  first  observed  about  the  time  the  grouse  were 
attacked  by  a  similar  parasite.  I  do  not  suppose  that  they 
are  identical,  though  the  brutes  have  so  many  different  forms, 
that  one  hardly  knows  where  to  have  them  ;  they  have  both 
done  mischief  enough.  Of  course,  the  increase  of  fishermen 
has  had  a  vast  influence  on  the  sport ;  the  very  best  loch 
in  Sutherland  has  been  entirely  destroyed,  as  far  as  fishing 
is  concerned,  from  its  having  had  the  misfortune  of  having 
a  name,  and  being  within  reach  of  an  inn,  and  those  who 
go  to  Loch-Beannach,  on  the  strength  of  tradition,  will  find 
themselves  woefully  disappointed.  In  old  times  it  was  a 
famous  loch  for  trout,  they  reeled  out  like  salmon,  and  were 
the  very  Apollos  of  their  race.  The  bottom  of  the  loch  is 
principally  composed  of  clean  primary  gravel,  and,  from  some 
cause  or  other,  the  Phrygania  which  were  bred  in  it  were 
twice  the  size  of  those  which  generally  flutter  over  highland 
waters.  Another  cause  of  the  excellence  of  its  fish  I  disco- 
vered whilst  examining  one  of  them  for  entomological  pur- 
poses, and  that  is  the  existence  of  quantities  of  "stickle-backs ;" 
I  cannot  say  that  the  prickly  one  does  not  exist  in  other 
lochs  lying  as  high  as  Loch-Beannach,  but  I  never  saw  a 
trace  of  him  ;  and  it  may  be  worth  the  while  of  some  Lairg- 
visiting  naturalist  to  examine  whether  this  sub-alpine  form  of 
the  Sticklebagulus  Choak-perchius  of  our  southern  streams 
may  or  may  not  deserve  to  be  elevated  into  a  new  species, 
to  be  called  Sticklebagulus  Beannachius. 

One  cause  of  the  diminution  of  sport  in  the  Sutherland 
lochs  belongs  to  bygone  times,  and  is  worth  mentioning  for 
the  sake  of  the  tradition.  The  old  people  tell  me  that  in  the 
days  of  black  cattle,  they  (the  cattle)  were  driven  up  to  the 
hill  in  summer,  and  the  lassies  used  to  live  in  sheilings  and 
tend  them — an  arrangement  which  produced  a  great  deal  of 
poetry  and  feeling,  just  as  it  does  amongst  the  "Senn-Hute- 
rinn"  of  the  Tyrol  to  this  day.     The  cattle  being  teased  with 

M  2 


164  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

midges,  took  to  the  lochs,  and  stamped  and  plunged  in  the 
mud,  turning  out  all  kinds  of  larvae  and  affording  a  fine  nidus 
for  the  nidification  of  infinite  beetles.  Fine  living  there  was 
for  the  trout ;  beetles  in  abundance,  maggots  for  the  taking, 
and  drowned  flies  in  infinity.  When  the  wind  was  in  the 
right  airt  and  the  planetary  aspects  were  in  other  respects 
benign,  the  plough-woman  dropped  her  cras-crom  in  the  scratch 
that  did  duty  for  a  furrow,  the  turf-cutter  left  her  divots 
unturned,  the  piper  left  the  last  screech  to  be  blown  out  of  his 
bag  by  atmospheric  pressure,  and  all  rushed  to  Loch  Beannach 
to  catch  trout.  Unless  the  old  people  "romance,"  which 
very  probably  they  do,  there  used  to  be  trouts  enough  taken 
in  two  or  three  hours  to  keep  the  takers  in  fish  for  weeks. 
To  keep  them,  they  merely  split  them  and  hung  them  on  the 
cabers  of  their  wigwams,  and  the  creosote  distilled  from  the 
peat  soon  rendered  the  fish  as  safe  from  decay  as  it  did  the 
eaters  of  them.  I  make  this  last  comparison  because  certain 
learned  pundits  have  been  lately  poking  about  for  a  cause  for 
the  increase  of  consumption  among  the  northern  highlanders, 
and  they  aver  that  it  is  the  loss  of  the  peat-reek  and  its  creo- 
sote, which  now  goes  up  the  grand  stone  chimney.  However, 
old  authors  say,  that  we  English  never  knew  the  "  quack  or 
pose/'  those  mediaeval  influenzas,  till  we  started  Lums,  and  we 
still  manage  to  exist ;  so  let  us  hope  that  John  Sutherland 
may  take  to  himself  a  pocket-napkin  and  do  well  yet. 

But  minished  and  brought  low,  as  the  trout  are,  the  gentle 
tourist  who  likes  to  spend  a  warm  gleamy  day,  with  a  rustling 
south-westerly  wind,  in  a  boat,  with  a  big  trout  spinning  over 
the  stern  of  the  boat  for  Salmo  Ferox,  and  the  beloved  of  his 
heart  and  a  sprinkling  of  children,  well  protected  against 
midges,  flogging  the  water  right  and  left,  may  yet  have  the 
chance  to  bring  home  a  tea-tray  full  of  trout,  though,  I  confess, 
not  often.  The  trout  in  the  lochs  he  is  likely  to  frequent 
have  had  their  noses  scratched  too  often  to  rise  freely ;  and,  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  that  certain  Philistines  have  increased  the 
mischief  by  permitting  their  gillies  to  use  the  otter  where 
their  own  arts  failed,  and  have  returned  triumphant  with  a 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  165 

basket  of  fish,  at  the  expense  of  spoiling  the  bay  for  the  rest 
of  the  season.  Do  not  permit  it,  0  tourist,  for  your  own  sake ; 
if  the  gilly  otters  for  you,  he  will  for  himself ;  you  will  not 
gain  credit  long,  for  in  the  vanity  of  his  heart  he  will  be  cer- 
tain to  peach,  and  you  will  have  to  pay  for  your  short-lived 
glory  by  having  spoilt  your  own  sport,  and  made  a  poacher 
of  a  decent  laddie.  There  exist  fishes  in  some  lochs  that  I 
should  like  to  know  more  about.  So  far  north  are  we  that 
char  are  caught  with  a  fly  in  lochs  but  a  few  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea  ;  and  old  Eoss  of  Tongue,  who  is  not  given  to 
romance,  assures  me  that  he  has  caught  what  he  calls  trout- 
char,  weighing  from  half  a  pound  to  a  pound  and  a  half,  on 
the  fly,  in  the  lochs  of  Ben  Hope.     What  are  they  \ 

In  Assynt,  the  lakes  are  in  number  infinite,  and  in  variety 
endless.  From  noble  Loch  Assynt,  with  its  islands  and  woods, 
down  to  the  little  rock-set  basin  not  ten  yards  across,  with  its 
circular  wreath  of  water-lilies,  and  its  smooth,  grey,  ice-worn, 
gneiss  banks,  dashed  with  strips  of  purple  heather,  they  meet 
you  at  every  turn.  There  you  may  launch  your  boat  twenty 
times  a  day  without  going  far  from  the  road  ;  and  if  you  find 
the  trout  in  one  wee  lochie  too  small  or  too  shy,  walk  or 
drive  over  the  bank  and  find  another  and  another  loch,  till 
you  come  to  one  that  suits  you. 

I  do  not  care  much  for  loch-fishing,  myself ;  but  I  am  of 
so  fishy  and  webby  a  nature,  that  I  take  to  the  water  at  once, 
or  I  should  have  told  you  to  look  at  the  rocks  instead  of  the 
lakes  ;  but  what  should  I  have  profited  if  I  had  ?  for  are  not  the 
mountain  wonders  of  Assynt  and  the  west  coast  indescribable, 
and  would  you  not  have  looked  at  them  at  once  on  arriving 
there,  without  being  told  to  do  so,  that  is  if  you  could  see  them  ? 
Unfortunately  for  the  passing  tourist,  these  western  mountains 
are  very  coy  of  discovering  their  charms,  and  are  much  given 
to  the  shrouding  them  for  weeks  at  a  time  in  thick  veils  of 
Atlantic  mist.  But  however  long  you  have  to  wait  at  Loch 
Inver,  wait  patiently,  rise  early  and  go  to  bed  late,  for  an} 
moment  may  disclose  one  of  the  most  marvellously  strange 
and  beautiful  bits  of  scenery  in  Europe.     That  peak  of  red- 


166  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

sandstone,  rising  between  1,500  and  1,600  feet  in  one  bold 
pinnacle,  even  more  precipitous  than  the  form  from  which  it 
takes  its  name,  standing  out  clear  and  distinct  from  the  sur- 
rounding mountains,  with  a  boldness  and  freedom  of  outline 
perfectly  indescribable,  is  certainly  worth  any  trouble,  waiting, 
or  expense  to  see.  It  is  hard  to  say  whether  the  "  Sugar-loaf" 
is  grander  on  a  bright  day,  which  brings  out  its  outline  clear 
and  sharp,  and  bathes  it  in  a  glorious  red  glow  at  sunset ;  or 
on  a  cloudy  one,  when  the  summit  is  shrouded  in  mist,  which 
throws  a  deep  purple  gloom  round  its  base,  and  removes  the 
background  into  infinite  distance,  lurid  and  mysterious.  Alas  ! 
I  once  spent  a  week  at  Loch  Inver  without  once  seeing  it  in 
either  state. 

If  you  are  an  artist  in  search  of  a  subject,  and  happen  to 
be  at  Loch  Inver  at  the  time  the  herring  boats  are  starting  for 
the  east  coast,  I  strongly  advise  you  to  go  to  the  little  fiord,  a 
mile  or  two  to  the  north,  and  study  what  you  will  see  there. 
That  little  rocky  basin  of  a  bay,  the  few  black  huts,  with  tiny 
scraps  of  yellow  oats  struggling  to  ripen  in  the  grey  gneiss 
rock — the  broad  brown  boats,  sharp  fore  and  aft.,  with  their 
sturdy  crews  sorely  suffering  at  the  leave-taking,  but 
trying  to  look  stout  and  cheerful ;  and  the  women  turning 
homewards  with  moist  eye  and  quivering  lip,  to  turn  and 
turn  again  as  the  bread-winners  disappear  round  the  point — 
may  give  you  a  hint  for  a  picture  worth  the  painting.  When 
the  highlanders  lived  far  up  in  the  inland  straths,  they  never 
dreamt  of  the  riches  of  the  sea ;  and  you  might  as  well  have 
endeavoured  to  persuade  a  starving  cock-robin  that  he  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  dive  into  a  salmon-pool  to  procure  an 
abundance  of  food,  as  induce  any  one  of  them  to  take  to  the 
salt  water.  Now  the  case  is  altered ;  living  by  the  sea,  they 
have  become  accustomed  to  it,  and  stretch  away  to  the  east- 
ward for  herrings  manfully.  Pity  it  is  that  they  cannot  be 
induced  to  take  to  the  deep-sea  fishing  on  their  own  coast, 
so  well  protected  by  the  great  breakwater  of  Harris  and 
Lewis. 

The  only  fishing  I  have  seen  on  the  west  coast  is  that 


Suthekland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  167 

mentioned  by  an  old  pamphleteer  of  1597,  as  obtaining  in 
his  own  time  in  the  opposite  island.  "  People  of  all  sorts 
and  ages  sit  on  the  rocks  thereof  (Harris)  with  hooke 
and  lyne,  taking  innumerable  quantity  of  all  kinds  of  hshes." 
And  so  they  do  now  in  Assynt,  and  quaint  are  the  figures 
one  sees  perched  on  the  projecting  rocks  fishing  for  their 
supper. 

Most  frequently  it  is  an  old  woman  with  her  knees  drawn 
up  to  her  chin,  with  her  voluminous  mutch  flapping  about  in 
the  wind,  fishing  for  coal-fish  with  a  short  rod  and  half  a 
dozen  flies,  made  of  a  white  duck's  feather,  which  she  does 
not  deign  to  withdraw  from  the  water  till  each  hook  has  its 
green  and  silver  victim  attached  to  it.  I  never  saw  them 
catch  anything  else  ;  but  if  you,  0  tourist,  will  go  and  spin 
a  butter -fish  for  Lythe — Merlangus  Pollachius — you  will 
there  first  discover  what  sport  trolling  can  be.  The  people  are 
to  a  certain  extent  right  in  keeping  to  the  little  Merlangus 
Carbonarius,  for  they  can  be  caught  to  any  amount,  and 
are  easily  dried  for  winter  store.  Deep-sea  fishing  is  not 
an  art  to  be  learned  in  a  day ;  but  as  soon  as  Glascow  wants 
more  cod  and  ling,  she  will  certainly  gfet  them.  If  you  care 
neither  for  painting  nor  fishing,  you  may  get  legend  am. 
history  enough  on  the  west  coast  to  amuse  you  well.  Of 
course  you  will  hear  how  Macleod  of  Assynt  betrayed 
Montrose  ;  but  do  not  believe  them  when  they  tell  you  that 
his  only  reward  was  a  few  boles  of  meal ;  he  got  twenty 
thousand  "gude  punds  Scots,"  and  the  captainship  of  the 
garrison  of  Strathnaver  for  that  little  piece  of  business.  He 
was,  it  is  true,  sent  to  Edinboro'  as  a  prisoner  at  the  Eesto- 
ration,  but  he  made  light  of  it — so  light  indeed  that  his 
levities  called  down  the  anathemas  of  Bishop  Burnet,  who  is 
indignant  that  the  great  entertainments  he  gave  in  prison 
should  have  made  him  friends  enough  amongst  the  great  to 
permit  of  his  escape,  untried  and  unpunished. 

The  fact  is,  that  certainly  down  to  the  latter  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  and,  I  suspect,  very  much  later,  there  was  no 
such  thing  as  "  law "  in  the  west  and  north  of  Sutherland. 


168  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland- 

Every  semi-savage  who  had  brutality  enough  to  conceive 
ingenious  plans  of  murder,  and  strength  enough  to  carry  them 
out,  might  do  so  with  impunity,  as  far  as  law  was  concerned, 
and  he  would  always  find  men  enough  to  back  him.  The 
history  of  that  castle  whose  ruins  you  see  at  the  head  of  Loch 
Assynt,  is  but  one  continuous  succession  of  parricides  and 
fratricides.  I  have  a  dim  recollection  of  one  Macleod,  who 
possessed  it,  having  died  quietly  in  his  bed,  after  being  turned 
out  of  it  by  his  relations  ;  and  he  is  specially  recorded  as 
having  been  "  impotent  of  ane  leg."  Either  the  impotency  of 
his  leg  prevented  his  pressing  forward  in  the  fray,  or  his 
consciousness  that  his  means  of  escape  were  imperfect  caused 
him  to  beat  an  early  retreat,  but  he  is  the  only  member  of 
the  family  who  was  served  with  a  writ  of  ejectment  without 
having  its  efficacy  secured  by  a  dirk. 

When  you  go  to  Durness,  you  will  see  the  tomb  of  an 
excellent  specimen  of  the  west  country  highlander  of  the 
seventeenth  century — one  Mac-Murshoo,  vic-ean-Mohr.,  who, 
determined  that  posterity  should  appreciate  his  character  to 
its  full  value,  composed  the  following  epitaph  on  himself, 
which  is  still  to  be  seen  (I  quote  from  memory) : — 

"  Donald  Mak-Murshov  Hier  lyis  lo, 
Vas  ill  to  his  Friend,  var  to  his  Fo  ; 
True  to  his  maister,  in  veird  and  vo." 

I  have  much  matter  in  my  head  against  this  Donald,  but 
you  may  read  the  principal  traditions  of  him,  taken  from 
the  Taylor  MSS.,  in  Mr.  Scrope's  book  on  Deerstalking. 
He  died  in  1623,  and  was  as  brutal  a  ruffian  as  ever  dis- 
graced humanity ;  he  raised  murder  to  the  rank  of  one  of 
the  fine  arts,  and  murdered  from  pure  thirst  for  blood  ; 
and  yet  was  permitted  to  hold  his  own,  unchallenged, 
probably  being  useful  to  his  "  Maister,"  who  was  either  the 
Lord  Keay  of  the  time,  or  the  deviL  After  reading  his  own 
epitaph  on  himself,  one  has  a  right  to  believe  anything  of  him, 
and  so  I  give  willing  ear  to  the  legend  that  he  built  a  house 
without  a  door  or  window,  which  he  entered  through  a  hole 
in  the  roof.     Certain  curious  persons  who  visited  this  strange 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  J 69 

den,  and  asked  the  reason  of  its  peculiar  style  of  architecture, 
received  a  pointed  reply  in  the  shape  of  an  arrow ;  notwith- 
standing this  pretty  strong  hint,  others  ventured  on  a  similar 
visit,  and  one  got  killed.  "  Sarve  him  right ! "  should  certainly 
have  been  the  verdict.  This  chapel  at  Durness  is  a  most 
curious  old-world  place  :  so  old,  that  the  earth  has  grown 
high  up  against  the  walls  from  the  addition  of  generations  of 
highlanders,  and  you  go  down  steps  into  it.  When  I  saw  it 
a  few  years  ago,  it  was  only  partially  dismantled  ;  part  of  the 
roof  and  the  pews  were  still  standing,  and  knocking  about  on 
the  floor  was  a  particularly  thick  and  ill-favoured  skull, 
with  a  tremendous  "  blash  "  across  it,  from  which,  however, 
the  recipient  had  probably  recovered,  as  there  was  a  quantity 
of  new  bone  thrown  out  around  the  cut.  It  was  just  such  a 
brain-pan  as  one  would  imagine  Donald  Mac-Corrachy  to 
have  possessed,  and  may,  indeed,  have  held  his  most  abomin- 
able brains.  He  had  something  to  love  him,  however ;  for 
when  his  tomb  was  opened  many  years  ago,  a  female  skeleton 
was  found  beside  the  bones  of  the  old  freebooter. 

Though  the  innumerable  cairns  in  Sutherland  hint  pretty 
strongly  at  the  old  value  set  on  human  life,  they  must  not  all 
be  taken  as  proofs  of  actual  bloodshed.  They  were  sometimes 
erected  to  commemorate  the  better  part  of  valour,  as  in  the 
case  of  Cairn  Teaghie,  or  the  cairn  of  flight,  on  Ben  Gream, 
which  perpetuates  the  memory  of  the  bolting  of  the  Caithness 
men  from  the  Sutherland  men,  and  the  bloodless  recovery  of 
their  cows  by  the  latter.  Many  of  these  cairns  may,  I  think, 
fairly  be  put  down  to  the  account  of  the  Danes,  and  where 
the  groups  are  very  numerous,  were  probably  raised  over  the 
victims  of  their  raids  by  the  survivors.  The  skirmishes 
amongst  the  highlanders  themselves  seldom  resulted  in  the 
slaughter  of  any  great  number  on  either  side,  though  a 
great  deal  of  "  vaunting"  and  heroical  speechifying,  after  the 
manner  of  the  Homeric  heroes,  took  place ;  but  ill  words 
break  no  bones,  and  seldom  require  cairns.  The  Northmen 
had  a  custom  of  burying  their  slain  heroes  hurriedly,  and  then 
returning  for  their  remains  afterwards,  trusting  to  the  good 


170  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

feeling  of  the  people  to  find  them  untouched ;  so  the  tourist 
who  amuses  himself  by  pulling  the  cairns  to  pieces  must  not 
be  surprised  if  he  find  nothing. 

I  know  of  three  enormous  cairns  in  Sutherland,  which  have 
been  arranged  on  a  sort  of  "  pea  and  thimble "  principle. 
Open  the  right  one,  and  you  are  a  made  man  ;  open  either  of 
the  wrong,  and  you  are  a  dead  one.  I  decline  to  point  out 
their  exact  situation,  as  I  may  some  day  be  driven  to  take  the 
fearful  bet  myself.  "  Do  you  think  I  should  hit  the  right 
one,  Donald?" 

"  'Deed,  sir,  I  don't  think  it's  right  to  meddle  with  a  cairn ; 
it's  the  same  as  a  grave  in  a  kirkyard,  and  there  may  be 
a  bonnie  lad  lying  under  it,  who  wadna  wish  his  bones  to  be 
moved  till  he  was  called  for  at  the  judgment.  They  tell 
wild  old  stories  about  the  evil  that  fell  on  men  who  moved 
them  ;  but  I  think  they  were  no  that  very  gude  and  likely  to 
prosper  before  they  tried  it.  But,  'deed  it's  no  wonder  that 
the  old  folks  were  supersteecious,  for  there  were  awfu' 
things  in  the  forests ;  things  like  men,  that  lived  with  the 
deer,  and  sucked  the  hinds  and  eat  grass,  and  went  on  all 
fours  like  the  beasts.  There  was  one  seen,  and  there's  no 
doubt  aboot  it,  about  a  hundred  years  ago. 

"  The  first  time  it  was  seen  it  came  to  a  shepherd's  house 
in  Kildonen,  and  was  naked  almost,  only  a  clout  or  two 
about  it,  and  it  scared  the  shepherd's  wife  and  bairns  out  of 
their  wits,  as  it  stood  girning  and  making  as  if  it  could  not 
speak.  The  wife  thought  it  was  hunger  that  moved  it,  and 
gave  it  a  cog  of  milk  ;  and  it  took  it  from  her,  and  set  it 
down  on  the  ground,  and  lapped  it  like  a  dog.  When  the 
shepherd  came  home,  and  saw  the  awfu'  beast  on  the  floor, 
he  went  almost  off  his  head  for  fear,  and  felt  a  motion  in  his 
heart  to  attack  it,  as  if  it  had  been  a  wolf,  and  the  dogs 
snarled,  and  yelled,  and  bristled  up  their  backs,  as  if  they 
saw  something  uncanny ;  and  their  snarling  so  startled  the 
thing,  that  it  sprang  up  and  fled  over  the  moor  like  a  stag. 

"  Another  time,  a  forester  met  it,  or  another  one,  on  Morven, 
and  talked  to  it.     The  creature  told  him  that  it  fed  on  grass, 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  171 

like  the  deer,  and  that  it  had  kept  the  forest  since  it  had 
killed  a  herd  boy  in  Dunrobin  Glen,  and  that  it  believed  it 
would  never  go  to  heaven.  The  last  one  that  was  seen  gave 
old  John  Pope,  the  forester,  a  sair  fleg.*  He  and  another 
had  gone  to  sleep  on  a  bit  bothy,  on  Ben  Ormin,  and  were 
awakened  by  an  awful  yell  outside,  and  a  screeching  voice 
saying,  in  Gaelic,  '  My  bed  !  my  bed ! '  and  then  the  door 
opened,  and  something  came  in.  John  Pope  was  not  to  be 
daunted  by  man  nor  de'il,  and  so  he  grappled  with  it,  and  a 
sair  tussle  they  had,  for  though  John  was  the  strongest  man 
in  Sutherland,  the  thing  was  as  strong  as  the  iron,  and  as  hard 
as  Brora  stone  under  his  fingers.  The  ither  forester  took  up 
a  gun,  but  could  not  put  out,  for  it  was  as  mirk  as  pick,  and 
he  only  knew  where  the  two  were  by  the  noise  they  made  ; 
at  last  he  grappit  the  thing,  and  he  and  John  had  strength 
enough  to  put  it  out  at  the  door,  when  it  raised  a  long,  long, 
sad  screeching  wail,  and  again  called  out  in  Gaelic,  'My 
bed  !  my  bed ! '  and  then  all  was  silent.  They  never  saw 
what  it  was  like,  either  of  them,  but  John  Pope  said  it  left 
a  powerfu'  smell  o'  brimstone." 

"  Donald !  Donald !  keep  out  of  the  regions  of  Bogledom, 
and  tell  me  how  much  longer  I  am  to  wait  here.  What 
with  being  wet,  and  what  with  being  dried,  I  am  getting  as 
stiff  as  Jack's  father." 

"  I  can  weel  believe  it,  sir ;  but  how  stiff  was  Jack's 
father?" 

"Listen,  and  I  will  tell  you." 

"  Jacke  (quoth  his  father),  how  shall  I  ease  take  ; 
If  I  stand,  my  legs  ache,  and  if  I  kneele, 
My  knees  ache,  and  if  I  goe  then  my  feet  ache ; 
If  I  lie,  my  back  acheth,  and  if  I  sit,  I  feel 
My  hips  ache  ;  and  leane  I  never  so  weel, 
My  elbows  ache."    "  Sir  (quoth  Jack),  pain  to  exile, 
Since  all  these  ease  not,  best  ye  hang  awhile  !  " 

"  'Deed,  did  he !  and  an  ill  raised  laddie  he  must  have 
been  ;  though  it  would  have  been  safe  advice  enough  here, 

*  This  took  place  in  1746. 


172  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

with  no  tree  nearer  than  Lairg.  But  we  must  be  off.  There's 
Jeemie  standing  and  thinking,  and  Clebric  pulling  and  snuff- 
ing, just  up  the  corrie.  He's  a  sharp  laddie,  Jeemie,  and 
understands  what  he  is  told ;  not  like  that  big  donnart  we 
had  last  year,  who  came  up  to  corrie  Venchnich,  and  plow- 
thered  about  all  day,  and  then  came  back  without  the  deer, 
and  he  within  twenty  yards  o't.  Aye !  he  sees  the  ravens, 
and  is  going  up.  We'll  be  off  and  raise  the  stag,  and  then 
see  what  is  on  the  hill." 

Twenty  minutes'  run  brings  us  up  to  Jeemie  and  the  white 
powney,  the  former  staring  admiringly,  and  the  latter  snuffing 
complacently  at  our  stag,  whilst  three  pair  of  ravens  croak, 
and  hop,  and  whet  their  bills  on  the  stones  a  few  yards  off. 
I  should  very  much  like  to  see  how  ravens  dispose  of  "  Gral- 
loch,"  particularly  when  they  are  tolerably  numerous,  but 
that  is  a  business  as  mysterious  as  the  birds  themselves  ;  we 
left  plenty  yesterday,  and  now  the  heather  is  clean,  and  had 
we  not  sunk  the  poch-a-bui  (I  don't  pretend  to  spell  Gaelic, 
be  it  clearly  understood)  with  its  contained  treasures,  in 
the  burn,  they  would  have  cleared  off  that  too.  One  pair, 
evidently  young,  dance  wildly  on  a  stone,  under  the  impres- 
sion that  we  are  interfering  unjustly  with  their  future  meals, 
but  the  old  ones  sit  solemnly  and  croak  gloomily  and  re- 
provingly, as  if  to  say,  "  Stupid  young  creatures !  don't  you 
know  yet,  that  they  always  get  the  best  of  everything.'' 
Never  mind  what  they  say ;  let  us  look  at  the  stag  for  a 
moment,  and  think  whether  the  long  curved  antlers,  springing 
so  boldly  out  of  the  purple  heather,  look  as  large  and  have  as 
many  points  as  we  fancied  last  night,  when  we  packed  him 
up.  "  'Deed  it's  a  bonny  staig !  and  look  at  his  broo  antlers, 
and  his  dags,  and  the  spread  of  his  cabers."  Up  with  him, 
Jeemie,  though  you  never  killed  a  stag  in  your  life,  you  are 
as  keen  about  them  and  as  much  interested  in  every  point 
as  if  you  stalked  every  day  for  your  dinner.  Like  every  man, 
woman,  and  child,  in  broad  Sutherland. 

It  is  no  light  business  to  get  our  big  stag — for  he  is  a 
big  one,  a  real  Sutherland  hart — on  the  deer  saddle  :   and 


Sutherland.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  173 

intricate  is  the  combination  of  knots  which  keep  him  there. 
What  a  noble  beast  it  is !  and  how  the  old  poney  turns  his 
head  round  to  snuff  at  him ;  he  has  carried  them  till  he  has 
positively  become  fond  of  the  rich  aromatic  smell  of  the  deer — 
that  Esau  smell,  recognised  long  ago.  How  well  the  pair 
look  as  they  go  over  the  sky-line  ;  and  how  fondly  we  watch 
them  till  the  broad  antlers  have  disappeared ! 

Now,  friend  Donald,  for  another  and  a  bigger  ! 

Why  try  to  describe  a  "  stalk  ? "  Unless  the  ground  is 
known,  the  description  would  be  as  dull  and  flat  as  that  of  a 
run  with  foxhounds  to  a  man  who  knew  not  the  country  : 
more  so,  indeed,  for  even  in  the  reading  of  a  great  run  some 
faint  echo  of  the  pattering  thunder  of  the  hoofs  over  the  turf 
reaches  the  heart  of  the  reader,  but  in  the  stalk  all  is  silent 
and  patient  skill.  When  one  thinks  of  it,  this  same  stalking 
is  a  very  wonderful  thing  :  there,  two  miles  off,  are  lying  deer, 
a  score  or  more,  on  ground  chosen  with  the  hereditary  skill 
and  experience  of  ages  ;  with  powers  of  sight  and  scent  of  the 
most  marvellous  keenness ;  all  bare  around  them  :  apparently 
not  a  tuft  of  rushes  high  enough  to  conceal  a  ramrod  within 
yards  of  them,  pickets  of  keen  eyed  and  keener  scented  hinds 
thrown  out  in  every  direction,  sentinels  who  never  slumber  or 
sleep,  but  keep  every  nerve  on  the  stretch  to  preserve  their 
great  lord  from  harm.  How  can  we  hope  to  slay  him  in  the 
very  centre  of  his  court  ? 

"  They'r  as  wise  as  Christians — 'deed,  they'r  wiser  !  but 
we'll  do  it,"  says  Donald,  as  he  softly  closes  his  prospect,  and 
he  does  it ;  how,  I  should  like  to  tell  you  in  this  particular 
case,  which  was  a  miracle  of  stalking,  but  I  cannot.  Dream 
out  a  stalk  for  yourself :  suppose  the  wind  gained,  and  every 
difficulty  overcome,  and  remember  the  throbbing  of  your 
heart  when  you  raised  your  head,  gently — gently — over  the 
heather — what  a  thicket  of  antlers  !  Wait  patiently  till  they 
rise.  What  is  that  clashing,  as  if  a  company  of  Life  Guards- 
men had  simultaneously  begun  backsword  play  ?  The  young 
stags  fighting.  Venture  another  peep. — Horror !  is  that  a 
young  six-pointer  staring  steadily  at  us?  Believe  it  not,  noble 


174  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Sutherland. 

youth  !  We  are  but  two  grey  stones  !  Still  the  antlers  of 
the  master-hart  are  steady  above  the  heather ;  one  after 
another  the  younger  stags  feed  down  towards  the  burn ;  the 
hinds  follow,  turning  back  to  invite  their  great  lord  to  follow. 
See  those  two  or  three  determined  tossings  of  the  mighty 
antlers  :  he  is  going  to  rise — he  is  up  !  Steady,  for  a  moment, 
for  a  broadside — now,  whilst  he  is  curving  his  back,  and 
stretching  himself  out  like  a  lion.  Now  ! — crack !  —slap  ! — 
Up  into  the  bauk !  There  are  the  hinds  and  young  stags, 
huddled  together.  Where  is  he  ?  Trotting  slowly  and  pain- 
fully round  the  swell.  Again — crack! — slap! — what  a 
stumble  !  He  is  our  own,  try  as  he  may,  he  can  never  win  up 
the  brae.  See,  how  the  hinds  sniff  and  start  aside  as  they 
scent  the  blood,  and  how  the  young  stags  turn  and  turn  again, 
to  ask  his  guidance.  In  vain  !  one  staggering  effort  to  cross 
the  burn,  and  then  down  with  a  crashing  stumble — never  to 
rise  again ! 

"  Another  and  a  bigger,  indeed,  Donald.  Ten  points,  and 
as  fat  as  an  ox ! " 

"  Aye,  sir  !  he's  none  of  our  deer,  he's  up  from  the  woods." 

"  See,  if  he  has  a  forked  tail,  Donald.  Perhaps  he  is  an 
Arkle  deer." 

"  Hoot-toot,  sir !  you  don't  believe  in  such  old  wives'  stories, 
I  know ! " 

"  'Deed,  I  don't  know,  Donald.  I  laughed  at  the  fancy  till 
I  found  an  explanation  of  it  worth  the  recording.  The  tail  of 
the  Arkle  deer  was  not  exactly  forked,  but  from  its  root 
depended  a  tuft  of  coarse  hair ;  and  in  warm  weather,  or 
when  the  stag  was  heated  in  the  chase,  this  tuft  became 
matted  together,  and  produced  the  semblance  of  a  forked  tail, 
thick  and  broad  at  the  root,  and  divided  into  two  parts  at  its 
termination,  the  hair  forming  one  division  and  the  real  tail 
the  other." 

"  I  can  weel  believe  it,  sir ;  but  we  must  hurry  with  the 
gralloch,  or  it  will  be  dark  before  we  put  up  the  stag." 

Dark,  indeed,  with  sheets  of  rain  and  driving  mist.  Let 
us  race  across  the  wilderness  at  full  trot. 


Sutherland.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  \J5 

"  A  dark  night,  a  wearied  wight,  and  a  welsome  way.  God 
be  the  guide,"  as  Huntly  said,  when  he  was  escaping  from 
Morpeth. 

A  glimpse  of  Eory's  bright  turf  fire,  with  the  collies  lying 
round  it  each  in  his  appointed  place — and  then  Lairg- 
wards,  ho ! 

"  Good-night,  Eory  !     Good-night,  everybody!" 


176  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 


5.   A  VISIT  TO  PERU. 
BY  CHAKLES   CHKISTOPHER  BOWEN 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  February,  1860,  under  the 
sultry  heat  of  a  nearly  vertical  sun,  the  vessel  in  which 
I  had  taken  my  passage  from  New  Zealand  lay  becalmed  off 
the  island  of  San  Lorenzo.  The  summer  trade- winds  had 
been  light  along  the  coast,  and  the  heavy  mist  that  generally 
hangs  over  the  mountains  and  the  rainless  shores  of  Peru 
destroyed  all  hope  of  a  view  of  the  Cordillera  from  the  sea ; 
but  towards  noon  a  breeze  sprang  up,  and  the  dense  curtain 
rose  a  little  as  we  rounded  the  island,  and  entered  the  beau- 
tiful bay  of  Callao.  Momentary  glimpses  of  the  Andes  served 
rather  to  raise  than  to  satisfy  expectation.  The  harbour  was 
filled  with  shipping  of  every  size  and  build,  sailing  under 
the  flags  of  all  nations.  Most  of  these  ships  were  under 
charter  to  carry  away  cargoes  of  guano,  the  great  present 
staple  of  export  from  the  coast ;  the  Government  compelling 
them  to  enter  inwards  at  Callao  before  they  proceed  to  load 
at  the  Chincha  Islands,  and  to  return  to  the  same  port  to 
clear  out  when  their  cargoes  are  on  board.  If  not  an  enlight- 
ened, it  is  a  popular  policy  to  tax  foreign  shipping  for  the 
benefit  of  the  ship-chandlers  and  crimps  of  Callao. 

As  we  sailed  up  the  bay,  myriads  of  penguins,  divers,  and 
other  sea-birds  moved  lazily  along  the  water  out  of  the  way 
of  the  ship.  The  sea  was  literally  alive  with  them,  as  they 
waged  their  ceaseless  war  against  the  fish  with  which  these 
waters  teem.  It  was  nearly  six  o'clock  when  we  came  to 
anchor;  and  as  there  is  nothing  on  first  arrival  to  invite  a 
stay  in  the  post-town  of  Callao,  I  determined  to  get  up  to 
Lima  at  once.  The  master  of  the  barque  accompanied  me, 
and  we  landed  at  a  wooden  pier  close  to  the  railway-station, 


C.  C.Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  177 

just  as  the  signal  was  given  for  the  departure  of  the  last  train 
for  Lima.  My  luggage  was  dragged  out  of  the  boat  by  two 
or  three  negroes,  and  carried  off  to  the  station  amid  the 
shouts  and  gesticulations  of  a  very  mixed-looking  population, 
with  a  strong  preponderance  of  negro  physiognomy.  We 
hurried  after  the  portmanteaus,  and  the  scene  at  the  station 
was  very  characteristic  of  the  manner  in  which  business  is 
done  here.  An  imperturbable  clerk  declined  to  give  us 
tickets,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  too  late ;  the  negroes  did 
not  mind  him,  but  rushed  through  the  office,  and  as  the  train 
was  moving  off,  we  pitched  the  portmanteaus  into  the  bag- 
gage-waggon, and  jumped  in  on  the  top  of  them.  There  were 
no  porters  or  other  officials  to  assist  or  to  obstruct  us,  as  the 
porterage  of  the  station  is  left  to  the  negroes  in  a  strictly 
free-trade  spirit,  and  the  mulatto  guards  in  the  waggon 
looked  on  in  the  helpless  and  sleepy  manner  that  appeared 
habitual  among  the  employes.  When  the  train  had  been  in 
motion  for  about  five  minutes,  one  of  them  roused  himself 
slowly  to  ask  us  for  our  fares,  and  on  receiving  the  money, 
relapsed  into  an  apathetic  state. 

The  railway  consists  of  a  single  line,  of  rude  construction, 
running  alongside  of  the  usual  horse-road,  through  a  sandy 
desert.  As  you  approach  Lima,  which  is  situated  about 
seven  miles  from  the  sea,  you  pass  between  gardens  of  bana- 
nas, oranges,  and  chirimoyas,  oases  reclaimed  from  the  waste, 
and  enclosed  by  walls  of  adobes,  or  large  sun-dried  bricks.  Of 
this  material  have  been  constructed  most  of  the  buildings, 
both  of  the  modern  and  ancient  towns,  in  the  valleys  of  the 
coast.  The  entrance  to  the  city  itself  by  railway  is  not  pre- 
possessing. The  line  passes  through  a  straggling  suburb, 
and  in  the  large  doorways  of  the  houses  on  each  side,  crowds 
of  idle,  dissipated-looking  men,  women,  and  children,  of  very 
hybrid  breed,  stare  listlessly  at  the  train  as  it  comes  slowly 
in.  No  respectable  citizen  would  venture  alone  on  foot  and 
unarmed  into  that  locality  at  any  time  of  the  day  or  night. 
On  arrival  at  the  terminus,  a  couple  of  negroes,  who  appear  to 
be  the  self-constituted  porters  of  the  station,  seized  the  luggage, 

N 


178  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

and  trotted  off  with  it  at  a  rate  which  made  it  difficult  to  keep 
up  with  them  in  the  narrow  and  crowded  streets.  It  was  Sunday 
evening,  and  every  one  seemed  bent  on  amusement.  Almost 
all  the  shops  were  closed,  except  those  of  the  very  numerous 
tobacconists,  who  were  driving  a  large  trade  all  along  the 
principal  streets.  (Nearly  every  one  you  meet  in  Lima  has  a 
cigar  or  cigarette  in  his  mouth,  or  is  rolling  one  of  the 
latter  in  his  fingers.)  It  was  so  dark  when  we  reached  the 
hotel,  that  we  could  not  judge  of  the  appearance  of  the  plaza; 
but  it  is  smaller  than  I  had  been  led  to  expect  from  the 
importance  of  the  old  Ciudad  de  los  Reyes.  The  sound  of 
water  from  a  laxge  fountain  in  the  centre  fell  gratefully  on 
the  ear,  and  the  crowds  sauntering  about  under  the  portals 
or  piazzas  that  run  round  two  sides  of  the  square,  were  enjoy- 
ing the  fresh  air  in  this  central  lung  of  the  metropolis. 
Morin's  hotel  is  situated  in  the  Plaza,  opposite  the  cathedral, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  conveniently  situated :  it 
is  as  clean  as  any  other  in  the  town ;  only  strangers  expect 
to  escape  fleas  anywhere  in  Lima.  The  style  of  the  building 
is  peculiar,  and  a  description  of  it  may  answer,  with  some 
slight  modification,  for  that  of  most  of  the  other  large  hotels. 
The  entrance  from  the  portal  is  by  a  large  gateway,  on  each 
side  of  which  shops  extend  along  the  frontage  of  the  hotel. 
Below-stairs,  round  the  open  patio,  or  court,  are  the  coffee- 
room,  billiard-rooms,  and  bar.  A  broad  unroofed  staircase 
leads  up  to  unroofed  corridors,  on  which  open  the  bed-rooms, 
and  the  sola,  or  large  dining-room.  The  rooms  below-stairs 
are  a  sort  of  lounge  for  a  number  of  well-dressed  inhabitants. 
This  is  the  club  where  they  meet  to  talk  over  the  troubled 
politics  of  the  place,  the  last  scandal,  or  the  last  petty  war ; 
and  to  indulge  in  gambling,  the  favourite  vice  of  the  country. 
After  dinner  we  took  a  lounge  through  the  narrow  gas-lit 
streets  ;  and  though  it  was  too  late  to  form  a  just  impression 
of  the  place,  I  could  not  fail  to  be  struck  by  the  mediaeval 
appearance  of  one  of  the  oldest  European  towns  on  the 
American  Continent.  The  miserable  looking  Indian  soldiers, 
that   are   met   constantly  marching   or  rather  straggling  to 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  179 

relieve  guard,  told  a  tale  of  the  absurd  and  wicked  wars  for 
ever  raging  among  these  pestilent  little  South-American 
republics  ;  and  the  number  of  dissolute,  ill-looking  priests 
confirmed  by  their  appearance  the  universal  testimony  borne 
to  the  corruption  of  the  Peruvian  clergy.  As  our  eyes  were 
attracted  by  the  varied  figures  of  the  passers,  the  "  pacing" 
horses,  and  the  horsemen  in  mediaeval  saddles  and  bright- 
coloured  ponchos,  we  wandered  farther  into  the  suburbs  than 
we  should  have  ventured  unarmed,  had  we  known  the  present 
state  of  the  police,  and  the  lawless  character  of  the  outlying 
districts  of  Lima.  On  our  return  to  the  hotel,  we  heard 
enough  and  to  spare  on  this  subject. 

In  his  glowing  description  of  the  "  Ciudad  de  los  Reyes," 
I  think  that  Prescott  has  been  rather  led  away  by  the  ex- 
aggerations of  the  old  Spanish  chroniclers.  Lima  cannot  be 
called  a  beautiful  city,  and  it  has  as  much  pretension  to 
beauty  now  as  it  ever  had.  But  the  thoroughfares  were 
considered  wide  at  the  time  that  Pizarro  laid  the  foundations 
of  his  capital,  and  convenience  was  far  more  studied  than  in 
most  towns  of  that  period.  The  streets  run  at  right  angles  to 
each  other,  and  the  water  of  the  Eimac  is  conducted  down 
the  middle  of  those  running  parallel  with  the  river,  in  open 
azequias,  or  drains,  which  are  a  nuisance  in  the  populous 
neighbourhoods.  The  authorities  are  now  covering  the 
azequias  in  some  of  the  main  thoroughfares.  The  inhabitants 
of  a  street  running  out  of  the  plaza,  were  so  proud  of  having 
their  drain  covered  in,  that  they  formally  opened  the  new 
carriage-way  with  music  and  flags,  and  gun-firing,  and  a 
procession,  in  which  the  government  and  military  figured. 
The  river  Eimac  (to  a  corruption  of  which  word  the  name 
"  Lima"  owes  its  origin)  flows  through  the  town,  and  is 
spanned  by  a  stone  bridge,  commonly  called  after  Pizarro. 
It  was  really  built  at  great  expense  in  1613,  on  the  site  of 
the  one  made  by  the  conqueror,  and  has  resisted  the  frequent 
shocks  of  earthquake  that  have  tried  its  stability.  All  the 
churches  and  other  public  buildings  which  adorn  the  town, 
were   built  in  the  time   of  the  Viceroys :   the   Republican 

n2 


180  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

Government  has  scarcely  done  anything  in  the  way  of  im- 
provement. When  a  public  building  is  wanted  now  for  any 
purpose,  a  church  or  a  monastery  is  taken  possession  of  by 
the  authorities.  Part  of  the  extensive  monastery  of  the 
Franciscans,  which  once  contained  one  thousand  monks,  is 
used  as  a  barrack,  and  the  number  of  the  brotherhood 
is  reduced  to  about  thirty.  The  college  of  St.  Mark,  once 
the  boast  of  Lima,  has  been  closed,  and  the  chapel  appro- 
priated for  the  sessions  of  the  House  of  ^Representatives. 
The  Council  of  State  sits  in  the  once  infamous  hall  of  the 
Inquisition.  The  Lima  terminus  of  the  Callao  Eailway,  was 
once  the  convent  of  San  Juan  de  Dios. 

There  is,  however,  a  great  public  building  now  in  course  of 
erection  in  the  Suburb,  on  the  road  to  Chorillos,  which  will 
reflect  credit  rather  on  one  individual  than  on  the  Govern- 
ment of  Peru.  A  wretched  and  loathsome  prison,  the  Casas 
Matas  of  Callao,  has  hitherto  been  the  only  place  of  con- 
finement for  prisoners.  Here,  both  in  the  Spanish  and 
Eepublican  times,  many  an  unfortunate  has  suffered  a 
long-drawn-out  death.  Senor  Paz  Soldan  examined  and 
reported  upon  the  prison  discipline  of  the  United  States,  and 
has  persisted  in  his  scheme  of  ameliorating  that  of  Peru,  until 
he  obtained  funds  for  the  splendid  stone  building  which  he 
is  now  erecting  on  principles  suggested  by  modern  experience. 
Only  those  who  know  something  of  the  government  and 
legislature  of  Peru,  will  appreciate  the  enterprise  of  the  man 
who  has  succeeded  in  diverting  public  money  into  so  philan- 
thropic a  channel. 

With  this  single  exception,  all  public  and  private  buildings 
in  Lima  are  of  adobes.  The  churches,  of  nondescript  style 
of  architecture,  gaudy,  occasionally  picturesque,  with  quaint 
towers  of  lath  and  plaster,  and  painted  facades,  are  very 
numerous  ;  but  their  shrines  are  not  as  wealthy  as  they  were 
in  the  days  of  Spanish  rule.  The  necessities  of  temporary 
chiefs  of  the  Republic,  and  the  avarice  of  unscrupulous  priests, 
have  gone  far  to  denude  the  altars,  on  which,  in  many  cases, 
ornaments  of  less  value  have  taken  the  place  of  the  silver 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  181 

gifts  of  devotees.  No  place  in  Lima  is  sacred  enough  to 
ensure  its  immunity  in  these  days  of  anarchy,  robbery,  and 
corruption. 

The  exterior  of  the  private  houses  gives  little  promise  of  the 
comfort  of  the  interior.  A  large  gateway,  with  shops  on  each 
side,  extending  along  the  front  of  the  house,  leads  into  a  spa- 
cious patio,  or  courtyard  ;  sometimes  the  sola  is  immediately 
opposite  the  gateway ;  sometimes  a  handsome  flight  of  stone 
steps  leads  to  a  corridor  on  which  the  reception  rooms  open. 
The  principal  visiting  hour  is  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing ;  after  that  hour  all  the  drawing-rooms  of  Lima  are  open 
to  visitors,  and  you  may  meet  in  the  streets  ladies  in  evening- 
dress,  with  shawls  thrown  over  their  heads,  walking  from 
one  house  to  another.  The  Limenians  are  most  hospitable  ; — 
the  ladies  have  a  well-merited  reputation  for  their  social 
qualities  and  a  considerable  share  of  beauty ;  but  the  vice  of 
gambling  prevalent  among  the  men  is  calculated  to  unhinge 
society.  It  pervades  all  classes ; — the  President  and  the 
shopkeeper,  the  soldier  and  the  priest,  are  alike  addicted  to 
it.  Business  wears  a  gambling  aspect.  The  Governments 
and  would-be  Governments  gamble  in  the  issue  of  paper ; 
merchants  gamble  in  the  purchase  of  these  public  vales,  or 
bonds,  which  are  often  depreciated  to  an  incredible  extent ; 
there  is  no  public  confidence  or  public  faith  ;  and  the  con- 
sequence of  all  this,  together  with  the  abundance  of  silver, 
is  that  ordinary  commodities  bear  a  fictitious  price.  In  Lima 
a  dollar  goes  about  as  far  as  a  shilling  would  in  England. 
A  man  who  wins  and  loses  a  thousand  dollars  in  a  night, 
does  not  care  what  he  gives  for  the  necessaries  of  life.  Many 
of  the  leading  merchants  are  English  and  German,  and  the 
best  shops  are  kept  by  Frenchmen  and  Italians  ;  each  one 
intent  on  making  all  he  can  in  the  shortest  possible  time 
with  a  view  to  returning  to  his  own  country. 

This  is  not  a  place  to  enter  upon  a  disquisition  on  the 
Government,  or  rather  Anarchy,  of  Peru.  But  there  are  some 
prominent  facts  which  force  themselves  on  the  attention  of 
the  traveller.     In  the  first  place,  he  must  dismiss  from  his 


182  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

mind  any  notion  he  may  have  formed  that  the  Peruvian 
independence  was  won  in  the  same  way  as  that  of  the  United 
States  of  America.  The  intolerable  rule  of  Spain  broke  down 
the  spirit  of  the  governed  and  destroyed  their  self-reliance. 
Columbian  troops  and  foreign  officers*  were  chiefly  instru- 
mental in  giving  freedom  to  the  Peruvians.  As  they  did  not 
win  their  independence  for  themselves,  they  did  not  know 
how  to  profit  by  it.  They  have  not  yet  attained  to  a  thorough 
national  feeling.  By  blood,  the  ruling  classes  are  as  much 
Indian  as  Spanish  :  few,  if  any,  can  boast  of  the  Sangre  Azul 
of  Gallicia.  The  Government  for  the  time  being  is  that  of 
the  strongest  body  of  brigands  in  the  country ;  powerful  to 
rob  and  oppress,  but  powerless  to  protect  life  and  property. 
The  rural  Indian  population,  decimated  and  degraded  as  it 
has  been  by  the  cruel  oppression  of  the  Spaniards,  is  still 
peaceable,  orderly,  and  hospitable.  But  the  mongrel  popu- 
lation around  Lima  produces  the  worst  characters.  Bands  of 
robbers,  chiefly  negroes,  mulattoes,  and  men  of  mixed  Indian 
and  negro  blood,f  infest  the  neighbourhood  and  laugh  at 
the  police.  Of  this  crew  the  negroes,  and  those  with  negro 
blood  in  their  veins,  are  by  far  the  worst.  To  an  Englishman 
belongs  the  disgrace  of  having  first  introduced  negro  slaves  on 

*  The  world  knows  now  pretty  well  the  return  that  some  of  these  men  have 
received  from  the  Spanish  republics.  Lord  Dundonald's  case  will  recur  to  the 
minds  of  most  readers.  But  I  cannot  refrain  from  noticing  that  of  a  distin- 
guished man  who  has  spent  the  best  part  of  his  life  in  the  arduous  struggle 
for  South  American  independence.  General  Miller  (to  whom  the  Peruvians 
owe  more  than  to  any  other  man,  except  Lord  Cochrane),  after  the  victory  was 
won,  and  after  in  vain  attempting  to  maintain  the  cause  of  Constitutional 
government,  was  obliged  to  retire  into  banishment,  poor,  and  crippled  by 
many  severe  wounds.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  Peruvians  even  respected  the 
principle  which  had  kept  him  poor  in  commands  which  had  enriched  so  many 
others.  For  twenty  years,  during  which  he  held  the  office  of  British  Consul- 
General  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  he  was  ignored  by  Peru  ;  and  though  lately 
restored  by  the  present  Government  to  his  rank  as  Grand-Marshal,  they 
decline  to  admit  the  undoubted  claims  which  he  has  upon  the  country.  It 
must  be  grief  enough  to  those  who  have  spent  their  lives  for  the  freedom  of 
such  a  country,  to  see  what  a  country  and  what  a  freedom  now  exists. 

t  It  is  calculated  that  there  are  more  than  twenty  different  strains  of  blood 
in  the  population  of  the  Lima  suburbs,  from  the  intermixture  of  white  men, 
Indians,  and  negroes.    To  these  may  be  added,  of  late,  Chinese. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  183 

this  coast.  The  famous  John  Hawkins  of  Queen  Elizabeth's 
time  began  the  traffic,  and  for  some  time  it  was  an  English 
monopoly.  When  the  Eepublic  was  established,  a  wise  and 
beneficent  law  was  passed,  providing  for  gradual  emancipation. 
It  was  enacted  that  all  existing  slaves  should  remain  so  for 
life ;  that  at  the  age  of  fifty  their  children  should  be  free ; 
and  that  their  grandchildren  should  be  born  free.  But  in  the 
year  1855,  the  present  President  suddenly  issued  a  decree, 
summarily  emancipating  all  slaves.  So  rash  a  step  cannot 
even  lay  claim  to  the  credit  of  good  intention  ;  it  was  merely 
one  of  the  many  devices  illegally  adopted  by  military  leaders 
to  secure  adherents.  Eew  would  be  prepared  to  maintain, 
that  the  reparation  of  a  great  social  evil  is  to  be  effected  by  a 
coup-de-main.  And  nothing  strikes  me  as  much  more  wicked 
than  to  cast  loose  on  society,  without  warning  or  preparation, 
a  body  of  men  destitute  of  training  to  benefit  themselves  or 
to  respect  the  rights  of  others.  What  might  have  been 
expected  has  happened  in  Peru ;  and  the  quondam  slaves 
around  Lima  are  now  a  curse  to  themselves  and  to  the 
country.  The  infamous  Chinese  Coolie  Trade  that  has  sprung 
up,  and  is  encouraged,  exceeds  in  atrocity  the  old  trade  in 
negro  slaves  :  a  tolerably  good  proof  (if  any  were  needed) 
that  the  decree  of  1855  was  not  dictated  by  conscientious 
scruples. 

Almost  the  first  thing  I  heard  on  landing,  was  the  news  of  a 
sad  tragedy  which  had  happened  only  the  week  before.  Capt. 
Lambert,  Commander  of  H.  M.  S.  "Vixen,"  lying  in  Callao 
harbour,  had  gone  down  alone  to  bathe  in  the  river  below  Lima 
early  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  same  evening  his  body  was  found 
on  the  river  bank,  half  undressed,  with  marks  of  violence  on 
his  head  and  arms.  A  profound  sensation  was  created  in 
the  town,  owing  to  the  rank  of  the  unfortunate  gentleman, 
and  the  service  to  which  he  belonged,  but  the  authorities 
were  either  unable  or  afraid  to  make  proper  inquiries  into 
the  matter.  The  district  near  which  the  tragedy  occurred, 
has  always  had  a  bad  reputation  ;  I  certainly  never  saw  a 
more  villanous-looking  population  than  that  which  I  passed 


184  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

through  when  visiting  the  spot  with  a  friend  of  Captain 
Lambert,  who  was  anxious  to  make  a  plan  of  the  localities. 
This  gentleman  has  at  considerable  personal  risk  followed  up 
every  clue,  to  obtain  some  trace  of  the  murderers,  and  gives 
no  peace  to  the  apathetic  government.  It  is  easy  to  see  that 
the  authorities  hope  to  get  rid  of  an  unpleasant  topic  by  pro- 
crastination, as  the  sensation  produced  at  first  died  rapidly 
away.  When  the  murder  was  committed,  it  was  eagerly 
asked  in  all  the  foreign  shops,  "What  will  the  English 
Government  do?"  But  soon  people  said,  "The  English 
Government  did  nothing  when  their  late  Minister  was  shot 
in  this  town  in  broad  daylight,  and  the  murderer  was 
allowed  to  escape  ;  they  will  do  nothing  now."  This  has  the 
very  worst  effect ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Peruvian 
Government  will  not  be  allowed  to  pass  over  this  unhappy 
tragedy  so  quietly.*  As  France  and  America  have  both 
serious  questions  pending  with  this  wretched  little  republic, 
it  is  quite  time  that  these  two  powers  and  England  should 
unite,  in  the  interests  of  humanity,  to  dictate  to  the  Peruvian 
Government  some  necessary  steps  for  the  prevention  of  out- 
rages on  foreigners.  For  one  of  these  powers  alone  to  take 
vindictive  steps  against  so  small  a  state  would  be  objection- 
able ;  but  surely  it  is  the  duty  of  great  civilized  powers  to 
insist  on  the  observance  of  the  common  laws  of  civilization. 

The  Peruvian  Government  has  now  a  splendid  revenue, 
chiefly  arising  from  the  sale  of  guano.  About  500,000  tons 
of  this  valuable  manure  are  exported  annually,  and  it  is 
calculated  that  even  in  the  wasteful  and  unbusiness-like 
manner  in  which  they  farm  it  out  to  foreign  merchants,  the 

*  Some  time  has  elapsed  since  I  wrote  the  above,  and  to  all  appearance  the 
English  Government  will  allow  the  matter  to  pass  over.  In  the  meantime, 
no  adequate  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Peruvian  authorities  to  discover  the 
murderer.  It  is  pleasant  for  Englishmen  to  reflect  that  on  the  South 
American  coast  the  lives  and  properties  of  their  countrymen  are  less  secure 
than  those  of  Frenchmen  and  Americans,  whose  cruisers  make  prompt  appear- 
ance to  demand  satisfaction  for  any  injury  done  to  French  or  American 
citizens.  If  England  is  to  get  any  return  for  the  millions  she  spends  to  keep 
her  cruisers  in  every  sea,  it  ought  to  be  in  increased  security  for  the  lives  and 
properties  of  her  subjects  all  over  the  world. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  185 

Government  net  thirty  dollars,  or  about  six  pounds  per  ton. 
No  young  state  ever  had  such  an  opportunity  of  commencing 
a  career  of  improvement.     With  this  extraordinary  revenue 
(for  the  ordinary  revenue  is  sufficient  to  cover  all  necessary 
expenses  of  government),  a  system  of  great  public  works, 
rivalling  those  of  the  Incas,  might  have  been  initiated,  to 
enlarge  incalculably  the  resources  of  the  country ;  and  public 
institutions  might  have  been  founded  to  give  a  permanent 
character  to  the  civilization  of  the  republic.     But  the  waste 
and  corruption  to  which  this  temporary  source  of  wealth  has 
given  rise,  is  almost  incredible.     The  guano  islands,  which 
in  the  days  of  the  Incas  were  a  blessing  to  the  careful 
agriculturists  of  the  neighbouring  coasts,  have  been  the  curse 
of  the  modern  republicans.     By  means  of  the  income  derived 
from  them,  ten  ships  of  war  have  been  bought  and  fitted  up, 
and  an  army  of  from  15,000  to  20,000  men  is  kept  on  foot, 
to  furnish  military  tyrants,  to   depopulate  the   country  by 
wicked  wars,  and  to  take  the  place  of  the  terrible  mita  of 
Spanish  times.     The  poor  Indian  is  dragged  from  his  friends 
and  home  by  a  system  of  irregular    impressment  that   no 
despotism  in  the  civilized  world  would  tolerate  ;  and  leaving 
his  fields  untilled,  he  is  forced  to  fight  in  quarrels    about 
which  he  knows  nothing,  and   cares  nothing.     These  little 
Indian  soldiers,  wretched  as  they  look,  are  very  brave  and 
enduring,  performing  incredible  marches   over   deserts   and 
sierras,   with  a  little  parched   corn  for  food,  and  coca  for 
stimulant,   and   fighting   stoutly  if  their  officers   don't  run 
away.     The  poor  fellows  have  been  known  on  such  occasions 
to   embrace  each  other,  so  little  heart  have  they  for  the 
quarrels  of  their  superiors.     Some  of  the   senior  officers  of 
the  army  are  men  of  ability,  though  many  are  stained  by 
gross  perfidy;  but  latterly  the   officers  are  drawn  from   an 
inferior  and  often  uneducated  class,  the  army  has  got  into 
disrepute,   and  the  military   spirit  is   not   of  a  high   order. 
As   the  supreme   power  depends   on  the   command  of  the 
army,  and  as  after  a  revolution  the  new  President  lavishes 
public  money  and  promotion,  a  ruler  requires  a  firm  hand  to 


186  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

hold  the  reins  long.  A  Peruvian  president  holds  office  like 
the  priest  of  Aricia — 

"  The  priest  who  slew  the  slayer, 
And  shall  himself  be  slain," 

that  is,  he  may  be  slain ;  he  certainly  will  be  violently  torn 
from  his  seat  as  soon  as  a  large  portion  of  the  army  have 
convinced  themselves  that  a  successor  is  able  to  reward  their 
treason.  Eehenique,  the  predecessor  of  the  present  president, 
squandered  the  revenue  on  his  friends  and  favourites  without 
stint,  and  allowed  them  to  rob  the  public  with  impunity. 
This  robber  fell  at  last,  but  "uno  avulso  non  deficit  alter 
aureus;"  and  General  Castilla  now  spends  on  bayonets  as 
much  as  his  predecessor  squandered  through  ministers  and 
favourites.  Castilla,  who  has  a  large  proportion  of  Indian 
blood  in  his  veins,  and  who  can  barely  write  his  name,  has 
held  power  for  some  time,  both  before  and  after  Echenique's 
tenure  of  office,  chiefly  because  he  never  runs  away  in  battle ; 
and  he  is  consequently  very  much  feared.*  The  farce  of 
election,  both  for  President  and  House  of  Eepresentatives,  is 
sometimes  gone  through,  but  the  joke  is  not  countenanced  by 
the  respectable  classes.  In  June  1859,  after  voting  supplies, 
the  House  of  Eepresentatives  ventured  to  ask  for  accounts, 
which  had  not  been  produced  by  Government  for  three  years. 
This  was  too  audacious  a  proceeding,  so  Castilla  forbade  their 
meeting  any  more,  put  a  guard  at  the  door  of  the  council 
chamber,  and  threw  five  members  who  attempted  to  disobey, 
into  prison.  Some  persons  who  are  inclined  to  imagine  that 
representative  institutions  are  the  glory  of  South  America, 
and  that  Bolivar  was  to  the  Spanish  South,  what  Washington 
was  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  States  of  the  North,  will  be  glad  to 
know  that  a  fine  equestrian  statue  of  the  former  hero  has, 
within  the  last  year,  been  put  up  opposite  the  building  from 
which  the  representatives  were  so  unceremoniously  ejected. 
On  the  pedestal  of  the  monument  is  a  bas-relief  of  the  battle 
of  Ayacucho,  at  which  Bolivar  was  not  present. 

*  Several  attempts  have  been  made  on  Castilla's  life.    Two  since  the  date 
of  these  notes. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  187 

The  amiable  old  President  having  thns  disposed  of  internal 
difficulties,  proceeded  northwards  to  Guayaquil  to  prosecute 
a  war  with  the  neighbouring  state  of  Ecuador,  where  he  was 
when  I  arrived  at  Lima.  As  Ecuador  was  convulsed  by  civil 
feuds,  he  contented  himself  with  subsidising  the  chief  of  one 
party ;  and  when  this  worthy  appeared  to  be  in  a  fair  way 
to  succeed,*  Castilla  returned  in  triumph  to  Peru,  to  brood 
over  an  expedition  against  Bolivia,  in  which  republic  his 
predecessor  Echenique  had  taken  shelter. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  speak  or  to  think  of  such  move- 
ments as  matter  for  history  ;  but  it  is  evident  that  while  these 
republics  claim  the  status  of  civilized  powers,  they  must  learn 
to  respect  and  to  protect  the  lives  and  property  of  foreigners. 
There  is  one  simple  plan  of  calling  Peru  to  account.  If  the 
three  great  powers  I  have  mentioned  unite  in  taking  tem- 
porary possession  of  the  Chincha  Islands,  the  Government 
must  attend  to  their  remonstrances ;  and  a  step  of  this  sort 
taken  in  unison  and  deliberately,  would  obviate  any  suspicion 
of  aggressive  or  interested  motives. 

Carnival  time  is  approaching,  and  a  great  portion  of  the 
fashionable  world  of  Lima  is  at  Chorillos,  a  favourite  bathing 
place  a  few  miles  south  of  Lima.  A  railway  of  the  same 
description  as  that  from  Callao,  takes  you  to  this  little  town, 
with  its  narrow  dirty  streets,  sandy  environs,  and  bad  but 
expensive  accommodations  ;  where  the  Lima  people  are  fond 
of  spending  some  portion  of  the«ummer  months.  The  occu- 
pations of  the  ladies  in  this  retreat  are  chiefly  visiting  and 
bathing,  those  of  the  gentlemen  bathing  and  gambling.  I 
need  scarcely  add  the  occupation  common  to  both  sexes  at 
watering  places  all  over  the  world — flirting.  It  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that  the  families  who  are  fortunate  enough  to 
obtain  the  ranchos  fronting  the  sea,  are  glad  to  exchange  the 
heat  of  Lima  for  the  cool  breezes  that  sweep  through  their 
broad  verandahs.  It  used  to  be  the  fashion  to  live  at  Chorillos 
in  a  very  primitive  style.     But  the  houses  no  longer  deserve 

*  The  Peruvian  President's  pet  has  since  been  defeated,  and  turned  out  of 
Ecuador. 


188  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peeu. 

the  name  of  ranchos  or  huts,  as  they  are  still  called ;  and 
they  are  improving  every  day. 

The  unpleasant  old  Spanish  fashion,  by  virtue  of  which 
people  drench  each  other  with  water  at  Carnival  time,  is  in 
full  vogue  at  Lima.  The  ladies  and  the  gentlemen  wage  war 
in  the  streets  with  great  vigour.  The  ladies  throw  water  at 
the  passers-by  from  the  windows  and  the  verandahs ;  the 
gentlemen  return  the  compliment  by  flinging  coloured  eggs 
filled  with  water  at  the  ladies.  Sometimes  a  party  of  gentle- 
men attack  a  house,  with  the  inmates  of  which  they  are 
acquainted,  and  getting  in,  carry  on  the  war  with  scented 
water,  whereon  a  regular  romp  ensues.  In  the  evening, 
parties  of  gentlemen  go  about  masked,  and  enter  the  houses 
of  acquaintances,  where  the  ladies  are  assembled  to  dance. 
Each  party  of  masks  elects  a  captain,  and,  on  entering,  this 
captain  steps  into  a  side-room  with  the  master  of  the  house 
and  unmasks  ;  he  is  responsible  for  the  party  he  brings  with 
him.  The  fun,  of  course,  consists  in  the  mistakes  made  as  to 
the  identity  of  partners.  There  are  people  who  think  the 
Carnival  a  nuisance,  especially  as  now  and  then  a  great 
brawny  negro  woman  amuses  herself  by  throwing  a  bucket 
of  water,  clean  or  unclean,  over  any  well-dressed  person  who 
may  pass  near  the  window  where  she  is  stationed.  At 
Chorillos  the  "  play,"  as  it  is  called,  is  chiefly  among  friends, 
so  those  who  don't  admire  Lima  "  play,"  prefer  being  at  the 
former  town  during  the  three  days  of  saturnalia.  There  were 
two  or  three  Englishmen  besides  myself  at  Lima  who  intended 
to  pay  a  visit  to  the  ruins  of  Pachacamac,  and  we  determined 
to  start  on  the  second  day  of  Carnival,  as  we  did  not  find  the 
watery  amusements  of  the  season  attractive  enough  to  detain 
us.  I  was  glad  to  push  on,  for  I  had  but  a  short  time  to  devote 
to  visiting  the  interesting  Indian  ruins  of  the  country. 

Before  the  railway  was  opened,  the  road  to  Chorillos  was  a 
favourite  beat  of  the  robbers  of  the  neighbourhood.  Eew,  but 
foreigners,  or  gringos,  as  they  are  called,  resisted  them,  and 
the  brigands  have,  it  is  said,  a  wholesome  dread  of  English- 
men and  Americans  (U.S.)     The  Peruvian  gambler,  on  his 


C.  C.  Bowen.J         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  189 

way  to  or  from  Chorillos  with  money,  was  rich  and  easy  prey. 
The  railroad  cut  up  this  source  of  profit ;  but  lately  the 
robbers  have  become  very  daring,  and  three  times  within 
the  last  month  large  stones  have  been  placed  on  the  line  to 
upset  the  train  ;  a  body  of  armed  ruffians  lurking  in  the 
neighbourhood,  to  take  advantage  of  the  expected  catastrophe. 
Fortunately  the  obstruction  was  seen  in  time,  as  the  train 
works  very  slowly  along  this  treacherous  line.  Of  course 
nothing  was  done  in  the  way  of  apprehending  the  culprits. 
As  we  had  to  take  our  horses  to  Chorillos  for  the  trip  to 
Pachacamac,  two  of  us  rode  down  in  the  evening — I  need  not 
say,  well  armed  ;  but  we  were  not  molested.  We  stayed  on 
the  Sunday  at  Chorillos,  where  I  met  with  the  same  kindness 
and  hospitality  which  is  so  pleasant  a  feature  of  Lima  society ; 
and  on  Monday  morning  we  set  out,  a  party  of  four,  for  the 
ruins. 

On  leaving  Chorillos,  we  passed  several  ruined  huacas,  or 
ancient  •  burial-places,  built  up  in  huge  mounds  of  adobes. 
These  huacas  are  generally  surrounded  by  ruins  like  those  of 
a  village  ;  the  best  conjecture  I  have  met  with  as  to  their 
origin  is  that  of  Mr.  Markham  (one  of  our  present  party), 
who  had  visited  them  before.  He  thinks  that  "  although 
these  were  doubtless  partly  used  as  burial-places,  it  is  pro- 
bable that  they  answered  a  far  more  extensive  purpose  ; 
that  they  were  intended  to  afford  protection  against  their 
enemies  to  the  feudal  lords  of  the  valley,  and  to  serve  as  a 
place  of  retreat  to  their  retainers."  *  The  whole  valley  of 
the  Eimac  is  covered  with  these  artificial  hills.  On  emerging 
from  a  little  wood  of  acacias,  the  road  passes  near  a  sandy 
hill,  the  northern  side  of  which  is  white  for  two  or  three 
miles  with  the  skulls  and  bones  of  men  and  women  who 
were  buried  there,  in  the  days  of  the  Incas.  This  was  a 
burial-place  for  the  lower  classes,  and  the  dryness  of  the  soil 
has  preserved  the  remains  so  wonderfully,  that  the  hair  is 
still  to  be  seen  on  many  of  the  skulls,  and  the  skin  clings 
to  the  fleshless  bones.  The  extent  of  this  crowded  cemetery 
*  "  Cuzco  and  Lima,"  by  C.  R.  Markham. 


190  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

bears  witness  to  the  immense  population  of  the  coast  valleys 
under  the  kindly  though  stern  rule  of  the  Incas.  If  Spain 
had  founded  a  noble  empire  in  the  place  of  the  one  she 
destroyed,  we  should  perhaps  have  been  less  inclined  to  do 
justice  to  a  ruined  dynasty  and  an  injured  race ;  but  no  one 
can  travel  through  Peru  without  a  feeling  of  anger  and  con- 
tempt for  the  Goths  of  America,  who  conquered  but  to 
plunder  and  to  destroy  ;  who  under  the  banner  of  the  Cross 
committed  atrocities  that  would  have  made  all  heathendom 
shudder;  and  who,  from  the  very  commencement  of  their 
career,  have  left  a  tale  of  jealousies,  and  treasons,  and  bar- 
barities, and  lies,  unequalled  in  the  history  of  the  so-called 
civilized  world.  Tacitus  has  immortalized  a  tribe  of  bar- 
barians in  one  pregnant  sentence ;  on  this  desert,  populous 
with  the  dead,  I  felt  the  force  of  the  description  : — "  Ubi 
solitudinem  faciunt,  pacem  appellant." 

A  little  beyond  this  burial-place  is  a  large  sugar  estate, 
or  hacienda,  called  Villa,  formerly  worked  by  negro  slaves, 
but  now  by  free  negroes,  and  Chinese,  imported  since  the 
Emancipation  in  1854.  This  hacienda  is  separated  from  the 
desert  of  San  Juan  by  a  few  swampy  lakes,  the  favourite 
resort  of  wild  ducks. 

The  whole  coast  of  Peru  is  of  the  same  character.  The 
traveller  does  not  reach  the  grassy  country  till  he  has  pene- 
trated into  the  Sierra.  The  coast  consists  of  deserts  and 
dreary,  sandy  hills,  broken  at  greater  or  lesser  intervals  by 
fertile  valleys,  which  owe  their  wealth  to  small  rivers,  flowing 
down  from  the  mountains.  Under  the  Incas,  large  tracts  of 
desert  land  were  reclaimed,  by  an  elaborate  system  of  irriga- 
tion, which  spread  the  waters  of  these  streams  over  a  great 
extent  of  country.  These  reclaimed  lands  have  never  be^n 
extended,  and  have  often  fallen  back  into  desert  since  the 
time  of  the  Spaniards. 

We  kept  down  along  the  sea-coast  for  a  few  miles,  where 
the  sand  was  harder  and  less  trying  to  our  horses,  till  we 
reached  the  farm  of  Mama-Conas,  which  in  old  times  belonged 
to  the  lady-abbess  of  a  convent  of  Virgins-of-the-Sun,  Mama- 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  191 

Cona  signifying  matron,  in  the  Quichua  language.  This 
farm  is  a  small  oasis  just  under  the  ruins  of  Pachacamac, 
and  surrounding  a  spring  of  sweet  water.  The  Indians  living 
here,  grow  bananas,  grapes,  and]  water-melons,  the  latter 
of  which  fruits  we  saw  growing  apparently  in  the  sand. 
While  we  stopped  to  rest  our  horses  and  search  our  saddle- 
bags for  eatables,  two  Indian  women  from  the  village  of 
Chilca,  many  miles  to  the  southward,  came  in  with  their 
donkeys  for  water-melons,  having  passed  on  their  way 
through  the  fertile  valley  of  Lurin. 

On  a  hill,  partly  natural  and  partly  artificial,  to  the  sea- 
ward of  the  old  town  of  Pachacamac,  rose  the  great  temple  of 
the  Deity.  Leaving  the  ruins  of  the  city  to  our  left,  we  rode 
up  from  one  broken  terrace  to  another,  till  we  stood  upon  the 
summit  of  the  sacred  hill.  Around  us  were  the  gigantic 
works  of  a  race  that  had  passed  away,  at  our  feet  lay  the 
city  of  the  dead.  To  the  dryness  of  a  climate  in  which  rain 
never  falls,  is  attributable  the  preservation  of  the  sun-dried 
bricks  of  which  the  temple  and  the  town  were  built,  even 
where  the  walls  have  been  torn  down  by  the  Spanish  con- 
querors. Although  the  temple  itself  has  been  destroyed, 
enough  remains  to  give  an  idea  of  its  grandeur  in  the  days 
preceding  the  establishment  of  the  Inca  empire,  when  Pacha- 
chamac  was  the  Delphi  of  Peru.  The  retaining  walls  of  the 
terraces  still  stand,  built  up  as  they  are  above  the  natural 
height  of  the  hill ;  and  on  the  western  face  the  paint  on  the 
plaster  is  as  fresh  as  if  it  had  been  laid  on  only  a  few  years 
back.  At  an  angle  from  the  terraces,  walls  of  adobes  run 
down  to  the  plain  below,  enclosing  sandy  tracts  that  once 
bloomed  with  the  many-coloured  fruits  and  flowers  of  the 
temple-gardens.  The  walls  of  the  terraces  were  built  on  foun- 
dations of  rough  stone.  A  broad  inclined  terrace  on  the 
northern  side,  which  was  the  approach  to  the  sanctuary,  is 
still  almost  perfect.  Up  this  approach,  the  long  priestly  pro- 
cession, and  the  royal  cortege  ascended  to  the  temple,  in  sight 
of  the  city  below.  Up  this  approach  marched  Hernando 
Pizarro  and  his  daring  followers,  when,  in  sight  of  the  whole 


192  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

population,  they  tore  down  the  idol  and  dashed  it  to  pieces  ; 
and  on  this  spot  the  rude  soldier  preached  the  tenets  of  a 
faith  belied  by  every  act  of  himself  and  his  blood-stained 
brethren-in-arms. 

From  the  summit  of  the  hill  the  contrast  between  the 
sandy  desert  and  the  rich  green  valley  of  Lurin  is  very 
striking.  The  ruins  are  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  river, 
which  is  the  boundary  between  sterility  and  verdure.  The 
towns  of  the  Inca  Indians,  on  the  coast,  were  always  built  on 
the  edge  of  the  desert  immediately  adjoining  the  reclaimed 
and  cultivated  districts,  but  never  encroached  on  them ; 
another  proof  of  the  density  of  the  population  and  the 
careful  economy  by  which  plenty  was  secured.  This  econo- 
mical custom  has  been  particularly  pointed  out  by  Mr. 
Markham* 

"We  rode  down  the  broad  northern  terrace  to  the  ruins  of 
the  city,  passing  by  the  temple  of  the  sun,  which  was  situated 
on  a  hill  beneath  the  great  temple  of  the  tutelary  deity. 
There  is  nothing  remarkable  about  this  ruin ;  but  the  remains 
of  the  palace  used  on  the  occasion  of  a  royal  visit  to  the  great 
sanctuary  of  the  coast,  give  some  idea  of  the  state  in  which 
an  Inca  Emperor  travelled.  I  stepped  the  great  hall,  the 
walls  of  which  still  stand.  It  is  70  paces  in  length,  by  30 
in  breadth;  that  is,  about  210  feet  by  90.  At  the  end  of 
the  hall,  and  extending  beyond  the  space  thus  roughly  mea- 
sured, are  ruins  of  what  appear  to  have  been  rows  of  seats, 
one  above  another.  Such  an  enclosed  space  near  a  mediaeval 
ruin,  in  Europe,  might  be  taken  for  a  tilting-ground.  The 
secret  of  such  great  size,  of  course,  is,  that  there  was  no  roof 
to  support ;  a  sort  of  awning  of  thatch,  or  some  very  light 
material,  warding  off  the  rays  of  the  sun.  There  are  ruins 
of  an  upper  story  of  small  rooms  at  one  end  of  the  palace  ; 
and  in  all  the  apartments,  both  above  and  below,  there  are 
niches  in  the  wall,  at  regular  intervals.  It  is  thought  by 
some,  that  in  these  niches  were  placed  the  canopas,  or  house- 
hold gods.  This  theory  is  unsatisfactory,  both  from  the 
*  "  Cuzco  and  Lima,"  p.  12. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN   1 860.  193 

number  and  shape  of  these  cavities.  They  are  broader  than 
they  are  high,  and,  putting  my  arm  in,  I  found  that  some  of 
them  were  higher  inside  than  they  appeared,  and  that  they 
were  regularly  roofed. 

A  narrow  street  between  the  palace  wall  and  some  other 
buildings,  still  exists.  It  must  have  been  gloomy,  as  there  is 
no  trace  of  windows  in  the  side  walls  of  the  houses  on  either 
side.  Emerging  from  this  street,  we  rode  through  a  labyrinth 
of  ruined  houses,  in  many  of  which  skulls,  bones,  and  even 
clothes  used  as  shrouds,  may  be  seen,  preserved  in  the  dry 
soil.  The  mortal  remains  of  the  upper  classes  were  often 
buried  under  their  own  houses.  How  little  did  they  think 
who  died  and  were  buried  in  the  holy  city,  that  their  bones 
would  lie  bleaching  in  the  sun  under  the  ruined  walls  of  the 
temple  of  the  oracle  ;  that  a  city  of  strangers  in  a  neigh- 
bouring valley  would  eclipse  the  glory  of  Pachacamac,  and 
that  the  civilization  around  them,  based  apparently  on 
such  sure  foundations,  would  ere  long  be  destroyed  for 
ever. 

Crossing  the  suspension  bridge  that  spans  the  muddy 
torrent  of  Lurin,  we  left  the  desert  behind  us,  and  rode  along 
a  narrow  road  shaded  by  noble  willows,  somewhat  resembling 
at  a  distance,  our  English  weeping-willows,  but  stronger  and 
less  fragile-looking ;  on  either  side  of  the  road  were  fields 
of  sugar-cane  and  other  tropical  products  growing  in  rich 
luxuriance.  A  little  beyond  a  hacienda,  called  San  Pedro,  we 
found  the  little  town  or  rather  village  of  Lurin,  embosomed 
in  trees,  and  on  entering  the  plaza,  saw  preparations  for 
Carnival  festivities.  Around  the  plaza  are  the  church  and 
the  principal  houses,  built  of  adobes  ;  the  rest  of  the  town 
consists  of  narrow  lanes  of  huts  built  of  bamboo  and  clay, 
and  tenanted  by  a  mixed  population,  chiefly  of  negroes  and 
zambos  (half  Indian,  half  negro).  We  rode  up  to  the  door 
of  one  of  the  principal  houses  at  the  corner  of  the  plaza, 
belonging  to  the  schoolmaster,  where,  although  the  house  was 
in  great  disorder,  we  were  favourably  received ;  the  horses 
were  put  into  the  coral,  or  yard,  at  the  back  of  the  house,  and 

o 


194  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

having  ordered  a  chupS  *  to  be  made  for  us,  we  went  off  to 
look  for  a  place  to  bathe.     I  regret  to   say  that  the  lady 
of  the  house  where  we  proposed  to  sleep,  and  most  of  the 
inmates,  were  more  or  less  under  the  influence  of  ypisco  (a 
white  spirit  made  from  the  grape).     When  we  returned  from 
our  bath,  barricades  had  been  put  up  at  the  different  ap- 
proaches to  the  plaza,  thereby  converting  it  into  a  temporary 
bull-ring.     The  bull-fight  was  not  to  be  a  Voutrance;  but  the 
young  bulls  were  to  be  tried  or  "  played,"  as  they  call  it.     We 
had  scarcely  begun  to  eat  our  chupe,  when  we  heard  a  scream 
of  delight  from  the  women  at  the  door,  who  were  pushing  in 
to  close  it.     The  first  bull  they  said  was  muy  bravo,  and  was 
coming  round  towards  them.     We  ran  to  the  door  in  time 
to  see  an  unfortunate  horse  severely  gored,  and  led  away, 
bleeding  profusely.     The  rest   of  the  performance  was   as 
mean,  cruel,  and  cowardly  an  amusement  as  could  have  been 
invented.     A  number  of  young  bulls  were  turned  into  the 
square  one  after  the  other,  and  excited  by  red  clothes  and 
spear- thrusts  ;  but  it  would  not  do,  the  poor  brutes  only  tried 
to  make  their  escape,  and  we  were  glad  that  darkness  soon 
obliged  the  gentle  villagers  to  give  up  their  sport.     We  then 
went   across  the  plaza  to  call  on  the  cura,  but  were  told 
that  he  had  gone  out  to  amuse  himself.     We  had  seen  his 
reverence  on  a  balcony  with  some  friends  enjoying  the  bull- 
fight, and  as  he  probably  intended  to  make  a  night  of  it,  did 
not  disturb  him.  Masks  and  dances  at  one  of  the  houses  were 
the  next  amusement,  and  a  good  deal  of  pisco  went  round, 
till  at  last  our  venerable  hostess  appeared  inclined  to  return 
home,  to  our  great  delight.     This  wonderful  old  woman  had 
certainly  drunk  more  pisco  than  any  one  else  ;  she  had  pre- 
viously put  her  son,  the  schoolmaster,  to  bed  in  a  helpless 
state,  and  she  was  still  brisk,  though  somewhat  tipsy.     She 

*  A  chupe  is  a  nondescript  sort  of  stew,  made  of  a  little  meat,  and  what- 
ever vegetables  are  within  reach  (no  great  variety  generally).  This  dish  is 
flavoured  with  coarse  cheese,  and  made  pungent  with  ahi,  the  Peruvian 
pepper.  When  eggs  are  put  into  it,  it  is  tolerably  eatable ;  and  even  without 
eggs,  and  in  out-of-the-way  places,  is  not  always  nasty.  But  sheer  hunger  is 
the  only  inducement  to  swallow  the  chupe  made  by  the  Indians  in  the  Sierra. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  195 

found  us  a  sheet  and  a  bench  each,  and  then  getting  hold 
of  our  saddle  bags,  sat  down  beside  us,  and  proceeded  deli- 
berately to  eat  an  enormous  supper  from  their  contents.  We 
lay  on  our  benches  screaming  with  laughter,  as  we  saw  our 
ham  and  cheese  vanish,  while  a  stolid  little  Indian  boy  stood 
before  her  holding  a  light.  It  was  a  ludicrous  scene,  especially 
as  she  came  round  to  each  of  us  in  turn  to  pledge  us  in  pisco, 
and  then  wept  because  she  was  not  allowed  to  get  at  the  sherry 

bottle  which  W took  possession  of,  and  kept  doggedly 

between  his  knees,  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  the  entreaties  and 
tears  of  the  old  lady.  At  last  she  went  away  to  bed,  on 
being  allowed  to  take  half  the  cheese  with  her.  Not- 
withstanding all  this,  she  was  the  first  up  in  the  morning, 
and  got  iced-water  for  her  drunken  son,  and  hot  water  to 
make  our  tea.  An  officer  of  police  from  Lima,  who  was  on 
a  visit  to  the  house  during  Carnival  time,  informed  us  that 
he  knew  of  several  brigands  who  lived  in  Lurin  and  robbed 
travellers  to  Chilca ;  but  that  he  could  do  nothing  !  He  said 
he  was  ashamed  of  the  state  of  lawlessness  around  Lima,  and 
that  if  by  letting  blood  out  of  the  veins  of  his  arm  he  could 
cease  to  be  a  Peruvian,  he  would  do  so.  After  this  brave 
and  patriotic  sentiment,  who  could  accuse  him  of  neglect  of 
duty  ?  We  put  fresh  caps  on  our  pistols,  and  gladly  rode  out 
of  the  town  of  Lurin.  It  is  possibly  more  inviting  at  any  other 
time  ;  it  certainly  does  not  show  to  advantage  during  Carnival. 

Following  a  beautiful  road  a  few  miles  up  the  valley,  we 
reached  the  pretty  village  of  modern  Pachacamac.  It  is 
almost  entirely  inhabited  by  Indians,  and  the  house  in  the 
plaza  where  we  got  a  chwpS  was  clean  and  tidy.  The  cooking 
was  unusually  nice,  and  the  people  civil  and  well-looking. 
A  village  belle  was  just  going  off,  with  silver-mounted  bridle, 
and  in  holiday  trim,  to  "  play  "  carnival  at  Lurin.  We  wished 
her  joy.  After  waiting  at  this  village  till  the  mid-day  heat 
was  past,  we  turned  our  horses'  heads  northwards  ;  and,  ford- 
ing the  river  many  miles  above  the  bridge,  rode  back  across 
the  desert  to  Chorillos. 

The  sea-bathing  at  this  fashionable  watering-place  is  carried 

o2 


196  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peku 

on  in  the  most  sociable  manner.  There  are  a  collection  of 
bamboo  ranchos  by  the  sea-side,  where  you  are  furnished  with 
a  bathing-dress,  towels,  &c.  Ladies  and  gentlemen  make  up 
bathing  parties  together,  and  at  favourite  hours  great  numbers 
of  people  meet  in  the  water.  The  dress  consists  of  blue  serge 
shirt  and  trowsers,  a  straw  hat,  and  a  pair  of  canvas  shoes, — 
not  a  very  convenient  costume  to  swim  in.  It  is  rather  odd 
to  find  yourself  in  the  water,  saluting  a  damp  limp-looking 
nymph,  whom  you  saw  but  the  night  before  in  all  the  glory 
of  crinoline  and  flounces.  Quantum  mutata  !  It  is  a  marvel 
to  me  that  the  ladies  of  Lima,  who  are  so  fond  of  dress,  and 
so  careful  of  their  personal  appearance,  should  venture  upon 
such  a  metamorphosis  ;   but  fashion  is  all-powerful. 

Before  we  left  Chorillos  for  Pachacamac,  we  had  heard  two 
salutes  of  twenty  guns  (the  royal  salute  here)  from  the 
direction  of  Callao  ;  and  on  our  return,  we  heard  that  the 
President,  or  as  he  is  irreverently  called  by  the  English, 
"  Old  Boots,"  had  arrived  from  Ecuador,  and  had  immediately 
come  down  to  Chorillos,  where  he  bathed  with  the  pomp  of 
the  King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands.  First  in  procession  came 
the  band,  then  the  staff,  then  the  President,  and  then  some 
sky-rockets.  The  music  subsided  into  a  plaintive  air,  while 
His  Excellency  retired  beneath  the  envious  shade  of  the 
rancho,  but  burst  out  again  in  triumphant  strains  as  he 
emerged  in  his  blue  bathing-dress,  and  splashed  about  in  the 
water  among  the  delighted  spectators.  The  staff  looked  on 
respectfully  from  the  beach.  After  the  bath,  the  virtuous  old 
republican  retires  to  gamble  ;  an  amusement  which  he  nomi- 
nally forbids  his  subjects  to  indulge  in. 

From  Lima,  M was  bound  for  the  interior,  on  a  scien- 
tific expedition.     Mrs.  M was  to  go  as  far  as  Arequipa, 

and  to  remain  there  while  he  pursued  his  journey  into  the 

Montana.     M and  I  agreed  to  travel  together  to  Lake 

Titicaca,  the  reputed  cradle  of  Inca  civilization.  From  that 
point  our  routes  would  diverge  ;  he  striking  into  the  Caravaya 
valley,  and  I  turning  towards  Cuzco,  the  once  famous  and 
now  seldom  visited  city  of  the  Incas.. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  197 

On  Tuesday,  the  28th  February,  we  left  Callao  in  one  of 
the  fine  steamers  of  the  English  Company,  which  has  a 
monopoly  of  the  traffic  along  the  coast  from  Panama  to  Val- 
paraiso. There  is  no  greater  sign  of  the  debility  of  the  South 
American  race  than  the  fact  that  almost  every  enterprise  in 
the  country  of  any  moment  has  been  undertaken  by  foreigners. 
If  the  English  Steam-packet  Company  now  has  a  monopoly 
on  the  western  coast  of  South- America,  it  is  the  fault  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  country ;  and  when  they  grumble  at  the 
very  high  prices  *  consequent  on  monopoly,  they  should  re- 
member that  there  would  be  no  steam  communication  at  all, 
if  they  were  left  to  their  own  resources.  Should  competition 
arise,  the  Americans  (U.  S.)  will  furnish  the  competing 
steamers  ;  there  is  some  talk  already  of  an  American  Company. 
In  the  meantime,  the  Peruvians  enjoy  punctuality,  good 
accommodation,  and  cleanliness  ;  and  the  occasional  traveller 
is  glad  to  pay  any  price  for  the  only  comfortable  means  of 
travelling  to  be  met  with  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

Leaving  to  the  left  the  now  half-dismantled  fort  of  Callao, 
from  under  the  guns  of  which  Lord  Cochrane  cut  out  the 
"  Esmeralda"  in  1820,  we  steamed  out  of  the  harbour  by  what 
is  called  the  Bucaroon  passage,  between  a  reef  running  out  from 
the  main  land  and  the  southern  end  of  the  Island  of  San  Lo- 
renzo. The  evening  was  very  fine,  and  we  had  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Eimac,  with  Lima  in  the  middle  distance, 
and  the  cloud-capped  Cordillera  in  the  background.  From 
this  point  of  view  the  best  idea  can  be  obtained  of  the  valley, 
and  of  the  natural  advantages  which  induced  Pizarro  to  select 
it  as  the  site  for  the  Capital  town  of  the  new  Government. 
Early  the  next  morning  we  reached  the  Chincha  Islands, 
creeping  slowly  up  through  the  heavy  mist  that  generally 
hangs  along  the  coast  in  the  mornings.  Several  times  the 
engines  were  stopped  ;  then  the  paddles  moved  slowly  round 
in  the  calm  water,  while  captain  and  officers  strained  their 
eyes  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  island.     Suddenly  the  mist  rose, 

*  The  fare  from  Callao  to  Islay,  two  and  a  half  days,  is  sixty  dollars,  equal, 
in  the  depreciated  state  of  the  currency,  to  about  lit. 


198  VACATION  TOURISVS,  AND  [Peru. 

and  discovered  within  about  half  a  mile  of  the  steamer  a 
most  wonderful  sight.  Sixty  or  seventy  vessels,  of  all  sizes, 
lay  at  anchor  under  these  barren  rocks,  from  which  they 
were  to  bear  to  every  part  of  the  civilized  world  a  wealth 
greater  than  that  of  the  mines  of  Potosi.  On  the  shore 
we  could  see  the  deep  cuttings  in  the  guano,  which  lies  in 
depths  ranging  from  thirty  to  a  hundred  and  twenty  feet  on 
the  surface  of  the  rock.  From  these  cuttings,  which  from 
a  distance  have  the  appearance  of  quarries,  a  tramway  takes 
the  guano  down  to  a  pier,  at  the  end  of  which  it  is  poured 
through  canvas  shoots  into  launches  lying  alongside.  At 
the  cuttings,  as  well  as  at  the  shoots,  clouds  of  dust  arise, 
from  which  the  unfortunate  workmen  must  suffer  severely. 
The  ammonia  is  very  penetrating,  and  although  it  is  said  to 
produce  no  immediately  unhealthy  consequences,  yet  it  causes 
sufficient  suffering  among  the  men  incessantly  employed,  to 
make  the  labour  very  unpopular.  Some  Chinese  have  been 
imported  lately  as  labourers,  but  suicide,  by  jumping  over 
the  cliff,  has  been  common  among  them.  I  have  already 
spoken  of  the  large  and  misused  revenue  derived  from  these 
islands,  the  prize  for  which  revolutionary  parties  struggle. 
We  saw  a  squad  of  soldiers  drilling  on  one  of  the  points,  and 
the  inevitable  boat-full  of  officials  boarded  us  as  we  lay  off 
the  landing-place  for  half  an  hour.  The  great  ambition  of  a 
Peruvian  is  to  obtain  a  place  under  Government,  whereby  to 
enrich  himself.  It  was  only  the  second  and  third  in  command 
with  their  satellites  who  came  off  to  us  from  this  little  rock 
in  the  boat  of  the  captain  of  the  port. 

About  an  hour's  steaming  brought  us  to  the  roadstead  of 
Pisco,  where  the  anchor  was  dropped  for  a  couple  of  hours. 
We  went  ashore  in  one  of  the  boats  which  found  the  steamer 
out  through  the  heavy  mist,  and  after  a  pull  of  about  half-a- 
mile  landed  on  a  fine  iron  pier,  built  for  the  Government  by 
an  American  contractor.  I  was  wondering  at  and  admiring 
the  employment  of  public  money  on  so  useful  a  work,  when 
we  were  informed  by  a  gentleman  connected  with  the  con- 
tractor himself,  that  the  work  was  a  job.     The  contractor 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  199 

urged  the  selection  of  a  site  about  six  miles  further  south, 
where  there  is  calm  water ;  but  local  influences  prevailed,  and 
the  jetty  is  built  where  it  is  comparatively  useless  for  shipping. 
We  had  not  time  to  go  up  as  far  as  the  town  of  Pisco,  six  or 
seven  miles  inland,  so  we  amused  ourselves  for  the  time  we 
were  on  shore,  in  watching  the  negro  surf-men  loading  boats 
with  the  huge  earthen  pitchers,  in  which  the  spirit  called 
pisco  is  exported  to  different  parts  of  the  coast.  The  boat 
lies  outside  the  surf,  and  each  man  shouldering  a  pitcher,  and 
assisted  by  a  strong  stick,  makes  his  way  through  the  breakers 
till  he  is  obliged  to  turn  his  back  to  a  wave  that  breaks  almost 
over  him,  and  then  pushes  on  afresh,  till  the  swell  again  warns 
him  to  turn  round. 

From  Pisco  to  Islay  the  country  presents  few  objects  of 
interest.  I  think  it  is  not  generally  understood  in  Europe 
that  a  great  portion  of  Peru  is  a  desert — a  very  dreary  desert, 
studded  here  and  there  with  rich  but  slovenly  gardens  re- 
claimed from  the  waste  around.  Whenever  water  can  be 
introduced  this  desert  may  be  made  fruitful.  During  the 
season  in  which  rain  falls  on  the  low  hills  which  run  from 
the  sierra  towards  the  coast  south  of  Pisco,  they  are  covered 
with  grass  and  flowers,  and  the  cattle  from  the  interior  are 
sent  down  to  relieve  the  upland  pastures. 

On  Friday  morning  we  anchored  off  Islay,  a  little  wooden 
town  perched  on  a  desert  promontory,  and  serving  as  a  port 
town  for  Arequipa,  and  a  large  tract  of  country  in  the  inte- 
rior. On  landing,  we  had  to  send  up  for  mules  to  Arequipa 
by  the  propio,  who  was  just  starting  with  the  mails.  The 
mules  did  not  arrive  till  Tuesday,  so  that  we  were  not  able  to 
leave  Islay  till  Wednesday  morning.  Lima  is  the  only  town 
in  Peru  where  there  are  hotels ;  elsewhere  the  stranger  is 
indebted  to  private  hospitality,  as  we  were  here.  During  our 
stay,  droves  of  mules  and  asses  were  constantly  arriving  from 
the  interior  with  loads  of  wool  and  silver,  and  returning  with 
foreign  merchandise,  and  guano  for  the  maize  crops  of  the 
valley  of  Arequipa.  Islay  itself  is  wholly  dependent  on 
other  places  for  everything.     Not  a  blade  of  grass  will  grow 


200  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

there ;  and  a  scanty  supply  of  water  for  the  use  of  the  town 
was  till  lately  brought  down  on  mules  from  the  gullies  of  the 
neighbouring  hills.  Pipes  were  laid  down  about  nine  years 
ago,  under  the  direction  of  an  English  engineer,  and  they  are 
now  taken  care  of  by  an  Irishman,  who  goes  by  the  name  of 
"  Juan  de  la  pila"  or  John  of  the  Fountain.  A  difficult  post 
he  has  between  the  muleteers  who  break  the  pipes  to  water 
their  mules,  and  the  local  authorities  who  try  to  keep  back 
his  pay.  However,  John  is  master  of  the  position ;  as  he 
could  cut  off  the  water,  he  generally  manages  to  obtain  justice. 
During  Vivanco's  last  revolution,  Castilla's  army  was  camped 
a  little  above  the  town,  and  cut  off  the  water ;  fortunately  the 
British  Consul's  family,  and  the  foreign  merchants  got  an 
opportune  supply  from  an  English  ship  of  war. 

When  we  arrived,  the  country  was  in  a  very  disturbed 
state,  as  an  attempted  revolution  had  just  been  summarily 
put  down  at  Arequipa.  There  were  still  rumours  of  coming 
troubles,  and  the  little  town  of  Islay  was  crowded  with 
soldiers ;  it  was  thought  that  the  President  might  be 
down  at  any  moment  to  join  the  army  assembled  at  Puno, 
near  the  frontier  of  Bolivia.  It  is  curious  to  observe  the 
mixed  feelings  with  which  Don  Eamon  (as  Castilla  is  com- 
monly called)  is  looked  upon.  By  a  large  majority  of  the 
upper  classes  he  is  feared  more  than  liked,  though  there  is  an 
impression  that  he  can  rule  Peru  better  than  other  pretenders. 
He  is  fearless,  and  not  cruel ;  but  he  is  a  rough,  uncouth 
soldier,  muy  bruto,  with  few  scruples  when  his  authority  is  in 
danger.  By  the  lower  classes  he  is  generally  liked,  and  from 
the  ranks  of  the  army  he  has  lately  chosen  his  officers. 
Under  Vivanco  and  Echenique,  who  are  men  of  education, 
the  officers  were  chosen  from  a  higher  rank  in  society;  but 
however  much  they  excelled  their  successors  in  polish,  they 
certainly  could  not  be  exceeded  by  the  latter  in  corruption 
and  want  of  military  honour.  Yet  on  the  whole,  the  more  I 
and  hear  of  the  country  and  the  people,  the  more  I  am  in- 
clined to  think  that  "  Old  Boots  "  would  be  a  loss  at  present. 

The  climate  at  Islay  is  delightful  for  those  who  are  fond  of 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  201 

rather  hot  weather  ;  but  it  tends  more  or  less  to  enervate  the 

inhabitants.    The  mornings  and  evenings  are  cool,  and  M 

and  I  took  advantage  of  the  sea-breeze  before  breakfast  to 
walk  up  to  the  valleys  in  the  neighbouring  hills,  from  which 
the  supply  of  water  is  drawn.  The  season  had  been  unusually 
wet,  so  that  there  was  still  a  little  verdure  left  in  the  hollows, 
where  a  few  olives  and  fig-trees  bore  evidence  to  former  culti- 
vation.    The  sources  of  the  water-springs  are  scanty  enough. 

Near  the  shore,  a  little  to  the  south  of  Islay,  are  two  large 
circular  chasms,  divided  from  the  sea  by  a  narrow  ledge  of 
rock.  The  sea  has  bored  through  the  hard  cliff,  and  pene- 
trating to  a  looser  soil  behind,  has  gradually  torn  it  away,  the 
retreating  tide  drawing  back  the  wreck  through  the  holes 
beneath.  This,  at  least,  appeared  to  us  sufficient  cause  for 
the  formation  of  the  tinajones,  or  "  large  pans,"  as  they  are 
called ;  although  it  certainly  is  strange  that  two  cavities  of 
similar  shape  should  have  been  formed  close  to  each  other. 
But  as  we  looked  down  into  these  deep  caverns,  and  heard 
the  tide  roaring  below  as  if  waiting  to  swallow  up  the  masses 
that  were  even  then  detaching  themselves  from  the  cliff,  we 
could  see  no  necessity  for  attributing  the  formation  to  volcanic 
action.  It  is,  however,  the  opinion  of  many  that  such  was 
their  origin. 

On  Tuesday,  our  mules  arrived,  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
making  the  acquaintance  of  one  arriero,  a  man  who  in  any 
other  country  would  be  considered  a  consummate  liar,  but 
who  in  his  native  land  is  looked  on  as  a  very  respectable  man. 
Indeed,  I  believe  it  to  be  true  that  he  was  the  best  of  the 
arrieros  who  frequented  that  route.  And  here  I  cannot  but 
observe,  that  the  vice  of  lying — there  is  no  use  in  mincing 
words — is  prevalent  among  all  classes  of  society  in  this 
country,  from  the  highest  officer  to  the  poorest  peon.  And 
however  much  the  Peruvian  may  hate  the  Gringo,  he  is  far 
more  ready  to  believe  him  and  to  trust  him  than  his  own 
countrymen.  If  I  dwell  now  on  our  arriero's  delinquencies, 
it  is  in  order  to  impress  on  any  intending  travellers  in  Peru 
the  lesson  I  learned  early,  viz.,  not  to  believe  anything  your 


202  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

muleteer  may  say ;  to  see  his  animals  put  into  a  corral  within 
your  own  ken  at  night;  and  when  en  route,  to  keep  him 
before  you,  and  not  to  let  him  fall  behind  on  any  pretext. 

The  route  over  the  desert  from  Islay  to  Arequipa  is  com- 
monly reputed  to  be  about  ninety  miles  in  length  ;  while  the 
direct  distance  from  the  sea-coast  is  not  more  than  about 

sixty  miles.     As  Mrs.  M was  coming  as  far  as  Arequipa, 

some  trouble  had  been  taken  to  make  the  journey  as  com- 
fortable as  possible.  The  arriero  had  made  solemn  promises 
to  be  ready  early  in  the  morning,  and  to  push  on  with  the 
light  luggage,  so  that  immediate  necessaries  should  reach 
Arequipa  as  soon  as  we  did  ourselves.  In  the  morning, 
however,  our  gentleman  was  selling  potatoes  that  he  had 
brought  down  to  Islay  on  a  private  speculation,  and  the  heat 
of  the  day  had  already  set  in  when  we  started  with  a  man 
whom  the  muleteer  sent  with  us.  When  we  had  gone  about 
nine  miles  on  our  way  up  the  long  sandy  quebrada  that  leads 
through  the  hills  to  the  elevated  pampas  above,  the  mozo 
wanted  us  to  stop,  on  the  pretext  of  getting  water  for  the 
mules.  We  refused,  and  proceeded  to  the  Cruz  de  Garreros, 
where  there  is  a  tambo  or  post-house  at  the  top  of  the  ravine. 
Here  we  were  to  halt  during  the  heat  of  the  day.  We  had, 
unfortunately,  trusted  the  mozo  with  the  saddle-bags  contain- 
ing the  eatables,  and  waited  for  some  time  expecting  him 
to  come  up.  At  last  I  rode  back  in  high  dudgeon,  thinking 
that  the  fellow  had  stopped  to  get  drunk  at  the  tambo,  where 
he  had  wanted  us  to  stop.  As  I  rode  down  the  hot  quebrada 
again,  my  wrath  increased,  and  I  was  rejoicing  in  the  idea  of 
bringing  away  his  mule  with  the  alforjas,  leaving  him  to 
follow  on  foot,  when  I  met  a  man  who  told  me  he  had 
met  our  friend  posting  back  towards  Islay.  It  had  been 
preconcerted  that  we  were  to  be  detained  at  the  tambo  till  it 
suited  the  convenience  of  Senor  Munoz  to  join  us.  Soon 
after  my  return  with  this  news,  Munoz  himself  appeared  with 
his  mule  brutally  spurred;  and  he  seemed  to  consider  the 
state  of  his  steed  a  sufficient  apology  for  his  misdeeds.  The 
sangfroid  of  these  indolent  rascals  would  enrage  a  saint. 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  203 

Near  this  spot,  at  the  entrance  of  the  ravine,  a  curious 
incident  of  the  civil  war  occurred  in  1836.  General  Miller,  in 
his  pursuit  of  the  fugitive  revolutionary  chief  Salaverry,  found 
himself  here  with  about  fifteen  men,  when  two  hundred  of 
the  enemy's  horse  made  their  appearance  on  their  way  to 
Tslay,  where  a  couple  of  ships  were  lying  in  the  hands  of 
Salaverry's  partisans.  General  Miller,  with  a  happy  audacity, 
placed  his  few  men  behind  a  hill,  with  the  exception  of  two 
or  three  who  were  posted  like  sentinels,  and  then  galloping 
up  to  the  edge  of  the  ravine  called  on  the  cavalry  to  lay  down 
their  arms.  His  military  reputation  was  such,  that  the  moment 
he  was  recognised,  the  troops  were  seized  with  a  panic,  and 
they  flung  their  arms  at  his  feet  with  cries  of  "  Viva  General 
Miller."  The  next  day  Salaverry,  who  had  lost  himself  in  the 
desert  with  a  few  followers,  came  in  very  much  exhausted,  and 
surrendered.  A  little  further  on  in  the  desert  is  buried  one  of 
Salaverry's  soldiers,  who,  tradition  says,  had  been  flogged  to 
death  because  he  was  too  much  exhausted  to  march  any 
further.  The  poor  fellow's  corpse  is  scantily  covered  with 
sand,  a  portion  of  which  the  passer-by  removes  to  wonder  at 
the  perfect  preservation  of  the  body  in  that  dry  desert  soil. 

In  the  centre  of  the  pampa,  the  tambo  of  La  Joya,  kept 
by  an  Englishman,  is  a  decided  improvement  on  the  native 
post-houses.  Here  are  obtainable  clean  beds  and  a  good 
ckupS.  As  we  left  La  Joya  at  dawn  the  next  morning  the 
view  of  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Cordillera  was  magnificent, 
but  they  were  soon  enveloped  in  mist  again.  At  this  season 
of  the  year  it  is  only  in  the  early  morning  that  you  can  get 
an  unclouded  view  of  the  highest  mountains.  In  misty 
weather  the  desert  is  very  treacherous.  Many  persons,  even 
arrieros,  who  are  accustomed  to  the  route,  have  lost  their  way 
and  perished  ; — many  have  been  reduced  to  the  last  extremity 
before  they  were  providentially  saved.  But  in  this  part  of  the 
waste  there  are  remarkable  guides  for  those  who  know  how 
to  use  them.  On  the  red-coloured  surface  of  the  plain  are 
scattered  large  heaps  of  the  lighter  stone-grey  sand,  raised  by 
the  wind.     These  heaps,  called  medanos,  are  all  of  one  shape, 


204  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

like  a  moon  in  the  first  quarter ;  and  owing  to  the  prevailing 
wind,  their  horns  always  point  to  the  north-west,  thereby- 
affording  a  natural  compass  to  the  traveller.  The  medanos, 
which  are  always  travelling  in  a  north-westerly  direction,  are 
the  most  curious  phenomena  of  the  desert. 

After  a  few  hours'  ride,  we  commenced  the  hot  and  weary 
ascent  of  the  hills  that  separate  the  pampas  from  the  valley 
of  Arequipa.  The  route  is  by  a  long  sandy  quebrada,  succeeded 
by  monotonous  hills  and  hollows,  rocky  and  arid,  as  weari- 
some to  the  rider  as  to  the  unhappy  mules.  The  bones  of 
their  departed  brethren  greet  these  poor  animals  at  every 
step  in  the  toilsome  ascent  and  descent.  The  fact  that  no 
road  has  been  made  from  Arequipa  to  the  coast,  is  a  disgrace 
to  the  Spaniards,  who  for  nearly  three  hundred  years  drew 
so  much  wealth  from  the  country  in  this  direction.  Their 
miserable  policy  was  not  to  open  up  Peru  for  fear  of  encourag- 
ing intercourse  with  foreigners.  And  now  that  the  republic 
has  put  an  end  to  this  policy, — now  that  foreign  houses 
monopolize  the  trade  of  the  country, — there  is  little  chance 
that  the  Governments  that  succeed  each  other  in  rapid  and 
ignoble  succession,  will  devote  public  money  to  so  useful  a 
purpose  as  road-making.  It  may  be  asserted  that,  with  the 
exception  of  the  short  bits  of  railway  from  Lima  to  Callao 
and  Chorillos,  no  such  thing  as  a  road  exists  in  Peru  at  this 
time.  And  yet  more  than  four  hundred  years  ago  the  Incas 
had  made  and  maintained  post-roads  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  country.  But  this  was  before  the  introduction 
of  Spanish  civilization,  and  Spanish  Christianity. 

From  the  top  of  the  hills  the  first  view  of  the  campina  of 
Arequipa  is  a  relief  to  eyes  wearied  by  the  glare  of  the  sun  on 
the  desert  sands.  As  we  approached  the  valley,  the  clouds 
were  low  on  the  mountains,  hiding  the  volcano  and  the  peak 
of  Chacani,  which  rise  about  20,000  and  21,000  feet  respec- 
tively above  the  level  of  the  sea.  These  characteristic 
features  of  Arequipa  are  clear  from  morning  till  night  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  year,  but  during  the  rainy  season  (which 
was  just  drawing  to  a  close)  the  clouds  descend  over  them  in 


C.  C.  Bowen. J  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  205 

the  afternoon.  On  emerging  from  the  passes  of  the  hills,  the 
shortest  route  would  have  been  across  the  river  and  through 
the  little  village  of  Tiavaya.  But  the  stream  was  unfor- 
tunately too  much  swollen  to  allow  us  to  ford  it ;  we  had  to 
cross  by  a  bridge  some  miles  lower  down,  and  to  traverse  a 
sandy  pampa  to  the  westward  of  the  town  ; — so  it  was  late 
before  we  reached  our  destination.  Our  baggage  did  not 
arrive  till  two  days  after  us  ;  during  the  interval  our  most 
respectable  arriero  quite  distinguished  himself  by  his  fertility 
in  the  art  of  lying. 

Arequipa,  the  second  Spanish  city  founded  by  Pizarro,  and 
now  the  second  in  importance  in  Peru,  is  par  excellence  the 
revolutionary  city.     Here  most  of  the  recent  revolutions  have 
originated,  and  the  country  around  has  been  the  scene  of 
many  a  battle  between  contending  factions.      It  would  be 
wearisome  to  a  person  who  knew  nothing  of  the  country  to 
wade  through  an  account  of  these  kite  and  crow  wars  ;  it  is 
painful  to  any  one  to  think  of  the  wicked  folly  that  is  the 
constant  cause  of  bloodshed  here.     Sometimes  the  details  are 
sufficiently  ludicrous.     An  officer  of  the  army,  perhaps,  in 
consequence  of  some  disgust,  determines  "  to  make  a  revolu- 
tion."    He  receives  from  an  exile  in  a  neighbouring  state  a 
thousand  dollars,  to  spend  in  chicha,  a  sort  of  bad  beer  made 
of  maize.     He  distributes  this  favourite  beverage  among  the 
turbulent  classes,  and  a  revolution  breaks  out.     A  few  barri- 
cades are  thrown  up,  and  the  populace  "descends  into  the 
streets,"  as  they  say  in  Paris.     Nobody  knows  when  the  row 
commences,  whether  it  will  be  an  emeute  put  down  in  a  few 
hours,  or  whether  it  will  spread  over  the  country  till  a  new 
"  Supreme  Chief,"  or  "  Liberator  of  the  country,"  or  "  Eegene- 
rator  of  Peru"  seizes  the  reins.     The  revolution  that  had  been 
put  down  just  before  we  arrived,  was  a  very  slight  affair ; 
but  three  years   ago  Arequipa  was  the  scene  of  a  bloody 
struggle,  when  Vivanco,  an  old  rival   of  the  present  ruler, 
attempted  to  dispossess  Castilla  of  the  supreme  power.     The 
majority  of  the  Arequipanians  were  friends  of  Vivanco,  but 
this  leader,  plausible  and  educated  as  he  is,  was  no  match  for 


206  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

the  fearless,  iron-framed  "  Old  Boots."  The  latter  besieged  the 
town,  a  long  resistance  was  offered,  but  in  the  end  Castilla 
entered  in  triumph,  surprising  some  of  the  posts,  and  carrying 
others  after  a  vigorous  assault.  Vivanco  fled — indeed  Castilla 
winked  at  his  escape.  (It  is  to  be  regretted  that  no  punish- 
ment now  overtakes  revolutionary  intriguers,  who  are  prac- 
tically wholesale  murderers.)  The  Arequipanians  are  very 
proud  of  their  lengthened  stand  against  so  resolute  and  un- 
tiring a  foe  as  Castilla,  and  it  is  amusing  to  hear  the  names 
they  have  given  to  the  different  points  of  defence.  A  house 
in  the  suburbs,  which  is  much  battered,  goes  by  the  name  of 
the  "  Malakoff,"  and  the  defenders  are  fully  of  opinion  that 
they  rivalled,  if  they  did  not  surpass,  the  deeds  of  the 
Crimean  war.  One  of  the  combatants  asked  a  Frenchman 
who  was  in  the  town  whether  an  equal  number  of  his  country- 
men would  have  conducted  the  assault  as  well  as  Castilla's 
troops.  The  doughty  son  of  Gaul  replied  by  a  vaunt  less 
polite  than  it  was  probably  truthful.  "  So  many  French 
soldiers,"  said  he,  "  would  have  driven  Castilla  and  his  troops 
into  the  town,  and  then  have  driven  both  parties  out  at  the 
other  side."  The  Arequipanian  naturally  put  him  down  as 
an  ignorant  rude  man.  While  on  the  subject  of  revolutions, 
it  is  right  to  say  that  old  residents  bear  witness  to  the  good 
behaviour  of  the  general  population  in  these  times  of  anarchy. 
The  race  is  very  different  from  the  mongrel  breed  around 
Lima,  as  there  is  no  negro  element,  and  Indian  blood  pre- 
dominates among  the  lower  classes.  The  foreign  houses  are 
always  respected,  and  money  is  often  brought  to  the  English 
merchants  for  safe  custody.  The  population  of  Arequipa  is 
estimated  at  about  40,000  souls. 

The  town  is  built  of  a  white  pumice  stone,  soft  when  cut 
from  the  quarry,  but  becoming  very  hard  when  exposed  to  the 
air.  The  houses  are  built  with  walls  of  great  thickness,  and 
vaulted  roofs  to  withstand  the  constant  shocks  of  earthquake 
for  which  the  valley  is  famous.  The  streets  are  at  right  angles 
to  each  other,  of  tolerable  width  considering  the  age  of  the 
town,   and  roughly  paved.     Open   azequias  run   down   the 


C.  C.  Eowen.]        NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  207 

middle  of  the  streets,  making  them  quite  impracticable  for 
carts  or  carriages.  Indeed,  except  in  half  a  dozen  streets  of 
Lima,  no  one  dreams  of  driving  a  wheeled  vehicle  of  any 
sort  anywhere  in  Pern.  Portals,  like  those  at  Lima,  run  round 
three  sides  of  the  plaza,  while  a  large  new  cathedral  occupies 
the  fourth.  This  building,  like  all  the  churches  of  Peru,  is  of 
a  nondescript  style  of  architecture,  and  certainly  seems  more 
suited  for  secular  than  ecclesiastical  purposes.  It  possesses 
the  great  desideratum — strength  to  resist  earthquakes.  Some 
of  the  churches  in  Arequipa  have  very  elaborately  carved 
facades  ;  the  softness  of  the  stone  when  first  hewn,  affording 
great  facility  for  this  kind  of  ornament.  Over  the  gateways 
of  many  of  the  best  houses  are  carved  the  coats  of  arms  of 
old  Spanish  families.  Some  of  these  old  houses  are  very  large, 
with  two  or  three  patios,  one  behind  the  other,  round  which 
the  rooms  extend  over  a  great  deal  of  ground. 

There  is  something  very  characteristic  about  this  town 
of  Arequipa.  Here  you  first  meet  with  Peru  as  it  has  been 
since  the  time  of  the  early  Spanish  colonist.  The  view  of  the 
Plaza  from  the  top  of  the  cathedral  is  most  striking.  Market- 
women  moving  about  in  the  gaudy  colours,  yellow  and  red,  in 
which  Indians  delight ;  droves  of  mules  driven  by  men  mounted 
in  mediaeval  fashion,  and  brilliant  with  many-coloured  ponchos ; 
and  troops  of  llamas  standing  patiently  waiting  for  their 
loads ; — all  is  new  and  picturesque.  It  is  here  for  the  first 
time  in  Peru  that  the  llama  is  seen,  recalling,  with  its  patient 
Indian  driver,  recollections  of  the  days  when  it  was  the  only 
beast  of  burden  in  the  country  of  the  Incas.  The  animal  and 
his  driver  are  very  well  suited  to  each  other.  The  Indian 
does  not  value  time  ;  and  he  starts  from  the  interior  with  his 
herd  of  llamas  laden  with  wool,  utterly  regardless  of  the 
number  of  days  he  may  be  on  the  road.  The  llama  will  not 
allow  itself  to  be  overloaded  or  over-driven,  but  will  travel  great 
distances,  slowly,  with  a  fair  load,  picking  up  its  own  food  by 
the  way.  Every  one  is  familiar,  by  pictures  at  least,  with  the 
appearance  of  this  animal,  with  its  long  graceful  neck  and 
patient  eye,  and  broad  thick-woolled  back, — the  link  between 


208  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

the  camel  and  the  sheep.  The  wool  on  the  back,  which 
is  never  cut,  serves  as  a  saddle,  on  which  two  small  bales  of 
wool,  weighing  altogether  about  120  pounds,  are  secured  by  a 
rope.  With  no  further  gear,  herds  of  llamas  are  constantly 
carrying  their  loads  by  easy  stages  over  the  Sierra  to  Are- 
quipa, where  the  wool  is  transferred  to  the  backs  of  asses  and 
mules.  An  ass's  load  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  llama,  but  he 
travels  twice  the  journey ;  the  mule's  load  is  double  that  of  the 
ass  ;  unfortunately  for  them  the  poor  mules  and  donkeys  do 
not  understand  the  passive  resistance  which  the  llama  opposes 
to  mal-treatment,  and  the  countless  bones  bleaching  on  the 
desert  tracks  tell  how  often  they  are  worked  till  they  die 
under  their  burdens.  But  the  Indian  knows  that,  if  the 
llama  is  overloaded  or  over-driven,  he  will  lie  down  and  refuse 
to  move,  and  that  bullying  is  of  no  use,  as  he  will  die  rather 
than  yield  under  ill-usage  : — coaxing  is  the  Indian's  art,  and 
with  the  Indian  the  llama  is  at  home.  It  is  curious  to 
observe  the  love  of  brilliant  colours  even  in  the  decoration  of 
these  animals.  The  wool  of  many  of  them  is  stained  vermilion, 
and  favourites  are  often  conspicuous  by  the  quaint  painting  of 
their  finely-pointed  ears. 

As  you  approach  nearer  to  the  scene  that  has  pleased  you 
from  the  top  of  the  Cathedral,  and  walk  through  the  streets 
of  Arequipa,  the  charm  in  a  great  measure  vanishes.  The 
dirty  habits  of  the  people,  the  pervading  smells  in  the  streets, 
and  the  miscellaneous  uses  to  which  the  azequia  water  is 
put,  are  rather  sickening.  As  in  history,  so  in  reality,  bar- 
barism has  its  picturesque  side  when  seen  from  a  distance, 
but  it  is  barbarism  still.  It  is  a  relief  to  escape  from  the 
crowded  streets  into  the  green  Campina,  overlooked  by  the 
beautiful  cone  of  the  Volcano,  and  the  snowy  peak  of 
Chacani. 

There  are  several  pleasant  rides  in  the  cultivated  valley  of 
Arequipa.  A  favourite  one  is  to  the  village  of  Sabandia, 
where  a  clear  spring  runs  through  large  square  baths  built 
in  the  open  air :  a  great  resort  of  the  Arequipanians  during 
the  bathing  season.     As  water  is  an  element  too  sparingly 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  209 

used  in  the  usual  domestic  life  of  the  Peruvians,  so  strange 
theories  prevail  as  to  its  proper  application  when  they  go 
in  for  a  dose  during  the  season.  The  virtue  is  believed  to 
exist  in  a  stated  number  of  baths,  taken  never  mind  when, 
or  how.  For  instance,  a  person  goes  to  Sabandia  with  the 
intention  of  setting  him  or  her  self  up  for  the  year  by  means 
of  fifty  baths.  If  time  is  limited,  the  patient  will  take  three 
in  the  day,  and  thus  get  through  the  prescribed  penance 
rapidly.  Of  course,  there  are  many  who  enjoy  the  fun, 
and  the  baths  are  a  sort  of  lounge  for  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
bathers  and  non-bathers ;  some  looking  on,  while  others 
splash  about  in  dresses  like  those  worn  at  Chorillos. 

One   day,   M and  I  rode  over  to  visit  some  mineral 

springs  in  a  valley  called  Yura,  about  eighteen  or  twenty  miles 
to  the  north-west  of  Arequipa.  The  road,  or  rather  the  track, 
is  very  bad,  over  a  sandy  pampa  broken  by  rocky  quebradas  ; 
of  course  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  improve  it.  In 
a  narrow  ravine,  iron  and  sulphur  springs  of  different  tem- 
peratures rise  close  to  each  other,  and  over  them  a  bath- 
house has  been  built.  Just  above  the  bath-house,  quaint 
stone  cells  and  a  little  chapel  have  been  erected  by  a  pious 
Spaniard  for  the  benefit  of  invalids  who  might  resort  to  the 
place  for  the  use  of  the  waters.  While  our  arriero  was  getting 
a  chupe,  we  walked  down  to  the  little  village  of  Calera, 
which  is  picturesquely  situated,  overlooking  the  narrow  green 
valley  of  the  Yura.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley 
rise  bold  stratified  mountains,  abounding  in  coal ;  but  the 
Arequipanians  have  not  availed  themselves  of  it,  notwith- 
standing the  scarcity  of  fuel.  On  our  return  to  our  quarters 
we  dined  in  the  little  portal,  where  we  sat  till  late  enjoying 
the  beauty  of  the  evening.  In  the  room  behind,  a  long,  dark, 
stone-vaulted  cell,  our  beds  were  made  of  our  pillons  and 
blankets.  When  the  door  was  shut,  and  the  cell  was  lighted 
by  a  long  dip,  which  the  arriero  produced,  we  could  have 
fancied  ourselves  in  a  prison.  In  the  morning,  we  tried  the 
different  springs ;  the  house  was  in  a  very  dirty  state.  The 
bottom  of  the  baths  was  knee-deep  in  mud,  and  the  floor  of 

p 


210  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

the  bath-room  at  least  ankle  deep.  This  mud  had  been 
washed  in  during  the  late  rains,  and  the  mayor-domo  had 
been  too  lazy  to  have  the  place  cleaned.  Two  or  three  dirty 
invalided  soldiers  were  the  only  visitors  :  although  the  baths 
are  considered  very  salubrious,  the  accommodations  are  not 
likely  to  tempt  more  fastidious  patients. 

By  far  the  most  striking  view  near  Arequipa  is  from  a 
point  about  two  or  three  miles  up  the  river.  From  the 
quarries  near  this  spot,  the  stone  used  in  building  the  town 
has  been  conveyed  for  more  than  three  hundred  years 
on  the  backs  of  mules  and  asses,  and  will  probably  be  so 
conveyed  for  three  hundred  years  more,  should  the  country 
remain  so  long  in  the  hands  of  its  present  inhabitants.  Yet 
the  way  to  the  town  from  this  place  is  on  a  gently  inclined 
plane !  From  the  high  bank  above  the  river  the  view  is 
beautiful.  Cultivation  is  carried  down  to  the  level  of  the 
water  by  terraces,  probably  as  old  as  the  days  of  the  Incas,  and 
watered  by  azequias  fed  from  the  stream  above.  Looking  up 
the  river  you  see  the  gorge  opening  between  the  volcano  and 
the  mountains  beyond,  while  on  the  other  side  the  white  city 
stands  out  in  beautiful  contrast  to  the  background  of  green. 

As  Arequipa  is  upwards  of  7,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  the  climate  is  very  different  from  that  on  the  coast.  The 
mornings  and  evenings  are  cool,  and  the  air  is  peculiarly  dry, 
and  sometimes  parching.  However  hot  the  sun  may  be, 
scarcely  any  amount  of  exercise  will  induce  perspiration. 
In  March  and  April,  immediately  after  the  rainy  season,  the 
weather  is  most  pleasant ;  but  even  then  strangers  sometimes 
feel  the  change  to  an  atmosphere  considerably  rarefied.  It  is, 
however,  an  undoubtedly  healthy  place,  and  the  people  would 
be  healthier  still,  if  they  were  cleaner. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  the  extent  to  which  even  in  this 
remote  spot  English  manufactures  are  to  be  found,  adapted  to 
the  wants  and  tastes  of  the  customers.  The  yellow  and  red 
baize  garments  on  that  Indian  woman  are  English  ;  the  gaudy 
poncho  on  that  arriero  was  made  at  Halifax,  and  the  huge 
brass  spurs  on  his  heels  at  Birmingham  ;  but  he  wears  them 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  211 

in  happy  ignorance  of  where  they  came  from.  A  good  deal 
of  coarse  clothing  is  still  manufactured  in  the  country,  as 
well  as  some  of  the  fine  ponchos  of  the  valuable  Vicuna  wool ; 
but  there  is  no  such  thing  as  systematic  industry.  A  plough 
is  not  much  more  than  a  couple  of  cross  pieces  of  stick  ; 
corn  is  trodden  out  by  bullocks  in  a  round  stone  inclosure 
attached  to  the  farm  ;  and  modern  improvements  are  uncared 
for  and  unknown.  The  only  energetic  attempt  to  keep  up 
with  the  civilized  world  in  modern  arts  is  made  by  the  ladies  ; 
they  devote  thought  and  time  ungrudgingly  to  the  subject  of 
dress.  Paris  fashions  find  their  way  here,  while  European 
science  is  at  a  discount.  In  few  parts  of  the  world,  perhaps, 
would  be  needed  the  warning — 

"  Let  never  maiden  think,  however  fair, 
She  is  not  fairer  in  new  clothes  than  old ;" 

but  nowhere  is  dress  more  criticised  than  in  Peru.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  in  process  of  time  the  necessities  of  personal 
adornment  may  be  understood  to  extend  beyond  mere  show, 
and  that  the  abominable  and  most  slovenly  morning  dishabille 
may  be  dropped,  even  at  the  expense  of  a  little  of  the  evening 
splendour. 

The  love  of  show  breaks  out  in  everything  Peruvian ;  in  the 
action  of  their  horses  as  well  as  in  the  style  of  their  dress. 
To  an  English  eye  there  is  little  to  admire  in  the  majority  of 
Peruvian  horses.  Many  of  the  most  showy  animals  are  got 
up  to  look  pretty,  especially  about  the  head  and  tail,  but  very 
few  excel  in  the  points  to  which  we  should  look  for  beauty 
or  utility.  At  the  same  time,  a  high-spirited  horse  is 
taught  to  throw  his  legs  about  in  a  manner  perfectly  unen- 
durable, knocking  them  to  pieces  with  a  high  flashy  action, 
while  progressing  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  miles  an  hour. 
A  Peruvian  cavallero,  riding  up  the  street  with  cruel  bit, 
cruel  spurs,  and  splendidly  useless  mediaeval  trappings, 
presents  an  admirable  picture  of  Spanish  life ;  all  show  and 
no  progress.  All  the  best  horses  are  taught  to  pace,  a  style 
of  going  which  promotes  the  ease  of  the  rider,  but  destroys 

p2 


212  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

the  natural  action  of  the  horse.  The  pleasure  of  controlling 
by  skill,  with  a  light  bit  and  a  light  hand,  the  free  vigorous 
action  of  a  high-mettled  horse,  would  be  unappreciated  here. 
One  morning  M and  I  sallied  out  to  purchase  the  accou- 
trements necessary  for  our  Sierra  journey,  an  occupation  that 
consumed  the  whole  day.  If  you  buy  a  bit  at  one  shop,  you 
must  buy  the  head-stall  at  another,  and  the  bridle  at  another  ; 
and  it  is  not  at  all  likely  that  you  will  get  both  saddle 
and  stirrups  at  the  same  place.  Everything  is  very  dear  ;  and 
as  it  is  almost  impossible  to  find  out  the  real  value  of  any- 
thing, a  stranger  is  sure  to  pay  too  much.  The  custom  is  to 
ask  an  exorbitant  sum,  and  then  to  request  you  to  make 
an  offer.  As  an  Englishman  has  seldom  the  time  or  patience 
generally  devoted  to  bargaining  by  a  native,  he  is  looked  on 
as  very  good  prey  by  the  shopkeepers;  and  if  he  is  not 
very  careful,  he  is  further  mulcted  by  means  of  the  current 
coin  of  the  State.  No  Peruvian  coinage  is  now  current ;  as 
it  was  purer  than  that  of  the  neighbouring  republics,  it  was 
exported  rapidly,  and  the  present  President  won't  coin  any 
more.  There  is  little  gold  in  the  country,  very  little  small 
silver,  and  no  copper.  If  you  are  going  to  make  any  pur- 
chases, you  must  drag  about  with  you  a  bag  of  Bolivian 
half-dollars,  or  four-real  pieces,  which  are  accepted  by  the 
Government  as  legal  tender.  This  Government  sanction  does 
not  prevent  the  Minister  of  Finance  from  playing  strange 
tricks  now  and  then.  The  man  now  in  office  is  a  Colonel 
Salcedo,  appointed  by  Castilla  without  the  slightest  regard  to 
his  financial  knowledge.  This  worthy  issues  decrees  from 
time  to  time,  arbitrarily  depreciating  the  current  coin  without 
notice.  For  instance,  at  the  end  of  the  last  year,  after  the 
introduction  into  Peru  of  a  large  portion  of  the  Bolivian 
coinage  of  that  year,  a  decree  appeared,  suddenly  declaring 
the  four-real  pieces  of  1859  to  be  only  worth  three  reals.  A 
foreigner  who  innocently  takes  the  coinage  of  1859  in  change, 
is  astonished  to  find  that  he  cannot  pass  it  again  without  con- 
siderable loss.  The  Brazilian  silver  coinage  is  very  bad,  it  is 
true  ;  but  it  is  not  pretended  that  the  issue  of  1859  was 


C.  G.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  213 

worse  than  that  of  other  years,  which  passes  current  with  the 
sanction  of  the  Peruvian  Government.  The  notions  enter- 
tained by  the  authorities,  as  to  the  laws  of  supply  and 
demand,  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact,  that  one  of  the 
apologies  for  Castilla's  projected  war  against  Bolivia  is,  that 
Bolivian  money  continues  to  find  its  way  into  Peru. 

Wherever  Spain  has  ruled,  she  has  left  that  invincible 
ignorance  that  will  not  be  taught.  Although  the  country  is 
now  open  to  foreigners,  there  still  exists  the  old  traditional 
dislike  to  learning  anything  from  them.  It  remains  to  be 
seen  what  effect  an  increasing  love  of  travel  will  have  on 
the  next  generation  of  Peruvians ;  it  may  do  something, 
but  a  large  infusion  of  foreign  blood  would  do  still  more. 
It  is  wonderful  how  little  is  known  of  the  progress  of  modern 
civilization  in  the  secondary  towns  of  Peru — what  strange 
ideas  of  history  and  geography  are  held  even  by  men  in  high 
positions.  A  foreign  nation  is  generally  respected  in  pro- 
portion to  the  number  of  ships  and  guns  that  she  displays 
upon  the  coast.  The  existence  of  any  lands  not  thus  repre- 
sented appears  very  immaterial  to  the  powers  that  be. 

It  is  not  merely  with  respect  to  foreign  countries  that 
there  is  a  want  of  inquiry  and  knowledge.  Scarcely  any  one 
whom  I  asked  at  Arequipa  could  tell  me  anything  about 
Cuzco.  The  antiquities  of  the  country  would  not  tempt 
a  Peruvian  across  the  Sierra.  It  is  only  from  a  native  of 
the  place,  or  from  some  one  who  may  have  been  brought 
there  by  serious  business,  military  or  civil,  that  a  stranger  is 
likely  to  gather  any  information  as  to  the  ancient  capital. 
As  for  the  rich  montana  beyond,  comprising  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  finest  land  in  Peru,  it  is  still  unexplored,  except 
by  some  adventurous  foreigner  who  now  and  then  penetrates 
into  the  primaeval  forest.  Meanwhile  the  revenue  is  gambled 
away  at  Lima,  and  the  labour  of  the  country  exhausted  in 
disgraceful  revolutions,  and  more  disgraceful  wars. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  22nd  March,  we  left  Arequipa 
accompanied  by  a  gardener  who  was  going  into  the  montana 
witL  M .     As  the  latter  had  to  take  a  good  deal  of  extra 


214  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

baggage  for  his  expedition,  we  had  a  little  troop  of  mules  with 
us,  driven  by  the  arriero  and  his  mozo.  As  the  outfit  for  a 
journey  in  the  Sierra  is  rather  old-fashioned,  I  may  as  well 
describe  the  accoutrements  of  mule  and  man.  First,  as  to  the 
mule : — To  an  enormous  bit  is  attached  a  heavy  plaited 
bridle,  with  a  thong  at  the  end  of  it  to  serve  as  a  whip.  The 
saddle  (like  a  chair,  with  very  high  pommel,  and  round  high 
cantel)  is  perched  upon  a  heap  of  saddle-clothes  most  un- 
scientifically piled  one  upon  another  ;  on  the  saddle,  again,  is 
put  a  woollen  pillon,  or  housing,  covered  in  its  turn  by  a 
leathern  sobre-pillon ;  making,  altogether,  a  tolerably  easy 
seat.  A  crupper  and  breeching  like  those  of  a  pack-horse  are 
the  necessary  accompaniments  of  such  an  erection.  Before 
you  mount,  you  equip  yourself  in  a  picturesque,  but,  to  an 
English  eye,  a  somewhat  outrageous  fashion.  A  poncho  of 
many  colours  ;  leggings  red  and  green,  or  yellow  ;  a  brilliant 
woollen  comforter ;  and  a  pair  of  brass  spurs,  with  rowels  an 
inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  gave  every  man  of  the  party 

somewhat  the  appearance  of  a  Peruvian  muleteer.     W > 

a  steady  Scotch  gardener,  was  gorgeous  with  a  poncho  of  red' 
green,  and  yellow  stripes.  Warm  clothing  is  very  necessary  in 
the  lofty  passes  of  the  Andes. 

With  regret  we  bade  farewell  to  Arequipa,  where  we  had 
met  with  great  hospitality  ;  and,  leaving  the  volcano  to  the 
left,  we  reached  the  post-house  of  Cangallo  in  the  evening.  It 
is  situated  about  twelve  miles  from  Arequipa,  in  a  little 
valley  about  9,650  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 
accommodation  at  all  the  post-houses  in  the  Despoblado  is 
very  bad.  On  this,  the  most  frequented  pass  to  Bolivia, 
there  is  not  a  hut  with  a  decent  floor  to  lay  a  bed  on.  I 
speak  from  experience  when  I  say  that  I  had  rather  sleep  in 
the  hut  of  a  New  Zealand  savage,  than  in  most  Peruvian 
post-houses.  In  the  morning  we  commenced  a  rapid  ascent, 
winding  slowly  round  the  volcano,  till  we  passed  over  the 
shoulder  of  that  mountain  at  an  elevation  of  about  12,600 
feet,  the  beautiful  cone  rising  above  us  about  6,000  feet 
higher.     It  was  still  covered  with  snow,  for  rain  and  snow 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  215 

were  falling  in  the  Sierra,  and  our  journey  was,  consequently, 
less  easy  than  it  would  have  been  a  little  later  in  the  year. 
After  losing  sight  of  the  volcano,  the  route  lies  over  a  very 
bleak  tract  of  country.  Still  ascending,  we  reached  Apo  in 
the  evening,  not  before  the  rain  began  to  fall  heavily.  This 
is  a  post-house  about  twenty-four  miles  from  Cangallo,  and 
upwards  of  14,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  next 
morning  we  started  at  four  o'clock,  and  after  crossing  several 
times  the  feeders  of  the  river  of  Arequipa,  we  reached,  before 
midday,  the  post-house  of  Pati,  on  a  little  green  swampy 
plateau,  just  below  a  steep  ascent.  This  place  was  so  dis- 
gustingly dirty,  that  even  the  arriero  suggested  our  camping 
outside,  which  we  accordingly  did,  while  a  chupe  was  prepared 

for  us  in  the  house.  M ,  who  was  not  very  well  at  starting, 

had  been  attacked  by  the  sorochi  at  Apo.  The  symptoms  of 
this  illness,  which  seizes  a  traveller  at  great  heights,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  rarefication  of  the  air,  are  a  pressure  on  the 
temples,  and  a  feeling  somewhat  akin  to  incipient  sea-sickness. 
However,  we  had  a  long  day's  journey  before  us,  and  started 
again  at  about  two  o'clock.  As  we  began  the  ascent,  a  violent 
storm  of  thunder,  lightning,  and  hail  overtook  us.  The  effect 
of  the  storm,  as  it  rolled  over  the  wild  sea  of  peaks,  was 
more  magnificent  than  pleasant,  especially  when  it  settled 
down  into  a  thick  fall  of  snow,  as  we  reached  the  pampa 
which  stretches  to  the  foot  of  the  Toledo  pass.  On  this 
dreary  pampa  we  saw  a  herd  of  vicunas  feeding.  Although 
untameable,  they  did  not  appear  very  shy,  for  we  passed  them 
within  gunshot. 

The  Alto  de  Toledo  rises  gradually  out  of  the  pampas ; 
the  ground  was  rotten  from  the  effects  of  the  snow,  and  sleet 
was  falling  thick ;  the  peaks  around  were  bleak  and  mo- 
notonous. Altogether  it  would  be  impossible  to  imagine  a 
more  dreary  scene.  As  we  reached  the  summit  of  the  pass 
(about  15,600  feet  above  the  -level  of  the  sea)  I  felt  a  slight 
touch  of  sorochi,  and  was  very  glad  to  descend  rapidly  on  the 
other  side,  towards  the  post-house  of  Cuevillas.  The  snow 
had  changed  into  a  drizzling  rain,  and  night  had  set  in,  as  the 


216  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

sure-footed  mules  threaded  their  way  along  the  edge  of  a 
torrent,  into  the  valley  below.  Fortunately  the  loads  on  the 
baggage-mules  had  been  well  coated  with  snow  on  the  heights, 
and  the  muleteers  were  thus  able  to  distinguish  them  in  the 
darkness.  But  before  long  it  was  found  that  a  spare  mule 
which  accompanied  them  was  missing.  We  insisted  on  push- 
ing on  to  the  post-house,  which  we  reached  late.  We  had 
ridden  about  fifty  miles  up  and  down  rough  and  precipitous 
tracks,  having  been  about  seventeen  hours  in  the  saddle  ;  and 
were  disgusted  to  find  that  the  post-house  was  even  worse 
than  usual.  The  clay  floor  was  wet  and  dirty ;  and  the  only 
tolerably  dry  places  were  two  little  ledges,  one  on  each  side  of 

the  room.     M: and  I  rolled  ourselves  up  on  a  mattress  on 

one  of  these  ledges,  and  W occupied  the  other.     We  got 

nothing  to  eat  that  night ;  and  as  we  heard  something  about 
cows,  we  waited  next  morning  till  they  drove  in  one,  and 
milked  it  for  us.  It  was  after  much  trouble  that  the  stolid 
Indians  were  persuaded  to  add  this  luxury  to  a  very  nasty 
chupe,  which  they  gave  us  for  breakfast. 

From  this  place  begin  the  upland  grass  valleys,  stretching 
down  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  maritime  Andes,  on  which 
flocks  of  merinos  and  alpacas  are  kept.  Cows  are  to  be  found 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  some  of  the  post-houses  ;  but  if  you 
ask  for  milk,  you  are  sure  to  be  met  with  the  favourite  answer 
of  the  indolent  people,  "  No  hai  senor,  no  hat  nada."    By  dint  of 

importunity  it  may  be  sometimes  got  at,  and  M who  knew 

the  ways  of  the  country,  amused  me  by  the  pertinacity  with 
which  he  insisted  on  its  being  produced.  It  rained  till  late 
that  morning,  so  it  was  near  ten  o'clock  when  we  got  away. 
Before  long  we  began  a  tedious  ascent  over  swampy  and  broken 
ground  till  we  reached  the  summit  of  the  pass  of  Laquinillas. 
Descending,  we  passed  between  two  sad,  silent  lakes,  and 
skirting  round  the  eastern  one,  followed  the  course  of  the  stream 
that  flows  from  it  as  far  as  the  post-house  of  Compuerta. 
Here  we  stopped  for  the  night,  as  the  baggage  mules  had 
fallen  behind,  and  it  had  begun  to  rain  heavily.  From  La 
Compuerta  the  valleys  are  better  grassed,  and  the  sides  of  the 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  217 

mountains  are  covered  with  the  ruins  of  the  Andeneria,  or 
terraced  cultivations  of  the  days  of  the  Incas.  These  ruined 
terraces,  that  may  be  seen  on  every  available  mountain  in 
the  Andes,  are  silent  witnesses  to  the  density  of  the  popu- 
lation that  was  once  industriously  employed  in  cultivating 
every  habitable  part  of  the  country.  Half-way  between  Com- 
puerta  and  Vilque  we  began  to  meet  with  slovenly  culti- 
vations, and  a  few  miles  farther  on  passed  through  a  poor 
looking  Indian  village.  From  thence,  after  crossing  the  low 
hills,  the  route  to  Vilque  lies  over  a  swampy  plain,  difficult 
to  cross  at  this  time  of  the  year.  In  the  middle  of  this  plain 
stands  a  large  hacienda,  very  much  out  of  repair,  which  once 
belonged  to  the  Jesuits.  The  energy,  both  spiritual  and 
temporal,  of  this  untiring  but  dangerous  order,  is  to  be  traced 
in  all  parts  of  Peru. 

As  we  approached  Vilque,  we  heard  the  ominous  military 
band,  which  warned  us  that  the  best  accommodations  would  be 
pre-occupied.  Here  was  stationed  part  of  the  frontier  army  that 
threatened  Bolivia.  Of  all  the  filthy  little  towns  I  ever  was  in, 
I  should  unhesitatingly  give  the  palm  to  Vilque,  at  least  at  this 
time  of  the  year.  As  we  rode  up  the  narrow  dirty  streets, 
between  the  decayed  mud  and  rubble  houses,  our  mules  sank 
to  their  hocks  in  the  mud-holes.  We  had  not  expected  good 
accommodations,  but  the  room  we  got  was  worse  than  we  could 
have  imagined.  Fancy  a  den  without  a  window,  with  a  dirty 
mud  floor,  damp,  crumbling  walls,  and  a  filthy  smell ;  the  door 
of  which  den  opened  on  a  muddy,  wet  yard.  It  snowed  hard  in 
the  night.  In  such  a  temperature,  nearly  13,000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  there  was  not  the  alternative  of  camping 
out,  so  we  had  to  make  the  best  of  our  lodging.  The  troops 
appeared  to  have  eaten  everything.  We  got  some  milk  and 
bad  bread  by  dint  of  bullying,  the  answer  "no  hai"  being  in 
full  vogue  at  Vilque.  This  is  the  town  where  the  great  annual 
fair  is  held,  at  which  there  is  a  strange  gathering  of  all  sorts 
of  people.  Merchants  from  the  coast  meet  the  bark-hunters 
of  the  Montana,  and  the  muleteers  of  the  Sierra  buy  their 
stock  from  the  breeders  of  the  Argentine  provinces.     Unfor- 


218  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

tunately  it  was  too  early  in  the  year  for  us  to  hope  to  see  this 
gathering,  the  only  interesting  sight  about  Vilque ;  and  it 
was  with  great  pleasure  that  we  started  for  Puno  the  next 
morning.  The  end  of  the  plain  we  had  now  to  cross,  was 
worse  than  the  beginning.  It  was  wonderful  to  see  the  mules 
drag  themselves  and  their  loads  through  the  swampy  streams 
that  they  had  to  pass  every  few  yards.  After  leaving  the 
plain  we  rode  over  a  series  of  monotonous  hills,  where  the  shy 
biscaches  were  playing  hide  and  seek  among  the  rocks,  till  we 
were  suddenly  brought  to  a  stand-still  by  the  river  Tortorini, 
at  most  times  an  insignificant  stream,  but  now  swelled  into 
an  impassable  torrent.  Eiding  down  the  river  to  look  for  a 
bridge,  we  came  upon  a  beautiful  waterfall,  which  the  arrieros 
had  never  seen.  We  dismounted  to  get  a  better  view,  and 
our  friends  thought  that  the  best  way  to  get  out  of  the 
present  difficulty  was  to  go  to  sleep,  which  they  accordingly 
did.     We  soon  roused  them  up,  and  from  the  brow  of  the  hill 

below  the  waterfall,  M discovered  a  narrow  bridge  near  a 

hacienda  in  the  valley  below.  Eiding  down  the  steep  descent 
over  the  walls  of  ruined  Andener ia  to  the  cultivations  beneath, 
we  got  a  fine  view  of  the  waterfall  from  the  little  bridge. 
The  first  fall  can  scarcely  be  less  than  one  hundred  feet  in 
depth,  and  from  the  ledge  against  which  the  water  first  strikes, 
the  whitened  stream  rushes  in  beautiful  rapids  to  the  valley. 
After  a  rather  long  ascent  over  bare  hills  we  came  in  sight  of 
Lake  Titicaca.  But  a  small  portion  of  this  magnificent  inland 
sea  can  be  seen  from  one  spot,  the  shores  are  so  irregular,  and 
the  view  is  so  much  intercepted  by  barren  islands.  The 
surrounding  mountains  give  it  a  wild  and  picturesque  appear- 
ance, although  the  want  of  trees,  and  almost  of  vegetation, 
makes  the  shores  wild  and  dreary.  The  softer  beauties  of  a 
landscape  cannot  be  looked  for  round  a  lake  whose  surface  is 
12,850  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  bed  of  a  natural 
watercourse  forms  the  approach  to  the  little  town  of  Puno, 
and  a  rough  approach  it  is  to  a  provincial  chief  town.  The 
rain  began  to  fall  heavily  as  we  clattered  up  the  narrow  white 
streets,  and  we  were  glad  to  arrive  at  the  house  of  a  Peruvian 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  219 

gentleman,  to  whom  we  had  brought  letters,  and  who  received 
us  with  the  usual  hospitality  of  the  Sierra  of  Peru. 

The  town  of  Puno,  containing  about  8,000  inhabitants,  rises 
on  the  sloping  ground  that  encircles  a  small  bay  of  the  great 
inland  sea  of  Titicaca.  The  houses,  roofed  either  with  thatch 
or  red  tiles,  are  for  the  most  part  poor,  when  compared  with 
those  of  Arequipa,  but  the  streets  are  cleaner  and  better  kept 
than  those  of  that  city.  It  is  a  mournful-looking  place,  with 
little  society,  the  majority  of  the  population  being  Indian. 
A  considerable  traffic  passes  through  the  town  both  in  wool 
and  in  the  products  of  the  Montana.  No  boats  of  more  modern 
construction  than  the  balsa  float  on  these  waters.  The  Indian 
balsa  is  the  same  as  that  used  in  the  time  of  the  Incas,  being 
made  of  bundles  of  reeds  tied  together  ;  very  much  like  the 
moki  used  by  the  New  Zealanders  for  crossing  rivers.  As 
we  floated  on  the  lake  of  Titicaca,  with  a  stolid,  coca-chewing 
Indian  in  the  stern,  guiltless  of  Spanish,  the  ruined  Andeneria 
on  the  hills  above  were  not  needed  to  remind  us  that  this  was 
the  cradle  of  Inca  civilization.  From  the  shores  of  this  lake 
came  the  founders  of  the  wise  and  powerful  dynasty  who  have 
left  such  gigantic  records  of  their  rule ;  who,  while  they 
studied  the  interests  of  the  indolent  Indian,  knew  how  to 
make  him  work  for  himself  and  for  the  state  ;  and  whose  fall 
was  a  death-blow  to  the  progress  of  a  race  which  has  dete- 
riorated under  Spanish  tyranny,  and  is  deteriorating  even 
more  under  the  misrule  of  the  Peruvian  republic.  But  sailing 
in  a  balsa  on  Lake  Titicaca,  though  pleasant  enough  while 
the  sun  shines,  soon  becomes  cold  work.  In  truth,  the  climate 
here,  although  healthy,  is  very  unpleasant.  The  air  is  so 
highly  rarefied  that  fires  are  not  used  ;  and  in  the  cold  houses 
people  sit  with  hats  on  always,  and  cloaks  very  often.  In 
the  middle  of  the  day  it  is  cold  in  the  shade,  and  out  of  it, 
the  rays  of  the  tropical  sun  strike  down  with  unpleasant 
force. 

A  gentleman  who  now  superintends  the  working  of  the 
Manto  silver  mine  offered  to  show  us  what  was  to  be  seen 
there.     Although  not  a  league  from  the  town,  no  one,  except 


220  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

the  Indians,  ever  dreams  of  walking  so  far,  as  the  breath  is 
unpleasantly  caught  in  ascending  any  height ;  and  when  riding 
up  the  hill  to  the  mouth  of  the  upper  mine,  we  stopped 
repeatedly  to  breathe  the  mules.  The  mines  of  Manto  have  a 
curious  and  tragical  history.  The  first  man  who  worked  the 
vein,  Salcedo,  grew  enormously  rich ;  reason  enough,  in  his 
day,  for  his  being  accused  of  treason  on  various  trumped  up 
charges ;  and  in  1 670,  he  was  judicially  murdered  by  the 
Viceroy,  Count  of  Lemos.  A  signal  instance  of  retributive 
justice  has  been  found  in  the  fact,  that  the  vein  which  had 
enriched  Salcedo  was  never  found  again.  It  was  probably 
worked  out.  The  mines  never  assumed  a  prosperous  condition 
again  till  Mr.  Begg,  an  Englishman,  began  to  work  them  in 
1827.  However,  in  1840,  the  men  in  power  made  the  place 
too  hot  for  him,  and  he  left  it,  and  died  soon  afterwards. 
Since  Mr.  Begg's  death  the  works  have  languished  year  by 
year ;  and  now  the  upper  mine  is  worked  as  of  old  by  Indians 
carrying  up  the  stone  and  metal  in  baskets  on  their  backs. 
The  great  works  undertaken  by  the  enterprise  of  Mr.  Begg  are 
at  a  stand-still,  and  the  "  English  "  works  are  shown  rather  as 
a  monument  of  what  has  been  than  as  a  proof  of  what  might 
be  done.  Mr.  Begg  got  out  a  steam-engine,  and  built  all  the 
necessary  apparatus  for  smelting  the  silver.  He  converted  a 
subterranean  drain  into  a  canal  half-a-mile  long  into  the 
bowels  of  the  hill ;  from  the  place  where  the  canal  terminates 
he  laid  down  an  iron  tramway  for  another  mile  into  the  heart 
of  the  mountain,  and  the  ore  was  carried  on  foot  to  the  tram- 
way from  excavations  extending  500  yards  farther  in.  An 
Indian  baled  out  a  fast-decaying  iron  boat,  in  which  we  were 
conveyed  underground  to  the  first  loch  on  the  subterranean 
canal.  A  dismal  navigation  it  is  into  the  bowels  of  the 
earth  ;  by  the  light  of  a  torch  in  the  bows,  we  could  see  when 
it  was  necessary  to  dip  our  heads  low,  as  the  boat  was  pushed 
along  by  the  Indian  under  the  vaulted  roof  of  varying  height, 
while  the  gunwales  grated  against  the  rocky  sides  of  the 
narrow  canal.  Our  Indian  guide  looked  a  very  Charon,  and 
no  poet  ever  imagined  a  more  doleful  Styx.     Many  a  rich 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  221 

freight  of  silver  has  been  carried  down  this  dark  passage,  and 
many  a  one  may  yet  come  down,  provided  foreigners  interfere 
to  inspire  renewed  enterprise  and  public  confidence. 

San  Eoman,  a  Grand  Marshal  of  Peru,  rather  celebrated 
for  treachery  and  running  away  in  action,  commands  the 
army  of  the  frontier,  and  has  his  head-quarters  at  Puno. 
The  absurd  pomp  of  the  little  military  dignitaries  of  Peru 
seems  to  have  attractions  for  the  otherwise  apathetic  popula- 
tion ;  and  whenever  San  Eoman  takes  it  into  his  head  to 
burn  gunpowder  in  honour  of  himself  or  his  patron  saint, 
the  narrow  streets  are  thronged  by  admiring  spectators.  He 
payed  us  a  ceremonious  visit,  bringing  with  him  an  aide-de- 
camp, who  dared  not  sit  down  without  express  leave  from  his 
chief.  We  heard  from  him  some  interesting  details  of  the 
siege  of  Puno,  in  the  last  great  Indian  insurrection,  previous 
to  the  war  of  independence.  Two  or  three  people  at  Puno 
talked  more  of  the  history  of  the  country  than  any  other 
people  whom  I  met  with  in  the  Sierra.  We  went  down  every 
evening  after  dinner  to  take  coffee  at  the  house  of  an  old 
gentleman,  where  it  had  become  an  established  custom  of  our 
host  and  three  or  four  other  persons  to  meet  at  that  time ; 
and  the  conversation  often  turned  on  the  historical  associa- 
tions of  the  neighbouring  plateaus.  I  was  pleased  one  night 
to  hear  an  appreciation  of  the  good  qualities  of  the  brave, 
cruel,  faithful  old  rebel  Carbajal,  one  of  the  very  few 
Spaniards  of  the  days  of  the  conquest  who  stood  firmly  by  a 
falling  cause.     Wicked  and  cruel  as  the  old  fellow  was,  this 

exceptional  virtue  deserves  to  be  remembered.     Senor  C 

quoted,  with  a  sort  of  affectionate  regard,  the  favourite  couplet 
of  the  ironical  old  soldier : — 

"  Estos  mis  cabellitos,  madre 
Dos  a  dos  me  los  llevan  en  ayre." 

This  Senor  C ,  who  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  men 

in  Peru,  greatly  lamented  the  want  of  energy  and  public  faith 
which  prevented  the  formation  of  a  company  to  navigate  the 
lake  of  Titicaca.    It  is  a  really  wonderful  apathy  that  neglects 


222  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

such  a  magnificent  high-road,  in  a  mountainous  region,  where 
every  necessary  of  life  is  transported  on  mule-back  by  long 
and  painful  journeys.  When  steaming,  a  few  months  later, 
across  one  of  the  great  lakes  of  North  America,  I  could 
scarcely  help  thinking  of  Titicaca  and  its  Indian  balsas  as  a 
dream  of  a  previous  state  of  existence. 

Very  bad  accounts  reached  Puno  as  to  the  state  of  the 
country  between  that  town  and  Cuzco,  owing  to  the  incessant 
rains,  which  were  compared,  here  as  at  Islay,  to  those  of 
1819.  The  rivers  were  out,  and  I  was  recommended  to 
wait  a  little  time  at  Puno  for  finer  weather.  But  time  pressed, 
and  I  determined  to  start  at  once.  Unfortunately  the  weather 
and  the  state  of  the  country  prevented  a  visit  to  the  ruins  on 
an  island  at  the  southern  end  of  the  lake.  At  this  time  of 
the  year,  such  a  visit  would  have  detained  me  too  long. 

At  Puno,  M and  I  parted,  as  he  had  to  take  the  route 

for  the  Caravy  valley.  It  was  a  dreary  place  for  two  English- 
men to  part  company  in  a  semi-barbarous  country. 

On  the  31st  March  I  left  Puno  in  light  marching  order, 
with  four  mules  ;  one  I  rode  myself,  one  the  arriero  rode, 
the  third  carried  bed  and  baggage,  and  a  spare  mule  for 
change  trotted  along  with  the  others. 

I  did  not  get  away  till  ten  o'clock,  thanks  to  my  arriero, 
who  made  his  appearance  with  different  mules  from  those  he 
had  sworn  to  produce.  Our  route  lay  for  four  days  along  the 
high  table-lands  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  lake  between 
the  two  great  ranges  into  which  the  Andes  are  here  divided. 
The  country  was,  indeed,  as  we  had  been  told,  frightfully  wet, 
and  a  great  part  of  the  day's  work  was  wading  through  mud 
and  water,  and  swamp.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to 
harden  our  hearts  and  use  our  spurs.  We  had  not  gone  far 
when  I  discovered  that  my  arriero,  Mariano  by  name,  had 
never  been  on  this  route  before,  although  he  had  declared 
solemnly  that  he  knew  every  foot  of  it,  so  I  was  obliged  to 
hire  Indians  from  place  to  place  to  run  with  us  as  guides. 
The  Indian  postilion  will  run  all  day  with  no  other  refresh- 
ment than  chewing  coca  leaves,-  which  he  carries  in  a  small 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  223 

pouch,  tied  round  his  neck.  I  may  say,  parenthetically,  that 
I  had  by  this  time  got  over  feeling  any  surprise  at  a  lie  more 
or  less  in  the  day's  work.  Mariano  was  a  highly  respected 
citizen  of  Arequipa ;  but  he  looked  on  the  epithet  mentiroso 
as  a  term  of  endearment ;  and,  as  he  constantly  deserved  it, 
he  was  kind  enough  not  to  mind  it  in  the  least.  The  only 
thing  he  really  did  mind  was  a  plan  I  adopted  later,  of 
making  him  get  up  an  hour  earlier  to  saddle  the  mules,  when 
he  had  indulged  the  day  before  in  any  lie  more  mischievous 
than  usual.  This  plan  afforded  the  double  satisfaction  of 
punishing  him  and  of  expediting  the  journey. 

It  would  be  but  a  monotonous  repetition  to  describe  the 
various  miserable  pueblos  through  which  we  passed.  A 
grass-grown  plaza  with  a  church  on  one  side  of  it,  and  houses 
of  adobes  more  or  less  ruinous  on  the  other,  with  dirty 
streets,  or  rather  lanes,  leading  from  this  centre ;  such  are 
the  leading  features  of  a  small  Peruvian  town.  The  crops 
in  this  part  of  the  country  looked  very  cold  and  wet. 
There  was  no  attempt  at  drainage  or  fencing,  and  in  many 
places  the  only  thing  grown  was  quinua,  a  small  grain  some- 
thing like  millet,  which  grows  at  an  astonishing  elevation ; 
but,  as  the  soil  got  drier,  potatoes  and  barley  were  to  be  seen 
here  and  there.  I  slept  the  first  night  at  Juliaca,  where  the 
tambo  was  a  little  better  than  usual,  the  clay  floor  being 
matted ;  but  the  people  were  very  dirty  and  indolent,  and  I 
started  at  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning  without  getting 
anything  to  eat.  The  look  of  the  country  improved  till  we 
reached  a  river  that  we  had  to  cross  on  balsas,  our  mules 
swimming.  Many  Indians,  both  men  and  women,  were 
crossing  the  river,  kneeling  one  behind  the  other,  in  the 
narrow  balsas  ;  and  the  little  boats  with  their  freights  looked 
picturesque  enough,  as  they  shot  down  the  stream  towards 
the  opposite  bank.  These  Indians  appeared  to  be  of  a 
superior  race  to  those  nearer  the  coast ;  the  men  were  intelli- 
gent and  well-built,  and  the  clothes  of  both  sexes  were 
warm  and  comfortable.  The  men  wore  long,  thick  woollen 
jackets,   and  strong  black  breeches  open  at  the  knee.     The 


224  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peeu. 

women,  coloured  bodices,  with  petticoats  of  a  sort  of  thick 
warm  baize,  reaching  below  the  knee,  and  stout  mantles  of 
the  same  material.  The  low  cloth  hats  of  both  men  and 
women  from  this  to  Cuzco,  are  round  and  broad-brimmed ; 
whereas  at  Puno  they  were  square-topped:  those  of  the 
women  are  often  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver  lace. 

Swampy  plains  succeed  the  pretty  valley  through  which  the 
river  runs.  At  the  top  of  one  of  these  plains,  on  the  slope  of 
a  hill,  lies  the  town  of  Lampas.  It  was  full  of  soldiers,  the 
third  division  of  the  army  of  the  frontier  being  quartered 
here.  The  plaza  was  alive  with  market-women  and  soldiers, 
and  sentries  were  posted  at  every  corner  of  the  square.  On 
inquiry,  I  heard  that  the  poor  Indian  lads  who  composed  the 
rank  and  file  were  turned  into  the  plaza  under  guard  for  four 
hours  every  day ;  and  that  they  were  locked  up  in  barracks 
for  the  rest  of  the  twenty-four  hours.  Desertion  had  been 
frequent  among  these  kidnapped  recruits,  and  the  severest 
measures  were  taken  to  put  a  stop  to  it. 

Everywhere  there  are  the  same  complaints  of  the  roads  and 

the  weather.     A  Spanish  merchant,  whom  M and  I  left 

at  Cangallo,  had  reached  this  place  without  his  mules,  and  he 
had  heard  nothing  of  them  for  ten  days.  On  the  evening  I 
was  at  Lampas,  one  of  his  muleteers  appeared  to  inform  him 
that  they  had  been  obliged  to  leave  some  of  the  mules,  and  to 
unload  others.  No  wonder  foreign  luxuries  are  scarce  and 
dear  in  the  Sierra. 

The  Government  of  Peru,  such  as  it  is,  is  a  pure  centralism. 
Prefects  and  sub-prefects  exercise  a  delegated  authority  in 
provinces  and  districts  ;  and  under  them  again  the  chief  man 
in  a  village  or  small  town  receives  a  commission  as  Governor. 
This  dignitary  is  generally  very  illiterate,  and  sometimes 
tyrannical.  He  is,  perhaps,  proud  of  having  a  little  more 
"  white"  blood  in  his  veins  than  most  of  the  villagers,  for 
nowhere  is  there  a  more  distinctly  organized  aristocracy  of 
colour  than  in  the  Sierra.  A  man  of  very  doubtful  caste  thinks 
himself  quite  justified  in  striking  or  otherwise  mal-treating 
w  un  Indio,"  a  mere  Indian.  There  is  a  second  authority  in  the 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  225 

village,  the  "  alcalde,"  who  is  chosen  from  among  the  Indians, 
and  acts  as  a  magistrate  in  Indian  affairs.  As  far  as  I  could 
judge,  he  is  in  most  cases  a  mere  tool  and  servant  of  the 
Governor.  At  Pucara  the  alcalde  waited  upon  me  as  a  sort  of 
uncivilized  "boots,"  by  order  of  the  big  man  of  the  village, 
at  whose  house  I  slept  one  night.  The  alcalde  carries  a  staff 
of  office,  adorned  by  silver'  rings,  which  denote  by  their 
number  the  length  of  time  he  has  held  his  appointment. 

I  must  for  the  rest  of  the  route  confine  myself  to  extracts 
from  my  notes.  The  reader  will  understand  from  previous 
details  the  general  style  of  accommodation  and  food,  and  the 
obstructions  occasioned  by  arrieros  and  others.  To  travel  fast, 
a  certain  amount  of  coercion  is  necessary. 

Early  Start  from  Pucara. — By  dint  of  perseverance  I  got 
Mariano  up  by  three  o'clock,  and  started  with  an  Indian  guide 
to  show  us  the  way  out.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  intense 
cold,  these  early  rides  in  the  Sierra  would  have  been  most 
enjoyable.  At  no  time  is  the  imagination  more  excited  than 
when  riding  up  an  unknown  valley,  as  the  first  streak  of 
dawn  appears  in  the  eastern  sky ;  when  the  dark  outlines 
of  the  mysterious  mountains  are  struggling  into  light,  one 
by  one,  out  of  the  darker  mass  of  peaks  behind.  But  the 
cold  at  such  an  altitude,  before  the  sun  rises,  is  very  severe, 
so  that  the  first  rays  of  the  tropical  sun  are  gladly  welcomed 
in  a  scene  of  almost  Arctic  desolation. 

Pass  of  Aqua  Caliente. — It  was  a  delightful  prospect,  to 
exchange  those  dreary  uplands,  with  their  ruinous  villages 
and  miserable-looking  inhabitants,  for  the  traditionally  beau- 
tiful valley  beyond  them.  By  the  first  streak  of  dawn  we 
were  in  the  saddle,  and  reached  the  summit  of  the  pass 
by  a  winding  defile,  eighteen  miles  long.  The  still,  snow- 
capped mountains  rose  on  either  hand  in  wild  and  desolate 
beauty.  The  pass  bore  that  utterly  sad  and  lonely  appear- 
ance which  characterises  the  heights  of  the  Andes  above 
those  of  all  other  mountains  I  have  ever  seen.  Down  by 
another  defile  like  that  by  which  we  ascended, — past  a 
ruined  hacienda,  near  which  the  hot  spring  that  gives  a  name 

Q 


226  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

to  the  pass  bursts  out  of  the  ground,  and  at  last,  towards 
evening,  the  first  cultivations  are  reached,  and  the  glory  of 
the  valley  of  Yilca-mayu  first  breaks  on  the  eye. 

The  Temple  and  Palace  of  Viracocha. — The  part  still  stand- 
ing, consists  of  a  massive  wall,  with  a  portion  of  another 
at  right-angles  to  it  at  the  upper  end.  These  walls  are  built 
of  stone,  to  the  height  of  eight  or  nine  feet,  and  above  that 
height,  of  adobes.  The  main  wall  is  about  five  feet  and  a 
half  thick,  and  must  have  been  at  least  300  feet  long,  and  40 
feet  high.  One  pillar  of  the  same  construction  stands  at  one 
side  of  this  wall,  at  the  lower  end  of  the  building,  and  the 
foundation  of  another  at  the  other  side.  It  was  evidently  a 
magnificent  pile  that  was  built  by  the  prophet  Inca  in  his 
favourite  retreat.  Standing  there,  with  the  history  of  the 
unhappy  Indian  race  fresh  in  my  mind, — with  one  of  them 
beside  me,  looking  depressed  and  mournful  as  usual, — I  could 
not  but  compare  the  sad  prescience  that  haunted  Viracocha, 
and  the  subsequent  fulfilment  of  his  dreams,  to  the  artistic 
development  of  a  Greek  tragedy.  But  no  legend  of  an  angry 
Apollo, — no  poetical  phantoms  come  between  us  and  the 
Cassandra-like  seer,  as  he  mourned  the  approaching  servitude 
of  his  countrymen,  with  the  bitter,  hopeless  feeling  of  the 
Trojan  prophetess : — 

"  Das  Verhangte  muss  geschehen, 
Das  Gefiirchtete  muss  nahn." 

Checacupi  to  Urcos. — The  next  fifteen  miles  of  the  journey 
is  through  the  same  exquisite  scenery.  Every  step  in  this 
valley,  every  turn  in  the  mountain-hemmed  river,  introduces 
some  fresh  beauty.  Droves  of  mules  and  llamas  laden  with 
merchandise  for  Cuzco,  and  Indians  driving  down  their  cows 
by  precipitous  tracks  on  the  mountain-side,  give  life  to  the 
picture.  For  the  first  time  in  Peru,  I  understood  the  rapture 
with  which  some  travellers  have  spoken  of  Peruvian  scenery. 
At  Quiquihana,  the  river  is  crossed  by  a  good  stone  bridge, 
and  immediately  below  the  village  plunges  into  a  narrow 
gorge  which  I  shall  not  easily  forget.     For  some  distance 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  227 

there  is  again  only  room  for  the  narrow  track  and  the  foam- 
ing river,  while  as  the  gorge  opens,  the  molle  and  the  willow, 
interspersed  with  the  fantastic  cactus,  fringe  the  path.  After 
following  many  windings,  and  passing  some  small  villages, 
we  turned  off  at  Urcos  from  the  main  valley.  Here  the 
track  cuts  off  a  bend  of  the  river,  by  going  over  a  hill  to  the 
little  village  of  Huaruc,  about  a  mile  distant  from  Urcos.  In 
this  little  town  of  Urcos,  Almagro  rested  his  shattered  army 
on  his  return  from  Chili,  previous  to  his  seizure  of  Cuzco. 
And  into  the  little  lake  between  Urcos  and  Huaruc,  tradition 
says  that  the  famous  Inca  chain  was  thrown,  to  conceal  it 
from  the  Spaniards.  As  I  rode  by  the  gloomy  tarn,  my 
arriero  solemnly  told  me  how,  on  every  Good  Friday,  at 
one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  chain  appears  to  the  Indians, 
though  no  white  man  is  permitted  to  see  it. 

Cuzco. — The  traveller  approaches  Cuzco  by  a  gradual 
ascent,  in  the  course  of  which  the  scene  becomes  more  and 
more  bleak.  He  first  comes  in  sight  of  the  city  at  a  distance 
of  about  five  miles,  as  it  stands  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  and 
at  the  foot  of  the  surrounding  mountains.  With  what  different 
feelings  men  have  reached  this  spot  on  their  march  from  the 
valleys  below.  Sovereign  Incas,  or  their  generals,  returning 
in  triumph  with  their  conquering  armies  from  the  south  and 
east,  home  to  the  royal  city;  Spaniards  eagerly  engaged  in 
their  manifold  intestine  feuds,  marching  upon  the  capital; 
and  saddest  approach  of  all,  Tupac  Amaru,  the  last  worthy 
descendant  of  a  kingly  race,  borne  along,  bound  hand  and 
foot,  to  suffer  death  in  the  city  of  his  ancestors. 

Cuzco  is  on  the  whole  the  most  melancholy  city  that  I  can 
conceive  to  be  in  the  whole  world.  Numbering,  according  to 
the  Spanish  chronicle,  200,000  inhabitants  at  the  time  of  the 
Conquest,  it  now  does  not  contain  more  than  20,000 :  the 
streets  are  dirty,  the  plazas  are  grass-grown,  and  the  still 
beautiful  cloisters  of  La  Merced  are  falling  into  premature 
decay.  Still,  to  the  antiquary,  few  cities  present  so  many 
monuments  of  a  state  of  society  wholly  passed  away.     The 

Q2 


228  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Pertj. 

sad-looking  Indian,  in  his  old-fashioned,  picturesque  dress, 
stares  at  a  European  riding  up  the  street,  as  though  he  had 
dropped  from  the  moon ;  while  the  latter  gazes  just  as 
curiously  at  the  masonry  of  old  Inca  palaces  and  temples  that 
form  the  foundations  of  more  modern  buildings. 

Besides  the  colossal  masonry  still  standing  in  many  of 
the  narrow  streets  of  the  city,  the  principal  objects  of 
interest  are  the  church  of  Santo  Domingo,  and  the  ruins  on 
the  hill  of  Sacsahuaman.  In  the  church  of  Santo  Domingo 
the  stones  of  the  old  temple  of  the  sun  reach  about  twelve 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  above  this  the  Spanish  masonry 
provokes  invidious  comparisons.  Although  the  European 
used  mortar,  and  the  Indian  none,  nowhere  in  Peru  can 
modern  masonry  bear  comparison  with  the  beautifully  fitted 
work  of  the  ancients.  To  this  day  the  engineer  is  puzzled  to 
account  for  the  power  of  the  Indians  in  dealing  with  immense 
masses.  We  know  of  no  machinery  adequate  to  the  purpose 
in  use  by  them ;  the  conquerors  have  left  no  hint  of  such 
appliances.  The  Inca  historian,  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  is 
silent  on  the  subject,  and  yet  in  many  places  are  seen  traces 
of  stonework  which  might  reasonably  be  supposed  too  large 
to  have  been  put  together  by  unassisted  human  strength. 
Almost  the  first  work  of  the  Spaniards  after  the  capture  of 
Cuzco,  was  to  convert  the  temple  of  the  sun  into  a  church, 
and  thus  to  this  day  the  sacred  building  of  the  Incas  is  still 
held  sacred  by  their  descendants,  and  those  of  their  conquerors. 

But  by  far  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  ancient 
capital  is  the  hill  Sacsahuaman,  on  which  once  stood  the 
fortress  defended  against  the  assaults  of  the  Spaniards  with 
such  devoted  courage.  The  gigantic,  closely-fitted  stones  of 
the  zig-zag  defences  are  still  unmoved,  and  the  summit  of 
the  hill  is  crowned  by  traces  of  the  great  stronghold.  The 
hill  itself  is  a  very  remarkable  one,  rising  as  it  does  preci- 
pitously out  of  the  valley,  and  commanding  an  excellent 
bird's-eye  view  of  Cuzco  and  its  neighbourhood.  Looking 
up  from  the  grand  plaza,  in  which  the  Spaniards  were 
camped  during  the  attack  on  the  fortress,   one  can  easily 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  229 

appreciate  the  absolute  necessity  for  reducing  a  citadel  that 
hung  so  directly  over  the  town. 

Wherever  you  walk  through  the  city,  you  are  reminded 
of  the  past;  never  is  there  a  trace  of  hope  for  its  future. 
On  one  side  of  the  plaza,  the  Cathedral  stands  on  the  site 
of  the  palace  of  Inca  Viracocha,  on  the  other  side  stands  the 
house  said  to  have  been  inhabited  by  Almagro  ;  half-way 
up  the  hill  of  the  fortress  are  the  ruins  of  the  palace  of 
Huanco  Capac,  and  higher  up  are  seats  cut  out  of  the  rocks 
in  times  immemorial.  But  Cuzco  is  situated  where  no 
modern  ruler  would  have  built  a  city  ;  war  and  persecution, 
and  slavery  and  plague,  have  reduced  the  inhabitants  from 
time  to  time ;  and  if  it  were  not  for  a  few  foreigners,  and  a 
very  few  studious  men  in  the  venerable  cloisters,  the  memory 
of  its  local  traditions  would  pass  away  for  ever.  The  so- 
called  museum  is  a  disgrace  to  the  authorities.  Most  of  the 
valuable  antiquities  have  been  stolen,  and  the  rooms  are  filled 
with  rubbish — full-length  portraits  and  other  memorials  of 
modern  celebrities,  robbers  more  or  less  successful  of  the  free 
and  independent  republic. 

Prescott,  who,  in  his  description  of  a  country  that  he 
never  saw,  is  astonishingly  accurate,  has,  I  think,  in  his 
account  of  the  former  magnificence  of  Cuzco,  been  somewhat 
led  away  by  the  first  glowing  descriptions  of  the  Spaniards. 
The  masonry  of  the  low  and  gloomy  buildings  was  doubtless 
very  fine,  and  the  interiors  blazed  with  gold ;  but  the  low, 
thatched  roofs,  the  windowless  walls,  and  the  narrow  streets, 
or  rather  lanes,  must  have  destroyed  the  effect  of  the  massive 
architecture.  Both  at  Pachacamac,  and  in  Cuzco,  wherever 
any  traces  of  Inca  building  are  found  on  both  sides  of  the  street, 
it  struck  me  how  gloomy  the  thoroughfares  must  have  been 
in  the  most  palmy  days  of  old  Peruvian  cities. 

The  Sierra  rains  had  not  ceased  when  I  arrived  at  Cuzco, 
and  the  climate  was  cold  and  comfortless  in  the  extreme. 
The  houses  are  all  built  as  if  for  a  tropical  climate,  in  a  town 
more  than  11,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  dark 
rooms  opening  on  patios  or  on  balconies  running  round  and 


230  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peett. 

overlooking  them.  Fireplaces  are  unknown,  so  people  sit 
and  shiver  in  the  house  with  cloaks  and  hats  on,  as  at  Puno, 
miserable  to  be  seen.  There  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  positive 
prejudice  against  the  use  of  water  for  purposes  of  ablution. 

The  most  pleasing  feature  of  society  at  Cuzco  is  the  great 
civility  shown  to  a  stranger.  I  brought  letters  to  the  Prefect 
and  to  one  or  two  of  the  leading  persons  in  the  town,  and 
received  from  them  the  greatest  hospitality  and  attention 
during  my  visit.  But  there  was  another  feature  of  Peruvian 
life  that  raised  my  indignation  in  Cuzco,  as  it  did  elsewhere  in 
this  wretchedly  governed  country.  The  town  swarmed  with 
soldiers  :  aides-de-camp  and  officers  were  perpetually  hanging 
about  the  Prefect's  house,  and  the  ancient  cloisters  of  the 
Jesuits  had  been  turned  into  barracks,  in  which  the  poor 
Indian  soldiers  were  confined.  When  I  saw  something  of  the 
conscription,  my  indignation  was  redoubled.  I  knew  that  it 
was  arbitrary  and  illegal,  and  that  the  Indian  ran  and  hid 
himself  at  the  sight  of  a  soldier,  as  in  the  old  days  of  the 
Mita  he  would  have  fled  at  the  sight  of  a  Spanish  official ; 
but  I  did  not  realize  the  whole  villany  of  the  system  till 
I  saw  it  put  in  force.  One  morning  I  was  talking  to  the 
Prefect  in  the  balcony  of  the  prefecture  overlooking  the  court- 
yard, when  a  party  of  wretched-looking  creatures  in  ragged 
ponchos  were  marched  bound  into  the  patio,  and  drawn  up 
for  inspection.  They  were  recruits,  and  the  Prefect  went  down 
to  examine  them  one  by  one,  while  the  victims  eagerly  pointed 
out  any  infirmity  they  might  be  happy  enough  to  suffer  from. 
While  this  was  going  on,  I  asked  the  aide-de-camp  how  they 
were  chosen.  He  explained  that  the  troops  surround  the 
houses  of  the  Indians  when  they  are  asleep,  and  bind  and 
carry  off  those  likely  to  be  fit  for  service. 

"  Without  notice  ? " 

"  0  yes  !  without  notice ;  they  hate  the  service  so  much, 
that  we  should  never  get  any  soldiers  without  surprising 
them." 

"  Then  no  Indian  when  he  goes  to  sleep  among  his  friends 
knows  whether  he  may  be  seized  or  not  in  the  night  ? " 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  231 

"  Not  when  we  want  soldiers." 

"Surely  this  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the 
republic  ? " 

"  No  ! "  (shrugging  his  shoulders)  ;  "  but  the  Government 
must  have  soldiers." 

That  is  to  say,  that  the  robber,  who  for  the  time  being  holds 
supreme  power,  can  use  the  army  as  he  likes,  to  oppress  the 
citizens  of  the  republic.  And  these  are  the  uses  to  which  the 
independence  has  been  degraded  ;  the  independence  for  which 
so  many  brave  men  died,  and  for  which  the  eloquence  of 
Canning  enlisted  the  sympathies  of  the  civilized  world. 

As  I  was  anxious  to  descend  again  into  the  valley  of 
Vilca-mayu  to  visit  Yucay  and  the  remains  of  the  unfinished 
fortress  of  Ollantay-tambo,  the  Prefect  furnished  me  with 
letters  to  the  governors  of  the  villages  through  which  I  was  to 
pass,  and  allowed  one  of  his  aides-de-camp,  who  was  a  native 
of  Yucay,  to  accompany  me.  Leaving  the  fortress  of  Cuzco 
to  the  right,  we  passed  over  a  very  wild,  bleak  country,  to 
the  village  of  Chinchero,  where  the  church  is  surrounded  by 
the  ruined  walls  of  a  great  Inca  palace.  The  descent  from 
Chinchero,  by  a  precipitous  cuesta,  into  the  valley  of  Yucay  is 
surpassingly  beautiful ;  but  it  was  not  until  we  had  passed 
the  little  village  of  XJrquillos,  that  I  understood  the  charm 
that  Yucay  had  for  the  Inca  kings,  far  beyond  that  of  the 
royal  city,  seated  in  all  its  splendour  on  the  cold  upland.  We 
crossed  the  river  at  Huaylabamba  by  a  bridge  of  sogas,  or 
ropes,  made  of  twisted  fibres,  brought  from  the  forests  below 
in  the  Montana,  and  suspended  across  the  stream  :  such  a 
bridge  as  has  probably  been  suspended  here  since  the  days  of 
Indian  rule.  However  well  calculated  for  foot-passengers,  these 
bridges  are  certainly  rather  dangerous  for  horses,  especially 
when  old  and  worn  as  this  was.  When  leading  my  horse  across, 
he  put  his  foot  through  the  ropes  once  and  stumbled,  swinging 
the  crazy  bridge  most  ominously.  I  let  go  the  rein,  and  got 
out  of  his  way,  in  order  to  let  him  go  overboard  alone  ;  how- 
ever, he  seemed  used  to  it,  and  recovered  himself  without 


232  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

being  much  frightened.  A  quarter  of  an  hour's  ride  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river  brought  us  to  the  village  of  Yucay. 
Here  the  Inca  sovereigns  enjoyed  all  the  beauties  and  the 
pleasures  of  the  happy  valley  of  Easselas.  Indeed,  the 
scenery  is  exactly  such  as  I  have  always  imagined  to  be 
described  in  the  most  poetic  vision  of  the  sober  Johnson. 
The  bold  and  precipitous  mountains  appear  to  close  in  on 
either  side  of  the  luxuriant  valley ;  and  yet  when  the  Incas 
reposed  here  in  state,  they  received  almost  hourly  communi- 
cations from  the  extreme  boundaries  of  the,  to  them,  known 
world.  It  was  the  happy  valley  without  its  drawback,  and 
the  Easselas  was  a  Ulysses  who  had  seen  the  manners  of 
many  men  and  their  cities. 

Ollantay  Tambo. — The  Governor  at  Urubamba  had  horses 
ready  for  us,  and  we  rode  on  by  moonlight  to  Ollantay 
Tambo  (road  by  river).  At  dawn  we  went  to  examine  the 
remains  of  the  fortress,  which  was  as  unique  in  conception, 
as  the  history  of  the  Peruvian  Incas  is  unique  in  the  records 
of  the  world.  To  this  spot  in  the  valley,  where  the  moun- 
tains close  in  on  either  hand,  the  rebel  Inca,  Ollantay,  fled, 
and  here  determined  to  make  his  final  stand  against  the 
royal  house  of  Cuzco.  Ollantay  was  no  mere  insurgent,  in 
arms  one  day,  to  be  put  down  the  next ;  the  massive  works 
begun  here,  testify  to  his  having  been  an  avaf  avhpcov  on  a 
large  scale.  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  Peru,  the  first  question 
that  suggests  itself  is,  "  How,  even  with  the  help  of  myriads 
of  slaves,  could  these  stones  have  been  hewn  out  and  raised 
to  their  present  position  ? "  On  the  right  bank  of  the  river, 
the  mountain  side  is  built  up  into  a  gigantic  flight  of 
andenes,  or  terraces,  which  serve  as  the  foundation  for  the 
fortress  destined  to  frown  over  the  valley.  The  position,  and 
the  massive  rocks  of  which  the  building  is  composed,  might 
long  bid  defiance  to  modern  arms  ;  how  utterly  impregnable 
must  the  proposed  stronghold  have  appeared  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Incarian  armies !  When  Ollantay  was  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Inca  Yupanqui,  the  work  ceased,  but  the  remains 


C.  C.  Bowen.j  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  233 

of  "the  wall  lie  was  raising  to  last  for  ever,"*  still  seem 
calculated,  so  far  as  possible  for  mortal's  work,  to  defy  the 
ravages  of  time.  The  gigantic  blocks  of  granite  that  are  so 
wonderfully  cut  out,  and  fitted  together  so  closely,  were 
brought  (let  engineers  tell  us  how)  from  the  quarry  on  the 
other  side  of  the  valley,  some  five  miles  down  the  stream. 
Two  or  three  similar  blocks,  called  "piedras  cansadas"  lie 
carved  and  fashioned,  midway  between  the  quarry  and  the 
building,  as  though  the  works  had  but  lately  been  brought  to 
a  sudden  end.  Some  of  the  stones  in  position  are  more  than 
twelve  feet  high,  while  one  of  thepiedras  cansadas  is  upwards 
of  twenty  feet  long  by  fifteen  broad,  and  nearly  four  deep. 
Many  half-hewn  stones  are  lying  about  the  building,  and 
one  almost  expects  to  find  the  mason's  tools  lying  beside 
them.  While  examining  these  stones,  I  found  a  clue  to  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  patiently  wrought  into  shape. 
From  the  bottom  of  one  of  them,  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff  near 
which  it  lies,  runs  a  little  stone  trough,  as  though  to  carry 
off  the  water  used  in  rubbing  down  the  surfaces  with  stone 
or  sand.  This  must  have  been  slow  work,  kept  up  by  con- 
stant relays  of  patient  slaves ;  but  the  direction  of  these 
slaves  must  have  been  in  the  hands  of  enterprising  and 
skilful  Engineers. 

Eemnants  of  heavy  masonry  are  to  be  found  in  the  village 
which  is  separated  from  the  fortress  by  the  ravine  and  stream 
of  Marca-cocha.  In  this  ravine  are  marvellous  seats  and 
broad  steps  cut  out  in  the  solid  rock  :  and  far  above  on  the 
mountain  side,  are  remains  of  what  is  said  to  have  been  a 
convent  of  Virgins  of  the  Sun.  Near  the  convent  a  small 
tower  above  a  precipice  marks  the  spot  whence  criminals 
were  hurled  in  the  days  of  Ollantay.  The  place  is  far  more 
suggestive  of  instant  death  than  the  Tarpeian  rock  of  fatal 
celebrity. 

*  A  sketch  of  a  Peruvian  drama  on  this  subject,  originally  written  in  the 
Quichua  tongue  and  apparently  contemporaneous  with  the  Incas,  is  given 
in  Mr.  Markham's  work.  Several  extracts  translated  by  him,  give  a  high 
idea  of  the  dramatic  capacity  of  the  author. 


234  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

On  our  return,  we  passed  again  through  Urubamba,  the 
fruit-garden  of  Cuzco ;  and,  ascending  from  the  valley,  we 
rode  on  till  darkness  compelled  us  to  attempt  sleep  in  an 
Indian  hut.  After  a  few  hours,  we  went  on  by  moonlight, 
and  re-entered  Cuzco  a  little  after  dawn,  in  torrents  of 
rain. 

There  were  great  complaints  at  Cuzco  of  the  unprecedented 
continuance  of  the  rainy  season.  I  should  certainly  advise 
a  traveller  to  make  sure  of  fine  weather  in  these  high 
regions,  by  starting  a  month  later  than  I  did.  Snow  and 
rain  make  the  mountain  travelling  unnecessarily  severe. 

Setting  out  on  my  return  to  Arequipa,  I  went  up  the 
valley  of  Yilca-mayu,  as  far  as  Tinta  ;  and,  striking  off  here, 
crossed  the  Despoblado,by  the  pass  of  Eumi-huasi.  A  swampy, 
dreary  country,  gradually  growing  higher  and  colder,  stretches 
to  the  foot  of  the  pass.  Over  these  wastes  I  rode  from 
before  dawn  till  after  dark,  for  two  days. 

A  few  miles  beyond  Ocaruru  we  got  post-mules,  after  some 
threats  (brutum  fulmen)  as  to  what  I  would  get  the  Prefect 
to  do  to  the  post-master.  After  many  solemn  asseverations 
that  there  were  none,  they  were  produced  at  last,  such  as 
they  were.  The  one  my  arriero  rode  nearly  died  in  the 
ascent.  The  saddle  was  transferred  to  one  of  our  own  mules, 
and  the  poor  beast,  thus  relieved,  managed  to  stagger  to  the 
summit  of  the  pass,  17,700  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  If 
it  were  not  a  bore  to  be  always  repeating  that  the  Peruvian 
postas  are  a  disgrace  to  the  country,  I  would  draw  special 
attention  to  the  miserable  hut  on  Eumi-huasi,  the  highest 
habitation  in  the  world.  On  the  top  of  this  pass  we  were 
half  blinded  by  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  that  drove  directly  in 
our  faces.  The  descent  is  more  gradual  than  the  ascent  on 
the  other  side. 

The  Volcano  of  Arequipa  again.  —  Since  yesterday  the 
beautiful  cone  of  the  volcano  of  Arequipa  and  the  range  of 
Chacani  had  been  in  sight  from  time  to  time,  appearing  and 
disappearing  as  I  passed  from  height  to  hollow.  They  were 
like  old  friends,  and   certainly  no  other  mountains  in  that 


C.  C.  Bowen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  235 

part  of  the  Andes  which  I  had  traversed  equals  in  beauty 
the  volcano  of  Arequipa.  From  whatever  point  of  view  you 
see  it,  the  cone  is  perfect,  and  stands  out  in  fine  contrast 
to  the  rugged  summits  of  its  neighbour,  Chacani.  As  a 
general  rule  the  mountain  scenery  in  Peru  is  on  too  gigantic 
a  scale  to  enable  one  to  appreciate  it.  You  have  to  travel 
over  vast  wastes  before  you  come  upon  the  lovely  spots 
that  nestle  in  the  recesses  of  the  great  Sierra.  Putting  aside 
such  limited  scenes  as  those  in  the  valley  of  Yilca-mayu,  or 
the  campirla  of  Arequipa,  the  most  striking  general  view  of 
the  mountains  that  I  can  recollect,  is  from  the  middle  of  the 
desert  of  Islay.  But  let  no  one  expect  in  a  tropical  climate 
the  more  varied  effects  of  European  mountain  scenery.  Out 
of  the  temperate  zones  is  found  no  Monte  Eosa,  "  hanging 
there," — 

"  Faintly  flushing,  phantom  fair, 

A  thousand  shadowy  pencilled  valleys 
And  snowy  dells  in  a  golden  air." 

The  traveller  rises  so  gradually  towards  what  appears  to  be 
the  base  of  the  gigantic  range,  that  without  being  aware  of  it, 
he  has  already  passed  out  of  the  region  of  the  most  beautiful 
vegetation,  and  the  scene  has  become  bare,  and  cold,  and 
desolate  ;  whereas,  among  mountains  on  a  smaller  scale,  you 
can  approach  their  boldest  passes  before  you  have  bid  farewell 
to  tree,  and  flower,  and  grass.  But  what  is  lost  in  beauty  is 
gained  in  a  conception  of  grandeur  and  vastness.  Never  till 
you  have  travelled  painfully  day  after  day  over  some  small 
portion  of  the  far-stretching  Andes  will  you  understand  what 
a  barrier  they  are  ;  on  what  a  scale  the  mountain  masses  are 
piled  together ;  or  that  the  vast  and  desolate  pampas  over 
which  you  have  been  riding,  are  simply  the  dreary  gradients 
to  mountain  tops  that  roll  away  as  far  as  you  can  see.  And 
as  you  ascend  the  highest  passes,  still  far  above  you  rise  the 
snow-capped  peaks  untrodden  and  perhaps  unapproachable 
for  ever. 

I  spent  a  couple  of  days  in  Arequipa,  and  enjoyed  especially 


236  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

the  walk  down  along  the  river,  through  the  rich  cultivations 
towards  the  village  of  Tingo.  An  Italian  opera  in  the  quaint 
roofless  theatre  was  an  unexpected  luxury.  The  singing  was 
very  good,  and  the  strange  old  theatre,  with  its  temporary  roof 
of  canvas,  looked  wonderfully  well,  and  did  wonderful  justice 
to  the  singers.  The  inhabitants  of  Arequipa,  as  well  as  of 
Lima,  are  very  fond  of  music  ;  and  this  taste  they  are  prepared 
to  gratify  at  any  cost. 

A  little  after  noon,  on  the  21st  of  April,  I  started  for 
Islay,  and  riding  through  the  night,  with  a  pause  of  three 
or  four  hours  at  the  tambo  of  La  Joya,  in  the  middle  of  the 
desert,  reached  Islay  at  daybreak  the  next  morning.     It  was 
strange  enough  to  be   avoiding,  as   much   as   possible,  the 
parching  heat  of  a  tropical  desert,  when  only  a  week  before, 
on  Kumi-huasi,  no  clothing  would  keep  out  the  penetrating 
cold  of  rain  and  snow  in  a  rarefied  atmosphere.     Now  that 
the  journey  was  over,  my  arriero  Mariano  had  become  won- 
derfully well  pleased  with  himself  and  with  me.     He  came  on 
to  Islay,  and  after  great  professions  of  friendship,  carried  off 
the  alforjas  I  forgot  to  take  off  the  mule,  and  then  asked  me 
to  give  him  as  a  keepsake  my  esjpuelitas  (little  spurs)  ;  a 
curious  use,  by-the-bye,  of  the  diminutive,  seeing  that  the  said 
spurs  had  rowels  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter.     But 
the  use  of  the  diminutive  is  very  frequent,  and  often  very 
childish.     Every  lady,  never  mind  her  age,  is  senorita,  never 
senora,  unless,  indeed,  for  a  year  or  two  after  marriage,  as  a 
distinction.     No  one  is  ever  going  to  do  a  thing  in  a  moment, 
momentito  is  the  largest  portion  of  time  any  one  will  keep 
you  ;    and  hasta  cada  momentito  is  an  exaggeratedly  polite 
form  of  leave-taking.     If  I  told  Mariano  at  a  village  to  try  to 
get  some  caldo,  or  broth  (made  with  eggs,  sometimes  the  food 
easiest  procured),  he  would  make  a  request  for  caldito,  as  if 
that  in  some  way  lessened  or  softened  the  demand.     If  a 
thing  was  to  be  done  early,  they  would  say  tempranito,  not 
temprano;  in  order  not  to  shock  their  lazy  nerves,  I  suppose. 
And  in  the  same  way,  when  possible,  a  diminutive  is  substi- 
tuted for  the  vulgar  whole.  I  do  not  now  allude  to  affectionate 


C.  C.  Bowen.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  237 

diminutives  in  family  life  ;  these  are  often  very  pretty  ;  and 
the  flexibility  of  the  Spanish  language  in  forming  pet  names  is 
very  graceful.  But  it  is  strange  how  Peruvians  try  to  take 
the  edge  off  a  downright  statement. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22nd,  the  fine  English  mail-steamer, 
with  a  punctuality  that  told  of  another  race,  put  in  at  Islay  ; 
and  after  a  pleasant  passage  along  the  coast  on  a  smooth  sea, 
I  reached  Callao  on  the  evening  of  the  25th. 

The  population  of  Lima  was  just  beginning  to  recover  from 
a  most  desperate  fright.  Some  severe  shocks  of  earthquake 
had  shaken  down  several  houses,  and  cracked  and  rendered 
dangerous  many  others.  A  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants 
had  spent  two  or  three  nights  in  the  open  air,  and  the  days  in 
going  in  procession  to  the  shrines  of  all  the  saints  who  were 
expected  to  interfere  in  the  matter  of  earthquakes.  These 
processions,  I  was  told,  were  very  efficacious,  as  the  earth- 
quakes had  ceased  ;  whereby  the  reputation  of  the  one  or  two 
particular  saints  was  greatly  increased. 

I  spent  a  couple  of  days  in  Lima  very  pleasantly,  and  was 
about  to  leave  for  Callao  on  the  27th,  to  join  the  steamer  for  the 
north,  when  I  was  detained  for  a  while  by  an  event  very  charac- 
teristic of  the  country.  I  was  talking  to  a  friend  at  his  hotel, 
when  a  loud  explosion  was  heard  in  the  street,  which  in  an 
instant  was  filled  by  a  curious  crowd.  We  first  thought  that  a 
revolution  had  broken  out, — this  would  have  been  a  natural 
occurrence, — but  heard  directly  afterwards  that  an  attempt  had 
been  made  to  blow  up  the  house  of  a  wealthy  citizen  with  a 
sort  of  clumsy  infernal  machine.  The  crime  of  the  proposed 
victim  was  the  possession  of  wealth,  and  the  immediate  cause 
of  this  attempt  was,  that  he  had  not  answered  threatening 
letters  requiring  him  to  send  money  to  places  named.  The 
would-be  assassin  knew  that,  if  taken,  nothing  very  serious 
would  happen  to  him.  (The  republic  of  Peru  is  so  much  in 
advance  of  its  age,  that  its  legislature  abolished  capital 
punishment.  This  was  one  of  the  sentimental  steps  which 
has  been  considered  more  useful  than  practical  progress. 
I  would  invite  the  attention  of  English  philanthropists  to  the 


238  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Peru. 

remarkable  success  of  the  Peruvian  experiment.)  But  as  it 
was  necessary  that  a  show  of  zeal  should  be  made  by  the 
authorities,  and  as  in  a  South  American  republic,  the  conve- 
nience of  peaceable  citizens  need  not  be  consulted,  a  guard 
was  placed  at  the  door  of  each  of  the  hotels,  with  orders  to  let 
no  one  out.  Thus  a  double  purpose  was  served.  A  fuss  was 
made  in  the  town,  and  every  reasonable  chance  of  escape  was 
given  to  the  criminal,  who  was  not  likely  to  be  at  any  of  the 
hotels.  After  keeping  the  inmates  of  the  hotels  prisoners 
during  pleasure,  the  authorities  took  the  guards  off,  and  I  was 
enabled  to  catch  the  train  to  Callao,  and  the  steamer  for  the 
north.  In  the  evening  we  sailed  for  Guayaquil  en  route  for 
Panama. 


J.  J.  Cowell.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 860.  239 


6.  THE  GRAIAN  ALPS  AND  MOUNT  I  SEE  AN. 
BY  J.  J.  COWELL,  ESQ. 

Duking  the  autumn  of  1859,  I  happened  to  obtain  a  very- 
fine  and  unclouded  view  of  the  mountains  to  the  south  of 
Mont  Blanc,  and  finding  that  little  was  known  about  them, 
determined  to  visit  them  in  the  following  summer.  Un- 
luckily, however,  1860  proved  to  be,  as  everybody  knows, 
a  bad  year  for  explorers,  and  I  only  half-executed  my  project, 
owing  to  repeated  interruptions  caused  by  bad  weather. 

Before  leaving  England,  I  consulted  every  available  map, 
provided  myself  with  the  new  Sardinian  Ordnance  Maps,  and 
took  with  me  my  boiling-point  thermometer.  Finally,  I  wrote 
to  my  trusty  guide,  Michel  Payot,  at  Chamouni,  to  tell  him  to 
meet  me  at  Cormayeur,  on  the  26th  of  August. 

It  will  render  the  account  of  our  travels  more  intelligible 
if  I  give  a  general  description  of  the  region  in  which  they 
lay.  Its  most  important  feature  is,  of  course,  the  main  range 
of  the  Graian  Alps,  by  which  the  waters  are  divided ;  next 
in  order  should  be  placed  the  two  principal  valleys,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  range,  in  which  the  greater  part  of  these 
waters  are  collected.  They  are  the  valley  of  the  Dora 
Battea,  commonly  called  the  Yal  d'Aosta,  on  the  Italian  side  ; 
and  the  Valley  of  the  Isere,  on  the  French  side  ;  and  they 
may  both  be  conceived  to  descend  from  the  Little  St.  Bernard, 
which  bounds  our  part  of  the  chain,  to  the  north.  On  the 
French  side,  the  tributary  valleys  are  long,  and  run  parallel 
to  the  main  range,  while  on  the  Italian  and  steepest  side  of 
the  range  they  are  short,  and  abut  directly  against  it ;  these 


240  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Graian  Alps. 

latter  are  the  Val  Grisanche,  Val  de  Khemes,  Val  Savranche, 
all  opening  into  the  Yal  d'Aosta,  and  the  Yal  de  Ceresole, 
Val  Forno,  and  two  others,  opening  directly  into  the  plain. 
An  important  Col,  namely,  the  Col  de  la  Croix  de  Mvolet, 
connects  the  heads  of  the  Val  Savranche  and  the  Val  de 
Ceresole.    So  much  for  the  Italian  side. 

Now,  on  the  French  side,  the  tributary  valleys  are  only 
two  ;  the  Val  de  Tignes,  which  runs  up  from  the  foot  of  the 
Little  St.  Bernard  towards  the  south ;  and  the  Val  d'Arc, 
which  runs  up  from  St.  Jean  de  Maurienne,  first  to  the  east 
and  then  to  the  north,  towards  the  head  of  the  Val  de  Tignes, 
with  which  it  is  connected  by  the  Col  d'Iseran.  The  Col 
d'Iseran  is  just  opposite  the  Col  de  la  Croix  de  Mvolet,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  main  range,  which  is  here  crossed  by  the 
Col  de  Galese. 

This  is  a  rough  description  of  the  country,  but  it  may, 
perhaps,  prove  a  better  guide  than  most  of  the  ordinary  maps, 
in  which  these  parts  are  slurred  over.  My  general  plan  was 
to  cross  by  the  Col  de  Galese  to  Savoy,  on  which  side  the 
slopes  of  the  mountains  are  more  gradual  and  easy  of  ascent, 
and  there  to  climb  any  high  peak  that  might  tempt  me,  and 
especially  to  make  trial  of  the  Levanna  and  Mont  Iseran, 
both  of  which  I  had  heard  were  inaccessible  ;  Mont  Iseran 
being  generally  described  as  having  a  needle-like  point  that 
tapers  to  a  height  of  more  than  13,000  feet. 

On  Monday,  Sep.  3,  we  left  Villeneuve,  and  ascended  to  the 
head  of  the  Val  Savranche,  where  we  spent  the  following 
day.  When  we  started  on  Sep.  5,  we  were  obliged  to  take  a 
guide  as  far  as  the  Chalets  de  Mvolet,  because  the  first  part 
of  the  road  to  them,  was  not  included  in  my  sheet  of  the 
Ordnance  Map,  by  help  of  which  we  usually  found  our  way. 
We  went  a  little  way  down  the  valley,  and  then  turned  to  the 
left,  up  a  very  steep  zig-zag  path  which  led  us  to  the  beginning 
of  a  long  "  plateau,"  called  the  Plan  de  Mvolet.  This  has  an 
elevation  of,  I  should  say,  nearly  7,000  feet,  and  is  consequently 
very  bare  and  barren ;  but  its  aspect  is  improved  by  a  chain 
of  small  picturesque  lakes  which  occupy  half  of  its  length. 


J.  J.  Cowell.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  241 

On  that  edge  of  the  plateau  which  overhangs  the  Val 
Savranche,  stands  the  cross,  or  Croix  de  Mvolet,  that  gives 
its  name  to  the  Col. 

Near  here,  the  guide  told  us  his  father  had  been  attacked 
by  a  highwayman,  and  had  run  for  his  life  all  the  way  down 
the  zigzag  path,  till  he  reached  a  house  in  the  valley  below ; 
the  robber,  he  said,  was  a  Piedmontese.  Hereupon,  both  my 
companions  began  to  revile  the  Piedmontese  in  general,  and 
to  tell  lively  stories  about  their  way  of  murdering,  robbing, 
and  so  forth.  This  surprised  me ;  but  I  found  out  that  by 
"  Piemontais "  they  meant  only  the  people  of  the  Val  de 
Ceresole,  and  the  three  valleys  to  the  south  of  it,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  people  of  the  Val  d'Aosta  and  its  tributary 
valleys,  whom  they  eulogized  as  "  Valaisans,"  a  name  which 
I  had  never  heard  applied  on  that  side  of  the  Alps.  The 
guide  declared  that  in  the  territories  of  these  Piemontais 
solitary  travellers  were  often  waylaid ;  and  Payot  said  that 
some  Chamouni  men  travelling  in  the  Val  de  Ceresole  had 
been  attacked  by  a  gang  in  the  open  day. 

No  other  accident  befell  us  than  that  we  were  benighted  ; 
nevertheless,  being  benighted  on  a  mountain  path  is  very 
unpleasant,  as  one  constantly  knocks  one's  feet  against  the 
great  stones  that  are  sure  to  be  sticking  up,  and  one  takes 
long  steps  where  one  ought  to  take  short  ones,  and  vice  versd. 
We  found  the  path  overflowed  in  several  places,  and  our 
progress  was  often  interrupted : — at  length  the  guide  an- 
nounced he  could  find  the  track  no  longer.  The  consequence 
was,  that  for  nearly  an  hour  we  went  dabbling  on  over  land 
and  water,  leaping  the  pools  by  help  of  our  alpenstocks,  and 
trusting  to  luck  for  a  firm  footing  beyond ;  fortunately,  I 
never  fell  down  on  any  of  these  occasions,  though  my  knap- 
sack made  me  feel  very  top-heavy.  By  the  time  we  reached 
the  Chalets  de  Nivolet,  we  had  had  enough,  and  were  glad  to 
dry  ourselves  before  a  good  fire.  I  was  the  least  sufferer  of 
the  party,  as  my  leather  leggings  had  protected  me  from  wet 
and  mud;  and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  take  off  boots  and 
leggings,  and  put  on  my  slippers,  while  Payot  had  to  dry  his 


242  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

legs  elaborately  before  lie  could  make  himself  comfortable ; 
so  I  unhandsomely  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and 
preached  to  him  upon  the  utility  of  leggings. 

The  chalet  belonged  to  a  family  of  brothers,  who  received 
us  kindly ;  they  all  spoke  French,  and  I  chatted  with  some 
of  them,  learning  all  I  could  about  the  geography  of  the 
surrounding  district.  Their  chalet  was  distant  from  Villeneuve, 
in  the  Val  d'Aosta,  seven  hours  and  a  half;  from  Ceresole,  four; 
and  from  Laval,  in  the  Val  de  Tignes,  seven,  by  the  Col  de 
palese,  over  which  one  of  our  hosts  agreed  to  guide  us  on  the 
following  day. 

When  we  came  in,  they  were  preparing  their  supper  in  an 
immense  copper  pot,  which  we  found  to  contain  "  polenta." 
Though  this  compound  must  be  well  known  to  travellers  in 
Italy,  it  was  new  to  me,  and  I  shall  hazard  only  one  remark 
upon  it ;  it  is  not  bad  when  hot,  but  it  is  very  nasty,  and 
I  think  unwholesome,  when  cold.  I  ate  mine  with  hot  milk. 
Afterwards  they  took  us  to  a  snug-looking  stone  cottage,  close 
by,  where  I  thought  we  should  sleep — but  no  1  it  would  not 
be  ready  till  next  year,  as  unfortunately  it  had  no  roof.  They 
only  wanted  to  show  it  to  us  :  we  should  have  to  sleep  over 
the  cows  this  year.  So  we  climbed  up  a  ladder  into  a  hay- 
loft, under  which  were  not  only  the  cows,  but  the  cows  bells, 
which  kept  up  a  steady  jingle,  as  their  wearers  went  on 
placidly  munching,  all  night.  Whether  cows  in  general,  or 
whether  only  these  particular  cows,  remain  awake  and 
munch  ;  or  whether  they  go  to  sleep  and  still  munch,  I  do 
not  know ;  but  I  am  sure  that  in  some  way  or  another  the 
ringing  was  constantly  maintained.  In  other  respects  I  was 
comfortable,  by  help  of  hay,  of  my  warm  plaid,  and  of  a  pair 
of  straps,  which  last  articles  I  consider  essential  whenever 
one  sleeps  in  one's  clothes.  I  was  agreeably  surprised  at 
finding  myself  exempt  from  the  attacks  of  certain  objection- 
able insects  that  are  supposed  to  abound  in  hay :  there  were 
none  in  any  of  the  chalets. 

On  Thursday  morning,  when  I  started,  as  usual,  in  search 
of  the  nearest  rill,  it  was  snowing,  and  everything  around 


J.  J.  Cowell.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  243 

looked  so  cold  and  miserable,  that  only  the  practice  acquired 
by  tubbing  in  cold  water  on  frosty  mornings,  could  have 
enabled  me  to  persevere  with  my  toilet  under  such  discourage- 
ment. When  this  fearful  task  was  over,  I  considered  what 
was  to  be  done.  Should  I  try  to  get  to  Laval  over  the  Col  de 
Galese  ?  On  the  one  hand,  it  was  entirely  contrary  to  my 
principles  to  attempt  a  glacier  pass  in  bad  weather,  as  such 
a  proceeding  is  disagreeable,  unprofitable,  and  frequently 
dangerous.  But  I  was  tired  of  sleeping  on  hay ;  we  had  only 
one  day's  provisions  left ;  waiting  would  be  disagreeable  ; 
and  as  our  guide  declared  the  glacier  to  be  as  easy  as  possible, 
and  only  half  a  mile  across,  I  determined  to  try  it,  though  I 
saw  from  the  account  in  Murray  that  we  might  meet  with 
some  difficulties.  We  made  haste  to  prepare  a  breakfast  of  hot 
wine  and  bread — a  plan  taught  me  by  Payot.  We  usually 
took  it  when  we  expected  hard  work  or  cold.  The  wine  is 
heated  with  sugar  and  cinnamon,  and  forms  a  most  invigorating 
beverage,  of  which  the  good  effects  continue  for  several  hours. 

Soon  after  eight  we  started,  and  came  into  a  small  plain, 
which  was  the  rendezvous  of  the  King  and  his  suite  when  he 
came  on  a  hunting  expedition  two  years  before.  It  appears 
that  all  this  part  of  his  dominions  is  maintained  by  the  King 
as  a  royal  preserve  for  bouquetins  and  chamois  ;  but  as  for 
this  particular  little  stony  plain — with  steep  rocks  on  each 
side,  and  accessible  only  by  precipitous  paths, — I  could  not 
imagine  how  the  King's  mounted  retinue  ever  got  there,  or 
what  they  did  when  they  arrived. 

We  passed  the  lakes  on  our  left,  and  descended  rapidly  from 
the  Col  into  the  Valley  of  Ceresole,  where  we  found  the 
weather  clearer,  and  caught  glimpses  through  the  clouds  of  a 
high  steep  mountain  overhanging  the  valley  on  the  south, 
which  I  set  down  as  La  Pointe  des  Trois  Bees,  or  Levanna. 
At  ten  A.M.  we  reached  the  Chalet  de  Surie, — the  highest  in 
the  valley, — from  which  we  learned  a  flock  of  sheep  had  just 
started  for.  the  Col  de  Galese  ;  this  encouraged  us,  and  we 
followed  them,  going  nearly  due  west,  and  climbing  up  the 
rugged  cliffs  that  enclose  the  head  of  the  valley.     On  the  top 

R2 


244  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps' 

of  these  lay  a  slope  of  snow,  beyond  which  rose  a  high  wall 
of  rock,  with  its  jagged  summits  faintly  outlined  through  the 
storm. 

It  was  the  crest  of  the  Alps,  rising  two  thousand  feet 
above  us,  and  accessible  only  by  a  steep  narrow  gully  paved 
with  snow.  This  gully  led  us  to  a  deep  notch  in  the  ridge, 
and  resembled  on  a  large  scale  the  "  Chemin^e "  of  Mont 
Brevent  at  Chamouni.  Down  the  gully  swept  wind  and  snow, 
which  we  had  to  face  as  we  plodded  upwards ;  but  presently, 
when  the  slope  became  steeper,  so  much  loose  snow  slid  upon 
us  that  we  could  hardly  make  any  progress ;  as  one  or  other 
of  us  was  frequently  swept  or  blown  off  his  legs.  Things 
did  not  appear  promising,  so  we  held  a  brief  consultation; 
we  had  evidently  but  a  choice  of  evils.  I  did  not  like  the 
idea  of  giving  up,  and  scrambling  down  those  awkward  cliffs 
in  order  to  get  back  to  the  hay  and  to  the  cows,  while  Payot 
pointed  out  that  we  were  secure  against  the  real  danger  of 
losing  our  way  on  the  glacier  on  the  other  side,  as  we  had  but 
to  follow  the  sheep-tracks. 

We  therefore  determined  to  force  our  way  over  the  pass  if 
possible ;  and  at  once  took  the  necessary  precautions.  We 
tied  ourselves  together,  and  screwed  the  axe-head  on  to  Payot's 
alpenstock ;  this  plan  had  been  invented  by  himself,  to 
dispense  with  the  necessity  of  carrying  an  axe  separately. 
With  this  heavy,  long-handled  instrument  he  could,  at  one 
blow,  cut  a  niche  deep  enough  to  afford  firm  footing.  We 
were  now  fairly  between  the  two  walls  of  the  gully,  which 
narrowed  from  fifty  feet  at  its  mouth  up  to  ten  at  its  head,  in 
a  length  of  five  hundred  yards  ;  but  so  much  snow  had  accu-* 
mulated  in  it  that  it  was  constantly  swept  by  avalanches. 

Still,  we  were  encouraged  by  hearing  the  sound  of  the  sheep 
far  above  us,  and  the  incessant  barking  of  the  dog,  who,  poor 
fellow !  was  very  indignant  at  finding  that  the  sheep  got  on 
much  better  than  he  in  scaling  the  slippery  rocks.  The  guide 
told  us  he  was  not  prepared  for  such  a  state  of  things,  as 
generally  there  was  no  snow  whatever  on  our  side  of  the 
pass.     Presently,  there  came  rolling  down  a  lot  of  stones, 


J.  J.  Cowell.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  245 

detached  by  the  sheep  above,  who  maintained  an  intermittent 
discharge  of  these  small  shot  till  they  were  clear  on  the  other 
side.  The  stones  luckily  rolled,  and  did  not  bound,  so  they 
only  struck  us  on  the  legs  (here  again,  I  may  say,  my  leggings 
did  me  good  service),  until,  what  with  being  bothered  by  the 
stones,  and  being  half-smothered  by  the  avalanches  and  the 
driving  storm,  and  being  knee-deep  in  snow,  and,  in  general, 
cold  and  uncomfortable,  I  began  to  despair  of  success,  espe- 
cially when  Payot  expressed  his  opinion  that  before  long  the 
gully  would  be  swept  from  end  to  end  by  a  large  avalanche 
that  we  should  be  unable  to  withstand.  These  avalanches 
must  have  begun  to  fall  but  a  short  time  before — perhaps  not 
till  after  the  passage  of  the  sheep — as  the  first  few  were 
small.  It  seemed  as  if  we  had  come  just  at  the  time,  when 
the  gully  could  no  longer  contain  the  constant  accumulations 
of  snow. 

We  had  hitherto  avoided  approaching  the  sides,  because 
the  snow  fell  over  them  in  regular  cascades,  collected  from 
the  rocks  and  ledges  above ;  but  I  now  proposed  that  we 
should  submit  to  this  inconvenience,  in  order  to  evade  the 
greater  one  ;  I  argued  that,  as  the  gully  widened  regularly 
from  the  top,  no  avalanche,  however  large,  could  ever  com- 
pletely fill  it :  this  proved  a  good  plan,  for  we  escaped  both 
stones  and  avalanches.  At  last  we  came  to  where  the  snow 
ceased,  and  we  had  to  climb  between  two  faces  of  rock  that 
met  at  the  bottom,  and  were  coated  with  clear  ice. 

The  shepherds  had  avoided  this  "  couloir,"  by  passing  along 
a  ledge  to  the  left,  but  the  flock  had  climbed  straight  up  it, 
for  in  such  a  place  a  sheep  would  climb  with  comparatively 
little  difficulty.  Unluckily  we  did  not  discover  the  shep- 
herds' path,  and  though  we  were  but  one  hundred  yards 
from  the  top,  we  were  occupied  more  than  an  hour  in 
reaching  it.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  secure  a  footing 
anywhere :  without  the  axe,  we  never  could  have  done  it ; 
we  had  to  cut  more  than  a  hundred  resting-places  for  the 
feet,  first  scratching  off  the  ice  from  the  rocks,  and  then 
knocking  out  a  bit  of  stone  here,   or  chipping  off  a  piece 


246  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

there,  or  tearing  up  some  loose  fragments.  Sometimes  I 
hitched  my  alpenstock  across  the  gully  for  Payot  to  stand 
on ;  or  else  we  shoved  and  hustled  him  up  where  he 
could  not  climb,  that  he  might  pull  us  up  after  him;  and 
thus  we  scrambled  up  to  the  top  at  two  p.m.  having  been 
three  hours  in  doing  less  than  a  mile.  Here  we  rested  a 
little,  to  go  through  a  general  rubbing  of  hands,  which  were 
much  numbed  by  constant  holding  to  the  frozen  rocks. 
However,  we  had  no  time  to  lose,  as  the  falling  snow  would 
soon  obliterate  the  sheep  tracks,  so  we  started  across  the 
glacier,  which  was  smooth  and  level.  We  could  see  nothing, 
except  that  there  was  a  small  lake  in  the  ice  to  our  right ;  it 
was  not  a  time  for  taking  observations,  so  I  can  only  guess  at 
the  height  of  the  pass,  which  I  should  estimate  at  a  little 
more  than  9,000  feet.  The  tracks  were  scarcely  visible  to 
me,  but  my  companions  made  them  out  readily,  and  we 
went  along  at  a  rapid  trot,  till  we  came  to  where  the  glacier 
terminated,  breaking  abruptly  off  at  the  edge  of  a  cliff;  this 
rather  startled  us,  because  there  was  the  edge,  and  there 
were  the  tracks  going  right  up  to  it ;  it  seemed  as  if  they  had 
gone  over  it.  The  only  explanation  was  that  the  flock  had 
returned  upon  its  old  track,  and  then  struck  off  again. 

We  then  immediately  turned  back,  and  sought  for  the 
junction  of  the  missing  track  with  the  old  one,  but  without 
success ;  we  then  extended  our  sphere  of  search.  The  other 
two  were  to  go  each  on  one  side  of  the  track  about  300 
yards,  straight  away,  and  then  to  walk  with  their  faces  to 
the  wind — that  was  westward.  I  was  to  remain  where  I  was, 
and  to  blow  my  large  fog- whistle  every  minute  ;  by  this  they 
were  to  guide  themselves  until  one  of  them  shouted,  in  which 
case  the  other  and  I  were  to  follow  him.  We  at  once  untied 
ourselves,  and  they  both  disappeared ;  I  coiled  up  the  rope, 
and,  sitting  down  upon  it,  got  out  the  map  and  the  compass 
in  order  to  decide  what  course  to  take  should  the  track  be 
irrecoverably  lost. 

We  had  consumed  our  provisions,  we  had  even  eked  out 
our  vile  supply  of  brandy  by  the  vile  admixture  of  the  con- 


J.  J.  Cowell.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  247 

tents  of  my  spirit  lamps  ;  we  had  been  snowed  upon  for  six 
hours,  and  the  thermometer  marked  248  under  the  hanging 
flap  of  my  plaid.  It  was  therefore  a  great  relief  to  me  when, 
after  whistling  for  about  ten  minutes,  I  heard  Payot's  voice  in 
the  north-west ;  we  soon  rejoined  him,  and  found  that  he 
had  lighted  upon  ^the  track  at  the  point  where  it  quitted  the 
glacier.  Here,  and  throughout  the  rest  of  the  descent,  it 
could  easily  be  traced,  as  the  snow  was  only  a  few  inches 
deep,  and  was  all  discoloured  with  the  mud  and  stones  that 
had  been  stirred  up. 

We  followed  the  track  down  into  the  valley — the  head  of 
the  Val  de  Tignes,  where  the  weather  was  clearer,  and  though 
the  valley  was  in  itself  of  the  most  chilling,  cheerless  aspect, 
without  a  tree  or  bush  to  be  seen,  yet  to  us  it  was  truly  wel- 
come, and  a  hospitable  shelter  from  the  storm.  We  hastened 
on,  often  congratulating  ourselves  upon  being  well  out  of  it. 
Payot  attributed  our  success  to  "  le  vin  chaud,"  which  alone, 
he  said,  enabled  us  to  hold  our  own  against  the  cold  so  long  ; 
and  no  doubt  he  was  right,  but  I  knew  that  the  main 
element  of  our  success  was  Payot  himself,  for  without  his 
assistance  I  never  could  have  got  up  that  most  impracticable 
"  couloir."  Just  before  reaching  Laval  we  passed  our  highly 
esteemed  pioneers,  the  sheep,  who  numbered  about  250,  and 
we  were  surprised  that  the  track  of  so  numerous  a  flock  had 
been  so  soon  effaced.  The  inn  was  a  most  wretched  place, 
but  it  was  comfortable  in  comparison  with  a  chalet ;  we 
reached  it  at  six  p.m. 

Near  Laval  three  short  valleys  unite,  and  form  the  Val  de 
Tignes;  the  middle  one  leads  to  the  Col  d'Iseran;  the  left- 
hand  one  to  the  Col  de  Galese.  We  started  the  next  morning 
for  Bonneval,  by  the  Col  d'Iseran ;  over  which  we  easily 
found  our  way  by  help  of  the  map,  and  the  pyramids  which 
Murray  warned  us  to  look  for.  In  respect  of  Mont  Iseran, 
which  I  had  not  yet  seen,  the  hand-book  rather  confused  me, 
by  calling  the  pass  first  Col  d'Iseran,  and  then  Mont  Iseran. 
The  mountain  tops  were  still  covered,  and  we  could  learn 
nothing  about  them   at  Laval,  neither  were  we  the  wiser 


248  ,    VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

through  what  we  could  see  in  mounting  the  Col,  which, 
though  usually  free  of  snow,  was  on  that  day  deeply  covered 
for  three  miles  on  each  side  of  the  top,  as  snow  was  still 
falling. 

We  found  our  way  at  once  by  help  of  the  pyramids,  which 
are  not  mere  heaps  of  stones,  but  regular  edifices,  some  of 
them  twenty-five  feet  high,  with  large  niches,  in  which  one 
can  conveniently  take  shelter,  as,  by  some  oversight,  none  of 
them  had  been  filled  with  the  proper  apparatus  of  dolls,  lace, 
crosses,  and  pictures. 

We  met  several  hundreds  of  good  fat  sheep  coming  from 
Bonneval.  It  appeared  there  was  a  general  movement  of  sheep 
and  cattle  from  all  parts  to  Bourg  St.  Maurice,  at  the  foot  of 
the  little  St.  Bernard,  where  there  was  a  great  fair  on  the  day 
of  Saint  Grat — whom  I  was  always  tempted  to  call  Saint 
Gras,  since  these  ample  supplies  were  all  to  centre  in  him. 

The  top  of  the  Col  was  reached  in  three  hours  from  Laval, 
and  there,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Yal  Savranche,  we 
got  a  view,  though  Mont  Iseran,  the  long-sought  object  of  my 
ambition,  was  still  hidden.  Towards  the  south  many  high 
mountains  and  a  vast  area  of  glaciers  were  visible,  all  at  a 
great  distance.  At  eleven  A.M.  a  bright  circular  rainbow 
formed  round  the  sun  on  a  stratum  of  dark  grey  cloud  less 
than  two  thousand  feet  above  us ;  it  enclosed  an  immense 
space  having  an  inner  diameter  of  about  50°,  the  bow  having 
a  breadth  of  about  5°  ;  it  continued  till  11  50  A.M.,  when  the 
clouds  were  disturbed  by  a  change  of  the  wind  from  N.W.  to 
S.W.  I  watched  it  with  great  pleasure,  till  Payot  explained 
to  me  that  it  was  an  infallible  sign  of  bad  weather. 

We  found  in  descending  that  a  great  deal  of  the  winter's 
snow  still  lay  across  the  pass ;  in  some  places  the  whole 
ravine  was  choked,  the  road  and  the  torrent  disappearing  for 
the  time.  There  were  several  chalets  by  the  road  at  which 
we  tried  to  get  some  milk ;  but  the  inhabitants  were  shy,  and 
discourteous  ;  they  made  no  objection  to  their  dogs  flying  at 
us.  In  all  parts  of  this  valley  the  same  thing  took  place ; 
the  dogs  resembled  the  Scotch  shepherd's  dog,  and  were  very 


J.  J.  Cowell.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  249 

fierce  and  spiteful,  always  flying  at  passers-by,  without  in- 
terference from  their  masters.  They  did  not  seem  to  care 
whether  we  or  the  dogs  got  the  better,  but,  like  a  mob  at 
a  prize-fight,  were  quite  content  as  long  as  somebody  was 
being  hurt. 

We  reached  Bonneval  at  two,  and  soon  found  the  inn  of 
M.  Jean  Culets ;  he  had  not  much  accommodation,  but  did 
his  best  to  make  us  comfortable.  He  could  supply  nothing 
but  eggs,  and  bread  and  butter,  and  wine,  which  last  was 
most  excellent. 

After  dinner,  I  had  a  long  conversation  with  him  about 
the  mountains  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  we  soon  came  to 
an  understanding  about  the  Levanna ;  it  had  been  ascended 
once  by  himself,  and  he  would  take  us  up  on  the  first  fine 
day.     But  about  Mont  Iseran,  to  my  astonishment,  he  knew 
nothing ;  declaring  positively  that  there  was  no  mountain 
at  all  on  the  site  indicated  in  the  Ordnance  Map — he  did 
not  care  for  the  map,  he  had  travelled  upon  these  mountains 
for  thirty  years,  and  was  ready  to  swear  that  the  peak  existed 
solely  in  the  imaginations  of  geographers.     This  quite  con- 
founded me ;  I  was  not  in  the  least  prepared  for  it,  as  I 
no  more  doubted  the  existence  of  Mont  Iseran  than  I  did 
that  of  Mont  Blanc.      Every  map  marked  it:  in  the  Pied- 
montese   Ordnance    Map,   sheet   number    thirty-seven    was 
named  after  it,  and  gave  its  height  as  4,045  metres,  or  more 
than  13,000  feet ;  the  Alpine  Club,  in  their  list,  marked  it 
13,271  feet ;  and  Payot  said  that  he  had  often  seen  it  from 
the  top  of  Mont  Blanc,  while  I  had  seen  it,  or  what  I  thought 
was  it,  from  the  Col  du  Gdant  and  the  Cramont. 

Here,  then,  was  a  question  of  fact  of  the  most  elementary 
kind,  decided  in  one  way  by  a  remarkable  combination  of 
evidence,  and,  in  the  contrary  way,  by  the  experience  of  a 
man  who  could  not  possibly  be  mistaken.  I  could  only 
suspend  my  judgment  until  I  should  have  examined  for 
myself ;  I  would  go  to  the  very  place,  and  if  Mont  Iseran 
did  not  stand  there,  I  would  stand  there  instead,  and  testify 
against  him. 


250  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

I  wanted,  of  course,  to  go  there  the  next  day,  Saturday, 
September  8th,  but  was  met  by  two  difficulties.  In  the 
first  place,  there  was  every  appearance  of  bad  weather — 
as  foretold  by  the  circular  rainbow ;  and,  secondly,  Culets 
could  not  come  with  us,  because  the  day  was  the  property 
of  St.  Grat,  and  it  would  be  necessary  to  go  to  mass,  which 
ceremony  being  unfortunately  at  eleven  o'clock,  was  incom- 
patible with  mountaineering.  With  reference  to  this  feeling 
about  Saints'  days,  Payot  told  me  the  following  story  : — 

The  late  fatal  accident  on  the  Col  du  G^ant  had  happened 
on  August  15th;  now  this  is  a  Saint's  day,  and  the  co- 
incidence had  been  much  remarked.  It  appeared,  more- 
over, that  the  Cure*  of  Chamouni  had,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  season,  reminded  the  guides  that  it  was  likely  to  prove 
unusually  dangerous,  and  exhorted  them  never  to  travel  on 
Saints'  days  without  going  to  the  five  o'clock  mass.  On 
this  account,  poor  Tairraz  had  been  very  unwilling  to  try 
the  Col  on  August  15th,  but  had  yielded  to  the  natural 
impatience  of  the  three  Englishmen.  It  was  also  remembered 
that,  when  Tairraz's  brother  was  swept  away  by  an  avalanche 
in  1820,  that  accident  also  occurred  on  a  Saint's  day.  So 
that,  on  the  whole,  the  impression  made  at  Chamouni  had 
been  such,  that  no  guide  would,  if  he  could  avoid  it,  try  a 
dangerous  pass  or  mountain  on  these  occasions. 

I  was  interested  in  the  story,  and  decided  that  nothing  of 
importance  was  to  be  done  till  the  Monday.  Hereupon,  in 
order  to  confirm  me  in  this  laudable  resolve,  old  Culets  came 
in  with  another  sad  story :  a  young  Sardinian  officer  of 
engineers  had  been  killed  in  a  crevasse,  while  surveying  near 
the  Col  de  Lauteret  on  the  previous  Sunday. 

The  next  day  was  stormy,  hail  and  snow  falling  frequently ; 
but  I  succeeded  in  making  some  acquaintance  with  the  geo- 
graphy of  the  neighbourhood  in  the  intervals  of  fine  weather. 
In  the  evening  some  English  gentlemen  arrived  from  Forno, 
over  the  Col  Girard ;  I  had  not  met  a  soul  for  a  week,  and 
expected  some  news  about  Garibaldi,  but  they  knew  none, 
having  been  for  some  time,  like  myself,  in  unfrequented  regionc. 


J.  J.  Cowell.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  251 

They  had  had  a  dreadful  passage  over  the  Col  Girard,  and, 
in  my  opinion,  had  very  narrowly  escaped  a  fatal  accident ; 
the  weather  had  been  dreadful  on  the  pass,  and  the  snow  on 
the  steep  slopes  was  in  a  most  dangerous  state.  Both  their 
guides  refused  to  carry  anything  for  them,  or  even  to  give 
them  a  helping  hand,  in  difficult  places  ;  they  would  simply 
show  the  way  and  nothing  more.  One  even  refused  to  do 
that,  and  followed  in  the  rear,  saying  he  was  afraid  of  cre- 
vasses ;  and  it  turned  out  that  this  fellow  was  responsible  for 
the  accident  to  the  poor  surveyor  on  the  Col  de  Lauteret ; 
having  misled  him,  and  then  made  little  effort  to  save  him. 
On  the  Col  Girard,  he  used  neither  axe  nor  ropes,  and  one 
of  the  party  would,  in  consequence,  have  disappeared  down 
a  couloir,  but  that  his  friend  behind  adroitly  caught  him 
by  the  arm.  Other  narrow  escapes  took  place  among  the 
dangerous  crevasses  on  the  Italian  side. 

This  sort  of  thing  constantly  happens  in  the  less  fre- 
quented passes  of  the  High  Alps,  where  no  one  ought  to 
trust  himself  to  unknown  guides  unless  he  be  himself  an 
experienced  mountaineer.  There  were  six  fatal  accidents  in 
the  Alps  this  year,  and,  probably,  narrow  escapes  innumer- 
able— I  know  the  details  of  half-a-dozen  or  more — but  there 
need  be  no  cause  for  surprise,  when  one  sees  so  many  tourists 
utterly  inexperienced,  but  ready  to  undertake  anything.  At 
Aosta,  two  gentlemen  consulted  me  as  to  whether  they  had 
better  go  on  the  next  day  over  the  Col  du  Gdant,  or  spend 
a  day  in  going  up  the  Mont  Cervin,  which  they  heard  was 
well  worth  a  visit. 

On  Sunday  the  weather  was  rather  better,  and  I  walked 
down  to  Lanslebourg,  for  the  purpose,  imprimis,  of  getting 
a  good  dinner,  not  having  dined  to  any  extent  for  a  week. 
I  wanted  also  some  spirits  of  wine  for  my  lamp,  and  a  supply 
of  provisions  to  support  us  at  Bonneval,  where  one  could  get 
nothing  but  eggs,  and  very  large  cabbages,  which,  with  hay 
and  onions,  appear  to  be  the  sole  products  of  the  upper  part 
of  the  valley. 

The  general  character  of  the  mountains  near  Bonneval  is 


252  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

very  decided ;  there  are  a  great  many  peaks  of  nearly  the 
same  height  (about  12,000  feet),  sloping  up  on  the  west,  from 
vast  table-lands  covered  with  glaciers,  and  presenting  tremen- 
dous precipices  towards  the  east.  The  glaciers  are  of  immense 
extent,  but  of  no  great  thickness,  because  of  the  inferior  size 
of  the  mountains  ;  they  are  in  consequence  crevassed  in  almost 
every  part,  as  their  surfaces  are  affected  by  every  little  in- 
equality in  the  rocks  over  which  they  move,  while,  in  the 
case  of  a  thick  glacier,  many  rents  must  be  made  below,  which 
never  extend  themselves  as  far  as  the  upper  surface.  The 
same  cause  leads  to  other  important  results  ;  owing  to  its 
thinness,  the  glacier  breaks  and  crumbles  over  the  edge  of 
a  precipice,  where  a  thick  one  would  bend  down  and  make 
an  ice-fall.  Again,  owing  to  its  deficiency  of  volume,  it 
seldom  descends  below  the  snow  line,  even  if  not  interrupted 
by  the  precipices  which  nearly  everywhere  bound  the  table- 
land. Few,  therefore,  of  the  glaciers  are  accessible,  and  still 
fewer  practicable,  unless  one  can  reach  their  neves.  There  is 
so  little  bare  rock,  that  moraines  are  rare,  and  the  summits 
easy  of  ascent,  if  one  can  but  approach  them.  Although 
these  are  not  high,  yet  the  general  crest  of  the  range  much 
exceeds  10,000  feet,  and  is  nowhere  to  be  crossed  without 
difficulty. 

These  ice-fields  cover  so  large  a  space,  and  are  so  much 
exposed  to  every  wind,  that  they  render  the  climate  of  the 
adjoining  valleys  very  rigorous.  It  was  dreadfully  cold  at 
Bonneval,  snow  falling  frequently  and  injuring  the  vege- 
tation ;  no  grain  would  ripen  there,  and  no  pines  would  grow 
even  on  the  lowest  grounds.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  ap- 
peared to  suffer  from  rheumatism,  and  soon  after  my  visit 
I  had  myself  an  attack  of  that  complaint ;  Culets  said  he 
had  long  been  subject  to  it  through  sleeping  out  on  the  moun- 
tains. Tor  the  present  he  gave  a  good  report  of  the  weather, 
and  had  no  doubt  of  our  being  able  to  ascend  the  Levanna  on 
the  morrow. 

Fortunately,  the  morning  proved  very  fine.  We  started  at 
six,  ascending  the  valley,  and  leaving  on  the  left  the  road  to 


J.  J.  Cowell.]        NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  253 

the  Col  dTseran.  The  Levanna  itself  was  not  visible  from 
Bonneval,  and  it  was  not  nntil  we  had  been  nearly  an  hour 
on  the  march  that  Payot  and  I  for  the  first  time  caught  sight 
of  the  mountain  that  we  were  to  climb  ;  it  seemed  to  be  very- 
distant,  as  only  the  summit  was  visible,  but  our  guide  assured 
us  we  should  be  at  the  top  in  less  than  six  hours.  However,  it 
was  soon  hidden  from  sight  by  the  steep  mountains  at  the 
head  of  the  valley,  whose  sides  appeared  more  bare  and  bleak 
than  near  Bonneval.  Even  the  birches  had  disappeared, 
and  a  great  part  of  the  slopes  were  covered  with  dark  grey 
stones. 

At  half-past  seven  we  reached  the  last  inhabited  place* 
a  chalet  belonging  to  Culets,  and,  in  a  few  minutes  after,  came 
to  the  end  of  the  glacier  that  descends  from  the  Levanna 
and  the  Col  Girard, — the  only  one  that  reaches  the  valley. 
We  now  began  to  ascend,  with  the  glacier  to  our  right, 
advancing  in  a  direction  parallel  to  it  until  we  reached  the 
base  of  the  snow-slopes  that  extended  up  to  the  highest  ridge, 
which  once  more  became  visible.  Here  we  sat  down  to 
breakfast,  and  I  took  the  opportunity  of  examining  our  guide's 
rifle,  which  he  always  carried  with  him,  as  he  was  constantly 
on  the  look-out  for  chamois. 

It  was  an  old  rifle,  but  appeared  still  very  serviceable  ; 
its  chief  peculiarity  was  that  it  could  be  fired  twice,  though 
it  had  but  one  barrel.  This  was  effected  by  an  arrangement 
that  was  quite  new  to  me  ;  first,  the  rifle  was  loaded  in  the 
usual  way,  but  with  a  wad  above  the  bullet ;  then,  above  the 
wad,  a  fresh  charge  of  powder  and  a  fresh  bullet  were  placed, 
so  that  by  the  help  of  a  second  trigger,  hammer,  and  nipple, 
this  charge  could  be  fired  off,  without  disturbing  the  charge 
behind  it,  which  was  held  in  reserve  for  a  second  shot.  The 
piece  was  thus  as  useful  as  a  double-barrelled  rifle ;  it  had 
killed,  in  Culets'  hands,  about  a  thousand  chamois,  of  which 
he  said  half  would  have  escaped  him  but  for  his  second  shot. 

In  a  few  minutes  we  started  again,  mounting  steep  slopes 
of  snow,  on  which  our  guide  said  he  usually  found  game. 
He  now  unslung  his  rifle,  carrying  it  at  the  long  trail,  and 


254  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Gkaian  Alps. 

instructed  us,  in  case  of  seeing  a  chamois,  to  throw  ourselves  flat 
on  the  snow.  However,  the  first  game  we  saw  was  not  chamois, 
but  ptarmigan ;  a  brood  of  six  rose  close  to  us  from  some 
stones,  among  which  they  had  been  concealed,  and  I  expected 
Culets  to  fire  at  them,  but  he  would  not  do  so,  as  he  feared 
to  frighten  away  the  chamois,  of  which  we  soon  afterwards 
saw  three  at  some  distance  above  us  on  the  slope.  I  happened 
to  be  first,  and  the  moment  we  had  lain  down,  I  heard  him 
say,  "  You  must  excuse  my  firing  over  you  ; "  whereupon  he 
laid  the  barrel  over  my  shoulder  and  fired,  but  without  effect. 
He  was  prevented  from  making  use  of  his  second  charge  by 
a  curious  incident ;  the  slope  of  hard  snow  was  so  steep,  that 
when  we  threw  ourselves  down,  we  were  obliged  to  use  our 
hands  to  avoid  slipping,  but  the  marksman  of  course  had  both 
his  hands  occupied,  and  as  he  had  not  secured  himself  with 
his  feet,  it  so  happened,  that  the  recoil  of  the  piece  was  suffi- 
cient to  dislodge  him.  He  slid  down  some  way,  while  I  felt 
the  barrel  being  rapidly  drawn  over  my  shoulder,  and  slip- 
ping down  along  my  back  ;  so  that  at  that  moment  I  should 
have  been  better  satisfied  had  there  been  no  second  charge  in 
the  rifle.  However,  no  harm  happened,  except  that  before  he 
had  recovered  himself,  the  chamois  had  vanished.  "We  pre- 
sently reached  the  spot  where  the  chamois  had  been  standing, 
and  found  that  the  bullet  had  struck  the  snow  between 
his  feet. 

I  was  struck  with  the  peculiarity  of  the  report,  which 
resembled  that  of  a  drawing-room  pistol,  and  was  sharp  and 
short ;  it  was  more  reduced  in  power  than  I  should  have 
expected,  considering  our  moderate  elevation  (less  than 
11,000  feet) ;  the  smoke,  too,  did  not  rise  into  the  air,  but 
rolled  slowly  upwards  like  a  small  cloud. 

Soon  afterwards  the  rifle  was  left  behind,  there  being  no 
chance  of  finding  chamois  any  higher,  because  all  the  region 
beyond  was  accessible  only  by  the  narrow  slope  up  which  we 
were  climbing.  This  fell  away  to  the  right  and  the  left,  so 
that  we  presently  found  ourselves  upon  a  narrow  arete  of 
rocks  and  soft  snow,  up  which  we  scrambled  unpleasantly  till 


J.  J.  Cowell.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  6o.  255 

we  reached  the  side  of  the  highest  ridge.  This  ridge  is  narrow, 
and  bounded  by  two  precipices  that  do  not  meet  at  the  top  to 
form  an  arete,  but  are  connected  by  a  narrow  surface  of  snow. 
But  the  precipice  on  the  eastern  or  Italian  side  is  much  the 
highest,  and  also  the  steepest,  therefore  this  surface  slopes 
sharply  down  to  meet  the  top  of  the  lower  precipice  on  the 
Savoy  side,  where  it  is  cut  short,  as  the  sloping  roof  of  a 
house  is  cut  short  by  the  wall.  The  ridge  extends  about 
300  yards  to  the  right,  where  it  terminates  abruptly,  after 
culminating  at  its  very  extremity  in  a  small  heap  of  rocks, 
which  formed  the  summit  of  the  Levanna. 

We  had  to  go  the  whole  length  along  this  surface,  which 
required  some  caution,  for  it  consisted  of  loose,  unfrozen 
snow,  lying  upon  a  hard,  smooth  slope,  which  in  its  steepest 
part  was  inclined  at  an  angle  of  43°,  as  measured  by 
my  clinometer.  We  dared  not  venture  near  to  the  higher 
part,  because  the  surface  curled  over  the  precipice  below  like 
a  cornice,  terminating  in  a  thin  edge  of  ice ;  nor  could  we 
safely  pass  on  the  lower  side,  lest  our  weight  should  detach 
the  loose  snow,  and  make  it  slide  away  from  under  us.  As 
the  rope  would  have  been  of  no  service  in  such  a  case,  we 
did  not  tie  ourselves  together,  but  went  each  by  himself  at  a 
considerable  distance  apart,  keeping  about  half-way  up  the 
slope,  and  so  we  reached  the  top  without  difficulty,  at  a 
quarter  before  twelve. 

The  actual  summit  is  most  remarkable ;  it  consists  of  a 
large  slab  resting  upon  a  heap  of  loose  rocks ;  the  slab  was 
not  horizontal,  but  sloped  away  from  us  towards  the  Italian 
side,  overhanging  the  precipice  considerably ;  its  position 
appeared  frightfully  insecure  to  us  who  proposed  mounting 
on  to  it,  as  we  half-expected  to  see  it  slide  off  its  pinnacle, 
and  sweep  down  the  abyss.  We  found  that  it  was  so  coated 
with  clear  ice,  that  we  could  not  stand  on  it,  and  that  sitting, 
though  possible,  would  be  very  unpleasant.  But  against  this, 
and  against  any  attempt  to  mount  it,  both  guides  protested, 
and  I  yielded,  half- disappointed,  and  yet  half-pleased  at  being 
spared  the  unnecessary  risk  and  discomfort  of  so  cold  and 


256  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

slippery  a  seat.  Perhaps  the  danger  may  have  been  more  in 
appearance  than  in  reality ;  but  I  have  never  quite  made  np 
my  mind  whether  our  caution  was  prudent  or  ridiculous. 

However,  as  we  could  see  over  the  stone,  it  was  no  impedi- 
ment to  the  view,  and  we  beheld  a  magnificent  spectacle, 
including  almost  every  high  peak  in  the  main  range  of  the 
Alps.  Part  of  these  we  had  seen  during  our  ascent,  for  on 
our  side  snow-covered  peaks  were  visible  in  every  direction ; 
to  the  west  and  south-west  was  the  knot  of  high  mountains 
that  lie  between  the  Mont  Cenis  road  and  the  Isere,  and 
whose  summits  appear  to  rise  from  out  of  a  vast  table-land  of 
glaciers.  Beyond  were  Mont  Tabor,  and  to  the  left  of  it  a 
fine  peak  that  we  could  not  identify,  but  which  Payot  remem- 
bered to  have  seen  from  Mont  Blanc  ;  perhaps  Mont  Pelvoux, 
if  there  be  such  a  mountain ;  and  he  professed  likewise  to 
make  out  with  the  telescope  the  pointed  summit  of  Monte 
Viso  through  the  haze  on  the  southern  horizon ;  however,  the 
view  in  that  direction  was  in  great  part  bounded  by  the  peaks 
near  Mont  Cenis.  But  when  we  turned  our  eyes  from  the 
mountains  towards  the  eastern  valleys,  hoping  to  discern 
Turin,  Milan,  and  the  Italian  plain — there,  alas  !  neither 
plain  nor  city  could  be  seen,  for  all  the  lowlands  lay  hidden 
by  heavy  clouds. 

In  the  north,  no  such  disappointment  awaited  us.  The 
whole  of  the  great  chain  from  where  we  stood,  for  more  than 
a  hundred  miles, — the  Graian  and  the  Pennine  Alps, — lay 
before  us  ;  the  range  of  Mont  Blanc  appeared  to  very  great 
advantage,  and  Monte  Eosa,  and  all  the  high  peaks  about  it, 
were  brilliantly  visible,  except  the  Weisshorn,  which  was  con- 
cealed by  the  Dent  Blanche.  The  Ehaetian  Alps  were  mostly 
hidden  by  Monte  Eosa,  but  to  its  right  were  the  Bernina, 
Monte  Delia  Disgrazia,  the  bare  peak  of  Monte  Legnone 
beyond  the  Lake  of  Como,  and  last  of  all,  the  white  cone  of 
the  Ortler  Spitze. 

But  the  finest  and  most  striking  sight  of  all  was  that 
splendid  pair — the  Grand  Paradis  and  the  Grivola,  which, 
standing  apart  from  the  chain,  alone  and  unsupported,  yet 


J.  J.  Cowell.]         NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  257 

rose  in  front  of  us  to  the  height  of  13;000  feet;  the  Grand 
Paradis  especially  towering  grandly  above  us, — the  highest 
mountain  in  Italy,  and  by  far  the  most  imposing  object  in 
the  whole  of  that  magnificent  panorama. 

I  was  obliged  to  defer  till  afterwards  my  full  enjoyment  of 
the  scene,  in  order  to  attend  to  what  I  called  "business,"  or, 
as  Payot  used  to  call  it,  "  les  machines."  He,  poor  fellow ! 
was  at  first  too  uncomfortable  to  interest  himself  as  usual  in 
my  operations,  as  his  feet  were  so  cold  that  we  became  very 
uneasy  about  him ;  but  he  met  the  difficulty  by  taking  off  his 
dripping  shoes  and  socks,  and  wrapping  his  feet  tightly  up 
in  my  plaid.  By  this  means,  in  about  half-an-hour,  they  were 
completely  revived.  It  may  seem  surprising  that  we  should 
have  had  the  plaid  with  us,  as  it  was  a  very  decided  ad- 
dition to  our  "impedimenta  ;"  but  the  fact  was  that  we  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  our  worst  enemy,  next  to  bad 
weather,  had  been  the  severe  cold  upon  the  high  mountains 
during  that  inclement  season.  Glaciers  and  precipices  could 
be  crossed  and  surmounted,  but  the  cold  could  not  be  so 
easily  disposed  of ;  some  time  before,  Payot  and  I  having, 
after  a  two  days'  expedition,  reached  an  elevated  summit,  had 
been  overpowered  by  the  piercing  cold,  and  driven  down, 
after  a  stay  of  only  four  minutes,  which  were  exclusively 
employed  in  deciding  by  mutual  consent  that  it  was  impossible 
to  stay  there. 

In  consequence  of  this  misfortune,  we  made  it  a  rule 
always  to  take  the  plaid  wherever  cold  was  to  be  apprehended, 
and*we  considered  it  as  much  a  part  of  our  necessary  equip- 
ment as  the  axe  and  rope.  On  this  occasion,  had  it  not  been 
at  hand  we  must  have  returned  at  once,  for  we  all  knew 
better  than  to  make  light  of  a  frost-bite.  Curiously  enough, 
I  subsequently  heard  a  report  that  on  this  very  day,  Sept.  10, 
a  guide  had  been  incurably  frost-bitten  in  the  feet,  by  delaying 
on  the  ar6te  of  Monte  Eosa,  perhaps  while  I  was  scrutinizing 
that  very  place  with  the  telescope,  and  while  Payot,  in  his 
comfortable  wrapper,  was  busying  himself  with  "les  machines" 
under  shelter  of  the  rock. 


258  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Graian  Alps. 

The  flat  slab  sloping  down  from  ns  formed  a  sort  of  roof 
on  our  side,  just  high  enough  to  allow  of  our  sitting  under  it; 
here  we  were  sheltered  from  the  north-east  wind,  and  had  a 
clear  view  to  the  south  and  west. 

My  first  task  was  the  determination  of  the  boiling-point  of 
water;  and  this,  after  the  usual  difficulties  with  my  lamp, 
was  ascertained  to  be  190o,6.  Although  this  measurement 
could  not  by  itself  decide  the  height,  it  was  sufficient  to 
disappoint  my  ideas  of  the  grandeur  of  the  Levanna.  I 
almost  doubted  whether  this  were  the  Levanna,  as  late  events 
had  been  sufficient  to  cast  suspicion  on  any  mountain,  how- 
ever distinguished ;  but  I  was  reassured  by  seeing  all  the 
valleys,  where  I  expected,  as  agreeing  with  the  map,  while  at 
our  feet  was  the  Col  Girard,  on  which  the  track  of  those 
who  had  passed  on  the  8th  was  discernible  for  several  miles. 
Besides,  I  thought,  as  I  held  by  the  stone  and  looked  over  on 
to  the  Italian  side,  it  is  impossible  to  mistake  this  astonishing 
precipice ;  it  must  be  that  which  we  had  seen  through  the 
clouds  from  the  Val  de  Ceresole,  and  which  I  had  wildly 
estimated  at  3,000  feet  in  height. 

There  were  two  beautiful  mountains  to  the  south,  both  a 
little  higher  than  we  were, — the  Uja*  di  Ciamarella  and  the 
Mont  Chardonnet ;  the  first  appeared  practicable,  and  I 
determined  to  try  it ;  but  the  latter  was  supported  all  round 
on  our  side  by  cliffs  that  seemed  to  be  insurmountable :  I 
believe  this  mountain  to  be  that  which  overlooks  Susa  on  the 
north,  but  am  not  quite  satisfied  about  it.  At  the  end  of  the 
Val  d'Arc  we  could  see  the  church  spire  of  Lanslebourg,'  and 
to  the  left  the  first  two  zigzags  by  which  the  road  climbs  the 
Mont  Cenis.  I  bore  this  in  mind  when  I  crossed  the  pass 
shortly  after,  and  from  this  short  bit  of  the  road  obtained  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  Levanna,  just  illuminated  at  sunrise. 
We  now  saw  something  being  drawn  up  the  pass  by  two 
horses  and  eighteen  mules ;  I  at  last  made  it  out  to  be  a 
heavy  gun,   probably  from  Fort  Lesseillon,  as  the  Emperor 

*  The  local  corruption  of  the  word  Aiguille  is  Ouille,  which,  on  the  Italian 
side,  appears  as  Uia  or  Uja. 


J.  J.  Cowell.]         NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 860.  259 

allowed  the  Piedmontese  to  withdraw  their  own  artillery  from 
their  own  forts. 

I  had  for  some  time  been  conscious  that  the  Mont  Iseran 
of  my  imagination  was  "  conspicuous  only  by  its  absence," 
and  upon  a  closer  examination  observed  that  a  ridge  lower 
than  ourselves  hid  the  place  where  it  ought  to  be ;  this  was, 
of  course,  conclusive  evidence  on  the  main  question,  but  still 
I  determined  to  examine  the  place  in  person. 

At  last  the  time  came  for  departure,  to  my  great  regret,  as 
I  had  never  been  better  rewarded  for  climbing  than  on  that 
day ;  my  hour  spent  on  the  top  was  most  interesting,  and 
I  only  wanted  to  have  had  a  minimum  thermometer  to  leave 
behind  as  a  memorial  of  my  visit,  as  I  never  saw  a  high  peak 
•so  admirably  adapted  for  the  reception  of  that,  or  any  other 
registering  instrument.  I  took  a  last  look  over  that  most 
seductive  precipice  ;  it  was,  indeed,  the  grandest  which  I  ever 
had  the  good  fortune  to  look  over.  There  is  a  great  satis- 
faction in  thus  looking  over  ;  it  gives  one  a  feeling  of  triumph 
at  having  surmounted  such  an  obstacle  by  any  means. 

The  snow  was  now  much  softer,  and  we  went  along  the 
ridge  very  gingerly  ;  soon  afterwards  we  picked  up  the  rifle, 
and  descended  by  a  different  route,  more  to  the  right,  which 
led  us  down  a  series  of  the  most  delightful  glissades.  Below 
them  lay  two  small  lakes  which  Culets  was  anxious  to  show 
me,  but  before  reaching  them  we  met  with  a  most  agreeable 
adventure.  On  our  right  was  a  glacier  at  a  little  distance, 
and  near  the  moraine  there  suddenly  appeared  a  chamois. 
He  saw  us,  and  bounded  off  among  the  rocks  so  rapidly,  that 
I  feared  Culets  would  have  no  chance  at  him  ;  but  the  wary 
old  guide  knew  better ;  he  counted  upon  the  chamois'  fatal 
habit  of  stopping  every  now  and  then  to  look  back,  and  did 
not  fire  till  the  incautious  animal  half  turned  round  on  the 
very  top  of  the  moraine  to  have  a  last  look  at  us.  The  moment 
he  had  fired,  the  poor  chamois  bounded  high  into  the  air,  and 
descended  the  moraine  in  one  leap  ;  he  made  three  other  wild 
leaps,  and  then  disappeared  among  the  rocks.  We  knew  he 
was  hit,  because  a  chamois  always  runs  down  hill  when  he  is 

s2 


260  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Graian  Alps. 

wounded.  Close  to  where  we  had  lost  sight  of  him  he  was 
lying  quite  dead,  shot  through  the  heart ;  yet  his  four  leaps 
had  carried  him  more  than  40  yards.  We  complimented 
Culets  on  so  excellent  a  shot  at  250  yards,  the  extreme  range 
of  his  rifle. 

I  had  never  seen  a  chamois  killed  before,  and  was  very  glad 
to  have  the  opportunity  of  ascertaining  the  amount  of  its 
vital  heat,  which  I  had  always  believed  to  be  very  great,  so 
I  wanted  to  put  a  thermometer  inside  his  carcase,  at  once, 
while  it  was  being  cleaned.  But  no  step  of  this  kind  could 
be  taken  without  our  having  water  at  hand  ;  so  we  carried 
him  over  the  rough  ground,  and  then  sent  him  down  the 
glissades  till  we  came  to  water,  where  the  necessary  operations 
were  performed.  I  then  gave  Culets  the  thermometer,  bid- 
ding him  ensconce  it  in  some  warm  place.  It  was  left  there 
for  five  minutes,  and  the  chamois  had  been  dead  just  half-an- 
hour  when  I  took  it  out,  and  found  it  standing  at  117°.  How 
much  heat  the  body  had  lost  while  being  pulled  about  on  the 
snow,  with  the  temperature  of  the  air  at  43°,  I  had  not  suffi- 
cient knowledge  to  estimate,  but  I  should  not  be  surprised 
if  the  amount  were  considerable.  Nothing  but  a  great  reserve 
of  vital  heat  could  enable  the  chamois,  with  its  very  thin 
coat,  to  withstand  the  rigours  of  an  Alpine  winter. 

The  old  hunter  was  determined  to  show  us  how  he  carried 
his  game,  and  would  not  let  us  assist  him.  He  tied  the  legs 
together  with  a  strong  cord,  and  then  hoisted  the  body  on  to 
his  shoulders,  putting  his  head  partly  between  the  legs,  till  it 
was  exactly  in  the  position  of  a  porter's  knot.  Although  so 
heavily  loaded,  he  easily  kept  up  with  us,  and  we  reached  the 
lakes  about  three  o'clock. 

These  were  certainly  very  remarkable  ;  they  were  each 
about  half-an-acre  in  extent,  and  surrounded  by  snow  reaching 
down  to  the  water's  edge,  except  where  a  narrow  ridge,  about 
ten  feet  high,  divided  them.  A  glacier  stream  ran  into  one,  in 
which  the  water  was  consequently  quite  white,  like  milk-andr 
water.  In  the  other  it  was  quite  black,  like  peat- water.  Both 
were  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  of  course  I  expected  the  black  one 


J.  J.  Cowell.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  261 

to  be  the  hottest;  the  white  one  was  partially  frozen  over,  and 
had  some  lumps  of  ice  floating  in  it,  while  the  temperature 
of  the  black  one  was  39°,  only  4°  colder  than  the  air,  though 
it  was  above  the  snow  line.  I  could  discover  no  cause  for  the 
black  colour  ;  perhaps  both  lakes  might  be  black  but  for  the 
glacier  water,  for  when  we  reached  the  point  where  their  two 
little  streams  united,  I  saw  that  the  white  colour  completely 
effaced  the  black.  Soon  after  we  struck  into  our  old  track, 
and  reached  Bonneval  before  six,  after  a  very  easy  and  suc- 
cessful day's  work. 

On  Tuesday  the  weather  was  again  as  bad  as  ever,  with 
drizzle  and  sleet  all  the  morning.  In  the  afternoon  we  went 
out  fishing  in  the  Arc,  and  caught  a  fine  trout,  which  made 
me  an  excellent  dinner.  Two  dinners  in  three  days !  I  was 
evidently  in  luck.  Thus  fortified,  I  felt  prepared  to  abide  the 
final  issue  of  the  great  question  which  was  to  be  solved, 
weather  permitting,  on  the  morrow. 

The  weather — how  I  hated  the  word  at  last — did  give  a 
temporary  permission,  and  we  made  the  most  of  it.  All  we 
had  to  do  was  to  mount  the  Col  d'Iseran,  and  go  up  the 
little  peak  to  its  east.  Of  course,  I  had  left  in  me  but  little 
belief  in  Mont  Iseran,  and  before  we  were  half-way  up  the 
Col,  I  perceived  the  absolute  necessity  of  abandoning  all 
faith  in  it.  I  was  incensed  against  the  mountainous  nothing 
and  vacant  habitation  that  had  usurped  so  splendid  a  name, 
and  excited  so  vain  an  ambition.  But  I  would  have  my 
revenge  ;  I  would  go  to  the  place  ;  I  would  boil  water  there, 
and  make  disparaging  observations  upon  it  to  the  best  of  my 
power. 

The  crag  was  rugged  and  steep,  and  more  than  an  hour's 
scramble  above  the  Col;  there  was  a  good  deal  of  snow  on  it, 
and  a  small  glacier  at  the  top.  The  boiling-point  there  was 
192°-9,  and  on  the  Col,  195°9  ;  the  difference  in  height  was 
therefore  1,580  feet.  Towards  the  east,  the  peak  presented 
a  fine  precipice  more  than  1,000  feet  in  height,  and  quite 
perpendicular.  This  point,  such  as  it  is,  stands  on  the  spot 
usually  assigned  to  Mont  Iseran,  and  so  I  call  it  by  that 


262  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Geaian  Alps. 

name.  I  may  as  well  mention  here  the  results  of  some  sub- 
sequent inquiries.  These  parts  had  been  visited  and  the 
popular  error  ascertained  in  the  previous  year  by  a  member 
of  the  Alpine  Club,  but  I  am  not  aware  whether  any  parti- 
cular point  was  considered  worthy  to  possess  the  well-known 
name.  Also,  in  a  work  entitled,  "Memoires  de  la  Soci&e* 
Acad^mique  de  Savoie,"  Tome  XL,  there  appears  the  follow- 
ing, as  the  result  of  a  barometrical  measurement  by  two 
Canons  of  Chambery,  about  the  year  1842, 1  believe: — "Mont 
Iseran  (point  culminant),  2,481  metres,"  that  is,  8,134  feet ; 
but  whether  the  Col  or  a  peak  is  meant,  there  is  nothing 
to  show. 

I  looked  in  all  directions  to  find  a  mountain  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  size  sufficient  to  account  for  the  popular  error, 
but  I  could  not  perfectly  satisfy  myself  with  any  one.  In 
fact,  there  is  no  mountain  south  of  Mont  Blanc  of  the  required 
height,  but  the  most  prominent  are  these  three :  Le  Kocher 
de  la  Sassiere,  a  long  ridge,  culminating  at  one  end,  distant 
about  six  miles  northwards  from  our  position  ;  La  Pointe  des 
Grands  Couloirs,  an  immense  mass,  quite  flat  on  the  top, 
about  eight  and  a  half  westwards  ;  and  Mont  Pourri,  a  very 
steep -sided  sharp  peak,  about  eleven  and  a  half  to  the  north- 
west. As  seen  from  where  we  stood,  the  two  former  moun- 
tains had  neither  of  them  that  needle-like  apex  which  has 
been  supposed  to  be  the  distinguishing  mark  of  Mont 
Iseran,  and  I  am  therefore  inclined  to  accept  Mont  Pourri  as 
most  likely  to  be  the  proper  representative.  It  seems  to  be 
the  highest  of  the  three,  and  accessible  but  with  difficulty. 
It  is  very  conspicuous  from  the  Cramont,  bearing  S.  by  W. 

On  a  subsequent  day  we  re-crossed  the  Col  d'Iseran,  where 
I  reflected  with  pleasure  that,  in  spite  of  my  bad  luck  in 
regard  to  weather,  I  had  still  been  able  to  satisfy  myself  that 
no  high  mountain  existed  at  the  source  of  the  Isere,  in  the 
place  usurped  by  Mont  Iseran,  on  the  maps. 

I  append  a  list  of  my  observations  on  the  temperature  of 
boiling  water  at  different  places,  in  which  I  do  not  reject  those 
I  made  at  the  well-determined  altitudes  of  the  Col  de  Ferret, 


J.  J.  Cowell.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860. 


263 


Cramont,  and  Bonneval,  since  they  will  serve  as  a  criterion  of 
the  amount  of  dependence  to  be  placed  on  those  of  the  Grand 
Paradis,  the  Levanna,  and  Mont  Iseran.  The  water  I  used 
was  snow-water  in  every  case,  except  at  the  Chalet  du  Paradis, 
at  Bonneval,  and  at  the  Petit  St.  Bernard. 


Place. 

Date. 

Hour, 

P.M. 

Tempe- 
rature 

of 
Boiling 
Water. 

Tempe- 
rature 
of 
Air. 

Baro- 
meter at 
Turin. 

Tempe- 
rature 

at 
Turin. 

Deduced 
Altitude. 

Col  de  Ferret 

Cramont 

Chalet  du  Paradis    .... 
Grand  Paradis 

Aug.  29 
Aug.  30 
Sept.    3 
Sept.    5 
Sept.  10 
Sept.  11 
Sept.  12 
Sept.  12 
Sept.  14 

3 
1 

8 
1 
1 
6 
noon 
1 
3 

1970-6 
1950-7 
197o-6 
1880-1 
190O-6 
201O-5 
192o-9 
1950-9 
1990-3 

59o 
630 
60o 
510 
430 
60o 
44o 
63o 
580 

28-782 
28-884 
29-055 
28-977 
28*932 
28-885 
29*100 
29-098 
29-082 

89o 
88o 
7lo 
78o 
790 
72o 
78o 
78o 
69» 

8,030 
9,290 
8,180 
13,700 
12,020 
5,760 
10,880 
9,300 
7,200 

Mont  Iseran 

Col  d'Iseran 

Petit  St.  Bernard 

264  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Allelein-Hokn. 


7.    THE  ALLELEIN-HORK 
BY    LESLIE    STEPHEN,  M.A. 

The  season  of  1860  was  as  remarkable  in  the  Alps  as  else- 
where for  a  long  continuance  of  bad  weather:  Bain,  snow,  and 
mist,  and,  worse  than  all,  bitterly  cold  arid  "violent  gales  of 
wind,  made  summer  in  the  High  Alps  as  severe  as  an  English 
Christmas.  Bad  weather,  and  especially  windy  weather,  is  no 
joke  on  exposed  mountain-ridges ;  it  almost"  destroys  the 
pleasure  even  of  mountain-climbing,  to  be  assaulted  by  the 
fierce  gales,  under  which  the  snow-covered  summits  may  be 
seen  smoking  like  volcanoes.  You  are,  perhaps,  creeping 
carefully  along  a  kind  of  knife-edge  between  two  precipices, 
your  fingers  freezing  to  the  rocks  to  which  you  must  cling. 
Suddenly,  a  savage  gush  dashes  down  upon  you,  puffs  the 
frozen  snow  into  your  face  and  up  your  trousers,  and  seems 
to  whistle  through  your  very  bones. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  how  capricious  these  assaults  are 
both  in  duration  and  place.  A  perfect  storm  may  be  raging 
on  one  mountain-top,  whilst  you  may  be  able  to  light  matches 
on  another  within  half  a  mile  of  it.  During  an  ascent  of  the 
Wetterhorn  this  year,  we  could  see  heavy  clouds  lying  motion- 
less as  wool  on  all  the  surrounding  summits,  whilst  just  over 
our  heads  we  could  hear  the  wind  screaming,  and  see  the 
mists  flying  past,  and  the  snow  being  torn  in  clouds  from 
the  sharp  ridge  above  us.  It  suddenly  lulled  into  perfect 
stillness  for  an  hour,  during  which  we  made  our  ascent,  and 
then  began  again  with  its  former  fury.  A  good  Scotch  plaid 
and  a  pair  of  thick  woollen  mits  are  the  best  protection ;  still 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  265 

the  experience  of  many  travellers,  and  of  more  guides,  can 
testify  to  the  danger  of  frost-bites  on  these  occasions. 

In  July,  1860,  I  was  at  Saas,  in  company  with  Mr.  Short,  of 
New  College,  Oxford,  with  whom  I  had  been  trying  some  prac- 
tical experiments  on  the  varieties  of  Alpine  bad  weather.  We 
had  just  crossed  the  Weissthor,  blindfolded  by  a  thick  driving 
mist,  with  the  thermometer  at  22°,  and  a  powerful  gale  blow- 
ing. Next  day,  in  a  comparatively  agreeable  fog,  we  had 
hopelessly  lost  our  way  on  the  high  snows  of  the  P^e  glaciers. 
"Losing  your  way"  may  mean  either  that  you  do  not  know 
where  you  are,  or  that,  knowing  where  you  are,  you  do  not 
know  how  to  get  any  further.  The  first  of  these  misfortunes 
is  commoner  on  a  Scotch  moor  than  on  the  Alps.  In  the 
vast  snow-fields,  however,  which  lie  to  the  north  of  Monte 
Rosa,  the  small  and  varying  inclination  of  the  slopes  in 
that  great  moor-like  wilderness  of  snow,  and  the  mono- 
tonous forms  of  the  huge  mounds  of  neve,  make  it  as  hard 
to  find  one's  way  in  a  mist  as  on  an  actual  moor.  Under 
such  circumstances,  it  is  a  matter  of  some  nicety  to  hit  off 
the  exact  point  where  the  "arete  blanche"  joins  on  to  the 
great  range  of  cliffs  above  Matmark  and  Macugnaga.  One 
of  our  guides  had,  on  a  former  occasion,  walked  straight 
over  the  edge  of  these  cliffs  by  mistake,  and  only  saved  him- 
self by  the  obvious  but  rather  difficult  expedient  of  jumping 
back  again.  Warned  by  this,  we  went  carefully  forwards,  and 
making  a  beautiful  shot  at  the  pass,  we  crossed  the  ridge 
without  difficulty.  Next  day  we  were  not  so  fortunate ;  we 
were  on  a  glacier  where  none  of  us  had  ever  been  before. 
We  had  a  general  guess  as  to  where  the  pass  ought  to  be ; 
and  Franz  Andermatten,  of  Saas  (one  of  our  guides),  said  that 
he  should  know  it  if  he  came  to  it.  Unfortunately,  we  were 
surrounded  by  a  light  but  pertinacious  mist,  with  a  bright 
glare  of  sunshine  through  it,  which  made  it  perfectly  impos- 
sible to  see  anything.  Looking  upwards  or  downwards,  right 
or  left,  exactly  the  same  formless  glare  seemed  to  dazzle  our 
eyes.  The  last  man  in  the  line  could  see  the  first,  but  the 
first  could  see  nothing  but  diffused  light,  and  found  it  just 


266  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Allelein-Hoen. 

as  difficult  to  walk  straight  as  if  he  had  been  blindfolded. 
He  enjoyed,  in  fact,  much  the  same  kind  of  view  as  a  fish 
would  in  a  thick  basin  of  milk-and-water  when  the  sun  was 
shining.  At  last,  guided  by  some  objects  which  we  fancied  to 
be  cliffs,  but  which  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  crevasses,  we 
left  our  true  course,  and  suddenly  found  ourselves  on  the 
edge  of  a  long  and  steep  snow-slope.  We  were  in  a  delightful 
perplexity.  One  of  the  guides  stoutly  maintained  that  we 
had  reached  the  Col  we  were  looking  for.  The  other,  Franz 
Andermatteu,  whose  local  knowledge  was  most  to  be  depended 
upon,  was  only  certain  of  one  thing,  viz.,  that  we  were  some- 
where else.  My  own  observations,  aided  by  a  map  and  a 
compass,  showed  distinctly  that,  by  descending  the  slope 
before  us,  we  should  return  to  the  point  from  which  we 
started.  In  our  complete  ignorance  of  the  geography  of  the 
glacier  it  was  hopeless  to  persevere,  and  we  accordingly  turned 
back ;  and  following  our  footsteps  in  the  snow  as  the  only 
clue,  soon  found  ourselves  safe  on  the  rocks  from  which  we 
had  started.  The  highest  peaks  were  still  clear,  as  they  had 
been  when  we  were  there  before.  The  valley  below  was  also 
as  clear  as  at  first,  but  along  the  ridge  we  were  to  pass,  a 
heavy  bank  of  mist  lay  motionless  all  day,  as  impenetrable  a 
barrier  as  the  steepest  and  most  difficult  cliffs. 

We  were  resolved,  however,  to  try  the  ascent  again  next 
morning,  if  the  weather  improved.  The  pass  which  we  were 
endeavouring  to  make  out  was  one  which  would  evidently 
be  the  shortest  connecting  line  between  Saas  and  Zermatt, 
two  of  the  most  inexhaustible  centres  of  interest  in  the  Alps. 

The  vast  ridge  which  runs  due  north  from  Monte  Eosa  to 
divide  the  valleys  of  Saas  and  Zermatt,  is  at  first  considerably 
nearer  to  the  Saas  side.  The  huge  Gorner,  Findelen,  and  Tasch 
glaciers,  all  descend  from  this  part  of  the  ridge  by  a  long  and 
slow  descent  to  the  head  of  the  Zermatt  valley.  The  glaciers 
on  the  other  side  are  much  shorter  and  steeper.  Across  this 
part  of  the  ridge  lie  three  passes,  the  Weissthor,  the  Adler, 
and  the  Allelein  (the  two  last  of  which  have  been  admirably 
described  by  Mr.  Wills).     The  end  of  this  portion  of  the  ridge 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  267 

is  marked  by  the  Allelein-horn,  where  it  suddenly  turns  due 
west,  and  runs  towards  the  valley  of  Zermatt,  forming  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  Tasch  glacier.  At  the  long  flat- 
topped  hummock  called  the  Alphubel,  it  again  turns  north- 
wards, but  is  now,  of  course,  nearer  to  the  Zermatt  than  to  the 
Saas  valley,  from  which  it  is  divided  by  the  vast  system  of 
the  Fee  glaciers,  whilst  the  glaciers  on  the  Zermatt  side 
become  comparatively  insignificant.  Now,  it  will  easily  be 
seen  by  a  map,  that  a  line  drawn  straight  from  Saas  to 
Zermatt  would  cross  the  long  mound-like  wall,  connecting  the 
Allelein-horn  and  the  Alphubel,  and  running  nearly  east  and 
west.  We  knew  that,  on  the  Saas  or  northern  side,  it  descended 
by  tolerably  easy  snow-slopes  to  the  higher  part  of  the  F£e 
glaciers.  If  it  should  prove  practicable  to  descend  on  its 
southern  side  to  the  margin  of  the  Tasch  glacier,  it  was 
evident  that  we  should  have  made  the  most  direct  route  from 
Saas  to  Zermatt,  which  would  have  the  additional  advantage 
of  leading  through  the  magnificent  scenery  of  the  F^e  gla- 
ciers, and  also  of  avoiding  the  detour  by  the  cold  and  smoky 
inn  at  the  Matmark  See. 

We  were  joined  in  the  evening  by  two  gentlemen,  Messrs. 
Jacomb  and  Fisher,  who  had  just  crossed  the  Allelein  pass 
with  old  Peter  Taugwald  and  Johann  Kroneg  of  Zermatt.  We 
were  glad  to  join  forces,  and,  as  we  had  already  Franz  Ander- 
matten  of  Saas,  and  Moritz  Anthonmatten  of  Visp,  with  us,  we 
formed  a  strong  party.  In  fact,  if  the  nature  of  our  work  had 
not  proved  to  be  such  as  to  make  a  strong  party  useful,  we 
should  have  been  rather  too  many  for  business.  One  or  two 
travellers  and  two  guides  can  go  up  or  over  any  place  in 
the  Alps.  Any  increase  in  the  numbers  is  certain  to  cause 
delay,  and  can  seldom  add  to  safety  or  comfort.  Not  only 
has  the  pace  of  the  party  to  be  regulated  by  that  of  its  slowest 
member,  but  at  any  difficult  place  every  one  has  to  wait  till 
every  one  else  has  been  separately  helped,  hauled,  or  hoisted 
over  his  troubles.  In  a  large  party,  there  are  often  one  or  two 
with  whom  this  process  is  rather  a  long  one.  Now,  in  the  Alps, 
getting  up  a  mountain,  especially  a  new  mountain,  is  generally 


268  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Allelein-Horn. 

simply  a  question  of  time.     It  is  seldom  possible  or  desirable 
to  camp  out  more  than  one  night.     The  amount  of  provisions 
and  coverings  necessary  to  be  carried  on  longer  expeditions 
produces  a  very  severe  strain  upon  men  who  have  to  walk  a 
good  many  miles  and  do  a  good  deal  of  hard  work  in  the 
course  of  the  day.     Neither  is  it  pleasant  to  sleep  for  many 
nights  together  on  a  bed  of  rock,  with  a  stream  trickling  on 
your  nose,  nor  possible,  as  a  rule,  to  sleep  under  any  circum- 
stances, within  some  1,000  feet  of  the  highest  peaks.     Conse- 
quently, the  great  object  is  to  get  to  the  nearest  habitable 
place  to  your  mountain,  and  to  make  as  vigorous  a  dash  at 
him  as  one  day,  or  at  most  two  days,  will  allow.     Saving  a 
few  minutes,  especially  a  few  minutes'  fine  weather,  may  easily 
make  the  whole   difference.     A  mist   may  float  up  at   the 
critical  moment,  or  a  slope  that  has  been  safe  and  easy  till  the 
sun  touched  it,  may  become  perilous  and  difficult  to  pass  an 
hour  afterwards.    To  save  time  is  the  one  essential  for  success ; 
and  there  are  very  few  cases  in  which  the  largeness  of  a  party 
is  not  in  direct  proportion  to  the  time  wasted :  one  is,  when 
heavy  snow-work  has  to  be  done,  which  is  often  too  fatiguing 
for  one  man  to  do  alone.    Even  then  two  guides  are  generally 
enough.   I  say  nothing  of  the  increased  chance  of  your  having 
perfect  confidence  in  the  last,  and  skill  of  every  member  of 
the  party,  when  the  party  consists  of  one  or  two,  nor  of  the 
possibility  of  an  expedition  being  totally  ruined  by  the  failure 
of  one  man. 

It  might,  perhaps,  be  possible,  if  the  size  of  the  party  and 
the  quantity  of  preparations  were  increased,  to  spend  more 
nights  upon  the  glaciers.  But  the  practical  advantage  would 
be  small.  All  the  higher  and  more  enticing  peaks  are  fenced 
round  by  walls  of  rock  and  snow,  and  guarded  by  regions  of 
frost  and  wind,  through  which  a  passage,  if  made  at  all,  must 
be  made  between  sunrise  and  sunset. 

Early  on  the  1st  of  August,  I  was  awakened  by  the  usual  report, 
"  Schlechtes  Wetter."  I  interpreted  this  to  Short  in  the  next 
room,  by  telling  him  that  he  might  go  to  sleep  again.  As  he 
had  been  very  unwell  for  the  two  days  past,  on  each  of  which 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 86b.  269 

we  had  had  long  snow  walks,  he  received  this  intelligence 
with  a  certain  complacency.  Unfortunately  for  him,  he 
allowed  his  satisfaction  to  appear  a  little  too  openly.  Thank- 
fulness for  bad  weather  in  the  Alps  is  a  crime  under  all 
circumstances.  Accordingly,  I  watched  the  clouds  with  great 
interest,  and  at  the  first  gleam  of  sunlight  jumped  up,  dressed, 
ran  down  stairs,  and  soon  succeeded  in  persuading  myself  and 
the  guides  that  it  was  going  to  be  a  fine  day.  By  half-past 
five,  Short  having  shown  the  most  amiable  resignation  to  his 
fate,  we  were  already  on  the  march  for  Fde.  The  light  mists 
which  were  driving  up  the  valley  hid  the  mountains,  except 
when  the  top  of  the  Mittaghorn  occasionally  looked  down 
upon  us  through  the  clouds.  Suddenly,  some  one  pointed  to 
what  looked  like  a  sheet  of  silver,  gleaming  at  an  almost 
incredible  height  through  the  mists.  It  is  always  strange  to 
observe  how  much  the  apparent  height  of  a  mountain  is 
increased  when  it  is  looking  over  clouds.  I  should  hardly 
have  believed  that  any  mountain  in  the  Alps  could  rise 
so  high  above  us  as  the  glaciers,  which  were  now  shining 
down  upon  us  from  the  mists ;  and  yet  I  remembered 
that,  in  the  summer  before,  I  had  stood  upon  the  summit 
of  the  Dom,  and  seen  these  very  glaciers  lying  almost 
immediately  beneath  me  at  the  foot  of  a  sheer  precipice  some 
ten  thousand  of  feet  high.  It  is  true  that,  at  the  same  time, 
we  had  seen  on  one  side  the  Lago  Maggiore,  twenty  miles 
off,  lying  like  a  deep  green  pond  below  us,  and  unknown 
lakes  and  plains  stretching  far  away  beyond  it.  By  turning 
our  heads,  we  looked  upon  a  purple  sheet  of  haze,  which 
concealed  the  Lake  of  Geneva.  I  had  scarcely  time  to 
remember  this,  when,  in  almost  one  instant,  the  mists  that 
had  surrounded  us  were  swept  away,  and,  as  if  by  magic,  the 
whole  glorious  semicircle  of  peaks,  from  the  Allelein-horn 
to  the  Mischabel,  sprang  up  before  us.  All  that  unrivalled 
sweep  of  glaciers,  and  every  rock  and  cliff  that  rise  from 
them,  shone  out  instantaneously,  without  even  a  shred  of 
mist  to  conceal  their  beauties.  I  have  scarcely  ever  seen  a 
.more  startling  effect  even  in  the  Alps.     It  put  every  one  of 


270  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Allelein-Hork. 

the  party  into  the  highest  spirits,  and  we  pressed  on  in  a 
confident  hope  of  a  fine  day  at  last.  I  must  take  the  oppor- 
tunity of  recommending  all  visitors  to  Saas  to  take  the 
trouble  of  climbing  a  short  way  up  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
Weissmies,  behind  the  village.  It  is  impossible,  from  any  other 
position,  to  realize  fully  the  unapproachable  beauty  of  the 
great  F£e  glaciers.  Another  most  beautiful  point  of  view  is 
gained  by  taking  the  path,  which  we  now  followed  up  to  the 
summit  of  the  ridge  of  rock  which  divides  the  glacier  into  two 
great  tongue-like  masses,  and  terminates  in  the  "Gletscher 
Alp."  There  is  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the  summit,  where 
you  stand,  as  it  were,  in  an  island  surrounded  in  every  direc- 
tion by  the  magnificent  crevasses  of  the  glacier.  At  this  point 
we  had  breakfast  No.  2,  at  about  nine  o'clock,  and  then  started 
across  the  snow-fields  for  the  foot  of  the  Allelein-horn,  at  first 
almost  in  the  footsteps  of  the  previous  day.  I  afterwards  dis- 
covered that  the  right  track  would  have  been  to  the  foot  of 
the  Alphubel,  on  the  south  side  of  which  there  is  a  very 
level  col,  leading  by  an  easy  descent  to  Zermatt. 

We  soon  found  ourselves  plodding  laboriously  through  a 
huge  snow-field,  whose  very  existence  could  scarcely  have 
been  suspected  from  below.  What  looks  like  a  slight  wrinkle 
in  the  neve  below  the  Alphubel,  conceals  a  level  plain  of  snow, 
whose  apparent  size  struck  me  as  being  about  equal  to  that  of 
Hyde  Park.  It  took  us,  however,  rather  longer  to  get  to  the 
end  of  it,  than  I  hope  we  should  have  been  in  crossing  Hyde 
Park.  The  snow  was  exceedingly  deep  and  tiring,  and  at  its 
farther  extremity  the  inclination  became  respectable,  and  the 
glacier  seamed  with  long  and  broad  crevasses.  There  is  no 
Alpine  work  so  tiring  as  this  snow-wading,  as  the  guides  call 
it.  The  deep,  half-melting  snow  above  your  knees,  which 
will  get  into  your  boots  and  coat-pockets  ;  the  glare  from  sun 
and  snow  all  above,  and  below,  and  around,  which  you  know 
will  deprive  your  face  of  every  particle  of  skin ;  and  the 
steady,  monotonous  plunge  with  which  you  flounder  along, 
like  a  fly  in  a  honey-pot,  become  rather  tiresome.  Moreover, 
we  had  for  some  time  very  little  excitement  from  crevasses. 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  271 

The  crevasses  on  a  level  are,  of  course,  narrow,  although  some- 
times deep — deep  enough,  at  any  rate,  to  be  dangerous.  I 
shall  never  forget,  one  day,  stumbling  along  down  the  level 
snow-trough  which  leads  from  the  Lotsch  Saltel  to  the  Aletsch 
glacier.  The  burning  light  and  the  monotonous  motion  had 
produced  their  usual  soporific  effect,  and  we  were  foolish  and 
lazy  enough  not  to  have  put  on  the  rope.  Suddenly,  one  of 
the  party  all  but  disappeared.  A  narrow  crevasse  had  opened 
beneath  him  like  a  trap -door.  With  his  feet  wedged  against 
one  side,  his  shoulders  against  the  other,  and  his  back  resting 
upon  nothing  at  all,  it  was  well  for  him  that  the  crevasse  had 
not  been  a  little  broader.  The  man  behind  caught  him  by 
the  collar  as  he  went  down,  and  in  a  moment  he  was  on  his 
feet  again,  on  sound  footing.  But  the  view  of  the  two  parallel 
walls  of  green  ice  sinking  vertically  downwards  into  utter 
darkness,  has  often  come  back  to  me  since.  Somehow,  no  one 
even  then  suggested  the  rope,  and  we  plodded  quietly  and 
sleepily  along — fortunately  without  further  accident.  I  hope, 
however,  that  I  learnt  a  lesson  as  to  the  propriety  of  using  the 
rope  on  such  occasions.  It  is  true  that  a  man  has  in  general  no 
business  to  fall  down  a  crevasse.  A  concealed  crevasse  is  almost 
always  so  narrow  that  it  is  rather  difficult  than  otherwise  to 
fall  down  it  without  touching  either  side.  If  you  are  carrying 
your  alpenstock  "  at  the  trail,"  so  as  to  form  a  bridge  as  you 
fall,  or  if  you  throw  yourself  well  backwards  or  forwards 
directly  you  feel  your  footing  give,  you  must  come  upon  a 
firm  support.  Still,  no  one  has  a  right  to  presume  so  far  upon 
his  skill  and  presence  of  mind  as  not  to  adopt  a  precaution 
which  secures  absolute  safety.  There  have,  indeed,  been  warn- 
ings enough  lately,  to  impress  this  upon  most  people's  minds. 
We  plunged  on  slowly  and  laboriously,  with  one  or  two 
half-immersions  in  crevasses,  and  I  found  time  gradually 
passing,  whilst  the  Allelein-horn  seemed  resolutely  to  keep  its 
distance.  The  snow  perspective  is  always  exceedingly  decep- 
tive ;  but  when  I  found  that  we  had  had  three  hours'  steady 
plodding,  and  the  pass  was  still  distant,  I  began  to  think  it 
was  going  too  far.  I  boldly  informed  my  companions,  and  tried 


272  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Allelein-Horn: 

to  persiiade  myself,  that  another  half-hour  would  take  us  to  the 
top  ;  but  I  secretly  felt  that  I  was  a  humbug.  As  the  snow- 
fields  rose  up  against  the  mountain,  and  became  seamed  with 
broader  and  deeper  crevasses,  in  which  it  was  necessary  to  seek 
carefully  for  a  safe  snow-bridge,  the  slowness  of  our  progress 
became  more  than  ever  wearisome.  We  were  tied  together  in 
two  parties,  and  took  it  in  turns  to  go  first.  Old  Peter 
Taugwald,  who  led  the  other  party,  is  a  solid,  steady-going 
old  fellow,  as  broad  as  he  is  long,  and  as  firm  as  a  rock.  The 
stolid  calmness,  from  which  he  never  wavers,  becomes  occa- 
sionally tiresome.  He  annoyed  me  now  by  the  extreme 
deliberation  with  which  he  halted  every  few  minutes  to  munch 
a  great  lump  of  sugar,  whose  good  qualities  he  delights  to 
expatiate  upon,  as  being  an  excellent  thing  on  the  snow. 

The  day,  which  had  been  nearly  perfect,  was  again  begin- 
ning to  look  doubtful.  A  light  cloud  every  now  and  then 
touched  the  top  of  the  pass  before  us,  and  I  began  to  fear 
that  we  might  lose  our  view,  and  perhaps  lose  our  way  too, 
when  we  got  there.  Franz  Andermatten,  of  Saas,  was  next  to 
me — one  of  the  merriest,  strongest,  and  most  willing  little 
guides  I  ever  met  with.  He  had  twice  before  walked  with 
me,  and  on  one  of  these  occasions  had  resolutely  insisted; 
notwithstanding  our  protests,  on  carrying  three  knapsacks  on 
his  own  back  for  two  consecutive  days  of  twelve  hours  apiece.; 
He  is  always  ready  to  laugh  at  the  mildest  of  jokes,  and  is 
very  fond  of  quoting  and  expounding  the  most  elaborate  and 
unintelligible  of  proverbs,  which  are  probably  considered 
amusing  by  the  natives  of  Saas.  I  pathetically  remarked  to 
him  that,  though  this  was  the  third  season  on  which  we  had 
met,  we  had  never  yet  had  a  fine  day  together.  He  imme- 
diately rushed  forwards,  declaring  that  "Herr  Stiffs"  should, 
at  any  rate,  see  something  to-day.  Away  he  went,  plunging 
through  the  deep  snow,  like  a  small  but  infuriated  bull. 
Spurts  do  not  generally  answer  on  these  occasions  ;  but  Franz's 
energy  carried  us  with  a  rush  up  to  the  top  of  the  pass,  and 
not  too  soon.  It  was  already  two  o'clock,  and  we  had  had 
five  hours  of  deep  snow.     But  this  was  not  enough  for  him. 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  273 

We  were  now  looking  down  on  to  the  lower  reach  of  the  Tasch 
glacier.  It  had  been  my  plan  to  effect  a  descent  straight  to 
this  glacier  by  the  rocks  below  us.  Both  Herr  Imseng  and 
Franz  had,  as  I  understood,  declared  this  to  be  practicable. 
But  now,  to  my  astonishment,  Franz  resolutely  declared  that 
he  knew  the  rocks  to  be  impassable.  The  other  guides  mildly 
remonstrated,  and  proposed  a  trial.  But  Franz  was  obstinate : 
he  said  that  our  only  course  was  to  ascend  the  Allelein-horn 
on  our  left  hand,  and,  from  its  summit,  to  descend  to  the  very 
head  of  the  Tasch  glacier,  i.  e.  to  the  col  of  the  Allelein  Pass. 
This,  it  was  obvious,  would  involve  a  very  long  circuit,  and 
would  ultimately  bring  us  round  to  the  point  immediately 
below  us,  only  by  means  of  first  ascending  a  high  mountain, 
and  then  going  round  over  a  lofty  pass.  The  fact  was,  however, 
that  the  Allelein-horn  was  a  great  pet  of  Andermatten's,  who 
had  made  the  first  ascent  (which  had  never  since  been  repeated) 
in  company  with  Mr.  Ames.  When  I  hinted  mildly  that  he 
was  taking  us  rather  out  of  the  way,  he  skilfully  asked  me, 
with  an  air  of  astonishment,  whether  I  did  not  wish  to  go  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain  ?  Of  course,  it  was  impossible  exactly 
to  say  "  No,"  and  before  I  could  expose  his  sophistry  and  show 
the  absurdity  of  calling  it  a  pass  to  go  up  a  mountain  13,000 
feet  high  on  one  side  and  down  on  the  other,  I  felt  the  rope 
tighten  round  my  waist,  and  Franz  was  off  like  a  steam- 
engine,  with  his  small  train  of  travellers  and  guides  panting 
behind  him.  The  guides  do  not  often  study  the  science  of 
knots,  and  consequently  when  the  first  man  in  the  line  is 
going  his  best,  and  the  last  is  disposed  to  take  it  easily,  the 
unfortunates  in  the  centre  are  apt  to  find  their  waists  growing 
most  unpleasantly  small.  As  Short  and  I  were  in  this  un- 
fortunate predicament,  we  complained  as  pitifully  as  the  small 
amount  of  breath  left  in  our  bodies  would  allow.  It  was  of  no 
use.  One  long  slope  of  snow  (fortunately  in  good  order)  lay 
between  us  and  the  summit,  and  straight  up  that  slope  we 
were  dragged  at  our  best  pace,  without  halt  or  hesitation.  At 
half-past  two,  we  were  sitting  at  the  top  round  the  little  cairn 
which  Franz  had  previously  erected,  loosing  the  ropes,  and 

T 


274  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Allelein-Hokn. 

allowing  our  internal  arrangements  to  return  to  their  natural 
state.  The  other  party  followed  us  more  deliberately,  and 
we  were  soon  all  seated  together,  discussing  our  position  and 
the  view.  We  had  lost  the  best  part  of  the  day,  and  thick 
clouds  were  hanging  over  the  Italian  plains  and  over  many  of 
the  neighbouring  heights.  But  the  huge  black  ridges  of  rock 
which  form  the  backbone  and  the  ribs  of  the  Alps  rose  up 
only  the  more  grandly  through  the  threatening  masses  of 
clouds.  The  Oberland  mountains,  of  which  we  had  had 
distant  views  for  some  time,  were  still  visible,  and  occasionally 
we  had  glimpses  of  the  green  valley  of  Zermatt. 

People  still  sometimes  ask  (though  they  have  often  had  it 
explained  to  them),  What  is  the  use  of  going  up  a  mountain  ? 
What  more  do  you  see  at  the  top  than  you  would  at  the 
bottom?  Putting  out  of  the  question  the  glorious  exercise 
and  excitement  of  climbing  a  mountain,  it  would  be  well 
worth  any  trouble  to  see  such  views  as  those  which  can  only 
be  seen  on  the  highest  peaks.  No  doubt  there  are  many  views 
downstairs  more  capable  of  being  made  into  pictures.  The 
vast  cloudy  panorama  stretched  below  your  feet  from  an 
Alpine  summit  makes  an  impression  upon  your  mind  which 
can  be  described  neither  on  canvas  nor  in  writing.  It  gives  a 
most  exhilarating  sense  of  unrivalled  sublimity,  which  could 
no  more  be  given  in  a  painting  than  one  of  the  scenes 
in  "  Paradise  Lost."  It  is  the  constant  presence  before  your 
eyes  of  such  impressive  though  indescribable  scenery,  which 
gives  to  Alpine  exercise  such  absorbing  interest.  Most  people 
probably  pass  as  much  time  in  thinking  about  their  dinner  as 
they  do  about  the  scenery ;  but  the  presence  of  the  scenery, 
though  its  beauty  may  not  be  so  directly  a  subject  of  thought 
or  interest  during  your  toils  and  your  hunger,  goes  for  more 
in  producing  pleasure  than  it  does  even  in  such  pursuits  as 
fishing  or  shooting,  As  for  the  theory  that  you  ought  to  walk  ten 
miles  a  day  and  meditate  on  the  beauties  of  nature,  it  may  do 
for  pOets  or  painters,  but  it  is  hard  doctrine  for  a  man  with  a 
fair  allowance  of  stomach  and  legs.  A  man  can  no  more  feel 
the  true  mountain  spirit  without  having  been  into  the  very 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  275 

heart  and  up  to  the  very  tops  of  the  mountains,  than  he  can 
know  what  the  sea  is  like  by  standing  on  the  shore.  It  is 
just  as  easy  to  evolve  the  idea  of  a  mountain-top  out  of  the 
depths  of  your  moral  consciousness  as  that  of  a  camel.  The 
small  patch  of  glistening  white,  which  you  are  told  is  a 
snow-slope,  looks  very  pretty  out  of  the  valley  to  any  one, 
but  it  will  look  very  different  to  a  man  who  has  only  studied  it 
through  an  opera-glass,  and  to  one  who  has  had  to  cut  his  way 
up  it  step  by  step  for  hours  together.  The  little  knob  which 
your  guide-book  says  is  the  top  of  some  unpronounceable 
"  Horn"  will  gain  wonderfully  in  majesty  when  you  have  once 
stood  upon  it,  and  felt  as  if  you  were  alone  in  the  midst  of 
the  heavens,  with  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  at  your  feet ;  and 
if  you  meditate  till  doomsday  on  the  beautiful  lights  and 
shades  and  the  graceful  sweeps  of  the  mountain-ridges,  you 
will  not  be  one  bit  nearer  to  the  sensation  of  standing  on  a 
knife-like  ridge,  with  the  toe  of  your  boot  over  Italy,  and  the 
heel  over  Switzerland. 

I  make  these  remarks  because  I  think  Alpine  travellers 
are  apt  to  give  way  too  much  on  this  point,  and  to  admit 
that,  because  the  view  from  a  mountain  peak  can't  be  put 
into  a  picture,  it  is  not  worth  looking  at.  I  must  admit, 
however,  that,  as  we  sat  on  a  mixture  of  ice  and  pebbles 
round  the  little  stone  "man  "  on  the  Allelein-horn,  our  thoughts 
were  irresistibly  drawn  to  the  question  of  getting  down  again. 
The  prospect  which  lay  close  to  us  was,  therefore,  decidedly 
the  most  interesting.  At  intervals,  in  the  clouds,  we  could 
see  the  whole  of  the  Tasch  glacier,  from  the  col  of  the  Alle- 
lein  Pass  to  its  foot.  Its  broad  level  surface  of  snow  was 
distinctly  marked  by  the  track  which  our  companions  had 
made  on  the  previous  day.  But  near  and  inviting  as  it 
looked,  the  difficulties  which  intervened  seemed  rather  for- 
midable. 

A  huge  buttress  runs  south  from  the  Horn  to  the  top 
of  the  Allelein  Pass.  On  its  western  side  it  descends  in 
long  and  steep  snow-slopes  to  the  Tasch  glacier.  On  the 
eastern  side,  the  snow,  which  slopes  steeply  from  its  ridge, 

t2 


276  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Allelein-Hobn. 

soon  terminates  at  the  edge  of  steep  rocky  cliffs,  which  sink, 
I  presume,  to  the  higher  level  of  the  Allelein  glacier ;  as  we 
saw  them,  they  disappeared  in  a  great  lake  of  mist.  These 
cliffs  were  covered,  apparently,  with  loose  stones  mixed  with 
fresh  snow — a  remarkably  disagreeable  combination.  It  was 
along  the  face  of  them,  however,  that  Franz  had  passed  with 
Mr.  Ames  on  the  previous  ascent,  and  he  now  proposed  to 
follow  the  same  route.  All  our  other  guides  protested  against 
them,  and  preferred  trying  to  find  a  way  along  the  higher 
snow-slopes  of  the  buttress.  As  they  were  in  a  majority, 
Franz,  much  to  his  annoyance,  was  compelled  to  give  in. 
He  was  very  eloquent  to  me  afterwards  on  our  folly  in  not 
following  his  advice,  and  I  am  disposed  to  think  he  was  right. 
As  it  was,  we  came  in  for  some  varied  practice  in  snow- 
work. 

The  buttress  I  have  mentioned  may  be  compared  to  the  roof 
of  a  church  tilted  up  at  a  steep  angle  ;  the  tiles  on  either  side 
representing  the  snow-slopes,  which  on  one  side  reached  only 
a  short  way  to  the  edge  of  the  cliffs,  and  on  the  other,  or  western 
side,  stretched  much  farther  to  a  level  and  easy  glacier.  Now,  it 
is  generally  pretty  good  going  along  an  ar6te,  even  though 
inclined  at  a  considerable  angle,  so  long  as  you  can  keep,  as 
it  were,  on  the  backbone,  and  have  a  slope  on  each  side  of 
you.  It  is  like  walking  along  the  ridge  of  the  church  roof; 
but  when  the  roof  makes  a  sudden  break  in  its  elevation,  as 
at  the  joining  of  the  nave  and  chancel,  or  when  spikes  sud- 
denly protrude  and  drive  you  to  circumvent  them  by  making 
a  short  excursion  on  the  tiles,  the  difficulty  is  very  much 
exaggerated.  In  our  case  the  spikes  were  represented  by  sharp 
spires  of  impracticable  rock,  which  at  once  sent  us  down  on 
to  a  snow-slope,  decidedly  steeper  and  more  treacherous  than 
ordinary  roofing-tiles.  We  crept  down  towards  it  over  a  few 
firm  rocks,  and  Franz,  taking  a  big  stone,  dropped  it  quietly  on 
the  snow,  to  try  its  condition.  The  snow  was  old  and  hard 
beneath ;  but  a  thick  cake  of  comparatively  new  snow,  a  few 
inches  thick,  was  frozen  on  to  its  surface.  The  stone,  as  it 
fell,  detached  part  of  this  cake  from  the  snow  beneath ;  the 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  2J7 

part  detached  slid  down,  dragging  more  after  it,  and,  in  a 
moment,  a  broad  sheet  of  it  was  pouring  down  with  a  low 
hissing  sound  over  the  rocks  below,  leaving  bare  a  surface  of 
hard  neVe  :  where  the  snow  went  to  I  can't  say,  farther  than 
that  it  was  down  a  couloir  and  over  a  cliff.  Of  course,  if  we 
had  rashly  trodden  upon  it,  we  should  have  followed  its 
example ;  as  it  was,  we  had  cautiously  to  stick  our  feet  into 
the  firmer  snow  beneath,  as  far  as  we  could ;  then  driving 
our  alpenstocks  vertically  down  into  it  a  little  above  our 
footsteps,  we  got  a  secure  anchorage  in  case  of  an  attempt  at 
an  avalanche  from  the  snow  above.  We  moved  onwards 
very  cautiously  and  slowly,  and  being  firmly  roped  together, 
there  was  no  danger  from  this  cause  ;  the  only  thing  that  an- 
noyed me  was  produced  by  our  friends'  ingenuity  in  scrambling 
along  close  to  the  foot  of  the  crest  of  rocks  above.  The  result  of 
this  manoeuvre  was  occasionally  to  send  big  stones  down,  rota- 
ting with  extreme  velocity  around  their  minor  axes,  and  taking 
playful  and  irregular  bounds  down  the  slopes  towards  us. 
This  danger  is  one  of  the  most  annoying  in  the  Alps  ;  and  it 
is  one  of  the  disadvantages  of  a  large  party  that,  by  scatter- 
ing, they  may  give  space  for  the  stones  to  get  up  their  pace 
in.  I  once  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  causing  a  most 
serious  accident  in  this  way.  Climbing  up  the  side  of  the 
Bietschhorn,  I  was  scrambling  up  some  rocks,  when  a  huge 
stone,  about  the  size  of  a  large  folio  volume,  gave  way  as 
I  laid  my  hand  upon  it,  flew  some  twenty  feet  through  the 
air,  and  bounded  off  the  side  of  one  of  my  guides  down  the 
cliffs  below.  It  very  luckily  struck  him  on  a  knapsack  which 
he  was  carrying,  and  beyond  disturbing  his  balance  and 
damaging  the  knapsack,  did  no  harm.  "We  managed  to 
avoid  the  stones  which  our  friends  had  started,  and  soon 
rejoined  them  on  the  ridge  below  the  protruding  rocks. 
Here,  however,  another  difficulty  met  us  ;  the  ridge  was  now 
cut  off  by  an  abrupt  descent,  like  that  to  which  I  have 
referred  between  the  roof  of  the  chancel  and  nave  of  a 
church.  It  became  impossible  to  follow  it,  and  we  deter- 
mined, after  some  dispute,  to  descend  straight  down  the  long 


278  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Allelein-Horn. 

snow-slopes  on  the  side  of  the  buttress  to  the  Tasch  glacier.  For 
some  way  the  descent  was  tolerably  satisfactory.  A  huge  rocky 
rib  ran  down  the  side  of  the  mountain  from  the  point  where 
we  stood.  A  kind  of  gutter  in  the  ice  was  formed  close  to 
its  side.  The  rock  being  tolerably  sound,  gave  occasionally 
good  holds  for  the  hands  or  feet.  Cutting  a  few  steps  in  the 
gutter,  and  clinging  firmly  to  the  rocks,  we  were  able  to  make 
tolerable  progress  ;  one  or  two  of  the  party  holding  on  firmly 
in  favourable  positions  till  the  others  had  lowered  themselves, 
and  were  able  to  give  assistance  in  their  turn.  By  this  means 
we  crept  carefully  down  to  the  end  of  the  rock,  and  then, 
perched  upon  a  narrow  ledge,  began  to  consider  what  was  to 
be  done  next.  We  were  looking  down  a  blank  wall  of  ice, 
inclined,  I  should  guess,  at  some  45°,  and  reaching  without 
intermission  to  the  glacier,  at  a  depth  of  several  hundred  feet 
below.  I  knew,  by  very  disagreeable  experience,  that  it  would 
probably  take  several  hours  to  cut  steps  down  to  it ;  and  yet, 
near  us,  the  ice  showed  no  snow  on  its  surface  to  help  us.  It 
was  already  late,  the  sun  was  near  setting,  and  the  mists  were 
getting  thicker  every  moment.  Soon,  even  the  glacier  below 
us  was  entirely  concealed.  I  was  making  some  hasty  reflec- 
tions as  to  the  comfort  of  passing  the  night  perched  like  a 
jackdaw  on  the  side  of  a  cliff,  with  dinner  and  coffee  some 
thousands  of  feet  below  us.  From  certain  recollections  of  a 
night  so  spent  the  summer  before,  I  had  no  desire  to  repeat  the 
performance  ;  meanwhile  there  was  no  doubt  a  chance  that 
there  might  be  more  snow  on  the  ice  farther  down,  but  the 
question  was  whether  we  should  be  able  to  get  there  in 
time. 

After  a  lively  discussion  between  the  guides,  we  adopted 
the  following  plan,  suggested  by  the  ancient  and  many- 
counselled  Peter :  By  fastening  our  two  ropes  together  we 
obtained  a  length  of  about  a  hundred  feet.  Moritz  Anthon- 
matten  then  tied  one  end  round  his  waist  and  was  let  down 
by  the  rest  of  the  party  to  the  full  extent  of  the  rope.  The 
ice  along  which  he  slid  was  so  steep  and  so  free  from  snow, 
that  his  weight   was  borne  almost   entirely  by  the  rope. 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  2J9 

When  he  was  let  down  as  far  as  possible,  there  was  still 
no  foot-hold  to  be  obtained.  He  quickly  cut  a  couple  of 
steps  in  the  ice,  and  then  freeing  himself  from  the  rope,  cut 
a  line  of  steps  in  a  horizontal  direction  to  a  part  of  the  slope 
where  the  snow  seemed  to  be  deeper.  Another  guide  was  let 
down  in  the  same  way,  and  helped  to  polish  up  the  steps. 
Then  each  of  the  travellers,  in  succession,  was  lowered.  We 
felt  ourselves  perfectly  helpless  bundles,  sliding  along  the  vast 
sheet  of  hard  ice  which  sank  into  the  mists  at  our  feet,  and 
in  which  it  was  almost  impossible  to  obtain  hold  enough  with 
the  point  of  one's  alpenstock,  to  serve  as  the  slightest  drag. 

On  arriving  at  the  steps,  I  cast  off  the  rope  and  hurried  to 
the  end  of  the  line.  I  was  delighted  to  find  that  the  snow 
was  there  much  deeper,  and  that  it  seemed  probable  that  we 
might  soon  trust  to  a  glissade.  Meanwhile,  I  turned  with 
some  curiosity  to  see  how  the  last  guide,  old  Peter  Taugwald, 
would  descend.  After  letting  down  Franz,  he  drew  up  the 
rope,  and  doubled  it,  and  placed  the  loop  round  a  projecting 
point  of  rock ;  then,  hanging  on  to  it,  and  every  now  and 
then  using  a  tremendously  heavy  axe,  which  he  displayed 
with  great  pride,  as  a  kind  of  ice-anchor,  he  let  himself  down 
to  the  end  of  the  rope.  Meanwhile,  Franz  had  rapidly  cut 
some  slight  steps  (not  too  slight,  however,  for  men  accustomed 
to  hold  on  by  their  eyelids)  upwards  to  meet  him.  He 
unhitched  the  rope  above,  descended  this  perilous  staircase,  and 
they  overtook  the  rest  of  the  party  in  a  few  seconds  along  the 
laborious  pathway,  which  took  us  long  to  cut,  and  a  very  short 
time  to  follow.  We  had  now  managed  cautiously  to  descend 
the  snow  a  few  paces  without  any  more  "  hacken,"  and  by  the 
time  we  were  all  together  again,  it  had  become  tolerably  firm  and 
deep.  By  this  manoeuvre  we  had  gained  considerably  in  time 
in  fact,  the  whole  time  which  would  have  been  necessary  to 
cut  a  staircase  100  feet  long  in  hard  ice,  which,  as  Alpine 
travellers  well  know,  is  something  not  to  be  neglected.  We 
had  had  at  intervals  one  or  two  looks  at  what  lay  below  us, 
and  it  was  fortunate  for  us  that  we  had ;  for  by  this  time 
the  mist  was  growing  thick  and  firm,  and  our  only  prospect 


280  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Allelein-Horn. 

was  a  few  feet  of  the  snow-slope.  We  now  roped  ourselves 
once  more  ;  old  Peter  sat  down  in  front,  with  his  huge  axe  held 
across  his  knees  ;  I  sat  down  close  behind  him,  placed  my 
boots  on  his  thighs,  and  sticking  my  alpenstock  into  the 
snow  on  one  side.  The  rest  of  the  party  took  up  similar 
positions,  and  we  formed  a  compact  train,  well  roped  together, 
and  with  alpenstocks  alternately  to  the  right  and  left.  The 
word  "Vorwarts !"  was  given,  and  away  we  shot,  with  a  general 
yell,  down  the  soft  snow  into  the  gloom  before  us.  We  were 
tolerably  certain  that  there  was  no  bergschrund  below,  but 
the  descent  was  rather  exciting.  Once  the  lumpiness  of  the 
snow  disconnected  the  train,  and  we  pulled  up  all  in  con- 
fusion in  a  heap  of  deep  snow,  with  the  rope  dragging  us  all 
kinds  of  ways.  We  joined  on  again,  and,  with  discordant 
howls  of  delight,  shot  away  like  lightning  down  the  slope. 
This  time  we  brought  up  all  safe  at  the  foot  of  the  slope,  and 
below  the  mists,  amongst  huge  lumps  of  half-melted  and 
half-frozen  snow,  which  had,  no  doubt,  come  down  the  couloir 
in  avalanches.  Our  boots  and  pockets  were  tilled  with  snow ; 
we  had  been  bumped,  and  bruised,  and  cut,  and  had  scraped 
the  skin  off  our  hands  ;  but  we  were  all  in  a  state  of  absurd 
exhilaration  at  our  sudden  escape  from  our  difficulties,  and 
at  the  smooth  plain  of  snow  which  now  lay  before  us.  We 
jumped  up,  gave  ourselves  a  shake,  and  started  across  it  at 
the  double.  It  is  not  exactly  usual  to  cross  a  glacier  at  a  run, 
however  smooth  it  may  be.  We  wished,  however,  to  make 
up  for  lost  time,  as  it  had  taken  us  over  four  hours  from  the 
top  of  the  Allelein-horn,  which  was  still  close  above  us.  We 
were  now  all  in  the  highest  glee,  and  the  pace  we  went 
soon  brought  us  to  the  edge  of  the  snow,  on  to  the  Alps,  and 
within  sight  of  chalets,  and  within  sound  of  the  cowbells 
below. 

We  had  still  a  long,  though,  as  we  flattered  ourselves,  an 
easy  walk  before  us.  We  found  it  rather  worse  than  we  had 
bargained  for.  The  sun  had  set  some  time  before  we  had 
crossed  the  Alps,  and  entered  the  pine  forests  on  the  side  of 
the  Zermatt  Valley.     A  kind  of  small  aqueduct  leads  through 


L.  Stephen.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  281 

the  woods  from  the  mouth  of  the  Tasch  Valley,  to  irrigate 
some  of  the  meadows.  Along  the  side  of  it  lies  what  in 
broad  daylight  is  a  tolerable  footpath.  The  path,  however, 
is  not  at  all  particular  about  being  level  or  smooth.  When 
it  meets  a  big  rock,  jt  turns  sharp  up  hill  or  down  hill,  to 
avoid  it.  It  changes  its  level  every  now  and  then  from  pure 
caprice,  and  thinks  nothing  of  being  interrupted  by  a  heap  of 
stones  as  big  as  one's  head,  or  having  a  chevaux  de  frise  of 
fir  branches  across  it,  at  the  level  of  a  man's  eyes.  This  is 
all  very  well  in  daylight ;  but  for  tired  men  in  the  dark  it 
is  distressing,  and  rather  trying  for  the  temper.  Sprained 
ankles  and  black  eyes  seemed  very  probable  accidents.  After 
an  hour  or  so,  stumbling,  hobbling,  and  reeling  about  to  avoid 
the  various  half-seen  pitfalls  with  which  it  was  playfully 
strewed,  we  were  not  a  little  pleased  to  run  in  the  dark 
down  a  slippery  grass  slope  covered  with  big  stones,  and  to 
land  ourselves  without  damage  in  the  Zermatt  Eoad.  We 
reached  M.  Seller's  most  hospitable  and  pleasant  inn  at  9.30, 
ready  for  supper. 

A  few  days  afterwards,  after  an  inspection  of  our  path 
from  that  most  beautiful  point  of  view,  the  Mittelhorn,  I 
discovered  what  our  true  pass  should  have  been.  It  lies 
close,  not  to  the  Allelein-horn,  but  to  the  Alphubel.  I  as- 
cended this  last  with  Melchior  Anderegg,  and  we  reached  a 
col  close  to  its  south-east  shoulder,  by  a  secondary  glacier 
which  descends  from  it  towards  the  lower  part  of  the  Tasch 
Valley.  There  was  no  difficulty  whatever  in  the  ascent  to 
this  part,  and  from  it  the  path  down  the  Fee  glaciers  to 
the  Gletscher  Alp  was  easily  to  be  traced.  It  lies  veiy  near 
to  that  which  we  in  fact  took,  and  from  which  it  is  separated 
by  a  ridge  of  rocks. 


282  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Matterhorn. 


8.    PARTIAL  ASCENT  OF  THE  MATTERHORN. 
BY  F.  VAUGHAN  HAWKINS,  M.A. 

We  summer  and  autumn  of  1860  will  long  be  remembered 
in  Switzerland,  as  the  most  ungenial  and  disastrous  season, 
perhaps,  on  record  ;  certainly  without  a  parallel  since  1834 
The  local  papers  were  filled  with  lamentations  over  "  der 
ewiger  Siid-wind,"  which  overspread  the  skies  with  perpetual 
cloud,  and  from  time  to  time  brought  up  tremendous  storms, 
the  fiercest  of  which,  in  the  three  first  days  of  September, 
carried  away  or  blocked  up  for  a  time,  I  believe,  every  pass 
into  Italy  except  the  Bernina.  At  Andermatt,  on  the  St. 
Gothard,  we  were  cut  off  for  two  days  from  all  communications 
whatever  by  water  on  every  side.  The  whole  of  the  lower 
Ehone  valley  was  under  water.  A  few  weeks  later,  I  found 
the  Splugen,  in  the  gorge  above  Chiavenna,  altogether  gone, 
remains  of  the  old  road  being  just  visible  here  and  there,  but 
no  more.  In  the  Valteline,  I  found  the  Stelvio  road  in  most 
imminent  danger,  gangs  of  men  being  posted  in  the  courses 
of  the  torrents  to  divert  the  boulders,  which  every  moment 
threatened  to  overwhelm  the  bridges  on  the  route.  A  more 
unlucky  year  for  glacier  expeditions,  therefore,  could  hardly 
be  experienced ;  and  the  following  pages  present  in  conse- 
quence only  the  narrative  of  an  unfinished  campaign,  which  it 
is  the  hope  of  Tyndall  and  myself  to  be  able  to  prosecute  to 
a  successful  conclusion  early  next  August. 

I  had  fallen  in  with  Professor  Tyndall  on  the  Basle  railway, 
and  a  joint  plan  of  operations  had  been  partly  sketched  out 
between  us,  to  combine  to  some  extent  the  more  especial 
objects  of  each — scientific  observations  on  his  part ;  on  mine, 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  283 

the  exploration  of  new  passes  and  mountain  topography  ;  but 
the  weather  sadly  interfered  with  these  designs.  After  some 
glacier  measurements  had  been  accomplished  at  Grindelwald, 
a  short  spell  of  fair  weather  enabled  us  to  effect  a  passage 
I  had  long  desired  to  try,  from  Lauterbrunnen  direct  to  the 
iEggisch-horn  by  the  Both-thai,  a  small  and  unknown  but 
most  striking  glacier  valley,  known  to  Swiss  mythology  as 
the  supposed  resort  of  condemned  spirits.  We  scaled,  by  a 
seven  hours'  perpendicular  climb,  the  vast  amphitheatre  of 
rock  which  bounds  the  Aletsch  basin  on  this  side,  and  had 
the  satisfaction  of  falsifying  the  predictions  of  Ulrich  Lauener, 
who  bade  us  farewell  at  Grindelwald  with  the  discouraging 
assertion  that  he  should  see  us  back  again,  as  it  was  quite 
impossible  to  get  over  where  we  were  going.  As  we  de- 
scended the  long  reaches  of  the  Aletsch  glacier,  rain  and  mist 
again  gathered  over  us,  giving  to  the  scene  the  appearance 
of  a  vast  Polar  sea,  over  the  surface  of  which  we  were 
travelling,  with  no  horizon  visible  anywhere  except  the 
distant  line  of  level  ice.  Arrived  at  the  iEggisch-horn,  the 
weather  became  worse  than  ever  ;  a  week  elapsed  before  the 
measurement  of  the  Aletsch  glacier  could  be  completed ;  and 
we  reluctantly  determined  to  dismiss  Bennen,  who  was  in 
waiting,  considering  the  season  too  bad  for  high  ascents,  and 
to  push  on  with  Christian  Lauener  to  the  glaciers  about  Zinal. 
Bennen  was  in  great  distress.  He  and  I  had  the  previous 
summer  reconnoitred  the  Matterhorn  from  various  quarters, 
and  he  had  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  we  could  in  all  pro- 
bability ("  ich  beinahe  behaupte  ")  reach  the  top.  That  year, 
being  only  just  convalescent  from  a  fever,  I  had  been  unable 
.to  make  the  attempt,  and  thus  an  opportunity  had  been  lost 
which  may  not  speedily  recur,  for  the  mountain  was  then 
(September,  1859)  almost  free  from  snow.  Bennen  had  set 
his  heart  on  our  making  the  attempt  in  1860,  and  great  was 
his  disappointment  at  our  proposed  departure  for  Zinal.  At 
the  last  moment,  however,  a  change  of  plans  occurred.  Lauener 
was  unwilling  to  proceed  with  us  to  Zinal :  we  resolved  to 
give  Bennen  his  chance  ;  the  theodolite  was  packed  up  and 


284 


VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Mattehhoen. 


despatched  to  Geneva,  and  we  set  off  for  Breuil,  to  try  the 
Matterhorn. 

In  order  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  operations  I  am  about 
to  describe,  I  must  say  a  few  words  as  to  the  exact  form  of 
this  extraordinary  mountain,  about  which  a  good  deal  has 
been  written,  and  some  misconception,  I  venture  to  think, 
still  prevails.     The  accompanying  figures  will,  I  hope,  assist 


Fig.  3. 

my  explanations  ;  they  are  taken  from  sketches  carefully 
made  by  my  friend  the  Eev.  F.  J.  A.  Hort,  to  whose  kind- 
ness I  owe  them,  and  their  accuracy  is  to  be  depended  on. 
Fig.  1  conveys  a  better  idea  of  the  general  shape  of  the  moun- 
tain than  any  I  have  seen  :  it  is  taken  from  the  top  of  Altels, 
very  nearly  due  north,  and  about  thirty  miles  distant,  through 
a  telescope.  Fig.  2  is  an  outline  similarly  taken  from  the 
upper  part  of  the  neve*  of  the  Wildstrubel  glacier,  a  little 
farther  to  the  west  than  Altels.  It  will  be  observed  that  in 
both  these  outlines  the  right  end  of  the  top  appears  a  little, 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  285 

but  a  very  little,  higher  than  the  left.  Fig.  3  gives  the  outline 
as  seen  nearly  from  the  south,  from  a  point  500  or  600  feet 
above  Breuil.  The  spectator  is  here  rather  too  much  under 
the  mountain  to  observe  its  true  proportions.  The  top,  as  is 
always  the  case,  is  dwarfed  ;  and  the  actual  form  of  the  west 
or  left-hand  side  is  a  good  deal  obscured  by  the  secondary 
ridge  de.  This  would  have  sunk  into  its  proper  place,  and 
the  top,  a  b,  risen  to  a  much  greater  height  above  f,  if  the 
view  had  been  taken  from  a  greater  distance  ;  and  the  outline 
would  then  have  been  very  nearly  the  converse  of  that  from 
Altels,  i.e.  that  which  the  latter  would  present  if  held  up 
against  the  light  and  turned  the  wrong  way.  I  remember  the 
exact  converse  of  the  Altels  outline,  i.e.  as  seen  from  S. 
instead  of  N.  from  a  point  in  the  hills  above  Anthey,  in  Val 
Tournanche.  The  obtrusion  of  the  secondary  ridge  de,  before 
adverted  to,  also  produces  in  great  measure  the  apparent 
descent  from  d  to  c,  preparatory  to  the  final  ascent,  which 
does  not  appear  in  the  Altels  and  Wildstrubel  outlines.  An 
admirable  finished  sketch  of  the  mountain  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood  of  Breuil,  by  Mr.  George  Barnard,  is  given  in 
"  A  Lady's  Tour  round  Monte  Eosa."     Fig.  4  is  the  well- 


Fig.  4. 

known  outline  seen  from  the  Eiffel  hotel ;  the  central  part 
of  the  mountain  appears  correctly  as  seen  from  E.,  nearly  in 
the  form  of  an  obelisk,  an  appearance  which  more  distant 
views  abundantly  confirm  ;  but  the  part  from  g  to  h  is 
somewhat  deceptive ;  it  forms  no  part  of  the  central  mass  of 
the  mountain,  but  is  one  of  several  buttresses  which  radiate 


286  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND          [Matterhorn. 

out  from  it  in  a  northerly  direction,  the  ground  plan  of 
which,  as,  indeed,  of  the  whole  of  the  mountain,  is  very  ac- 
curately |laid  down  in  Studer's  map,  the  study  of  which  I 
recommend  to  any  who  feels  a  difficulty  in  reconciling  the 
appearances  which  the  mountain  presents  from  different  quar- 


This  figure  is  an  outline  of  Studer's  ground  plan.  M  is  the  Matterhorn  ; 
R,  the  Dent  d'Erin  ;  Z,  Zermatt ;  T,  the  Theodule  Pass.  The  arrow  heads 
show  the  directions  whence  the  views  Figs.  1,  2,  3,  and  4,  were  severally  taken. 

ters.  This  somewhat  deceptive  buttress  masks  the  true  form 
of  the  peak  on  one  side  of  it,  in  all  views  from  Zermatt 
and  its  neighbourhood,  and  gives  it  the  well-known  resem- 
blance to  a  horse  or  other  couching  animal. 

The  reader  can  now,  I  hope,  form  a  correct  idea  of  the  shape 
of  the  actual  peak  of  Mont  Cervin,  which  rises  from  4,000  to 
5,000  feet  on  all  sides  above  the  elevated  plateau  or  ridge, 
itself  10,000  feet  or  more  in  height,  which  extends  in  a  semi- 
circle from  the  Mischabel  to  the  Weisshorn,  and  forms  the 
base  of  all  the  high  peaks  in  the  Zermatt  district.  The  Mat- 
terhorn, as  seen  from  the  north  or  south,  is  evidently  a  tower: 
the  east  side  is  somewhat  steeper  than  the  west,  but  not  very 
greatly  so,  as  may  be  seen  from  figs.  1  and  2.     The  top  of  the 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]     NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  287 

tower  is  a  nearly  level  space  of  no  great  extent,  the  actually 
highest  point  being  rather  nearer  the  western  than  the  eastern 
declivity.  The  eastern  base  of  the  tower  rests  on  the  ridge 
which  forms  the  col  of  the  Th^odule :  the  western  on  the 
similar  but  rather  higher  ridge  which  stretches  to  the  Dent 
d'Erin.  If  we  now  move  through  90°,  and  obseive  the  moun- 
tain from  east  or  west,  we  see  that  the  north  and  south  sides 
of  the  tower  are  as  steep  as  the  east,  but  that  several  but- 
tresses flank  the  mountain  on  the  north,  of  which  g  h,  in  fig.  4, 
is  the  principal  one :  we  see,  also,  that  the  breadth  (from 
north  to  south)  of  the  top  of  the  tower  is  so  small,  that  the 
sides  appear  almost  to  meet  at  the  top  in  a  point,  and  thus  the 
mountain,  when  seen  edgewise  (from  east  or  west,  that  is), 
may  be  not  incorrectly  styled  an  obelisk,  while  from  north  or 
south,  seen  lengthwise,  it  appears  as  a  blunt  and  precipitous 
tower  :  a  tower  almost,  if  not  quite,  "  without  a  stair/' 

Forbes's  description  of  the  Matterhorn,  therefore,  as  "a 
stupendous  and  inaccessible  obelisk  of  rock,"  is  by  no  means 
an  inaccurate  one  ;  and  I  think  that  even  so  accurate  and 
practised  an  observer  as  Mr.  Euskin,  while  objecting  to  this  as 
exaggerated,  has  himself  fallen  into  several  misconceptions 
about  it  of  a  curious  kind.  Certainly,  I  was  never  more 
surprised  than  to  find  Mr.  Euskin  saying,  at  p.  57  of  the  first 
volume  of  "  Stones  of  Venice,"  that  "  the  Matterhorn  has  been 
falsely  represented  as  a  peak  or  tower."  Mr.  Euskin  seems, 
in  fact,  to  have  thought  that  what  appeared  a  peak  was  only 
the  end  of  a  long  wall,  extending  to  the  Dent  d'Erin,  and  that 
the  right-hand  slope,  as  seen  in  the  Eiffel  view  down  to  g,  or 
nearly  so,  was  so  immensely  fore-shortened,  as  to  appear  a 
steep  slope,  while  it  was  in  reality  horizontal ;  and  that  the 
actual  top  of  this  supposed  wall,  if  top  it  could  be  said  to 
have,  lay  somewhere  nearly  as  low  down  as  g,  which  would 
have  made  the  optical  delusion,  indeed,  considerable.  I  con- 
fess I  was  led  to  doubt  whether  Mr.  Euskin  had  ever  been  at 
Breuil,  or  seen  the  mountain  from  its  south-west  side,  and  to 
suspect  that  his  observations  had  been  made  in  too  close 
proximity  to  the  deceptive  buttress  g  h.   In  the  fourth  volume 


288  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Matteehorn. 

of  "Modern  Painters/'  pp.  183,  199,  Mr.  Buskin  has  entered 
into  an  extended  discussion  on  the  subject ;  but  I  scarcely 
think  he  even  there  has  seized,  or  at  least  conveyed  to  his 
readers,  the  true  idea  of  its  form,  as  a  gigantic  tower.  So,  at 
least,  I  interpret  his  confession  of  being  unable,  after  all,  to 
determine  where  the  top  really  is  :  he  raises  it  from  near  g  to 
a  point  nearer  a,  but  still  does  not  seem  to  realize  what 
I  take  to  be  the  fact,  that  the  real  top  lies  somewhere  but  a 
little  way  behind  the  apparent  top  a  in  the  Zermatt  outline 
(certainly  it  can  be  no  farther  than  the  distance  a  b,  in  fig.  3), 
and  that  no  part  of  the  right-hand  slope  in  the  Zermatt  out- 
line is  really  horizontal,  or  at  all  approaching  to  horizontality. 
Nor  does  he,  I  think,  realize  the  fact,  that  from  the  real  top, 
a  b,  the  mountain  falls  almost  sheer  for  thousands  of  feet 
before  the  ridge  is  reached  which  stretches  towards  the  Dent 
d'Erin.  The  Matterhorn  may  certainly  in  one  sense  be  called 
a  continuation  of  the  latter  ridge,  inasmuch  as  it  rises  from  it ; 
but  Monte  Eosa  might  to  the  same  extent  be  called  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  (so-called)  old  Weiss-thor.  And  though  the 
western  slope  is  less  steep  than  the  east,  yet  so  tremendous  does 
it  appear  from  a  distance,  that  I  know  that  a  party  of  first- 
rate  Alpine  men,  who  surveyed  it  this  summer  with  Melchior 
Anderegg  from  a  considerable  height  up  the  Dent  Blanche, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  this,  the  only  supposed  accessible 
side,  was  altogether  impracticable. 

Bennen  and  myself  had  sketched  out  a  general  plan  o 
attack  the  year  before,  based  on  observations,  not  only  from 
Breuil,  but  from  points  farther  to  the  south  and  west,  from 
whence  the  peak  could  be  seen  in  its  true  proportions.  It 
had  been  suggested  by  some  to  start  from  the  hut  on  the  top 
of  the  Theodule  pass,  and  work  round  to  the  south  ;  but  this 
appeared  impossible,  and  we  decided  that  the  only  feasible 
plan  was  to  start  from  Breuil,  and  endeavour  to  reach  the 
point  f  or  h  in  fig.  3.  A  party  from  Val  Tournanche  had 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  ridge  at  a  point  to  the  west  of  h  ; 
but  we  suspected,  as  the  fact  turned  out  to  be,  that  it  might 
be  impossible  to  descend  from  the  ridge  at  h  into  the  gap 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]     NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  289 

behind  the  point  f,  from  whence  the  actual  peak  rises,  the 
Matterhorn  being  thus  cut  off  from  the  ridge  which  runs 
from  it  to  the  Dent  d'Erin,  by  an  impassable  gulf,  so  that  all 
attempts  to  scale  it  either  from  Zermatt  or  from  Breuil,  by 
gaining  that  ridge  anywhere  to  the  westward  of  f>  must  be 
unavailing.  We  therefore  decided  to  make  directly  for  the 
g&ipf,  which  Bennen  declared  to  be  possible,  though  even  this 
part  of  the  ascent  seemed  by  no  means  easy  :  a  narrow  line  of 
broken  and  crevassed  glacier  fell  steeply  from  it,  and  the  rocks 
on  either  side  appeared  from  a  distance  by  no  means  inviting. 

The  gap  at  /  reached,  the  ascent  from  /  to  c,  behind  the 
ridge  d  e,  seemed  not  impracticable :  indeed,  though  some 
parts  appeared  difficult,  I  confess  that  in  1859,  when  the 
ridge  was  almost  free  from  snow,  I  was  far  from  foreseeing 
the  obstacles  to  be  encountered  all  along  this  part  of  the 
route,  the  vast  and  rugged  crags  all  along  it  being  diminished 
by  the  great  scale  of  the  mountain  into  mere  points  and 
undulations  on  the  sky  line,  as  seen  from  Breuil.  The  last 
part  of  all,  from  c  to  b,  seemed  to  me,  as  it  does  to  most 
observers,  the  grand  problem ;  but  Bennen  has  always  de- 
clared that,  provided  we  do  the  rest,  he  is  tolerably  certain 
that  we  can  find  a  way  up  that ;  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
he  is  right.  The  top  of  a  smaller  mountain  may  be  rendered 
inaccessible  by  a  fosse  or  vertical  wall  of  no  great  size,  but 
impossible  to  be  surmounted,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Biffelhorn 
on  its  western  side  ;  but  on  the  Matterhorn  everything  is  on 
so  vast  a  scale,  that  such  an  obstacle  can  almost  always  be 
got  round  or  in  some  way  avoided  :  while  any  large  perpen- 
dicular cleft,  defending  the  whole  side  of  the  mountain,  if 
such  existed,  would  probably  be  visible  from  a  distance. 

Accessible  or  not,  however,  the  Mont  Cervin  is  assuredly  a 
different  sort  of  affair  from  Mont  Blanc  or  Monte  Bosa,  or  any 
other  of  the  thousand  and  one  summits  which  nature  has 
kindly  opened  to  man,  by  leaving  one  side  of  them  a  sloping 
plain  of  snow,  easy  of  ascent,  till  the  brink  of  the  precipice 
is  reached  which  descends  on  the  other  side.  The  square 
massive  lines  of  terraced  crags  which  fence  the  Matterhorn, 

u 


290  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Matteehok 

stand  up  on  all  sides  nearly  destitute  of  snow,  and  where  the 
snow  lies  thinly  on  the  rocks  it  soon  melts  and  is  hardened 
again  into  smooth  glassy  ice,  which  covers  the  granite  slabs 
like  a  coat  of  varnish,  and  bids  defiance  to  the  axe.  Every 
step  of  the  way  lies  between  two  precipices,  and  under 
toppling  crags,  which  may  at  any  moment  bring  down  on 
the  climber  the  most  formidable  of  Alpine  dangers — a  fire  of 
falling  stones.  The  mountain  too  has  a  sort  of  prestige  of 
invincibility  which  is  not  without  its  influence  on  the  mind, 
and  almost  leads  one  to  expect  to  encounter  some  new  and 
unheard  of  source  of  peril  upon  it :  hence  I  suppose  it  is, 
that  the  dwellers  at  Zermatt  and  in  Yal  Tournanche  have 
scarcely  been  willing  to  attempt  to  set  foot  upon  the  moun- 
tain, and  have  left  the  honour  of  doing  so  to  a  native  of 
another  district,  who,  as  he  has  been  the  first  mortal  to  plant 
foot  on  the  hitherto  untrodden  peak,  so  he  will,  I  hope,  have 
the  honour  which  he  deserves,  of  being  the  first  to  reach 
the  top. 

John  Joseph  Bennen,  of  Laax,  in  the  Upper  Ehine  Valley, 
is  a  man  so  remarkable,  that  I  cannot  resist  the  desire  (espe- 
cially as  he  cannot  read  English)  to  say  a  few  words  about 
his  character.  Born  within  the  limits  of  the  German  tongue, 
and  living  amidst  the  mountains  and  glaciers  of  the  Oberland, 
he  belongs  by  race  and  character  to  a  class  of  men  of  whom 
the  Laueners,  Melchior  Anderegg,  Bortis,  Christian  Aimer, 
Peter  Bohren,  are  also  examples — a  type  of  mountain  race, 
having  many  of  the  simple  heroic  qualities  which  we  asso- 
ciate, whether  justly  or  unjustly,  with  Teutonic  blood,  and 
essentially  different  from — to  my  mind,  infinitely  superior  to 
■ — the  French-speaking,  versatile,  wily  Chamouniard.  The 
names  I  have  mentioned  are  all  those  of  first-rate  men ;  but 
Bennen,  as  (I  believe)  he  surpasses  all  the  rest  in  the  qualities 
which  fit  a  man  for  a  leader  in  hazardous  expeditions,  com- 
bining boldness  and  prudence  with  an  ease  and  power  peculiar 
to  himself,  so  he  has  a  faculty  of  conceiving  and  planning  his 
achievements,  a  way  of  concentrating  his  mind  upon  an  idea, 
and  working  out  his  idea  with  clearness  and  decision,  which 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  291 

I  never  observed  in  any  man  of  the  kind,  and  which  makes 
him,  in  his  way,  a  sort  of  Garibaldi.  Tyndall,  on  the  day  of 
our  expedition,  said  to  him,  "  Sie  sind  der  Garibaldi  der 
fuhrer,  Bennen ;"  to  which  he  answered  in  his  simple  way, 
"Nicht  wahr?"  ("Am  I  not?")  an  amusing  touch  of  simple 
vanity,  a  dash  of  pardonable  bounce,  being  one  of  his  not  least 
amiable  characteristics.  Thoroughly  sincere  and  "einfach" 
in  thought  and  speech,  devoted  to  his  friends,  without  a  trace 
of  underhand  self-seeking  in  his  relations  to  his  employers, 
there  is  an  independence  about  him,  a  superiority  to  most 
of  his  own  class,  which  makes  him,  I  always  fancy,  rather  an 
isolated  man ;  though  no  one  can  make  more  friends  where- 
ever  he  goes,  or  be  more  pleasant  and  thoroughly  cheerful 
under  all  circumstances.  But  he  left  his  native  place,  Steinen, 
he  told  me,  the  people  there  not  suiting  him ;  and  in  Laax, 
where  he  now  dwells,  I  guess  him  to  be  not  perhaps  altogether 
at  home.  Unmarried,  he  works  quietly  most  of  the  year  at 
his  trade  of  a  carpenter,  unless  when  he  is  out  alone,  or  with 
his  friend  Bortis  (a  man  seemingly  of  reserved  and  uncom- 
municative disposition,  but  a  splendid  mountaineer),  in  the 
chase  after  chamois,  of  which  he  is  passionately  fond,  and 
will  tell  stories,  in  his  simple  and  emphatic  way,  with  the 
greatest  enthusiasm.  Pious  he  is,  and  observant  of  religious 
duties,  but  without  a  particle  of  the  "mountain  gloom," 
respecting  the  prevalence  of  which  among  the  dwellers  in  the 
High  Alps,  Mr.  Euskin  discourses  poetically,  but  I  am  myself 
rather  incredulous.  A  perfect  nature's  gentleman,  he  is  to 
me  the  most  delightful  of  companions  ;  and  though  no 
"theory"  defines  our  reciprocal  obligations  as  guide  and 
employer,  I  am  sure  that  no  precipice  will  ever  engulf  me 
so  long  as  Bennen  is  within  reach,  unless  he  goes  into  it 
also — an  event  which  seems  impossible — and  I  think  I  can 
say  I  would,  according  to  the  measure  of  my  capacity,  do  the 
same  by  him.  But  any  one  who  has  watched  Bennen  skim- 
ming along  through  the  mazes  of  a  crevassed  glacier,  or 
running  like  a  chamois  along  the  side  of  slippery  ice-covered 
crags,  axe  and  foot  keeping  time  together,  will  think  that— 

u2 


292  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Matteehorn. 

as  Lauener  said  of  his  brother  Johann,  who  perished  on  the 
Jungfrau,  he  could  never  fall — nothing  could  bring  him  to 
grief  but  an  avalanche.* 

Delayed  in  our  walk  from  the  iEggisch-horn  by  the  usual 
severity  of  the  weather,  Tyndall,  Bennen,  and  myself  reached 
Breuil  on  Saturday,  the  18th  of  August,  to  make  our  attempt 
on  the  Monday.  As  we  approached  the  mountain,  Bennen's 
countenance  fell  visibly,  and  he  became  somewhat  gloomy ; 
the  mountain  was  almost  white  with  fresh-fallen  snow.  "  Nur 
die  schnee  furcht  mich,"  he  replied  to  our  inquiries.  The 
change  was  indeed  great  from  my  recollection  of  the  year 
before ;  the  well-marked,  terrace-like  lines  along  the  south 
face,  which  are  so  well  given  in  Mr.  Barnard's  picture,  which 
I  have  referred  to,  were  now  almost  covered  up  ;  through  the 
telescope  could  be  seen  distinctly  huge  icicles  depending  from 
the  crags,  the  lines  of  melting  snow,  and  the  dark  patches 
which  we  hoped  might  spread  a  great  deal  faster  than  they 
were  likely  to,  during  the  space  of  twenty-four  hours.  There 
was  nothing  for  it,  although  our  prospects  of  success  were 
materially  diminished  by  the  snow,  but  to  do  the  best  we 
could.  As  far  as  I  was  concerned,  I  felt  that  I  should  be 
perfectly  satisfied  with  getting  part  of  the  way  up  on  a  first 
trial,  which  would  make  one  acquainted  with  the  nature  of 
the  rocks,  dispel  the  prestige  which  seemed  to  hang  over  the 
untrodden  mountain,  and  probably  suggest  ways  of  shortening 
the  route  on  another  occasion. 

We  wanted  some  one  to  carry  the  knapsack  containing  our 
provisions ;  and  on  the  recommendation  of  the  landlord  at 
Breuil,  we  sent  for  a  man,  named  Carrel,  who,  we  were  told, 

*  As  Bennen  and  Tyndall  were  going  up  the  Finster-dar-horn  once  upon  a 
time,  the  work  being  severe,  Bennen  turned  round  and  said  to  Tyndall,  "  Ich 
fuhle  mich  jetzt  ganz  wie  der  Tyroler  Einmal,"  and  went  to  relate  a  story  of 
the  conversation  between  a  priest  and  an  honest  Tyrolese,  who  complained 
to  his  father  confessor  that  religion  and  an  extreme  passion  for  the  fair  sex 
struggled  within  him,  and  neither  could  expel  the  other.  "  Mein  Sohn,"  said 
the  priest,  "  Frauen  zu  lieben  und  in  Himmel  zu  kommen,  das  geht  nicht." 
"  Herr  Pfarrer,"  sagte  der  Tyroler,  "  es  miiss  gehen."  "  Und  so  sag'  ich  jetzt," 
cried  Bennen.    "  Es  miiss  gehen  "  is  always  his  motto. 


F.  Y.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  293 

was  the  best  mountaineer  in  Val  Tournanche,  and  the  nephew 
of  M.  le  Chanoine  Carrel,  whose  acquaintance  I  once  had  the 
honour  of  making  at  Aosta.  From  the  latter  description  I 
rather  expected  a  young,  and  perhaps  aristocratic-looking 
personage,  and  was  amused  at  the  entrance  of  a  rough,  good- 
humoured,  shaggy-breasted  man,  between  forty  and  fifty,  an 
ordinary  specimen  of  the  peasant  class.  However,  he  did  his 
work  well,  and  with  great  good  temper,  and  seemed  ready  to 
go  on  as  long  as  we  chose ;  though  he  told  me  he  expected 
we  should  end  by  passing  the  night  somewhere  on  the  moun- 
tain, and  I  don't  think  his  ideas  of  our  success  were  ever 
very  sanguine. 

We  were  to  start  before  3  A.  M.  on  Monday  morning, 
August  20th  ;  and  the  short  period  for  sleep  thus  left  us  was 
somewhat  abridged  in  my  own  case,  not  so  much  by  thoughts 
of  the  coming  expedition,  as  by  the  news  which  had  just 
reached  us  in  a  vague,  but,  unfortunately,  only  too  credible 
form,  of  the  terrible  accident  on  the  Col  du  Geant  a  few  days 
before.  The  account  thus  reaching  us  was  naturally  magni- 
fied, and  we  were  as  yet  ignorant  of  the  names.  I  could  not 
at  night  shake  off  the  (totally  groundless)  idea  that  a  certain 
dear  friend  of  mine  was  among  them,  and  that  I  ought  at  that 
moment  to  be  hurrying  off  to  Cormayeur,  to  mourn  and  to 
bury  him.  In  the  morning,  however,  these  things  are  for- 
gotten ;  we  are  off,  and  Carrel  pilots  us  with  a  lantern  across 
the  little  stream  which  runs  by  Breuil,  and  up  the  hills  to  the 
left,  where  in  the  darkness  we  seem  from  the  sound  to  be  in 
the  midst  of  innumerable  rills  of  water,  the  effects  of  the  late 
rains.  The  dark  outline  of  the  Matterhorn  is  just  visible 
against  the  sky,  and  measuring  with  the  eye  the  distance 
subtended  by  the  site  we  have  to  climb,  it  seems  as  if  success 
must  be  possible :  so  hard  is  it  to  imagine  all  the  ups  and 
downs  which  lie  in  that  short  sky-line. 

Day  soon  dawns,  and  the  morning  rose-light  touches  the 
first  peak  westward  of  us ;  the  air  is  wonderfully  calm  and: 
still,  and  for  to-day,  at  all  events,  we  have  good  weather^ 
without  that  bitter  enemy,  the  north  wind;   but  a  certain 


294  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Matteehorn. 

opaque  look  in  the  sky,  long  streaks  of  cloud  radiating  from 
the  south-west  horizon  up  towards  the  zenith,  and  the  too 
dark  purple  of  the  hills  south  of  Aosta,  are  signs  that  the 
good  weather  will  not  be  lasting.  By  five  we  are  crossing  the 
first  snow-beds,  and  now  Carrel  falls  back,  and  the  leader  of 
the  day  conies  to  the  front :  all  the  day  he  will  be  cutting 
steps,  but  those  compact  and  powerful  limbs  of  his  will  show 
no  signs  of  extra  exertion,  and  to-day  he  is  in  particularly 
good  spirits.  Carpentering,  by  the  way — not  fine  turning 
and  planing,  but  rough  out-of-doors  work,  like  Bennen's — 
must  be  no  bad  practice  to  keep  hand  and  eye  in  training 
during  the  dead  season.  We  ascend  a  narrow  edge  of  snow,  a 
cliff  some  way  to  the  right :  the  snow  is  frozen  and  hard  as 
rock,  and  arms  and  legs  are  worked  vigorously.  Tyndall  calls 
out  to  me,  to  know  whether  I  recollect  the  "conditions:  "  i.e. 
if  your  feet  slip  from  the  steps,  turn  in  a  moment  on  your 
face,  and  dig  in  hard  with  alpenstock  in  both  hands  under 
your  body  ;  by  this  means  you  will  stop  yourself  if  it  is 
possible.  Once  on  your  back,  it  is  all  over,  unless  others  can 
save  you  :  you  have  lost  all  chance  of  helping  yourself.  In  a 
few  minutes  we  stop,  and  rope  all  together,  in  which  state  we 
continued  the  whole  day.  The  prudence  of  this  some  may 
possibly  doubt,  as  there  were  certainly  places  where  the 
chances  were  greater,  that  if  one  fell,  he  would  drag  down  the 
rest,  than  that  they  could  assist  him  ;  but  we  were  only  four, 
all  tolerably  sure-footed,  and  in  point  of  fact  I  do  not  recollect 
a  slip  or  stumble  of  consequence  made  by  any  one  of  us. 
Soon  the  slope  lessens  for  a  while,  but  in  front  a  wall  of  snow 
stretches  steeply  upwards  to  the  gap  fy  which  we  have  to 
r3ach,  in  a  kind  of  recess,  flanked  by  crags  of  formidable 
appearance.  We  turn  to  the  rocks  on  the  left  hand.  As,  to 
one  walking  along  miry  ways,  the  opposite  side  of  the  path 
seems  ever  the  most  inviting,  and  he  continually  shifting  his 
course  from  side  to  side,  lengthens  his  journey  with  small 
profit :  so  in  ascending  a  mountain  one  is  always  tempted  to 
diverge  from  snow  to  rocks,  or  vice  versa.  Bennen  had 
intended  to  mount  straight  up  towards  the  gap,  and  it  is  best 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  295 

not  to  interfere  with  him  ;  he  yields,  however,  to  our  sug- 
gestions, and  we  assail  the  rocks.  These,  however,  are  ice- 
bound, steep,  and  slippery  :  hands  and  knees  are  at  work,  and 
progress  is  slow.  At  length,  we  stop  upon  a  ledge  where  all 
can  stand  together,  and  Carrel  proposes  to  us  (for  Bennen  and 
he  can  only  communicate  by  signs,  the  one  knowing  only 
French,  the  other  German)  to  go  on  and  see  whether  an  easier 
way  can  be  found  still  further  to  the  left.  Bennen  gives  an 
approving  nod  :  he  looks  with  indulgent  pity  on  Carrel,  but 
snubs  all  remarks  of  his  as  to  the  route.  "  Er  weisst  gar 
nichts,"  he  says.  Carrel  takes  his  axe,  and  mounts  warily, 
but  with  good  courage  ;  presently  he  returns,  shaking  his 
head.  The  event  is  fortunate,  for  had  we  gone  further  to  the 
left,  we  should  have  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge  from  which, 
as  we  afterwards  found,  there  is  no  passage  to  the  gap  f,  and 
our  day's  work  would  probably  have  ended  then  and  there. 
Bennen  now  leads  to  the  right,  and  moves  swiftly  up  from 
ledge  to  ledge.  Time  is  getting  on,  but  at  length  we  emerge 
over  the  rocks  just  in  face  of  the  gap,  and  separated  from  it 
by  a  sort  of  large  snow-crater,  overhung  on  the  left  by  the 
end  of  the  ridge  k,  from  which  stones  fall  which  have  scarred 
the  sides  of  the  crater.  The  sides  are  steep,  but  we  curve 
quickly  and  silently  round  them. :  no  stones  fall  upon  us ;  and 
now  we  have  reached  the  narrow  neck  of  snow  which  forms 
the  actual  gap  ;  it  is  half-past  eight,  and  the  first  part  of  our 
work  is  done. 

By  no  means  the  hardest  part,  however.  We  stand  upon  a 
broad  red  granite  slab,  the  lowest  step  of  the  actual  peak  of 
the  Matterhorn  :  no  one  has  stood  there  before  us.  The  slab 
forms  one  end  of  the  edge  of  snow,  surmounted  at  the  other 
end  by  some  fifty  feet  of  overhanging  rock,  the  end  of  the 
ridge  k.  On  one  side  of  us  is  the  snow-crater,  round  which 
we  had  been  winding  ;  on  the  other  side  a  scarped  and  seamed 
face  of  snow,  drops  sheer  on  the  north,  to  what  we  know  is  the 
Zmutt  glacier.  Some  hopes  I  had  entertained  of  making  a 
pass  by  this  gap,  from  Breuil  to  Zermatt,  vanish  immediately. 
Above  us  rise  the  towers  and  pinnacles  of  the  Matterhorn, 


296  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Matterhorn. 

certainly  a  tremendous  array.  Actual  contact  immensely  in- 
creases one's  impressions  of  this,  the  hardest  and  strongest  of 
all  the  mountain  masses  of  the  Alps  ;  its  form  is  more  re- 
markable than  that  of  other  mountains,  not  by  chance,  but 
because  it  is  built  of  more  massive  and  durable  materials,  and 
more  solidly  put  together:  nowhere  have  I  seen  such  as- 
tonishing masonry.  The  broad  gneiss  blocks  are  generally 
smooth  and  compact,  with  little  appearance  of  splintering  or 
weathering.  Tons  of  rock,  in  the  shape  of  boulders,  must  fall 
almost  daily  down  its  sides,  but  the  amount  of  these,  even  in 
the  course  of  centuries,  is  as  nothing  compared  with  the  mass 
of  the  mountain  ;  the  ordinary  processes  of  disintegration  can 
have  little  or  no  effect  on  it.  If  one  were  to  follow  Mr. 
Euskin,  in  speculating  on  the  manner  in  which  the  Alpine 
peaks  can  have  assumed  their  present  shape,  it  seems  as  if 
such  a  mass  as  this  can  have  been  blocked  out  only  while 
rising  from  the  sea,  under  the  action  of  waves  such  as  beat 
against  the  granite  headlands  of  the  Land's  End.  Once  on 
dry  land,  it  must  stand  as  it  does  now,  apparently  for  ever. 

Two  lines  of  ascent  offer,  between  which  we  have  to  choose  : 
one  along  the  middle  or  dividing  ridge,  the  back-bone  of  the 
mountain,  at  the  end  of  which  we  stand ;  the  other  by  an 
edge  some  little  way  to  the  right  (in  fact,  the  northern  side  of 
the  ridge  d  e  in  fig.  3) :  a  couloir  lies  between  them.  We 
choose  the  former,  or  back-bone  ridge  ;  but  the  other  proves 
to  be  less  serrated,  and  we  shall  probably  try  it  on  another 
occasion :  both  converge  near  the  top  about  the  point  c.  As 
we  step  from  our  halting-place,  Bennen  turns  round  and 
addresses  us  in  a  few  words  of  exhortation,  like  the  generals 
in  Thucydides.  He  knows  us  well  enough  to  be  sure  that 
we  shall  not  feel  afraid,  but  every  footstep  must  be  planted 
with  the  utmost  precaution  :  no  fear,  "  wohl  immer  achtung." 
Soon  our  difficulties  begin  ;  but  I  despair  of  relating  the 
incidents  of  this  part  of  our  route,  so  numerous  and  bewilder- 
ing were  the  obstacles  along  it ;  and  the  details  of  each  have 
somewhat  faded  from  the  memory.  We  are  immersed  in  a 
wilderness  of  blocks,  roofed  and  festooned  with  huge  plates 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]     NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  297 

and  stalactites  of  ice,  so  large  that  one  is  half  disposed  to  seize 
hold  and  clamber  up  them.  Bound,  over,  and  under  them  we 
go :  often  progress  seems  impossible ;  but  Bennen,  ever  in 
advance,  and  perched  like  a  bird  on  some  projecting  crag, 
contrives  to  find  a  way.  Now  we  crawl  singly  along  a  narrow 
ledge  of  rock,  with  a  wall  on  one  side,  and  nothing  on  the 
other:  there  is  no  hold  for  hands  or  alpenstock,  and  the  ledge 
slopes  a  little,  so  that  if  the  nails  in  our  boots  hold  not,  down 
we  shall  go :  in  the  middle  of  it  a  piece  of  rock  juts  out,  which 
we  ingeniously  duck  under,  and  emerge  just  under  a  shower 
of  water,  which  there  is  no  room  to  escape  from.  Presently 
comes  a  more  extraordinary  place :  a  perfect  chimney  of  rock, 
cased  all  over  with  hard  black  ice,  about  an  inch  thick.  The 
bottom  leads  out  into  space,  and  the  top  is  somewhere  in  the 
upper  regions  :  there  is  absolutely  nothing  to  grasp  at,  and  to 
this  day  I  cannot  understand  how  a  human  being  could  get 
up  or  down  it  unassisted.  Bennen,  however,  rolls  up  it  some- 
how, like  a  cat ;  he  is  at  the  top,  and  beckons  Tyndall  to 
advance  ;  my  turn  comes  next ;  I  endeavour  to  mount  by 
squeezing  myself  against  the  sides,  but  near  the  top  friction 
suddenly  gives  way,  and  down  comes  my  weight  upon  the 
rope  : — a  stout  haul  from  above,  and  now  one  knee  is  upon 
the  edge,  and  I  am  safe  :  Carrel  is  pulled  up  after  me.  After 
a  time,  we  get  off  the  rocks,  and  mount  a  slope  of  ice,  which 
curves  rapidly  over  for  about  three  yards  to  our  left,  and  then 
(apparently)  drops  at  once  to  the  Zmutt  glacier.  We  reach 
the  top  of  this,  and  proceed  along  it,  till  at  last  a  sort  of 
pinnacle  is  reached,  from  which  we  can  survey  the  line  of 
towers  and  crags  before  us  as  far  as  c,  the  part  just  below  the 
actual  top,  and  we  halt  to  rest  a  while.  Bennen  goes  on  to 
see  whether  it  be  possible  to  cross  over  to  the  other  ridge, 
which  seems  an  easier  one.  Left  to  himself,  he  treads  lightly 
and  almost  carelessly  along.  "  Geb  'acht,  Bennen  "  (take  care 
of  yourself)  !  we  shout  after  him,  but  needlessly  ;  he  stops 
and  moves  alternately,  peering  wistfully  about,  exactly  like 
a  chamois  ;  but  soon  he  returns,  and  says  there  is  no  passage, 
and  we  must  keep  to  the  ridge  we  are  on. 


298  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND          [Matterhorn. 

Three  hours  had  not  yet  elapsed  since  we  left  the  gap,  and 
from  our  present  station  we  could  survey  the  route  as  far  as 
the  point  c,  which  concealed  from  us  the  actual  summit,  and 
could  see  that  the  difficulties  before  us  were  not  greater  than 
we  had  already  passed  through,  and  such  as  time  and  per- 
severance would  surely  conquer.  Nevertheless,  there  is  a 
tide  in  the  affairs  of  such  expeditions,  and  the  impression  had 
been  for  some  time  gaining  ground  with  me  that  the  tide  on 
the  present  occasion  had  turned  against  us,  and  that  the  time 
we  could  prudently  allow  was  not  sufficient  for  us  to  reach 
the  top  that  day.  Before  trial,  I  had  thought  it  not  improbable 
that  the  ascent  might  turn  out  either  impossible,  or  com- 
paratively easy  ;  it  was  now  tolerably  clear  that  it  was  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other,  but  an  exceedingly  long  and  hard  piece 
of  work,  which  the  unparalleled  amount  of  ice  made  longer 
and  harder  than  usual.  I  asked  Bennen  if  he  thought 
there  was  time  enough  to  reach  the  top  of  all?  he  was 
evidently  unwilling,  however,  to  give  up  hopes  ;  and  Tyndall 
said,  he  would  give  no  opinion  either  way ;  so  we  again 
moved  on. 

At  length  we  came  to  the  base  of  a  mighty  knob,  huger  and 
uglier  than  its  fellows,  to  which  a  little  arete  of  snow  served  as 
a  sort  of  draw-bridge.  I  began  to  fear  lest  in  the  ardour  of 
pursuit  we  might  be  carried  on  too  long,  and  Bennen  might 
forget  the  paramount  object  of  securing  our  safe  retreat.  I 
called  out  to  him,  that  I  thought  I  should  stop  somewhere 
here,  that  if  he  could  go  faster  alone,  he  might  do  so,  but  he 
must  turn  in  good  time.  Bennen,  however,  was  already 
climbing  with  desperate  energy  up  the  sides  of  the  kerb ; 
Tyndall  would  not  be  behind  him  ;  so  I  loosed  the  rope  and 
let  them  go  on.  Carrel  moved  back  across  the  little  arete, 
and  sat  down,  and  began  to  smoke :  I  remained  for  awhile 
standing  with  my  back  against  the  knob,  and  gazed  by  my- 
self upon  the  scene  around. 

As  my  blood  cooled,  and  the  sounds  of  human  footsteps 
and  voices  grew  fainter,  I  began  to  realize  the  height  and  the 
wonderful   isolation   of  our  position.     The  air  was  preter- 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  299 

naturally  still ;  an  occasional  gust  came  eddying  round  the 
corner  of  the  mountain,  but  all  else  seemed  strangely  rigid 
and  motionless,  and  out  of  keeping  with  the  beating  heart 
and  moving  limbs,  the  life  and  activity  of  man.  Those 
stones  and  ice  have  no  mercy  in  them,  no  sympathy  with 
human  adventure ;  they  submit  passively  to  what  man  can 
do ;  but  let  him  go  a  step  too  far,  let  heart  or  hand  fail, 
mist  gather  or  sun  go  down,  and  they  will  exact  the  penalty 
to  the  uttermost.  The  feeling  of  "the  sublime"  in  such  cases 
depends  very  much,  I  think,  on  a  certain  balance  between  the 
forces  of  nature  and  man's  ability  to  cope  with  them :  if  they 
are  too  weak,  the  scene  fails  to  impress  ;  if  they  are  too  strong 
for  him,  what  was  sublime  becomes  only  terrible.  Looking 
at  the  Dome  du  Goute  or  the  Zumstein  Spitze  full  in  the 
evening  sun,  when  they  glow  with  an  absolutely  unearthly 
loveliness,  like  a  city  in  the  heavens,  I  have  sometimes 
thought  that, — place  but  the  spectator  alone  just  now  upon 
those  shining  heights,  with  escape  before  night  all  but  im- 
possible, and  he  will  see  no  glory  in  the  scene : — only  the 
angry  eye  of  the  setting  sun  fixed  on  dark  rocks  and  dead- 
white  snow. 

We  had  risen  seemingly  to  an  immense  height  above  the 
gap,  and  the  ridge  which  stretches  from  the  Matterhorn  to 
the  Dent  d'Erin  lay  flat  below  ;  but  the  peak  still  towered 
behind  me,  and  measuring  our  position  by  the  eye  along  the 
side  of  our  neighbour  of  equal  height,  the  Weisshorn,  I  saw 
that  we  must  be  yet  a  long  way  beneath  the  top.  The  gap 
itself  and  all  traces  of  the  way  by  which  we  had  ascended, 
were  invisible  ;  I  could  see  only  the  stone  where  Carrel  sat, 
and  the  tops  of  one  or  two  crags  rising  from  below.  The 
view  was,  of  course,  magnificent,  and  on  three  sides  wholly 
unimpeded  :  with  one  hand  I  could  drop  a  stone  which  would 
descend  to  Zmutt,  with  the  other  to  Breuil.  In  front  lay,  as 
in  a  map,  the  as  yet  unexplored  peaks  to  south  and  west  of 
the  Dent  d'Erin,  the  range  which  separates  Val  Tournanche 
from  the  Valpelline,  and  the  glacier  region  beyond,  called  in 
Ziegler's  map  Zardezan,  over  which  a  pass,  perchance,  exists 


300  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Matterhorn. 

to  Zermatt.    An  illimitable  range  of  bine  hills   spread  far 
away  into  Italy. 

I  walked  along  the  little  ar6te,  and  sat  down  ;  it  was  only 
broad  enough  for  the  foot,  and  in  perfectly  cold  blood  even 
this  perhaps  might  have  appeared  uncomfortable.  Turning 
to  look  at  Tyndall  and  Bennen,  I  could  not  help  laughing  at 
the  picture  of  our  progress  under  difficulties.  They  seemed 
to  have  advanced  only  a  few  yards.  "  Have  you  got  no  further 
than  that  yet?"  I  called  out,  for  we  were  all  the  time  within 
v  hearing.  Their  efforts  appeared  prodigious  :  scrambling  and 
sprawling  among  the  huge  blocks,  one  fancied  they  must  be 
moving  along  some  unseen  bale  of  heavy  goods,  instead  of 
only  the  weight  of  their  own  bodies.  As  I  looked,  an  ominous 
visitant  appeared :  down  came  a  fragment  of  rock,  the  size  of 
a  man's  body,  and  dashed  past  me  on  the  couloir,  sending 
the  snow  flying.  For  a  moment  I  thought  they  might  have 
dislodged  it ;  but  looking  again  I  saw  it  had  passed  over 
their  heads,  and  come  from  the  crags  above.  Neither  of 
them,  I  believe,  observed  the  monster ;  but  Tyndall  told  me 
afterwards  that  a  stone,  possibly  a  splinter  from  it,  had  hit 
him  in  the  neck,  and  nearly  choked  him.  I  looked  anxiously 
again,  but  no  more  followed.  A  single  shot,  as  it  were,  had 
been  fired  across  our  bows  ;  but  the  ship's  course  was  already 
on  the  point  of  being  put  about. 

Expecting  fully  that  they  would  not  persevere  beyond  a 
few  minutes  longer,  I  called  out  to  Tyndall  to  know  how 
soon  they  meant  to  be  back.  "  In  an  hour  and  a  half,"  he 
replied,  whether  in  jest  or  earnest,  and  they  disappeared 
round  a  projecting  corner.  A  sudden  qualm  seized  me,  and 
for  a  few  minutes  I  felt  extremely  uncomfortable  ; — what  if 
the  ascent  should  suddenly  become  easier,  and  they  should  go 
on,  and  reach  the  top  without  me  ?  I  thought  of  summoning 
Carrel,  and  pursuing  them  ;  but  the  worthy  man  sat  quietly, 
and  seemed  to  have  had  enough  of  it.  My  suspense,  how- 
ever, was  not  long  :  after  two  or  three  minutes  the  clatter, 
which  had  never  entirely  ceased,  became  louder,  and  their 
forms  again  appeared :  they  were  evidently  descending.     In 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  301 

fact,  Bennen  had  at  length  turned,  and  said  to  Tyndall, 
"  Ich  denke  die  Zeit  ist  zu  kurz."  I  was  glad  that  he  had 
gone  on  as  long  as  he  chose,  and  not  been  turned  back  on 
my  responsibility.  They  had  found  one  part  of  this  last 
ascent  the  worst  of  any,  but  the  way  was  open  thencefor- 
ward to  the  farthest  visible  point,  which  can  be  no  long  way 
below  the  actual  top. 

It  was  now  just  about  mid-day,  and  ample  time  for  the 
descent,  in  all  probability,  was  before  us  ;  but  we  resolved  not 
to  halt  for  any  length  of  time  till  we  should  reach  the  gap. 
Descending,  unlike  ascending,  is  generally  not  so  bad  as  it 
seems  ;  but  in  some  places  here  only  one  can  advance  at  a 
time,  the  other  carefully  holding  the  rope.  "  Tenez  fortement, 
Carrel,  tenez,"  is  constantly  impressed  on  the  man  who 
brings  up  the  rear.  "  Splendid  practice  for  us,  this,"  exclaims 
Tyndall  exultingly,  as  each  successive  difficulty  is  overcome. 
At  length  we  reach  a  place  whence  no  egress  is  possible ;  we 
look  in  vain  for  traces  of  the  way  we  had  come  :  it  is  our 
friend  the  ice-coated  chimney.  Bennen  gets  down  first,  in 
the  same  mysterious  fashion  as  he  got  up,  and  assists  us 
down ;  presently  a  shout  is  heard  behind ;  Carrel  is  at- 
tempting to  get  down  by  himself,  and  has  stuck  fast ;  Bennen 
has  to  extricate  him.  We  are  now  getting  rapidly  lower ; 
soon  the  difficulties  diminish  ;  our  gap  appears  in  sight,  and 
once  more  we  reach  the  broad  granite  slab  beside  the  narrow 
col,  and  breathe  more  freely. 

Two  hours  have  brought  us  down  thus  far  ;  but  if  we  are 
to  return  by  the  way  we  came,  three  or  four  hours  of  hard 
work  are  still  needed,  before  we  arrive  at  anything  like  ordi- 
nary snow-walking.  We  hold  a  consultation.  Bennen  thinks 
the  rocks,  now  that  the  ice  is  melting  in  the  afternoon  sun, 
will  be  difficult,  and  "withal  somewhat  dangerous"  (etwa 
gefahrlich  auch).  The  reader  will  remark,  that  Bennen  uses 
the  word  "dangerous"  in  its  legitimate  sense.  A  place  is 
dangerous  where  a  good  climber  cannot  be  secure  of  his 
footing ;  a  place  is  not  dangerous  where  a  good  climber  is  in 
no  danger  of  slipping,  although  to  slip  might  be  fatal.     We 


302  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Matterhoen. 

determine  to  see  if  it  be  possible  to  descend  the  sides  of  the 
snow-crater,  on  the  brink  of  which  we  now  stand.  The 
crater  is  portentously  steep,  deeply  lined  with  fresh  snow, 
which  glistens  and  melts  in  the  powerful  sun.  The  experiment 
is  slightly  hazardous,  but  we  resolve  to  try.  The  crater 
appears  to  narrow  gradually  to  a  sort  of  funnel  far  down 
below,  through  which  we  expect  to  issue  into  the  glacier 
beneath.  At  the  sides  of  the  funnel  are  rocks,  which  some 
one  suggests  might  serve  to  break  our  fall,  should  the  snow  go 
down  with  us,  but  their  tender  mercies  seem  to  me  doubtful. 
Cautiously,  with  steady,  balanced  tread,  we  commit  ourselves 
to  the  slope,  distributing  the  weight  of  the  body  over  as  large 
a  space  of  snow  as  possible,  by  fixing  in  the  pole  high  up, 
and  the  feet  far  apart,  for  a  slip  or  stumble  now  will  probably 
dissolve  the  adhesion  of  the  fresh,  not  yet  compacted  mass, 
and  we  shall  go  down  to  the  bottom  in  an  avalanche.  Six 
paces  to  the  right,  then  again  to  the  left ;  we  are  at  the  mercy 
of  those  overhanging  rocks  just  now,  and  the  recent  tracks  of 
stones  look  rather  suspicious ;  but  all  is  silent,  and  soon  we 
gain  confidence,  and  congratulate  ourselves  on  an  expedient 
which  has  saved  us  hours  of  time  and  toil.  Just  to  our  right 
the  snow  is  sliding  by,  first  slowly,  then  faster ;  keep  well 
out  of  the  track  of  it,  for  underneath  is  a  hard  polished  sur- 
face, and  if  your  foot  chance  to  light  there,  off  you  will  pro- 
bably shoot.  The  snow  travels  much  faster  than  we  do,  or 
have  any  desire  to  do  ;  we  are  like  a  coach  travelling  along- 
side of  an  express  train;  in  popular  phrase,  we  are  going 
side  by  side  with  a  small  avalanche,  though  a  real  avalanche 
is  a  very  different  matter.  Soon  we  come  somewhat  under 
the  lee  of  the  rocks,  and  now  all  risk  is  over,  we  are 
through  the  funnel,  and  floundering  waist-deep,  heedless  of 
crevasses  in  the  comparatively  level  slopes  beyond.  We 
plunge  securely  down  now  in  the  deep  snow,  where  care  and 
caution  had  been  requisite  in  crossing  the  frozen  surface  in 
the  morning  ;  at  length  we  cast  off  the  rope,  and  are  on  terra 
firma. 

We  shall  be  at  Breuil  in  unexpectedly  good  time,  before 


F.  V.  Hawkins.]      NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  303 

five  o'clock ;  but  it  is  well  we  are  off  the  mountain  early,  for 
clouds  and  mist  are  already  gathering  round  the  peak,  and 
the  weather  is  about  to  break.  Tyndall  rushes  rapidly  down 
the  slopes,  and  is  lost  to  view ;  Bennen  and  I  walk  slowly, 
discussing  the  results  of  the  day.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  he 
is  in  high  spirits,  and  confident  of  our  future  success.  He 
agrees  with  me  to  reach  the  top  will  be  an  exceedingly  long 
day's  work,  and  that  we  must  allow  ten  hours  at  least  for  the 
actual  peak,  six  to  ascend,  four  to  descend ;  we  must  start 
next  time,  he  says,  "  ganz,  ganz  friih,"  and  manage  to  reach 
the  gap  by  seven  o'clock.  Presently  we  deviate  a  little  from 
our  downward  course ;  the  same  thought  occupies  our  minds ; 
we  perceive  a  long  low  line  of  roof  on  the  mountain  side, 
and  are  not  mistaken  in  supposing  that  our  favourite  food  will 
at  this  hour  be  found  there  in  abundance.  The  shepherds  on 
the  Italian  hills  are  more  hospitable  and  courteous,  I  think, 
than  their  Swiss  brethren :  twenty  cows  are  moving  their 
tails  contentedly  in  line  under  the  shed,  for  Breuil  is  a  rich 
pasture  valley,  and  in  an  autumn  evening  I  have  counted  six 
herds  of  from  ninety  to  a  hundred  each,  in  separate  clusters, 
like  ants,  along  the  stream  in  the  distance.  The  friendly  man, 
in  hoarse  but  hearty  tones,  urges  us  on  as  we  drink  ;  Bennen 
puts  into  his  hand  forty  centimes  for  us  both  (for  we  have 
disposed  of  no  small  quantity) :  but  he  is  with  difficulty 
persuaded  to  accept  so  large  a  sum,  and  calls  after  us, 
"  C'est  trop,  c'est  trop,  messieurs."  Long  may  civilization 
and  half-francs  fail  of  reaching  his  simple  abode ;  for, 
alas  !  the  great  tourist-world  is  corrupting  the  primitive 
chalet-life  of  the  Alps,  and  the  Alpine  man  returning  to  his 
old  haunts,  finds  a  rise  in  the  price  even  of  "niedl"  and 
"  mascarpa." 

The  day  after  our  expedition,  Bennen  and  myself  recrossed 
the  Theodule  in  a  heavy  snow-storm.  Tyndall  started  for 
Chamouni,  for  the  weather  was  too  bad  to  justify  an  indefi- 
nite delay  at  Breuil  in  the  hope  of  making  another  attempt 
that  year,  and  by  waiting  till  another  season,  we  were  sure  of 


304  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND          [Matterhorn. 

obtaining  less  unfavourable  conditions  of  snow  and  ice  upon 
the  mountain. — We  had  enjoyed  an  exciting  and  adventurous 
day,  and  I  myself  was  not  sorry  to  have  something  still  left 
to  do,  while  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  the  first  to  set 
foot  on  this,  the  most  imposing  and  mightiest  giant  of  the 
Alps — the  "  inaccessible  "  Mont  Cervin. 


J.  Tyndall.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  305 


9.    FROM  LAUTERBRUNNEN  TO  THE  JEGGISCH- 
HORN  BY  THE  LAUWINEN-THOR. 

BY  JOHN  TYNDALL,  F.K.S. 

Let  me  be  excused  if  I  commence  this  brief  article  by  a  few 
personal  references,  intended  to  show  why,  apart  from  all 
scientific  considerations,  men  like  myself  should  highly  value 
a  periodic  visit  to  the  Alps. 

For  several  weeks  previous  to  my  release  from  London, 
last  August,  the  state  of  my  health  had  been  a  frequent 
source  of  uneasiness,  if  not  of  alarm.  Mental  exertion,  un- 
wisely persisted  in,  had  brought  on  a  curious  kind  of  giddiness, 
which  became  more  and  more  easily  excited,  until,  finally, 
the  writing  of  a  letter,  or  the  reading  of  a  newspaper,  suf- 
ficed to  convert  my  head  into  a  kind  of  electric  battery, 
from  which  thrills  were  sent  to  my  fingers'  ends.  I  had 
more  than  once  been  compelled  to  pause  in  directing  a  note  ; 
fearful  lest  the  effort  required  to  complete  the  address  should 
produce  some  terrible  catastrophe  in  my  brain. 

A  week's  excursion  to  Killarney  proved  beneficial,  but  not 
permanent  in  its  effects.  I  longed  for  the  air  of  the  Swiss 
mountains.  In  1859,  I  thought  I  had  bidden  them  for  a 
time  farewell,  purposing  in  future  to  steep  my  thoughts  in 
the  tranquillity  of  English  valleys,  and  confine  my  mountain- 
work  to  occasional  excursions  in  the  Scotch  Highlands,  or 
amid  the  Welsh  and  Cumbrian  hills.  But  in  my  weariness 
I  felt  as  if  the  icy  air  of  the  Alps  seemed  essential  to  my 
restoration :  the  very  thought  of  the  snow-peaks  and  glaciers 

x 


306  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Lawinen-Thor. 

was  a  tonic  ;  and  to  the  Alps,  therefore,  I  resolved  once 
more  to  go.  I  wrote  to  my  former  guide,  Christian  Lauener, 
desiring  him  to  meet  me  at  Than  on  Saturday  the  4th  of 
August ;  and  on  my  way  thither,  I  fortunately  fell  in  with 
Mr.  Hawkins.  A  brief  conversation  caused  us  to  close  like 
a  pair  of  atoms  possessing  mutual  affinities.  We  agreed  to 
work  together  as  a  binary  human  compound,  sharing  for 
a  time  the  same  food  and  shelter,  the  same  pleasures,  and 
the  same  toils. 

Arrived  at  Thun,  Lauener  was  not  to  be  found.  Hawkins 
halted  here,  promising  to  join  me  next  day  at  Grindelwald, 
and  I  crossed  the  lake  alone.  In  driving  from  Neuhaus  to 
Interlaken,  a  chaise  met  us,  and  swiftly  passed ;  within  it 
I  could  discern  the  brown  visage  of  my  guide.  We  pulled 
up  and  shouted, — the  other  vehicle  stopped,  Lauener  leaped 
from  it,  and  came  bounding  towards  me  with  admirable 
energy,  through  the  deep  and  splashing  mud.  "  Gott!  wie 
der  Kerl  springt/"  was  the  admiring  exclamation  of  my 
coachman.  Lauener  is  more  than  six  feet  high,  but  mainly 
a  mass  of  bone ;  his  legs  are  out  of  proportion,  longer  than 
his  trunk ;  and  he  wears  a  short-tail  coat,  which  augments 
the  apparent  discrepancy.  Those  massive  levers  were  now 
plied  with  extraordinary  vigour  to  project  his  body  through 
space  ;  and  it  was  gratifying  to  be  thus  assured  that  the  man 
was  in  first-rate  condition,  and  fully  up  to  the  hardest  work. 

On  Sunday,  the  5th  of  August,  for  the  sake  of  a  little 
training,  I  ascended  the  Faulhorn  alone.  The  morning  was 
splendid,  but  as  the  day  advanced,  heavy  cloud-wreaths 
swathed  the  mountains.  This  attained  a  maximum  about 
two,  p.m.,  and  afterwards  the  overladen  air  cleared  itself  by 
intermittent  jerks, — revealing  at  times  the  blue  of  heaven,  and 
the  peaks  of  the  mountains ;  then  closing  up  again,  and  hiding 
in  its  dismal  folds  the  very  posts  which  stood  at  a  distance 
of  ten  paces  from  the  hotel  door.  The  effects  soon  became 
exceedingly  striking,  the  mutations  were  so  quick  and  so 
forcibly  antithetical.  I  lay  down  upon  a  seat,  and  watched 
the  intermittent  extinction  and  generation  of  the  clouds,  and 


J.  Tyndall.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  307 

the  alternate  appearance  and  disappearance  of  the  moun- 
tains. More  and  more  the  sun  swept  off  the  sweltering  haze, 
and  the  blue  sky  bent  over  us  in  domes  of  ampler  span.  At 
four,  p.  M.,  no  trace  of  cloud  was  visible,  and  a  panorama  of  the 
Oberland,  such  I  had  no  idea  that  the  Faulhorn  could  com- 
mand, unfolded  itself.  There  was  the  grand  barrier  which 
separated  us  from  the  Yalais  ;  there  were  the  Jungfrau,  Monk 
and  Eiger,  the  Finsteraarhorn,  the  Schreckhorn,  and  the 
Wetterhorn,  lifting  their  snowy  and  cloudless  crests  to 
heaven,  and  all  so  sharp  and  wildly  precipitous,  that  the  bare 
thought  of  standing  on  any  one  of  them  made  me  shudder. 
London  was  still  in  my  brain,  and  the  vice  of  Primrose  Hill 
in  my  muscles. 

I  disliked  the  ascent  of  the  Faulhorn  exceedingly,  having 
followed  a  monotonous  pony-track  up  the  ugliest  of  mountains. 
Once,  indeed,  I  deviated  from  the  road  out  of  pure  disgust, 
and  taking  a  jumping  torrent  for  my  guide  and  colloquist, 
was  led  astray.  I  now  resolved  to  return  to  Grindelwald  by 
another  route.  My  host  at  first  threw  cold  water  on  my 
desires,  but  he  afterwards  relaxed  and  admitted  that  the 
village  might  be  attained  in  a  more  direct  way  than  that  in 
which  I  had  ascended.  He  pointed  to  some  rocks,  eminences, 
and  trees,  which  were  to  serve  as  landmarks  ;  and  stretching 
his  arm  in  the  direction  of  Grindelwald,  I  took  the  bearing  of 
the  place,  and  scampered  over  slopes  of  snow  to  the  sunny  alp 
beyond  them.  To  my  left  was  a  mountain  stream  making  soft 
music  by  the  explosion  of  its  bubbles .*  I  was  once  tempted 
aside  to  climb  an  eminence,  which  had  been  sculptured  to  a 


*  When  the  smoke  of  a  cigar  is  projected  from  the  lips,  each  puft"  is  usually- 
accompanied  by  a  little  explosion,  arising  chiefly  from  the  sudden  bursting 
of  a  film  which  unites  both  lips.  If  an  inflated  bladder  be  jumped  upon  it  will 
emit  a  sound  as  loud  as  a  pistol  shot,  owing  to  the  sudden  liberation  of  the  com- 
pressed air.  To  a  similar  cause  the  sound  of  breakers  and  of  rippling  streams 
appears  to  be  almost  and  wholly  due  ;  wherever  a  ripple  is  heard,  bubbles  are 
sure  to  be  in  a  state  of  formation  and  explosion.  The  impact  of  water  against 
water  is  a  comparatively  subordinate  source  of  sound,  and  does  not  produce  the 
murmur  of  a  brook  or  the  musical  roar  of  the  ocean.  (See  a  short  paper  on 
this  subject  in  the  Philosophical  Magazine  for  February,  1851.) 

x  2 


308  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND     [Lauwinen-Thoe. 

dome  by  an  ancient  glacier,  and  where  I  lay  for  an  hour 
watching  the  augmenting  glory  of  the  mountains.  The  scene 
at  hand  was  perfectly  pastoral ;  green  sunny  pastures,  dotted 
with  chalets,  and  covered  with  cows,  which  filled  the  air  with 
the  incessant  tinkle  of  their  bells.  Beyond  was  the  majestic 
architecture  of  the  Alps,  with  capitals  and  western  bastions 
flushed  with  the  warm  light  of  the  lowering  sun.  A  milder 
radiance  fell  upon  the  eastern  wings,  while  the  shaded  cor- 
ridors assumed  a  depth  through  which  the  vision  seemed 
to  plunge  into  the  very  heart  of  the  Oberland.  I  do  not 
think  I  ever  enjoyed  an  hour  more.  There  was  health  in 
the  air  and  hope  in  the  mountains.  The  jelly  of  my  brain 
was  consolidating,  and  with  the  consciousness  of  augmenting 
vigour  I  quitted  my  station,  and  galloped  down  the  alp.  I 
was  soon  amid  the  pinewoods  which  overhang  the  valley  of 
Grindelwald,  with  no  guidance  save  the  slope  of  the  mountain, 
which,  at  times,  was  precipitous ;  but  the  roots  of  the  pines 
grasping  the  rocks  afforded  hand  and  foot  such  hold  as  to 
render  the  steepest  places  the  pleasantest  of  all.  I  often 
emerged  from  the  gloom  of  the  trees  upon  lovely  bits  of 
pasture — bright  emerald  gems  set  in  the  bosom  of  the 
woods — from  which  glimpses  of  indescribable  beauty  were 
obtained.  It  appeared  to  me  surprising  that  nobody  had 
constructed  a  resting  place  on  this  fine  slope.  With  a  fraction 
of  the  time  necessary  to  reach  the  top  of  the  Faulhom,  a 
position  might  be  secured,  from  which  the  prospect  would  vie 
in  point  of  grandeur  with  almost  any  in  the  Alps  ;  while  the 
ascent  from  Grindelwald,  amid  the  shade  of  the  festooned 
trees,  would  itself  be  delightful. 

Hawkins  had  arrived;  our  guide  had  prepared  a  number 
of  stakes,  and  on  Monday  morning  we  mounted  our  theodolite 
and  proceeded  to  the  Lower  Glacier.  With  some  difficulty 
we  established  the  instrument  upon  a  site  whence  the  glacier 
could  be  seen  from  edge  to  edge;  and  across  it  was  fixed 
in  a  straight  line  a  series  of  twelve  stakes.  We  after- 
wards ascended  the  glacier  till  we  touched  the  avalanche- 
debris  of  the  Heisse  Platte.     We  wandered  amid  the  moulins 


J.  Tyndall.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 8  60.  309 

and  crevasses  until  evening  approached,  and  thus  gradually 
prepared  our  muscles  for  more  arduous  work.  On  Tuesday 
a  sleety  rain  filled  the  entire  air,  and  the  glacier  was 
so  laden  with  fog  that  there  was  no  possibility  of  our 
being  able  to  see  across  it.  On  Wednesday,  happily,  the 
weather  brightened,  and  we  executed  our  measurements ; 
finding,  as  in  all  other  cases,  that  the  glacier  was  retarded  by 
its  bounding  walls  ;  its  motion  varying  from  a  minimum  of 
thirteen  and  a  half  inches  to  a  maximum  of  twenty-two 
inches  a  day.  To  Hawkins  I  am  indebted  both  for  the  fixing 
of  the  stakes,  and  the  reduction  of  the  measurements  to  their 
diurnal  rate. 

Previous  to  leaving  England  I  had  agreed  to  join  a  party 
of  friends  at  the  iEggisch-horn,  on  Thursday  the  9th  of 
August.  My  plan  was,  first  to  measure  the  motion  of  the 
Grindelwald  Glacier,  and  afterwards  to  cross  the  mountain- 
wall  which  separates  the  Canton  of  Berne  from  that  of  Valais, 
so  as  to  pass  from  Lauterbrunnen  to  the  iEggisch-horn  in  a 
single  day.  How  this  formidable  barrier  was  to  be  crossed 
I  knew  not,  but  I  did  not  doubt  being  able  to  get  over  it 
somehow.  On  mentioning  my  wish  to  Lauener,  he  agreed  to 
try,  and  proposed  attacking  it  through  the  Eoth-thal.  In 
company  with  his  brother  Ulrich,  he  had  already  spent  some 
time  in  the  Eoth-thal,  seeking  to  scale  the  Jungfrau  from  that 
side.  Previous  to  either  Lauener  or  myself,  Hawkins  had,  I 
believe,  entertained  the  thought  of  assailing  the  same  barrier 
at  the  very  same  place.  Having  completed  our  measure- 
ments on  Wednesday,  we  descended  to  Grindelwald  and 
discharged  our  bill.  We  desired  to  obtain  the  services  of 
Christian  Kaufmann,  a  guide  well  acquainted  with  both  the 
Wetterhorn  and  the  Jungfrau  ;  but  on  learning  our  intentions 
he  expressed  fears  regarding  his  lungs,  and  recommended  to 
us  his  brother,  a  powerful  young  man,  who  had  also  under- 
gone the  discipline  of  the  Wetterhorn.  Him  we  accordingly 
engaged.  We  arranged  with  the  landlord  of  the  Bear  to  have 
the  main  mass  of  our  luggage  sent  to  the  JEggisch-horn  by 
a  more  easy  route.     I  was  loth  to  part  with  my  theodolite, 


310  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND      [Lauwinen-Thor:. 

but  Lauener  at  first  grumbled  bard  against  taking  it.  It  was 
proposed,  however,  to  confine  his  load  to  the  head  of  the  in- 
strument, while  Kaufmann  should  carry  the  legs,  and  I  should 
bear  my  own  knapsack.  He  yielded.  Ulrich  Lauener  was 
at  Grindelwald  when  we  started  for  Lauterbrunnen,  and  on 
bidding  us  good-bye,  he  remarked  that  we  were  going  to 
attempt  an  impossibility.  He  had  examined  the  place  which 
we  proposed  to  assail,  and  emphatically  affirmed  that  it  could 
not  be  surmounted.  We  were  both  a  little  chagrined  by 
this  gratuitous  announcement,  and  answered  him  somewhat 
warmly ;  for  we  knew  the  moral,  or  rather  immoral  effect  of 
such  an  opinion  upon  the  spirits  of  our  men. 

The  weather  became  more  serene  as  we  approached  Lau- 
terbrunnen. We  had  a  brief  evening  stroll,  but  retired  to 
bed  before  day  had  quite  forsaken  the  mountains.  At  two 
A.M.,  the  candle  of  Lauener  gleams  into  our  bedrooms,  and 
he  pronounces  the  weather  fair.  We  are  up  at  once,  dress, 
despatch  our  hasty  breakfast,  strap  our  things  into  the  smallest 
possible  volume,  and  between  three  and  four  A.  M.,  are  on  our 
way.  The  hidden  sun  crimsons  faintly  the  eastern  sky,  but 
the  valleys  are  all  in  peaceful  shadow.  To  our  right  the 
Staub-bach  dangles  its  hazy  veil,  while  other  Backs  of  minor 
note  also  hang  from  the  beetling  rocks,  but  fall  to  earth  too 
lightly  to  produce  the  faintest  murmur.  After  an  hour's  march 
we  deviate  to  the  left,  and  wind  upward  through  the  woods 
which  here  cover  the  slope  of  the  hill.  The  air  is  fresh  and 
pleasant,  and  the  dawn  cheerfully  unlocks  the  recesses  of  the 
mountains.  In  front  of  us  the  outlines  of  some  of  the  Ober- 
land  giants  are  drawn  against  a  cloudless  sky.  We  quit  the 
woods  and  emerge  upon  a  green  Alp,  which  we  breast,  regard- 
less of  the  path,  until  we  reach  the  chalets  of  the  Eoth-thal. 
We  do  not  yet  see  the  particular  staircase  up  which  Lauener 
proposes  to  lead  us,  but  we  inspect  minutely  the  battlements 
to  our  right,  marking  places  for  future  attack  in  case  our 
present  attempt  should  not  be  successful.  The  elastic  grass 
disappears,  and  rough  crag  and  shingle  form  alternately  our 
floor.     We  reach  the  base  of  a  ridge  of  debris,  and  mount  it. 


J.  Tyndall.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1  860.  31 1 

At  our  right  is  the  glacier  of  the  Eoth-thal,  along  whose  lateral 
moraine   our  way  now  lies.      We  are  soon  near  the  snow, 
which   the  morning   sunbeams   have   already  reached,   and 
caused  to  glisten  with  innumerable  reflections.     Just  as  we 
touch  the  snow,  a  spring  bubbles  from  the  rocks  at  our  left, 
spurting  its  fused  crystal  over  stalagmites  of  ice.     We  turn 
towards  it,  and  have  each  a  refreshing  draught.     Lauener 
points  out  to  us  the  remains  of  the  hut  erected  by  him  and 
his  brother  when  they  wished  to  attempt  the  Jungfrau,  and 
from  which  they  were  driven  by  adverse  weather.     We  enter 
an  amphitheatre,  grand  and  beautiful  this  splendid  morning, 
but  doubtless  in  times  of  tempest  a  fit  residence  for  the  devils 
whom  popular  belief  has  banished  to  its  crags.     The  snow 
for  a  space  is  as  level  as  a  prairie,  but  in  front  of  us  rise  the 
mighty  bulwarks  which  separate  us  from  the  neighbouring 
Canton.     To  our  right  are  the  crags  of  the  Breithorn,  to  our 
left  the  buttresses  of  the  Jungfrau,  while  between  both  is  an 
indentation  in  the  mountain-wall,  on  which  all  eyes  are  now 
fixed.     From  it  downwards  hangs  a  thread  of  snow,  which  is 
to  be  our  leading-string  to  the  top.     Though  very  steep,  the 
aspect  of  the  place  is  by  no  means  terrible  :  comparing  with 
it  my  memory  of  other  gulleys  in  the  Chamouni  mountains, 
I  imagine  that  three  hours  will  place  us  at  the  top.     In  the 
flush  of  pleasure  which  this  belief  excites,  it  is  proposed  that 
on   reaching  the   top  we  shall  turn  to  the  left,  and  walk 
straight  to  the  summit  of  the  Jungfrau.     Lauener  is  hopeful, 
but  not  sanguine.     We  are  soon  at  the  foot  of  the  barrier, 
clambering  over  mounds  of  snow.     Huge  consolidated  lumps 
emerge  from  the  general  mass  ;  the  snow  is  evidently  that  of 
avalanches  which  had  been  shot  down  the  couloir,  kneading 
themselves  into  vast  balls,  and  piling  themselves  in  heaps 
upon  the  plain.     The  gradient  steepens,  the  snow  is  hard, 
and  the  axe  comes  immediately  into  play.     Straight  up  the 
couloir  seems  the  most  promising  route,  and  we  pursue  it  for 
an  hour,  the  impression  gradually  gaining  ground  that  the  work 
will  prove  heavier  than,  we  had  anticipated.  We  turn  our  eyes 
on  the  rocks  to  our  right, — they  seem  practicable,  though  very 


312  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND     [Lauwinen-Thor. 

steep ;  we  swerve  towards  them,  and  work  upwards  among 
them  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  It  is  very  laborious. 
Hawkins  and  the  guides  turn  again  to  the  left  and  regain 
the  snow,  leaving  me  among  the  crags.  They  have  steps  to 
cut,  while  I  need  none,  and,  consequently,  I  get  considerably 
above  them.  The  work  becomes  harder,  and  real  rest  is 
unattainable.  I  look  upwards  at  the  brow  of  the  crag,  to  the 
base  of  which  I  cling,  and  feel  sure  that  once  the  brow  is 
attained,  a  ledge  will  appear  on  which  I  can  sit  down  and 
take  breath  at  my  ease.  I  reach  the  brow ;  it  rounds  off  a 
little  to  the  base  of  the  next  cliff,  and  no  sitting-room  exists. 
This  occurs  half-a-dozen  times.  At  every  brow  I  pause, — 
legs,  abdomen,  and  breast,  are  laid  against  the  rough  rock,  so 
as  to  lessen  by  their  friction  the  strain  upon  the  arms,  which 
are  stretched  to  grasp  some  protuberance  above.  Thus  I  rest, 
and  there  I  learn  that  three  days'  training  is  not  sufficient 
to  dislodge  London  from  one's  lungs.  As  I  lie  against  the 
rock  after  each  fit  of  exertion,  I  pant  violently ;  the  action, 
however,  soon  subsides,  and  I  am  off  again.  Meanwhile, 
my  companions  are  mounting  monotonously  along  the  snow. 
Lauener  looks  up  at  me  at  intervals,  and  I  can  clearly  mark 
the  expression  of  his  countenance ;  it  is  quite  spiritless, 
while  that  of  his  companion  bears  the  print  of  absolute 
dismay.  Three  hours  have  passed  and  the  summit  is  not 
sensibly  nearer.  The  men  halt  and  converse  together.  Lauener 
at  length  calls  out  to  me,  "I  think  it  is  impossible."  The 
effect  of  Ulrich's  prediction  appears  to  be  cropping  out ;  we 
expostulate,  however,  and  they  move  on.  After  some  time  they 
halt  again,  and  reiterate  their  opinion  that  the  thing  cannot 
be  done.  They  direct  our  attention  to  the  top  of  the  barrier ; 
light  clouds  scud  swiftly  over  it,  and  snow-dust  is  scattered 
at  intervals  in  the  air.  There  is  storm  on  the  heights,  which 
our  guides  affirm  has  turned  the  day  against  us.  I  cast  about 
in  my  mind  to  meet  the  difficulty,  and  inquire  whether  we 
might  not  send  one  of  them  back  with  the  theodolite,  and 
thus  so  lighten  our  burdens  as  to  enable  us  to  proceed. 
Kaufmann  volunteers  to  take  back  the  theodolite ;  but  this 


J.  Tyndall.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  313 

does  not  seem  to  please  Lauener.  There  is  a  pause ;  suddenly 
Hawkins  raises  an  animating  cry  of  "  forward  1"  Lauener 
doggedly  strikes  his  axe  into  the  snow,  and  resumes  the 
ascent.  I  continue  among  the  rocks,  though  with  less  and 
less  confidence  in  the  wisdom  of  my  choice.  My  knapsack 
annoys  me  excessively ;  the  straps  fray  my  shoulders,  and 
tie  up  half  my  muscles.  Once  or  twice  I  have  to  get  round  a 
protruding  face  of  rock,  and  then  find  my  bonds  very  grievous. 
At  length  I  come  to  a  peculiar  piece  of  cliff;  near  its  base 
is  an  arete  of  snow,  and  at  a  height  of  about  five  feet  above 
the  latter  the  rock  bulges  out,  so  that  a  stone  dropped  from 
its  protuberance  falls  beyond  the  arete.  The  snow  is  the 
only  thing  I  have  to  stand  upon.  I  work  cautiously  along 
it,  squatting  down  so  as  to  get  under  the  rock,  but  soon  find 
myself  in  difficulty.  Had  I  a  fair  ledge  beneath  my  feet  I 
should  have  felt  perfectly  at  ease,  but  I  stood  upon  a  snow- 
wedge,  on  the  stability  of  which  I  dare  not  calculate.  To 
retreat  is  dangerous,  to  advance  useless  ;  for  right  in  front  of 
me  is  a  sheer  precipice  which  completely  extinguishes  the 
thought  of  further  rock- work.  I  examine  the  place  below  me, 
and  if  my  footing  yields  I  see  no  way  of  escaping  a  smash.  To 
loose  myself  from  the  crag  and  attach  myself  to  the  snow  is  so 
perilous  an  operation  that  I  do  not  attempt  it ;  and,  at  length, 
I  ignobly  call  to  Lauener  to  lend  me  a  hand.  A  gleam  of 
satisfaction  crosses  his  features  as  he  eyes  me  on  my  perch. 
He  manifestly  enjoys  being  called  to  the  rescue,  but  exhorts 
me  to  keep  quite  stilL  He  works  up  towards  me,  and  in  less 
than  half  an  hour  has  hold  of  one  of  my  legs.  "  The  place 
is  not  so  bad,  after  all,"  he  remarks,  evidently  glad  to  take 
me  down,  in  more  senses  than  one.  I  descend  in  his  steps, 
and  rejoin  Hawkins  fcupon  the  snow.  From  that  moment 
Lauener  is  a  regenerate  man  ;  he  is  not  high-minded,  but  he 
does  not  fear :  the  despair  of  his  visage  vanishes,  and  I 
firmly  believe  that  the  triumph  he  enjoyed,  by  augmenting 
his  self-respect,  was  the  proximate  cause  of  our  subsequent 
success. 

The  couloir  is  a  most  singular  one ;  it  is  extremely  steep, 


314  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND    [Latjwinen-Thok. 

and  along  it  are  two  great  scars,  resembling  the  deep  cut 
channels  of  a  mountain  stream.  They  are,  indeed,  channels 
cut  by  the  snow-torrents  which  rush  occasionally  from  the 
heights.  We  scan  those  heights.  The  view  is  bounded  by  a 
massive  cornice,  from  which  the  avalanches  are  periodically 
let  loose*  The  cornice  seems  firm  to-day,  still  we  cast  about 
for  some  piece  of  rock  which  might  shelter  us  from  the 
destroyer  should  he  leap  from  his  lair.  Apart  from  the 
labour  of  the  ascent,  which  is  enormous,  the  frequency  of 
avalanches  will  always  render  this  pass  a  dangerous  one. 
Two  p.m.  arrives,  and  the  air  becomes  intensely  cold.  Hawkins 
had  wisely  pocketed  a  pair  of  socks,  which  he  now  draws 
over  his  gloves,  and  finds  them  comforting.  My  leather 
gloves,  being  saturated  with  wet,  are  very  much  the  reverse. 
We  look  aloft  at  intervals.  The  wind  is  high,  and  as  it 
passes  the  crest  of  the  Breithorn  its  moisture  is  precipitated 
and  afterwards  carried  away.  The  clouds  thus  generated  are 
moulded  to  the  shape  of  the  summit  on  which  they  form, 
and  they  shine  for  a  time  with  the  lustre  of  pearls.  As  they 
approach  the  sun  they  are  suddenly  flooded  with  the  most 
splendid  dyes.  Those  chromatic  effects  of  interference  to 
which  I  have  so  often  referred,!  exhibit  themselves  so  finely 
as  to  make  us  forget,  in  our  admiration  of  them,  the  storm 
which  wafts  them  across  the  sky.  At  our  right  is  now  a 
vertical  wall  of  brown  rock,  along  the  base  of  which  we 
advance.  At  times  we  are  sheltered  by  it,  but  not  always ; 
for  the  wind  is  as  fitful  as  a  maniac,  and  eddying  round  the 
corners  sometimes  shakes  us  forcibly,  chills  us  to  the  marrow, 
and  spits  frozen  dust  in  our  faces.  The  rock,  moreover,  has 
absorbed  the  solar  heat,  and  melted  the  mass  adjacent,  which 
is  refrozen  to  a  steep  slope  of  compact  ice.  The  steps  are 
more  than  ever  difficult,  and  the  footing  more  insecure.  And 
here  I  have  occasion  to  admire  that  coolness  of  head  and 
firmness  of  foot  which  afterwards  give  me  confidence  in  my 

*  Hence  the  name  which,  with  the  consent  of  Hawkins,  if  not  at  his  sug- 
gestion, I  have  given  to  the  pass, 
t  In  "  The  Glaciers  of  the  Alps." 


J.  Tykdall.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  315 

comrade  on  the  cliffs  of  the  Matterhorn.  We  swerve  towards 
the  centre  of  the  couloir,  and  reach  some  roughly  rounded 
rocks,  which  show  their  surfaces  through  the  snow.  Over 
these  we  must  contrive  to  pass ;  they  are  encrusted  with  ice, 
and  a  rope  is  exhibited  so  as  to  afford  assistance  to  a  slipping 
man.  We  try  at  each  step  to  fix  the  Alpenstock,  but  mine 
is  coated  with  an  enamel  of  ice  by  my  wet  gloves,  and  slips 
through  my  hands.  This  startles  me,  for  my  staff  is  my  sole 
trust  under  such  circumstances.  The  crossing  of  those  rocks 
is  a  most  awkward  piece  of  work ;  a  slip  is  imminent,  and 
the  effects  of  the  consequent  glissade  not  to  be  calculated. 
We  clear  them,  however,  and  now  observe  the  gray  haze 
creeping  down  from  the  peak  of  the  Breithorn  to  the  point 
at  which  we  are  aiming.  This,  however,  is  visibly  nearer; 
for  the  first  time  since  we  commenced  to  climb  Lauener 
declares  that  he  has  good  hopes — "  Jetzt  habe  ich  gute 
Hoffnung."  Another  hour  brings  us  to  a  place  where  the 
gradient  slackens  suddenly.  The  real  work  is  done,  and  ten 
minutes  further  wading  through  the  deep  snow  places  us 
fairly  on  the  summit  of  the  Col. 

Looked  at  from  the  top  the  pass  will  seem  very  formid- 
able to  the  best  of  climbers ;  to  an  ordinary  eye  it  would 
appear  simply  terrific.  We  reached  the  base  of  the  barrier 
at  nine  A.  M. ;  it  is  now  four  P.  M.,  and  we  have  consequently 
spent  seven  hours  upon  that  tremendous  wall.  From  our 
present  position  the  view  is  limited ;  clouds  are  on  all  the 
mountains,  and  the  great  Aletsch  Glacier  is  hidden  by  dense 
fog.  With  long  swinging  strides  we  go  down  the  slope.  The 
snow  is  deep,  and  I  again  complain  of  the  annoyance  of  my 
knapsack.  Hawkins  counsels  me  to  give  it  to  Kaufmann, 
who  has  very  little  to  carry,  but  this  I  decline  doing  for 
some  time.  At  length  I  halt,  disengage  myself  from  the  rope, 
and  transfer  my  burden  to  the  shoulders  of  the  guide.  While 
we  are  thus  engaged  our  two  companions  go  forward,  without 
being  aware  that  we  have  seceded.  Lauener  marches  first, 
holding  the  rope  in  his  hand.  Suddenly  the  snow  yields 
under  the  feet  of  Hawkins,  and  he  drops  between  the  jaws  of 


316  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Lauwinen-Thoe. 

a  crevasse.  He  sees  the  rope  slip  through  Lauener's  hand, 
but  his  Alpenstock  which  he  holds  transverse  to  the  fissure, 
checks  his  descent  and  probably  saves  his  life.  Comment  is 
needless  as  to  this  mode  of  holding  the  rope.  We  reattach 
ourselves  and  push  forward  ;  several  times  during  our  descent 
the  snow  coating  is  perforated,  and  hidden  crevasses  are 
revealed.  At  length  we  reach  the  glacier,  and  plod  along 
it  through  the  dreary  fog.  We  clear  the  ice  just  at  night- 
fall ;  pass  the  Marjalin  See,  and  soon  find  ourselves  in  utter 
darkness  on  the  spurs  of  the  .ZEggisch-horn.  We  lose  the 
track  and  wander  for  a  time  bewildered.  We  sit  down  to 
rest,  and  then  learn  that  Lauener  is  extremely  ill.  To  quell 
the  pangs  of  toothache  he  has  chewed  a  cigar,  which  after  his 
day's  exertion  is  too  much  for  him.  He  soon  recovers,  and  we 
endeavour  to  regain  the  track.  In  vain.  The  guides  shout, 
and  after  many  repetitions  we  hear  a  shout  in  reply.  A 
herdsman  approaches,  and  conducts  us  to  some  neighbouring 
chalets,  whence  he  undertakes  the  office  of  guide.  After  a 
time  he  also  finds  himself  in  difficulty.  We  see  distant 
lights,  and  Lauener  once  more  pierces  the  air  with  his 
tremendous  whoop.  We  are  heard.  Lights  are  sent  towards 
us,  and  an  additional  half  hour  places  under  the  roof  of  Herr 
Wellig,  the  active  proprietor  of  the  Jungfrau  hotel. 

After  this  day's  journey,  which  was  a  very  hard  one,  the 
tide  of  health  set  steadily  in  the  right  direction.  I  have 
no  remembrance  of  any  further  exhibition  of  the  symptoms 
which  had  driven  me  to  Switzerland.  Each  day's  sub- 
sequent exercise  made  both  brain  and  muscles  firmer.  We 
remained  at  the  iEggisch-horn  for  several  days,  occupying 
ourselves  principally  with  observations  and  measurements 
on  the  Aletsch  Glacier,  and  joined  afterwards  in  that  day's 
excursion — unparalleled  in  my  experience — which  has  found 
in  my  companion  a  narrator  worthy  of  its  glories.  And 
as  we  stood  upon  the  savage  ledges  of  the  Matterhorn,  with 
the  utmost  penalty  which  the  laws  of  falling  bodies  could 
inflict  at  hand,  I  felt  that  there  were  perils  at  home  greater 
even  than  those  which  then  surrounded  us.     Foes,  moreover, 


J.  Ttndall.]  notes  of  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  317 

which  inspire  no  manhood  by  their  attacks,  but  shatter  alike 
the  architect  and  his  house  by  the  same  mean  process  of  dis- 
integration. After  the  discipline  of  the  Matterhorn,  the  fatal 
slope  of  the  Col  du  Ge*ant,  which  I  visited  soon  afterwards, 
looked  less  formidable  than  it  otherwise  might  have  done. 
From  Courmayeur  I  worked  round  to  Chamouni  by  Chapieu 
and  the  Col  de  Bonhomme.  I  attempted  to  get  up  Mont 
Blanc  to  visit  the  instruments  which  had  been  planted  on 
the  summit  a  year  previously  ;  and  succeeded  during  a  brief 
interval  of  fair  weather  in  reaching  the  Grands  Mulets.  But 
the  gleam  which  tempted  me  thus  far  proved  but  a  tem- 
porary truce  to  the  war  of  elements,  and  after  remaining 
twenty  hours  at  the  Mulets,  I  was  obliged  to  beat  an  in- 
glorious retreat.  The  main  object  of  my  Swiss  expedition 
was  however  secured ;  I  returned  to  England  with  a  stock 
of  health,  which  five  months  constant  work  of  the  most  trying 
character  has  not  sensibly  affected.  For  benefits  such  as  this 
it  is  natural  that  I  should  feel  grateful  to  the  Alps.  * 

*  As  this  is  partly  a  medical  paper  I  may  be  permitted  to  refer  to  the 
question  of  diet  at  the  higher  Alpine  hotels.  If  the  authorities  of  the  Alpine 
Club  could  be  induced  to  take  up  this  question,  they  might  confer  an  in- 
estimable benefit  upon  climbers.  Through  the  lack  of  wholesome  nutriment, 
the  noblest  stations  in  the  Alps  are  sometimes  converted  into  dens  of  dys- 
pepsia, which  even  the  mountain  air  cannot  abolish.  The  Riffel  and  the 
iEggisch-horn,  for  example,  are  unrivalled  positions,  and  the,  proprietors  of 
the  hotels  on  both  are,  as  far  as  I  know  them,  intelligent  and  obliging  men. 
Let  thera  aim,  in  all  earnestness,  at  the  substitution  of  wholesome,  tender 
mutton  for  the  wicked  tissue  which,  under  this  name,  is  frequently  presented 
to  travellers,  and  they  will  double  the  attractiveness  of  their  respective  houses. 
This  question  touches  both  physics  and  morals.  A  man  cannot  climb  as  he 
ought  to  do  upon  woody  fibre  ;  nor  can  he  adore  aright,  or  lift  his  soul  in  any 
becoming  way  to  those  regions  towards  which  his  beloved  mountains  aspire, 
if  the  coats  of  his  stomach  are  in  a  state  of  irritation. 


318  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 


10.   JOURNAL  OF  A  YACHT  VOYAGE  TO  THE 
FAROE  ISLANDS  AND  ICELAND. 

BY  J.  W.  CLAEK,  M.A. 


In  the  following  pages  I  have  confined  myself  strictly  to 
the  record  of  the  observations  I  myself  made  in  Iceland.  It 
would  have  been  easy  to  have  written  a  more  entertaining 
account  by  reference  to  other  works,  and  by  noting  the  con- 
clusions which  men  of  science  have  arrived  at  respecting  the 
natural  phenomena  of  Iceland.  I  determined,  however,  to  be 
as  brief  as  possible,  and  to  state  the  facts,  as  nearly  as  I 
could,  in  the  words  of  the  journal  I  kept  on  the  spot. 

August  3d.  We  sailed  from  Stromness  the  day  before 
yesterday,  and  to-day  the  Faroes  (Faroerne,  the  sheep  Islands) 
were  in  sight  early.  We  saw  their  lofty  precipices  looming 
hazily  through  the  heat  all  day,  but  the  wind  was  so  light 
that  we  were  still  ten  miles  distant  from  them  at  sundown. 
Passed  through  a  shoal  of  several  hundred  small  whales. 

August  4<th.  Anchored  early  at  Thorshaven  (the  capital), 
in  Stromoe,  the  largest  of  the  seventeen  islands,  and  found 
the  "  Fox"  in  harbour  getting  up  her  steam.  Later  in  the  day 
she  started  for  Westmanshaven. 

The  anchorage  is  a  good  one,  and  well  protected  from 
easterly  gales  by  the  Island  of  Naalsoe,  which  forms  a 
natural  break-water.  A  heavy  swell  from  the  N.E.  sets  in, 
however,  occasionally  through  the  channel  north  of  Naalsoe. 
The  French  have  surveyed  the  harbour  and  islands,  and 
published  a  chart;  but  the  surveyors  on  board  the  "Fox" 
told  me  that  they  had  discovered  numerous  errors  in  their 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  319 

measurement ;  and  indeed,  when  on  the  spot,  one  need  only- 
look  at  the  place  to  see  that  they  have  studied  neatness 
rather  than  accuracy.  The  only  other  chart,  or  rather  map,  of 
the  Islands  is  one  surveyed  by  order  of  the  Danish  Admiralty 
in  1806,  and  published  in  London  at  the  Admiralty's  Office, 
with  corrections  to  1858.  It  does  little  more  than  mark  the 
anchorages,  with  few  or  no  soundings.  A  good  chart  is 
greatly  needed,  as  the  Islands  are  much  frequented  by 
fishermen,  and  are  exceedingly  dangerous  from  the  strong 
tides  and  races  which  run  in  their  narrow  fiords  and  over 
their  lofty  headlands. 

The  town,  or  rather  village,  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  large 
and  shallow  bay  forming  the  harbour;  built  round  a  creek, 
and  the  spit  which  incloses  it  to  the  south.  It  is  the  queerest, 
quaintest  place  imaginable.  The  houses  are  built  one  above 
the  other,  regardless  of  order,  up  the  steep  hill  side,  which  is 
so  steep  in  some  places,  that  the  rock  has  been  hewn,  step- 
wise, to  allow  of  building  at  all ;  and  before  the  door  of 
one  house  there  frequently  rises,  fully  as  high  as  its  roof,  the 
substruction  of  natural  rocks  which  are  to  support  its  opposite 
neighbour.  Narrow  lanes,  thick  with  black  mud,  divide  them 
from  each  other ;  now  climbing,  now  descending  the  hill. 
These  houses  are  all  of  wood  brought  from  Norway,  roofed 
with  birch  bark,  above  which  is  a  layer  of  turf  about  six 
inches  in  thickness,  with  grass  growing  on  it,  whereon  in 
many  instances,  sheep  are  browsing,  carefully  tethered  lest 
they  should  miss  their  footing.  Everybody  lands  at  the  end 
of  the  spit  aforesaid,  where  the  rock  has  been  worn  by  long 
usage  into  something  like  a  landing-pier.  Here  are  a  few 
posts,  apparently  for  mooring  ships,  and  generally  occupied 
early  by  two  or  three  Terns,  so  tame  that  they  will  let  you 
come  within  a  yard  of  them.  Fishing  boats  fill  the  creek ; 
you  land  among  fish ;  fish  guts  lie  all  about  in  the  rock 
crevices,  to  the  great  delight  oX  huge  starfishes ;  everywhere 
in  the  streets  fish  is  laying  out  to  dry ;  and  south  of  the  spit, 
where  the  ground  is  less  abrupt,  there  is  a  boiler  for  the 
manufacture  of  fish-oil.     It  is  needless  to  say  that  a  fishy 


320  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

smell  prevails  everywhere.  Notwithstanding,  the  people  are 
clean,  and  their  houses  remarkably  so,  even  in  the  case  of  the 
poorest.  The  larger  ones  are  arranged  after  the  German  type, 
with  a  German  love  for  polished  furniture  and  floors,  small 
light-coloured  prints,  white  window  curtains,  and  flower-pots. 
Some  have  a  strip  of  garden,  about  as  large  as  an  ordinary 
drawing-room  table,  with  a  tame  gull  sulking  in  one  corner 
of  it. 

The  common  people  talk  a  dialect  of  their  own,  but  the 
more  educated  merchants  speak  Danish. 

The  vast  precipices  of  these  islands  are  their  most  striking 
features.  Eor  miles  and  miles,  in  and  out  of  the  long  fiords, 
they  form  the  coast  line,  now  descending  gently,  so  as  to  be 
accessible,  and  to  admit  in  some  cases  of  cultivation  ;  now  so 
steep  as  scarce  to  afford  footing  to  a  climber.  Here  and 
there  at  their  feet  are  narrow  strips  of  pasture  and  corn 
land,  with  prosperous  well-to-do  farms ;  but  generally  a  few 
cabins,  tenanted  by  fishermen,  are  the  only  dwellings  to  be 
seen.  In  some  places  magnificent  waterfalls,  fed  by  the  streams 
above,  descend  over  the  rocky  cornice  seven  or  eight  hundred 
feet  to  the  sea.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  the  narrow 
channel  between  Stromoe  and  Osteroe,  where  five  or  six 
enormous  cataracts  descend  close  together  over  the  steep 
cliffs  of  the  latter  island.  The  channel  is  marked  "  Navigable," 
and  was  once  passed  through  by  a  yacht ;  but  subsequently, 
a  brig  attempting  to  do  so  for  a  wager,  went  ashore.  The 
table-land  above  is  an  undulating,  marshy  moor,  very  like 
Shetland,  but  with  fewer  peat  bogs.  No  attempt  is  made  to 
cultivate  it,  but  sheep  and  cattle  find  pasturage  there. 

The  Danish  Governor  resides  at  Thorshaven.  He  spends 
three  months  only  in  the  year  there  ;  the  rest  he  passes  at 
Copenhagen,  where  he  has  a  seat  in  the  parliament.  We 
found  him  a  pleasant,  middle-aged  man,  talking  a  polyglot  of 
English,  French,  and  Danish.  He  seemed  sadly  oppressed 
with  ennui,  and  to  be  looking  anxiously  for  the  arrival  of  the 
steamer  which  was  to  take  him  to  Copenhagen  and  his  wife. 

There  is  little  trade,  except  in  fish.     English  and  Scotch 


J.  W.  Clark.]        NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  321 

vessels  frequent  the  islands  in  great  numbers  for  the  fisheries, 
which  this  year  have  been  unusually  productive.  The  chief  retail 
business  in  Thorshaven  is  conducted  by  a  Hamburg  merchant. 
His  store,  close  to  the  landing  place,  was  always  crowded. 

There  are  no  roads.  All  journeys  are  performed  on  foot ; 
horses  being  little  used,  except  for  burdens. 

The  religion  is  Lutheran.  Two  Eoman  Catholic  mis- 
sionaries have  resided  for  the  last  three  years  at  Thorshaven 
without  making  a  single  convert. 

August  5th. — Sailed  over  to  Naalsoe,  distant  about  two  and 
a  half  miles.  We  had  been  told  by  Mr.  Miiller,  who  is  an 
Amptmand,  or  magistrate,  of  Thorshaven,  and  therefore  a 
person  of  some  consequence,  and  who,  moreover,  is  very 
affable,  and  speaks  English  perfectly,  that  the  Storm  Petrel 
bred  there.  We  searched  for  its  nests  without  success.  The 
cliffs  of  Naalsoe  to  seaward  are  splendid,  with  deep  caves  in 
them,  where  the  sea  birds  breed.  They  are  all  carefully  pre- 
served by  the  government,  as  their  down  is  collected  yearly 
by  the  peasants,  but  I  did  not  learn  that  it  is  kept  as  a 
Crown  monopoly. 

August  6th. — Weighed  anchor  early,  and  stood  into  the 
Kalbaksfiord,  the  first  northward  from  Thorshaven.  At  its 
western  end  is  a  tract  of  marshy  meadow  land,  shut  in  by 
an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  where  we  were  told  good  shooting 
might  be  had.  On  our  way  up  the  fiord,  the  possessor  of  a 
substantial  farm  came  on  board  with  his  wife  and  friends. 
We  conversed  through  the  medium  of  our  pilot.  Our  visitors 
were  greatly  astonished  at  our  yacht,  the  like  of  which  they 
had  never  seen  before.  There  seems  to  be  no  national 
costume.  The  men  all  wear  suits  of  plain  grey  woollen  ;  and 
the  lady  was  not  more  old-fashioned  in  her  dress  than  many 
an  inhabitant  of  an  English  country  town.  Some  of  them 
offered  blue  woollen  stockings  for  sale,  so  closely  knitted  as 
scarcely  to  be  distinguishable  from  fine  cloth. 

The  men  are  very  ingenious  in  the  manufacture  of  whale 
knives.  They  seem  of  excellent  temper,  and  the  cases  are 
beautiful  specimens  of  inlaying  in  wood. 

Y 


322  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

August  8th. — At  Thorshaven  again.  Yesterday  morning  we 
left  our  anchorage  early,  and  sailed  into  the  Kingsfiord  in 
Osteroe.  Its  banks  are  rather  more  thickly  inhabited  than 
those  of  the  Kalbaksfiord,  bnt  otherwise  it  resembles  it 
exactly. 

The  wind  being  unfavourable  for  Iceland,  I  made  an  ex- 
cursion to  the  Sudspitz  of  the  island,  where  the  governor  had 
told  us  we  should  find  at  Kirkeboe,  a  "mine  superbe"  of 
an  old  church.  We  struck  across  the  island  in  a  westerly 
direction,  following  the  small  river  which  falls  into  the  sea 
a  little  south  of  Thorshaven.  From  the  "  col"  we  got  a  capital 
view  over  the  sea,  and  the  strangely  shaped  islands  which 
rejoice  in  the  names  of  the  Horse,  the  Kolter,  and  the  Shoe. 
Northwards  we  could  see  that  the  grand  basaltic  gorge  leading 
up  to  Westmanshaven,  was  well  worthy  of  its  fame.  Thence 
after  about  four  miles'  walking,  we  came  to  Kirkeboe  and 
its  church,  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  at  the  south-west  corner  of 
the  island.  A  handsome  young  farmer  received  us  with  great 
hospitality,  and  his  only  servant,  a  spruce  little  old  woman, 
with  long  mittens  reaching  to  her  elbow,  brought  us  coffee. 
The  church  is  interesting,  as  showing  that  Gothic  architecture, 
such  as  we  find  in  the  rest  of  Europe,  prevailed  in  so  remote 
a  spot.  It  measures  about  twenty-five  feet  in  breadth  by 
eighty-seven  in  length :  consisting  of  a  long  nave  of  six  bays, 
lighted  by  large  lancet  windows  on  the  south  side  only.  At 
the  east  end  there  remains  a  wide  arch,  which  seems  once  to 
have  held  a  three-light  window.  The  roof  is  gone,  but  the 
shafts  which  once  supported  its  groining,  still  remain,  with 
rather  finely  cut  corbels.  The  walls  are  of  very  rough  masonry, 
immensely  thick.     At  present  it  is  utterly  desecrated. 

August  9  th. — By  far  the  most  common  bird  here  is  the 
Oyster  Catcher.  It  abounds  everywhere.  You  cannot  walk 
a  short  distance  in  any  direction  without  putting  up  three  or 
four,  who  fly  round  and  round,  uttering  their  loud  disagree- 
able cry.  I  am  told  that  they  arrive  on  March  12th,  and 
depart  about  September  1st.  Next  in  frequency  of  occurrence 
is  the  Whimbrel,  but  it  is  much  more  shy  and  difficult  to  get 


J.  W.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  323 

near.  We  have  seen  a  good  many  specimens  of  the  Skua 
Gull ;  the  peasants  shoot  and  eat  them.  Eichardson's  Skua 
is  extremely  common,  in  every  variety  of  plumage,  hovering 
near  the  large  flocks  of  Arctic  Terns,  ready  to  chase  and  rob 
any  that  have  caught  fish.  Buffon's  Skua  [Lestris  parasitica] 
has  been  seen  this  year  in  great  numbers  at  sea  between  the 
Faroes  and  the  east  coast  of  Iceland ;  but  its  breeding- 
places  here  are  not  known.  The  Pied  Eaven  is  often  shot 
here.  I  saw  one  myself,  at  a  distance,  in  my  walk  to  Kir- 
keboe.  (I  was  told  subsequently  by  Dr.  Edmonston  of 
Shetland,  that  it  is  found  in  the  nests  of  the  common  raven, 
while  others  of  the  same  brood  are  wholly  black.  Thus  it 
would  appear  to  be  merely  a  variety,  and  not  a  distinct 
species.) 

The  Eider  Duck  abounds  here,  and  is  strictly  preserved, 
under  a  penalty  of  a  dollar  per  bird,  on  account  of  its  down. 
Besides  these  we  have  seen  Snipe,  Golden  Plover,  and  most 
of  the  ordinary  sea  birds ;  many,  however,  have  gone  south 
already,  while  those  that  winter  here  have  not  yet  arrived. 
At  all  seasons,  however,  I  should  think  that  these  islands 
were  too  inaccessible  for  bird  collecting  with  any  success. 
Some  fishermen  caught  a  Hallibut  this  morning,  measuring 
six  feet  three  inches  in  length. 

August  \kth. — In  sight  of  Iceland.  A  fair  breeze  took 
us  on  the  morning  of  the  10th  from  Thorshaven  as  far  as 
Skaapensfiord,  and  there  left  us,  with  full  leisure  to  admire 
the  wonderful  caves  that  run  far  into  the  cliffs  of  Sand  Island 
and  Horse  Island,  and  the  gorgeous  tints  produced  upon  the 
cliffs  themselves  by  the  grass  and  lichens  growing  there.  In 
the  evening,  however,  it  sprang  up  again,  and  having  brought 
us  within  four  or  five  miles  of  Cape  Eeykjanes,  left  us  a  second 
time.  There  we  lay  in  a  dead  calm,  "rolled  to  starboard,  rolled 
to  larboard,"  in  the  long  heavy  swell,  without  advancing  half 
a  mile  all  day.  The  coast,  I  confess,  disappointed  me.  There 
is  no  grandeur  about  it :  no  rugged  cliffs  backed  by  a  snowy 
range  of  volcanoes  ;  instead,  it  presents  a- line  of  barren  red 
rocks  without  a  green  speck  anywhere  to  break  the  uniformity. 

y2 


324  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

Near  Cape  Reykjanes  it  is  low  ;  but  further  east  are  some 
chains  of  abrupt  serrated  peaks,  with  a  lofty  table  land 
beyond :  behind  which  again,  more  peaks  close  in  the  far 
distance. 

About  seven  p.  M.  a  fair  wind  sprang  up,  and  by  nine  we 
were  abreast  of  the  famous  Fuglasker,  where  the  Great  Auk, 
the  Geirfugl,  used  to  build. 

They  are  four  rocks,  lying  south  of  Reykjanes,  from  which 
the  largest,  Eldey,  is  distant  about  three  miles,  and  a  low 
skerry,  or  drangr,  about  seven.  Eldey  is  a  precipitous,  flat- 
topped  mass  of  basalt,  of  no  great  height,  but  looks  forbidding 
enough  to  justify  the  stories  of  its  inaccessibility.  Calm  as 
it  was,  a  heavy  surge  was  beating  up  its  sides.  Another 
Geirfuglasker  is  marked  on  the  map  a  few  miles  south  of  the 
Westmann  Islands  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  among  the  num- 
berless rocks  in  the  great  Breidifiord,  on  the  west  coast,  there 
may  be  some  on  which  the  Great  Auk  still  builds.  The  small 
north-west  peninsula  of  Iceland,  whose  southern  shore  is 
washed  by  the  Breidifiord,  is  more  deeply  indented  with  bays, 
more  thinly  inhabited,  and  less  visited  than  any  other  part  of 
the  islands  ;  and  birds  are  said  to  be  proportionately  plentiful. 
There,  if  anywhere,  the  Great  Auk  may  still  be  found. 

August  15th. — Early  this  morning  we  tacked  round  the 
low  and  dangerous  promontory  of  Skagi,  with  a  fresh  breeze, 
and  entered  Faxa-fiord.  It  is  badly  proportioned  for  pic- 
turesqueness,  being  forty  miles  across  at  its  mouth,  and  about 
twenty  deep.  Nor,  as  you  sail  in,  do  the  hills  close  round 
you :  it  keeps  the  same  enormous  width  throughout,  and  it 
is  only  when  you  have  made  the  entrance  of  one  of  its  tribu- 
tary fiords  that  you  can  see  anything  of  its  shores. 

Far  away  to  the  north,  forming  its  northern  horn,  we  could 
see  the  snowy  crown  of  Snsefell ;  a  grand  mountain,  rising 
up,  something  like  Etna,  direct  from  the  sea  to  a  height 
of  8,000  feet.  The  southern  coast,  near  to  which  we  sailed, 
is  low  and  brown,  with  here  and  there  a  green  patch,  with 
a  few  huts,  and  a  church  near  them  ;  and  farther  inland,  some 
conical  hills,  in  shape  and  hue  much  resembling  dust-heaps. 


.  W.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  325 

Off  Hafnfiord,  a  place  of  some  trade,  consisting  of  a  row  of 
houses  rather  -better  than  the  rest,  a  pilot  came  on  board 
He  was  out  fishing  in  a  small  boat,  like  those  the  Shetlanders 
and  Faro-islanders  get  from  Norway,  whence  these  also  are 
mostly  imported,  and  had  caught  a  great  load  of  dog-fish.  He 
told  us  they  were  excellent  eating. 

About  two  p.m.  we  anchored  in  Eeykjavik  harbour.  It 
is  well  sheltered  to  the  west  by  a  long  ridge  of  rocks,  unco- 
vered at  low  water,  which  connect  a  small  island  to  the 
mainland.  Farther  out  to  sea  are  three  or  four  other  islets, 
low  and  grass- covered,  inhabited,  it  seemed  as  we  passed, 
by  nothing  but  quantities  of  Kittiwakes  and  Puffins.  Across 
the  narrow  arm  of  the  fiord  is  the  mountain  of  Esja,  its  sides 
furrowed  by  streams,  and  its  lofty  peaks  rising  to  a  great 
height. 

In  the  afternoon  we  went  ashore.  The  town  stands  along  a 
straight,  steep  beach,  about  two  hundred  yards  in  length,  and 
is  slowly — at  the  rate  of  four  or  five  houses  a  year — mounting 
the  hills  at  either  end  of  it.  We  landed  at  one  of  the  slip- 
pery little  jetties,  which  run  down  it,  h  choix,  built  in  a  rude 
way,  partly  of  wood,  partly  of  lava.  Between  them  are  piles 
of  timber,  fish,  and  other  goods,  waiting  to  be  stowed  or  taken 
on  board  ship.  These  past,  you  are  in  the  main  street  of  the 
capital,  a  row  of  warehouses  and  shops,  where  all  business 
is  transacted.  The  houses  are  wholly  of  wood,  of  one  story, 
with  steeply  sloping  roofs,  to  throw  off  the  winter  snow,  and 
warm  and  comfortable  enough  inside.  Now  they  are  begin- 
ning to  build  with  stone,  the  frames  only  being  of  wood.  The 
only  stone  to  be  had  is  a  trap  rock,  very  difficult  to  cut,  but 
still  cheaper  and  more  durable  than  wood,  which  has  to  be 
brought  from  Norway.  Behind  are  a  few  other  streets,  of 
minor  importance,  consisting  generally  of  dwelling-houses, 
and  a  green  space  whereon  stands  the  cathedral ;  and,  at  a 
respectful  distance,  some  of  the  larger  mansions,  each  in  its 
garden.  On  the  eastern  hill  is  the  college,  a  large  white 
building,  the  governor's  house,  and  the  windmill.  In  fact,  it  is 
clearly  the  correct  and  fashionable  thing  to  live  at  least  300 


326  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

yards  from  the  beach,  if  possible.  Most  of  the  houses  face 
the  north,  the  prospect,  I  suppose,  being  gayer  than  towards 
the  south,  where  further  progress  is  soon  stopped  by  a  large 
reedy  lake. 

There  is  a  great  air  of  comfort,  and  also  a  strong  smell  per- 
vading the  place.  In  about  an  hour  all  idea  that  we  were  in 
a  strange  town  had  worn  off :  everybody  gave  us  so  warm  a 
welcome.  First,  we  called  on  Count  Trampe,  the  Governor, 
but  he  was  absent  in  Copenhagen,  having  gone  thither  to 
resign  office,  so  that  at  present  there  is  no  governor,  but  a 
deputy,  Herr  Jonassen,  an  Icelander,  "pur  sang."  Then  we 
visited  the  Kector  of  the  College,  a  portly  personage,  speaking 
good  English,  as  most  people  of  any  education  here  do  ;  Herr 
Eandrop,  the  apothecary,  Doctor  Hjaltalin,  the  medical  officer 
of  this  division  of  Iceland,  and  many  others.  Isolated  as  these 
people  are  from  all  civilisation,  a  traveller  is  a  person  to  be 
welcomed  with  all  honour.  If  he  does  not  die  under  his 
entertainer's  kindness,  it  is  not  from  want  of  murderous 
treatment  on  their  part.  Seven  or  eight  times  this  day  were 
we  imperatively  called  upon  to  drink  coffee,  or  chocolate,  or 
beer,  or  wine,  or  brandy,  or  all  five  at  once.  Then  it  was 
equally  imperative  that  we  should  return  to  supper,  and  go 
through  it  all  again. 

August  16th. — Determined  to  lose  no  more  time,  but  to 
start  to-morrow  on  our  journey  inland. 

Went  out  in  an  Icelandic  boat  to  look  for  sea-birds.  Saw 
nothing  but  the  most  common  kinds. 

Landed  at  Vidoe,  an  island  about  a  mile  off,  famous  as  the 
breeding-place  of  the  Eider  Ducks.  It  is  farmed  by  an  old 
Icelander,  Stephenson  by  name,  who  lives  on  the  island,  in  a 
large,  feudal-looking  farm-house,  surrounded  by  his  depen- 
dants. There  is  also  a  small  Church  hard  by.  Notwith- 
standing the  near  vicinity  of  so  many  people,  the  Eiders  breed 
here  in  vast  numbers,  making  their  nests  in  the  ground  all  up 
the  grassy  slopes,  close  to  the  farm  buildings.  They  stay  from 
the  middle  of  May  to  the  middle  of  June,  leaving  the  young 
birds  to  shift  for  themselves.     Mr.  Stephenson's  son  assured 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  327 

me  that  this  year  they  took  more  than  one  thousand  eggs,  and 
that,  besides,  each  bird  hatched  two  or  three  young  ones. 

August  17th. — A  gloriously  fine  day,  warm,  with  a  bracing 
north  wind,  which  promises  us  fine  weather,  they  say.  Started 
from  Beykjavik,  at  eleven  A.M.     Our  guide,  Zoega,  supposed 
by  the  Eector  to  be  a  descendant  of  him  who  wrote  "De 
Obeliscis,"  speaks  excellent  English,  which  he  has   taught 
himself  in  the  winter  evenings,  and  improved  by  talking  to 
Englishmen  in  the  summer.     Besides  him,  we  have  a  subor- 
dinate guide,  Johan,  and  a  boy  to  look  after  the  ponies.     Of 
these  there  are  twenty-six.     Every  rider  has  two,  each  of 
which  is  ridden  for  half  a  day.     Meanwhile,  the  spare  ones 
trot  on  in  front,  sometimes  tied  together,  but  generally  loose,  so 
as  to  be  able,  now  and  then,  to  get  a  mouthful  of  grass,  if  the 
incessant  cries  of  the  guides  will  let  them.   They  are  enduring 
little  creatures,  not  so  stout  or  so  handsome  as  the  Norwegian 
breed — with  which,  however,  they  seem  to  have  been  crossed 
— but  sure-footed  and  docile.     The  baggage  is  packed  very 
inconveniently — in  wooden    boxes    slung  across   the  pack- 
saddles.     These  last  are  primitive.     A  large  piece  of  turf  is 
laid  on  the  pony's  back ;  over  it  is  strapped  a  stout  wooden 
frame,  furnished  with  pegs  on  either  side,  to  which  the  boxes 
are  hung.  All  would  be  very  well  if  the  ponies  were  warranted 
not  to  roll ;  but  every  two  or  three  hours  one  is  sure  to  lie 
down,  and  fling  off  his  load,  occasioning  great  delay  while 
the  complicated  system  of  cords,  &c,  is  replaced.     "Well  if 
the  catastrophe  be  not  accompanied  by  the  crash  of  breaking 
bottles,  for  the  boxes  offer  but  a  slight  defence. 

We  rode  down  the  street,  and  past  the  windmill,  and 
instantly  found  ourselves  in  the  wild  open  country,  where  the 
only  human  beings  we  saw  all  day  were  a  few  peasants  cutting 
turf,  and  loading  it  in  crates  slung  on  ponies,  like  our  baggage. 
For  a  mile  or  so  we  had  a  decent  road  ;  then  it  ended  abruptly 
and  became  a  track,  easy  enough,  however,  to  find.  We  rode 
along  a  branch  of  the  fiord  for  four  or  five  miles,  getting 
glorious  views,  every  now  and  then,  down  the  little  bays  we 
crossed,  of  far-away  Snaefell ;  and  then,  leaving  the  coast,  struck 


328  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

inland.  The  country  in  general  is  a  hilly,  stony  waste, 
strewn  with  large  pieces  of  volcanic  rock,  flung  about  as  pebbles 
lie  at  the  bottom  of  a  sea,  with  saxifrages  and  such-like  plants 
growing  among  them.  In  the  hollows  between  the  low  undu- 
lating hills  there  is  plenty  of  bright  green  pasturage,  but 
treacherous  and  marshy,  as  we  found  to  our  cost,  by  the  horses 
sinking  in  up  to  their  bellies,  if  they  strayed  to  right  or  left 
of  the  track.  There  are  plenty  of  lakes ;  we  rode  close  to 
one,  Hafravatn,  and  saw  many  in  the  distance. 

In  a  few  sheltered  spots  are  small  farms,  with  a  little  strip 
of  garden  before  them,  green  with  rape-tops  and  potatoes. 

After  riding  thirteen  miles  or  so,  we  came  to  Sele-dal,  an 
upland  pasture,  with  a  clear  stream  brawling  through   it. 
Here  we  changed  horses,  and  then  climbed  up  a  steep-path 
on  to  the  high  moorland,  across  whose  dreary  waste  we  rode, 
hour  after  hour,  hoping  every  instant  to  come  upon  Thing- 
valla.     To  our  left  we  got  a  good  view  of  the  peaks  of  Esja, 
and  in  front  of  the  rounded  mass  of  some  great  glacier.    After 
ten  miles  of  moor,  the  road  made  a  rapid  descent  down  a 
sandy  hill,  and  on  we  went  again  on  a  lower  level.     We  soon 
found  we  were  on  a  lava  bed,  for  wherever  the  sand  was 
blown  away,  the  black   corrugated  surface  was  laid  bare, 
furrowed  with  huge  concentric  wrinkles,  like  the  bubbles  that 
form  and  burst  on  the  slag  of  an  iron  furnace.     The  hills 
to  our  left  became  greener, — Iceland  grass  appears  of  a  most 
intense  green  by  contrast, — and  to   our  right  the   lake  of 
Thingvalla,  a  noble  piece  of  water,  about  eight  miles  long,  and 
from  three  to  five  broad,  surrounded  by  grand   mountains 
came  into  view.    At  last,  as  suddenly  as  we  had  been  led  to 
expect,  the  ground  fell  away,  and  there  was  Thingvalla  at 
our  feet,  three  or  four  hundred  feet  beneath.     Our  expecta- 
tions were  great,  but  it  surpassed  them  all.     Imagine  a  vast 
deluge  of  lava,  four   miles  wide,  descending  from  between 
acute  mountain  peaks  down  to  a  blue  lake,  broken  into  every 
variety  of  fissure,  and  richly  carpeted  with  lichens,  mosses,  and 
ferns ;  and  beyond,  a  serrated  ridge,  dyed  a  bright  scarlet 
by  the  setting  sun,  and  you  have  some  idea  of  this  wonderful 


J.  W.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  329 

scene.  A  steep  path  leads  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  preci- 
pice on  which  we  stood.  We  then  found  ourselves  in  a  deep 
ditch,  as  it  were,  some  fifty  feet  wide,  with  the  wall  of 
basaltic  columns,  down  which  we  had  come,  on  one  side,  and 
on  the  other  a  great  mass  of  lava,  which  seemingly  had  once 
fallen  from  above.  The  chasm  they  term  Almanna-gia, — the 
way  of  all  men.  It  runs  for  a  great  distance  up  into  the 
mountains  whence  the  lava  flowed,  and  parallel  to  a  similar 
one  on  the  other  side  the  stream,  called  Hrafna-gia.  The 
two  are  the  boundaries  of  the  great  settlement  in  the  lava 
field  which  formed  the  valley  and  lake  of  Thingvalla — the 
Assembly  in  the  Valley — where  the  ancient  Icelandic  par- 
liament used  to  meet.  It  took  us  twelve  hours  to-day  to 
travel  twenty-six  miles,  including  stoppages. 

August  18^. — Spent  the  morning  in  examining  Thingvalla. 
The  Althing,  or  Parliament-house,  is  a  narrow  grassy  ridge, 
between  the  two  deepest  chasms.  It  would  hold,  perhaps, 
a  hundred  people.  It  can  be  entered  only  at  one  point,  by  a 
natural  bridge  of  extreme  narrowness.  Nothing  can  be  love- 
lier than  the  blue  water  in  the  chasms,  overhung  with  ferns 
and  creepers.  What  a  change  from  this  to  the  rooms  in  the 
College  of  Eeykjavik,  where  the  deputies  now  sit  on  baize- 
covered  seats  instead  of  the  greensward,  and  gaze  on  white- 
washed walls  and  a  portrait  of  Christian  VIII.  instead  of  on 
mountains  and  the  canopy  of  heaven ! 

I  went  down  into  a  dry  chasm,  about  one  hundred  feet 
deep,  and  examined  the  volcanic  rock.  Generally  it  is  less 
honeycombed,  as  might  be  expected,  at  bottom  than  at  top. 
Besides  this,  it  is  frequently  composed  of  layers  of  large 
blocks,  which  severally  are  less  honeycombed  in  the  middle 
than  at  the  edge,  and  are  divided  from  each  other  by  bands 
of  excessively  porous  slags.  The  lava  contains  great  quan- 
tities of  feldspar. 

Started  at  1.30.  The  track  runs  parallel  to  Almanna-gia, 
along  the  bank  of  the  Oxera,  for  a  short  distance,  and  then 
strikes  across  Thingvalla.  The  lava  here  is  less  fissured,  owing, 
I  suppose,  to  its  having  descended  a  less  steep  declivity.  Dwarf 


330  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

bushes,  averaging  two  feet  in  height,  grow  all  over  this 
part  of  it, — they  call  it  "  the  Forest," — and  extend  np  the 
valley  and  round  the  east  shore  of  the  lake.  In  one  hour  we 
reached  Hrafna-gia,  a  chasm  exactly  like  Almanna-gia,  only 
less  lofty  and  less  steep,  and  then  stretched  over  a  wide 
moor,  which,  on  coming  to  a  deep  chasm,  we  found  to  be 
lying  over  a  stream  of  lava.  We  descended  into  the  chasm  : 
it  appeared  like  a  large  bubble  which  had  burst.  It  was  of 
great  extent,  and  full  of  ferns  and  mosses.  Presently  we 
came  up  with  the  Kalfstinder,  the  range  of  volcanic  peaks 
which  we  had  seen  last  night  across  Thingvalla.  The  one  we 
passed  nearest  to,  looked  like  an  enormous  heap  of  black  dust, 
with  rocks,  charred  and  burnt,  emerging  from  it  here  and 
there.  A  little  south  of  it  was  an  extinct  crater,  on  a  slight 
rise.  It  exactly  resembled  a  large  funnel,  projecting  about 
twenty  feet  above  the  surface,  with  rocks  strangely  twisted 
and  contorted,  and  coloured  of  every  shade  of  red  and  yellow. 
On  looking  down  we  could  see  a  dark  and  apparently  bot- 
tomless chasm,  up  which  a  cold  blast  blew.  On  descending 
the  "  col "  on  which  this  stood,  we  entered  a  wide  grass  plain, 
free  from  marsh.  The  soil  was  light  and  sandy,  and  probably 
formed,  originally,  of  ashes  ejected  from  the  volcanoes. 
Behind  us  the  peaks  of  the  mountains  rose  clear  and  distinct, 
with  horizontal  beds  of  dark  black  deposit  at  their  feet. 
After  a  ride  of  about  thirteen  miles  from  Thingvalla  we 
pitched  our  tent  on  the  banks  of  the  Laugarvatn,  near  some 
noisy  hot  springs. 

August  \§th. — Spent  at  Laugarvatn.  The  largest  hot  springs 
are  three  in  number ;  the  water  at  more  than  212°  (we  can 
boil  our  kettles  by  standing  them  in  it).  It  bubbles  and 
stirs  in  the  centre  of  each  basin,  which  is  extremely  shallow, 
and  rises  to  a  height  of  about  two  feet  in  intermittent 
eruptions.  The  soil  around  is  sandy,  with  sulphurous  incrus- 
tations on  the  surface.  Wear  the  largest  spring  the  hissing 
from  some  concealed  water  is  very  loud.  Some  small  aper- 
tures on  the  beach  are  continually  fizzing.  There  are  about 
twenty  holes  close  together  in  the  ground,  clean  as  though 


J.  W.  Clabk.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  331 

drilled.  In  other  places  there  are  one  or  two  together.  There 
is  another  smaller  spring  close  to  our  tent,  which  the  peasants 
use  for  washing  and  cooking  purposes.  It  is  not  so  hot,  nor 
does  it  bubhle  so  vehemently.  It  is  distant  about  one 
hundred  yards  from  the  large  one.  Beyond  it  also  the 
ground  smokes.  Also  out  in  the  lake,  about  three  hundred 
yards  from  the  shore,  a  great  steam  rises.  On  the  opposite 
shore,  a  mile  off,  a  large  body  of  steam  is  rising  in  two  places. 
The  smell  of  sulphur  is  very  strong. 

There  is  a  good  view  from  the  hill  behind,  which  is  covered 
thickly  with  dwarf  birch.  We  are  in  an  enormous  plain  of 
marshy  land,  stretching  away  southward  as  far  as  one  can  see, 
broken  only  by  some  isolated  hills.  In  the  middle  of  it  are 
two  lakes,  of  which  the  Laugarvatn  is  the  smallest.  Seven 
rivers  flow  into  them.  The  peasants  just  now  are  busy  in 
cutting  their  crop  of  reedy  hay  all  over  the  marsh,  which 
gushes  and  oozes  wherever  you  tread.  How  easily  it  might 
be  drained,  and  become  a  valuable  property  !  Large  flocks 
of  sheep,  with  wonderfully  clear  white  fleeces,  guarded  by 
shaggy  sheep-dogs,  of  a  breed  very  like  the  Pomeranian,  and 
as  noisy  and  cowardly,  and  herds  of  oxen,  up  to  their  knees 
in  water,  are  grazing  on  it.  To  the  east,  Hekla  is  seen  in  the 
distance. 

August  20th. — We  had  a  long  and  fruitless  chase  after  a 
swan.  A  good  many  grebe  persist  in  coming  and  feeding 
close  to  our  tent,  but  of  course  vanish  as  soon  as  they  find 
themselves  observed.  A  great  Northern  Diver  is  fishing 
and  cooing  in  the  middle  of  the  lake.  Started  at  10  A.M.,  and 
reached  the  Geysers  at  5  p.m.,  riding  very  slowly.  Distance 
sixteen  miles.  We  had  to  make  a  detour  in  order  to  keep 
along  the  edge  of  the  hills,  and  so  avoid  the  marsh.  Farms, 
in  clusters  of  two  or  more,  every  few  miles  along  the  hill-side. 
After  riding  about  eight  miles,  came  to  the  Bruer£,  a  fine 
brawling  stream,  tumbling  over  shelf  after  shelf  of  volcanic 
rock  to  the  plain.  The  main  body  of  water  roars  down  a 
deep  chasm  in  the  centre  of  its  bed  of  lava,  and  over  the  flat 
shelves  which  extend  on  either  side.     Over  these  the  ponies 


332  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

flounder  as  well  as  they  can,  while  the  central  chasm  is 
crossed  by  a  bridge  formed  of  planks  laid  across.  Just 
below,  the  water  tumbles  over  a  semicircle  of  rock  in  a  fine 
cascade.  Then  for  three  or  four  miles  we  rode  among  hills 
covered  with  the  eternal  dwarf  birch,  then  descended  into 
the  plain,  and  turned  northwards  again,  keeping  along  the 
low  hills  to  our  left.  Very  soon  the  Geysers  became  visible 
by  their  steam,  situate  on  a  rising  ground,  backed  to  the 
west  by  a  detached  hill,  separated  by  a  few  hundred  yards  of 
level  ground  from  the  main  chain. 

Soon  after  our  arrival,  the  Little  Geyser  threw  up  a  cloud  of 
steam  about  forty  feet  high ;  we  then  flung  about  two  barrow- 
fuls  of  earth  into  another  spring,  called  Strokr,  which  caused 
him  also  to  send  up  a  series  of  columns  of  steam  and  water, 
mixed  with  clods,  to  a  height  of  at  least  eighty  feet.  The 
Great  Geyser  gave  hopes  of  an  eruption  ;  he  rumbled  with  a 
noise  like  the  distant  discharges  of  ordnance,  and  the  ground 
shook,  but  after  all  he  only  boiled  over,  like  a  gigantic  tea- 
kettle. 

August  21st. — The  Great  Geyser  boiled  over  three  or  four 
times  ;  and  the  last  time,  between  6  and  7  p.m.,  he  threw  up 
a  column  of  water  about  three  feet  high.  The  Little  Geyser 
went  off  shortly  after.  Strokr  also  erupted  on  compulsion  in 
the  afternoon. 

August  22d. — The  weather,  which  hitherto  had  been 
cloudless,  changed  last  night,  and  we  had  heavy  rain,  with  a 
south-west  wind.  The  Great  Geyser  went  off  at  3.30  A.M., 
but  the  strong  wind  blew  the  clouds  of  steam  so  over  our 
tent,  that  we  could  see  but  little.  We  all  ran  out,  and  getting 
round  to  windward,  saw  a  large  column  of  water  rise  three  or 
four  times,  with  a  loud  noise.  The  height  might  be  eighty  or 
a  hundred  feet.  This  was  repeated  at  7.45  A.M.  At  11.45 
he  boiled  over  on  all  sides,  with  a  great  rush  of  water  and 
effusion  of  steam,  but  no  column  rose.  In  the  course  of  the 
afternoon  he  boiled  over  three  or  four  times,  and  at  8  p.m.  a 
column  about  six  feet  high  rose. 

August  23d. — The   Great  Geyser  very  quiet.     He  boiled 


J.  W.  Claek.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  333 

over  twice  in  the  night,  and  two  or  three  times  in  the  day. 
About  nine  p.m.  this  was  repeated,  with  great  effusion  of 
steam,  and  surly,  long-continued  rumblings.  The  Little  Geyser 
and  Strokr  very  quiet. 

August  24:th  and  2otk — The  Great  Geyser  boiled  over 
occasionally  during  these  two  days.  The  Little  Geyser 
erupted  two  or  three  times,  and  Strokr  whenever  he  was 
compelled  to  do  so. 

The  springs,  eighty  in  number,  usually  termed  "  the  Geysers," 
are  situate  on  a  hill  of  no  great  elevation,  but  which  rises 
gradually  from  south  to  north.  It  abuts  upon  Laugafjall,  a 
detached  hill,  about  600  feet  high,  conspicuous  for  the  twin 
peaks  that  crown  its  northern  summit.  It  is  precipitous  and 
inaccessible  to  the  west,  but  to  the  east  slopes  gradually 
down  to  the  lower  hill,  in  which  the  hot  springs  rise.  It 
appears  to  consist  of  an  igneous  rock,  similar  to  that  which 
forms  the  main  range  a  little  beyond  it ;  it  splits  easily  into 
thin  layers,  which,  at  the  summits,  where  they  are  exposed 
to  view,  are  seen  to  have  been  upheaved  into  a  vertical 
position. 

Between  Laugafjall  and  the  hills  is  a  strip  of  marshy  mea- 
dow land,  similar  to  that  which  extends  on  all  sides  of  it  to 
a  greater  or  less  distance.  To  the  north  it  extends  for  a  few 
miles  to  the  foot  of  the  hills  which  are  the  boundaries,  as  it 
were,  of  the  great  central  wilderness.  They  are  covered  with 
short  grass,  heather,  wortleberries,  dwarf  birch,  and  sallow, 
and  afford  pasturage  to  the  few  flocks  belonging  to  Haukadalr, 
the  last  farm  in  this  direction.  The  sheep  are  turned  out  to 
pasture  on  them  in  the  morning,  and  fetched  home  in  the 
evening,  by  some  of  the  farming  men,  mounted  on  ponies. 
Beyond  them  you  enter  on  a  sandy  desert,  strewed  with  vol- 
canic blocks,  and  frequently  lumps  of  black  slag ;  over  which 
a  glimpse  is  obtained  of  enormous  glaciers,  surrounded  by 
a  fringe  of  jagged,  gloomy  peaks,  some  black,  some  a  lurid 
red  ;  and  nearer,  of  Blafell,  the  Blue  Mountain,  conspicuous 
for  its  single,  rounded  peak.  Beyond,  to  the  east,  extends 
a  range  of  acutely-pointed  peaks,  with  glaciers  among  them. 


334 


VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND 


[Iceland. 


1 


r 


Small  Lake. 


Small  Lake. 


Marshy  Ground. 


/    I 


Great  Geyser. 


Smoking  Pool  to  the  west  of  Great  Geyser. 


Banks  of  Red  Clay. 
Laugafjall. 


jr^Xi 


./.<S 


V  \ 


Valley  between  Laugafjall  and  Bjarnaf  jell* 
Bjarnafjell. 


J.  W.  Clark.] 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860. 


335 


m 


j  \ 


Bjarnafjell. 


^.u 


)i 


Laugafjall. 


/■' 


'y. 


■t%\ 


w 


Geysers. 


\ 


"j\ 


t 


Ground  laid  bare  by  streams  flowing  from 
the  springs. 


BlaTell. 


Glaciers.     Part  of  the  Langjokull. 


336  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

I  only  saw  this  from  a  distance,  as  I  feared  to  leave  Geyser  for 
long;  but  two  of  our  party,  who  penetrated  as  far  as  the 
Hagavatn,  described  the  scene  as  wonderful.  The  great  Lang- 
jokull  descends  to  the  water's  edge,  and  makes  a  cliff  of  ice 
several  hundred  feet  in  height.  To  the  east  the  plain  extends 
about  three  miles  beyond  the  Tungufljot,  between  which  and 
the  Hvita,  or  White  Eiver,  are  several  lofty  ridges,  over  which 
we  could  see  the  peak  of  Hekla.  To  the  south  it  may  be  said 
with  accuracy  to  extend  to  the  sea,  for  there  is  nothing,  save  a 
few  isolated  summits,  to  break  its  uniformity  in  that  direction. 

The  position  of  the  Geysers,  and  the  neighbouring  country, 
may  perhaps  be  best  understood  by  the  accompanying  out- 
lines, taken  from  the  north  and  south,  respectively. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  springs  : — 

1.  The  Great  Geyser,  the  Little  Geyser,  and  Strokr,  which 
throw  up  at  intervals  a  column  of  steam  and  water  to  a 
great  height,  and  with  a  loud  report  before,  and  during  the 
eruption. 

2.  Springs  continually  boiling,  with  a  loud  hissing  noise, 
but  which  never  overflow  their  boundaries. 

3.  Pools  of  clear,  smooth  water,  boiling  hot.  Their  surface 
is  never  ruffled  by  any  internal  disturbance,  but  they  con- 
tinually overflow  by  some  outlet. 

4.  Mud  Springs. 

The  Great  Geyser  rises  out  of  a  low  mount,  gradually 
increasing  in  height  as  the  deposit  is  formed,  at  the  extreme 
north  end  of  the  hill.  The  ground  falls  away  immediately 
behind  it  to  the  west  and  north,  where  a  chasm,  about  forty 
feet  in  depth  at  its  deepest  part,  hollowed  out  by  a  rivulet, 
runs  down  to  join  the  river  which  flows  past  the  hill  to  the 
east.  The  mount  is  entirely  formed  by,  or  coated  with,  the 
deposit  of  the  spring.  It  lies  in  patches,  like  the  head  of  a 
cauliflower,  of  a  substance  much  resembling  brain  coral,  in 
colour  a  dull  grey,  due  probably  to  the  great  admixture  of 
silica ;  or  else,  where  water  is  continually  flowing  over  it,  in 
level  plates.  When  the  spring  overflows,  the  water  escapes 
down  the  chasm  to  the  west,  or  else  in  several  rivulets  in  an 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  337 

opposite  direction,  which  finally  fall  into  the  river ;  wherever 
it  flows,  it  destroys  vegetation  wholly.  The  grass,  which 
comes  close  up  to  the  foot  of  the  Geyser  on  the  north,  is 
growing  on  older  deposits  which  have  gradually  become  coated 
with  mould.  On  walking  down  the  chasm  aforesaid  to  its 
junction  with  the  river,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  latter,  the 
mould,  frequently  reddish  in  colour,  may  be  seen  lying  in 
layers,  alternately  with  the  deposit,  to  the  depth  of  several 
feet,  as  though  the  latter  had  been  intermittent.  This  is 
particularly  noticeable  where  the  brooks  of  Geyser  water  fall 
into  the  river.  Its  water  is  clear  and  cold,  fed  by  several 
springs,  which  rise  in  the  moorland  beyond  Haukadalr.  The 
opposite  bank  is  of  black  mould,  low,  and  marshy.  In  the 
chasm  to  the  west  of  the  Geyser,  the  same  formation  may  be 
seen,  namely,  layers  of  deposit  alternating  with  sand  and 
clay,  on  both  sides,  the  chasm  having  been  evidently  formed 
subsequent  to  the  deposit.  On  walking  up  the  hill  to  the 
west,  this  old  deposit  may  be  traced  for  a  short  distance,  where 
it  joins  the  red  clay-banks  which  at  this  point  form  the  base 
of  Laugafjall. 

The  basin  of  the  Great  Geyser  measures  forty-six  feet  by 
fifty-five  feet  eight  inches.  It  was  unfortunately  always  full 
while  I  was  there,  so  that  I  had  no  opportunity  of  measuring 
the  pipe,  which  descends  vertically  at  the  centre  of  the  basin. 
The  basin  seemed  to  slope  very  gradually  to  the  edge  of  the 
pipe.  The  mound  is  about  thirty  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
spot  on  which  we  pitched  our  tent.  The  eruptions  are  quite 
irregular.  It  boils  over  eight  or  nine  times  in  twenty-four 
hours.  The  Icelanders  believe  the  eruptions  to  be  more  fre- 
quent in  wet  than  in  fine  weather.  The  only  eruption  I  saw 
was  in  a  heavy  rain,  which  had  then  lasted  about  six  hours 
One  of  our  party  afterwards  saw  a  very  lofty  column  thrown 
up  in  fine  weather. 

The  Little  Geyser  is  surrounded  by  a  circular  mass  of  de- 
posit, nineteen  feet  in  diameter,  like  that  of  the  Great  Geyser, 
only  flattened.  It  appears  to  rest  on  older  deposit,  but  as  the 
whole  hill,  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  southwards  from  the  Great 

z 


338  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

Geyser  consists  of  nothing  but  deposits  of  various  ages,  per- 
forated by  springs  which  seem  to  change  their  position  not 
unfrequently,  it  becomes  extremely  difficult  to  determine  the 
age  of  any  one  portion.  The  mouth  of  the  Little  Geyser  is 
two  feet  in  diameter,  becoming  narrower  as  it  deepens.  Its 
sides  are  coated  with  deposit.  The  pipe  is  twelve  feet  two 
inches  in  depth,  and  one  foot  from  the  surface  of  the  ground 
to  the  water.  The  eruptions  seem  more  frequent  than  those  of 
the  Great  Geyser,  are  not  announced  by  any  previous  rum- 
bling, and  throw  up  a  very  small  volume  of  water  compared 
with  the  great  quantity  of  steam. 

Strokr — (the  Churn) — is  at  the  bottom  of  a  shallow  saucer 
with  a  radius  of  thirty  feet,  roughly  speaking.  It  is  coated 
with  deposit  lying  in  a  direction  parallel  to  the  inclination  of 
the  saucer.  Close  round  the  pipe,  extending  to  a  distance  of 
four  feet  ten  inches  from  it,  are  five  rings  of  a  different  deposit, 
lying  vertically.  On  one  side  the  innermost  of  these  is  about 
one  foot  high,  surrounding  the  pipe  balustrade  fashion,  and 
seems  to  have  been  once  much  higher.  The  pipe,  eight  feet 
in  diameter,  and  forty-three  feet  three  inches  in  depth,  is 
a  roaring  gullet,  coated  with  red  incrustations.  On  looking 
in,  the  water  can  just  be  seen,  boiling  and  spluttering.  It 
erupts  occasionally,  and  may  be  made  to  do  so  in  three  or  four 
minutes  at  pleasure,  by  throwing  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
clods  of  earth. 

Of  the  second  class  of  springs  there  are  several.  I  have 
marked  them  on  the  map  as  "boiling  water,"  "  steam  and  roar- 
ing," "  bubbling  spring,"  "  hissing  spring,"  to  denote  the  slight 
variations  in  their  phenomena.  In  some  the  boiling  water  is 
visible  in  a  shallow  saucer ;  in  others  it  can  only  be  heard 
down  a  deep  pipe  ;  in  others  again  it  makes  its  presence 
known  by  a  continuous  effusion  of  steam ;  while  in  others 
there  is  a  continuous  hissing,  but  no  steam  or  water  visible. 

We  now  come  to  the  still  pools.  The  one  near  the  Great 
Geyser  is  by  far  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  springs.  It  is 
in  two  divisions,  which  apparently  join  beneath,  under  a 
natural  bridge,  and  is  brimful  of  very  hot  water,  of  the  love- 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  339 

liest  blue  imaginable,  through  which  one  sees  the  incrusta- 
tions down  its  sides,  to  a  great  depth.  Its  depth  is  seventeen 
feet  six  inches  at  the  northern  end,  and  twenty-three  feet 
seven  inches  at  the  southern.  From  it  descends  a  copious 
stream,  which  deposits  as  it  flows  level  layers  of  an  orange- 
coloured  incrustation,  worn  as  smooth  as  polished  marble  by 
the  action  of  the  water.  There  are  five  more  pools  close 
together,  beyond  the  Little  Geyser :  but  they  are  by  no  means 
so  beautiful.  Their  water  is  dirty  and  muddy,  and  between 
them  is  soft  marshy  ground,  offering  a  treacherous  footing. 
They  overflow  constantly  in  numerous  streams,  which  run 
down  the  hill  towards  the  river ;  but  lose  themselves  among 
the  grass  before  reaching  it.  Among  them  are  some  bubbling 
fountains,  which  go  up  every  now  and  then  with  a  spirt,  but 
do  not  eject  water  beyond  their  margin.  The  arrangement  of 
the  deposit  of  these  pools  varies  ;  in  most  of  them  it  is  smooth 
or  only  slightly  arched ;  but  in  one  near  the  Little  Geyser, 
it  is  ribbed,  so  that  a  horizontal  section  would  present  a 
series  of  points,  like  the  teeth  of  a  saw. 

The  mud  springs  are  very  few.  There  are  some  in  the 
cluster  marked  (A)  between  Strokr  and  the  Little  Geyser, 
and  two  or  three  on  the  bank  above  the  Great  Geyser.  The 
mud  always  preserves  the  same  level.  Moss  and  grass  grow 
at  their  edge. 

There  are  everywhere  copious  evidences  of  changes  that 
have  taken  place  in  the  springs ;  some  have  ceased  to  be  so 
active  as  heretofore ;  some,  at  present,  emit  only  steam  ;  and 
lastly,  some  have  become  wholly  inactive,  and  their  holes  are 
fast  filling  up.  South-west  from  Strokr  is  a  fountain,  always 
actively  bubbling,  Its  deposit  is  formed  in  domical  masses 
above  and  beneath  the  water,  which  always  stands  at  about 
five  feet  from  the  surface.  It  has  a  shallow  basin  of  four  feet 
radius,  on  the  outermost  edge  of  which  are  some  cauliflower 
incrustations,  as  though  its  operations  had  once  resembled 
those  of  the  Great  Geyser.  North  of  the  Still  Pools,  near 
the  Great  Geyser,  there  is  a  deep,  irregular  chasm,  about 
thirty  feet  in  diameter  at  its  widest  part ;  the  water  is  twelve 

z  2 


340  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

feet  from  the  surface,  at  boiling  heat.  The  sides  are  much 
broken,  and  the  total  absence  of  all  eruptions  at  present  is 
attested  by  the  fact  that  violets  are  growing  nearly  down  to 
the  water.  The  deposit  consists  of  layers  of  silica  and  red 
earth.  Similar  chasms  exist  below  the  muddy  pools  beyond 
the  Little  Geyser,  and  near  Strokr. 

On  descending  from  the  Little  Geyser  to  the  stream  which 
trickles  down  from  the  Still  Pools,  its  right  bank  is  found  to  be 
formed  of  old  deposit  to  the  height  of  about  four  feet,  seem- 
ingly of  the  same  character  with  that  which  the  stream  now 
carries  in  its  bed,  only  much  decomposed.  Above  the  deposit 
lies  a  layer  of  soil  about  four  feet  thick.  These  beds  extend  for 
at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  towards  Laugafjall,  even  beyond 
the  small  gully,  down  which  a  stream  trickles,  and  falls  into 
the  main  one  opposite  the  Little  Geyser.  On  its  banks  are  three 
small  springs.  Near  this  is  a  very  small,  but  actively  bubbling 
spring,  which  has  forced  its  way  through  the  old  deposit. 
The  banks  above  these  springs  are  strewed  with  fragments  of 
the  volcanic  rock  fallen  from  above,  intermingled  with  pieces  of 
a  sort  of  tufa,  yellowish  in  colour,  very  vesicular,  and  light.  A 
little  further  to  the  north  east  the  whole  of  Laugafjall  is  strewn 
with  fragments  of  a  deposit  similar  to  that  now  found  only  on 
the  banks  of  the  stream,  intermingled  with  pieces  of  a  tufa-like 
substance ;  showing  that  once  there  must  either  have  been  a 
spring  here,  or  that  this  portion  of  the  hill  has  been  upheaved 
in  comparatively  later  times.  I  think  the  former  theory  the 
most  probable,  as,  when  we  ascend  from  the  Great  Geyser 
towards  the  double  peak  on  the  north  end  of  Laugafjall,  we 
find  close  under  it  evidences  of  an  ancient  spring  in  a  bank 
of  reddened  soil,  in  which  are  numerous  orifices,  all  hissing. 
The  soil  round  them  is  hot,  and  encrusted  with  sulphur, 
notwithstanding  which,  grass  and  moss  grow  in  the  middle, 
favoured  by  the  damp  heat.  They  are  at  the  bottom  of  a 
hollow  basin,  seven  yards  in  diameter,  which  must  have  been 
formed  by  some  more  active  spring.  Below  them  begin  the 
banks  of  soil  and  clay,  strewn  with  fragments  of  an  old  deposit, 
which  stretch  down  to  the  Great  Geyser.    They  form  a  sort  of 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  341 

step,  rounded  at  the  edge,  and  flat  at  top ;  and  seem  to  have 
been  thrown  up  subsequently  to  Laugafjall  itself.  They 
consist  of  grey  clay,  which  in  many  places  is  coloured  red  by 
the  admixture  of  iron  ;  the  presence  of  which  may  also  be 
observed  in  the  thin  film  of  red  colour  coating  most  of  the 
fragments  of  rock  which  lie  upon  them.  Lower  down,  these 
banks  are  furrowed  by  several  streams,  and  pierced  by 
springs,  of  which  in  the  chasm  west  of  the  Great  Geyser  there 
are  six. 

The  smaller  springs,  indicated  by  black  dots  upon  the 
map,  are  orifices  of  no  great  size,  either  emitting  steam,  or  full 
of  boiling  water. 

Down  the  stream,  close  to  the  farm,  are  several  small  hot 
springs  close  to  the  water's  edge ;  and  one  large  chasm,  filled 
with  warm  stagnant  water. 

Near  Haukadalr,  about  a  mile  from  the  Gey  sir,  is  a  spring 
just  tepid ;  near  to  it  there  is  said  to  be  another,  actively 
boiling,  but  I  could  not  find  it.  Haukadalr,  in  addition  to 
its  one  farm,  boasts  a  Church.  It  is  small,  and  of  wood.  It 
was  rebuilt  a  few  years  ago  by  the  Banish  Government,  as 
were  most  of  the  churches  of  Iceland,  to  replace  the  turf 
structures  of  an  earlier  period.  Externally  it  is  very  like  a 
barn,  with  a  sloping  roof.  It  is  entered  by  a  door  at  the 
west  end — speaking  according  to  the  usual  way  of  placing 
churches,  for  it  stands  north  and  south — and  is  lighted  by 
five  sash  windows,  three  on  the  south  and  two  on  the  north 
sides.  It  would  hold  about  fifty  people,  seated  on  open 
benches  of  wood.  The  chancel  is  separated  from  the  nave  by 
a  plain  screen,  on  the  south  side  of  which  is  the  pulpit, 
entered  from  the  inside  only.  The  altar  is  a  plain  wooden 
table,  with  a  cupboard  under  it  for  the  vestments,  which  are 
the  same  as  those  used  by  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Germany. 
It  has  a  railing  round  it  equal  in  breadth  to  the  table.  One 
person  only  could  stand  inside  it.  The  pulpit,  and  church 
generally,  is  painted  red  and  blue.  A  loft  is  contrived  in  the 
roof  by  planks  laid  across  the  tie-beams,  in  which  all  the  spare 
household  stuff— the  best  clothes  and  saddles,  and  the  Saga 


342,  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

library  of  the  neighbouring  farm  is  stowed  away.  Two  small 
bells  hang  on  a  frame  above  the  westernmost  beam ;  one  is 
inscribed,  "  Copenhagen,  anno  1762/' 

Time  passed  very  heavily  at  the  Geyser.  One  hardly  dared 
to  let  him  out  of  sight,  lest  there  should  be  an  eruption ;  and 
the  heat  of  the  weather,  and  the  strong  sulphureous  smell 
pervading  the  whole  place,  made  his  neighbourhood  anything 
but  pleasant.  Numerous  ravens  flew  about  Laugafjall,  where 
they  probably  build,  and  sometimes  came  close  to  our  tent 
in  the  early  morning  to  look  for  pickings ;  but  they  were 
almost  the  only  birds  to  be  seen  in  any  number.  A  few 
golden  plovers,  a  snipe  or  two,  and  a  small  species  of  thrush 
were  the  only  others.  We  saw  traces  of  ptarmigan,  but  none 
of  the  birds  themselves.  Now  and  then,  a  few  peasants 
would  pass  on  their  way  to  cut  hay,  and  stop  and  stare  at  us, 
or  sometimes  bring  a  sick  person  to  be  physicked.  They 
always  assumed  that  we  must  be  all  doctors.  Once,  a  book- 
hawker  gave  us  a  call.  He  was  going  to  pass  the  night  at 
Haukadalr,  and  thence  journey  to  Reykjavik,  taking  the  dif- 
ferent farms  on  his  way.  His  stock  was  tolerably  plentiful, 
but  not  varied.  It  consisted  of  a  hymn-book,  King  Magnus's 
"  Collection  of  Laws,"  and  two  Sagas.  The  latter  seemed  the 
most  popular.  Zcega  bought  a  copy,  and  sat  all  day  reading 
them  aloud  to  his  subordinates  under  the  shade  of  the  saddles. 
The  neighbouring  farm  supplied  us  with  milk,  skier,  (a  sort 
of  curd,  eaten  with  whortleberries  and  cream,  and  very  nice 
when  you  are  used  to  it,)  and  fresh  meat.  The  only  vegetables 
to  be  got  were  rape  tops,  potatoes  not  being  ripe.  After  living 
for  a  week  on  bread  and  meat,  we  fell  on  them  ravenously, 
after  they  had  been  boiled  in  the  Geyser.  We  used  to  boil 
our  kettle  by  standing  it  in  the  Still  Pool,  choosing  a  place 
where  the  deposit  came  up  close  to  the  surface,  so  that  the 
water  was  only  four  or  five  inches  deep.  In  about  twenty 
minutes  the  kettle  would  boil. 

Aug.  2QtL—  Started  at  noon  for  Hekla,  with  one  of  the 
party,  who  was  as  tired  as  I  was  of  the  tedious  delay.  Rode 
across  the  plain  to  the  Tungufljot,  which  wTas  easily  crossed, 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  343 

and  then  came  among  parallel  ridges  of  a  columnar  structure, 
running  east  and  west,  of  no  great  height,  separated  by 
grass  and  marshy  land.  Thence  came  to  the  Hvita — the 
White  Eiver,  a  wide  stream  of  glacier  water,  flowing  from  the 
Langjokull — down  whose  right  bank  we  had  to  ride  some  time 
in  search  of  a  ford.  At  last  we  got  to  a  place  where  it  was 
broad  and  shallow,  and  we  got  over  without  casualty.  It  was 
a  long  business,  as  the  river  was  at  least  half  a  mile  in  breadth. 
A  very  short  ride  thence  brought  us  to  Eeykjadalr,  a  sub- 
stantial farm,  where  there  was  quite  a  concourse  of  people,  in 
their  holyday-dress,  refreshing  themselves  with  coffee  and 
talk  after  church.  Among  the  guests  was  a  Norwegian 
veterinary  surgeon,  sent  by  the  Government  to  investigate, 
and  cure,  if  possible,  the  sheep-disease,  which  of  late  years 
has  done  fearful  damage  in  Iceland.  He  had  travelled  for  two 
years,  and  was  of  course  well  acquainted  with  the  country. 
He  said  that  it  was  best  to  buy  horses,  if  wanted  for  a  month, 
or  more.  They  cost  from  21  to  51  An  hour's  more  riding- 
brought  us  to  Hruni,  twelve  miles  from  Geyser  in  a  direct 
line,  but  as  we  went  about  sixteen  miles  ; — a  collection  of  two 
or  three  farms,  prettily  situated,  a  parsonage,  and  a  church. 
We  had  heard  how  cordially  Pastor  Briem  would  welcome 
us  ;  and  as  soon  as  we  rode  up  to  the  door,  he  advanced  and 
bade  us  enter.  The  house  seemed  neither  better  nor  cleaner 
than  the  more  substantial  farms  ;  but  the  owner  is  a  man  of 
education,  who  lives  in  this  solitude  with  a  large  collection  of 
books  about  him,  in  which  he  takes  great  delight.  He  con- 
versed most  intelligently  and  agreeably,  as  far  as  our  limited 
Danish,  and  his  limited  Latin,  would  allow ;  affording  a  very 
pleasant  contrast  to  the  boorish  clergyman  of  Thingvalla,  who 
seemed  little  superior  to  the  lowest  peasant. 

He  gave  us  a  capital  supper  of  salmon,  bread,  butter, 
and  cheese,  with  a  bottle  of  claret,  which  was  drunk  with 
much  formality, — he  bowing  to  us  whenever  he  emptied 
his  glass,  as  a  sign  to  us  to  do  the  same,  after  which  he 
replenished  all  three  glasses.  Supper  was  served  by  his 
wife,  but  she  did  not  partake  of  it  with  us.     We  talked 


344  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

about  obsidian,  and  where  it  was  to  be  found.  He  answered, 
quite  surprised,  "  ubicumque ; "  and  calling  in  his  son,  a 
boy  of  about  six  years  old,  bade  him  fetch  some  pieces  out 
of  the  garden.  He  quickly  returned  with  several,  from 
two  to  four  inches  square.  I  next  morning  found  a  good 
many  more  lying  about.  Immediately  above  the  house,  is  a 
hill,  of  a  kind  of  soft  muddy  conglomerate,  stuck  full  of 
fragments  of  various  rocks,  out  of  which  I  believe  these 
pieces  might  have  fallen.  The  clergyman  told  us  there  was  a 
stream  of  it  among  the  hills  to  the  east,  a  few  miles  off,  and 
offered  to  conduct  us  to  it ;  but,  as  he  described  it  to  be  a 
"  rivus  parvulus  et  interdum  intermissus,"  and  we  knew  we 
had  a  long  ride  before  us,  we  declined  his  kind  offer. 

Aug,  27. — A  cloudy  morning,  which  alarmed  us  for  the 
success  of  our  projected  ascent  of  Hekla.  Through  country 
resembling  that  of  yesterday.  The  cliffs  still  in  detached 
masses,  east  and  west,  of  columnar  structure.  Forded  the 
Laxa  (Salmon  River)  without  difficulty.  A  splendid  gorge  up 
the  stream,  just  above  where  we  crossed  it.  Thence  four 
miles  through  a  plain  of  ups  and  downs,  overgrown  with 
tussocks,  and  with  here  and  there  a  deep  marsh,  to  Thjorsarholt, 
where  we  were  to  cross  the  Thiorsa.  It  is  a  deep  and  wide 
river,  with  a  strong  stream.  The  horses  had  to  swim.  They 
were  driven  in  with  loud  shouts,  and  pelted  with  stones  till 
they  took  the  water.  Then  Johann  the  guide,  kneeling  in  the 
stern  of  the  ferry-boat,  held  them  all  by  their  halters  till 
more  than  half  over,  when  they  were  let  go,  and,  wisely 
choosing  the  least  of  two  evils,  all  landed  in  safety  on  the 
further  bank.  We  crossed  in  a  boat.  The  whole  business 
took  about  one  hour. 

Both  banks  of  the  river  are  thickly  strewn  with  blocks  of 
lava,  containing  great  quantities  of  feldspar,  and  in  some 
cases  olivin  also. 

After  rounding  some  low  hills — the  Skardsfjall — to  our  left, 
we  came  full  in  view  of  the  chain  of  Hekla,  seen  at  a 
distance  of  about  ten  miles,  across  the  perfectly  level  plain 
which  extends  from  its  base  to  the  Thiorsa.    It  looked  awfully 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  345 

gloomy  and  uninviting,  under  a  lowering  sky,  whose  heavy 
clouds  deepened  the  natural  blackness  of  the  lava. 

We  soon  came  on  some  of  the  old  lava,  which  has  flowed 
in  all  directions  over  the  plain,  though  evidently  from  some 
other  source  than  Hekla,  as  the  streams  in  general  run 
parallel  to  that  mountain.  It  is  much  decomposed,  and  forms 
an  excellent  soil,  to  judge  by  the  quality  of  the  fine  short 
grass  which  grows  among  the  blocks,  and  between  the  streams, 
in  long  level  fields  which  it  was  quite  a  pleasure  to  canter 
over.  The  plain  is  dotted  with  farms,  and  here  and  there  a 
church. 

After  we  had  travelled  about  ten  miles  from  the  Thiorsa, 
the  ground  became  more  broken,  and  presently  we  entered 
a  "forest,"  where  the  trees  were  not  quite  so  stunted  as 
usual ;  and  then  after  three  hours'  riding  from  the  river, 
reached  Hals,  a  wretched  little  farm  close  under  one  of  the 
spurs  of  Hekla. 

These  farms,  one  and  all,  are  built  upon  the  same  model. 
A  wall  of  stone  and  sods  is  raised  to  a  height  of  three  feet  or 
so,  upon  which  is  placed  a  wooden  frame.  This  is  planked 
over,  one  small  aperture  being  left  for  a  window  to  each  of 
the  principal  rooms.  The  roof  is  of  wooden  beams,  overlaid 
with  turf.  Sometimes  they  are  of  one  story ;  but  the  poorer 
ones,  such  as  Hals,  have  only  the  ground-floor.  Each  of  the 
outlying  buildings,  and  the  other  farm-houses,  if  there  be  more 
than  one,  communicate  by  means  of  passages  through  the 
party  walls.  The  whole  is  roofed  with  turf,  so  that  at  a 
distance  they  resemble  a  cluster  of  green  hillocks  more  than 
a  village.  The  rooms  are  small,  damp,  and  dark.  Most 
derive  all  the  light  they  get  from  the  door,  or  a  hole  in  the 
roof.  In  the  better  farms,  one  apartment  is  floored,  and  set 
apart  for  strangers  :  this  luxury  is  omitted  in  the  poorer  ones. 
The  whole  family  sleep  together  in  one  room,  along  each 
side  of  which  are  built  bed  places  of  wood,  something  like 
ships'  berths,  and  strewn  with  carpets  and  sheepskins.  At 
Hals  there  must  have  been  a  dozen  persons  sleeping  in  a  room 
measuring  twelve  feet  by  eight  feet.  They  were  certainly  very 


346  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

poor  people.  We  heard  they  had  had  great  losses  by  the 
disease  in  sheep.  All  we  could  get  from  them  was  milk. 
They  had  only  one  pot  for  cooking  in,  and  that  had  a  hole  in 
it.  There  being  no  room  in  which  we  could  possibly  sleep, 
they  sent  to  a  farm  at  some  distance  for  a  tent.  Each  farmer 
keeps  one  of  these  for  use  on  his  journeys.  It  was  merely  a 
large  piece  of  canvas  laid  across  a  pole  supported  on  two 
uprights,  at  a  height  of  about  three  feet  from  the  ground 
We  shook  down  plenty  of  hay,  and,  crawling  in,  managed  to 
pass  a  very  comfortable  night. 

August  28tk  To  our  great  delight  the  bad  weather  of 
last  night  was  succeeded  by  a  cloudless  morning.  Started  at 
nine  A.  m.,  with  the  farmer,  an  active  little  man,  for  our  guide. 
The  volcanic  region  which  we  were  now  entering  is  about 
twenty-five  miles  long,  and  sixteen  broad  at  its  widest  part. 
It  lies  between  two  small  rivers,  the  Vestri  and  Eystri  Eanga, 
which  fall  into  the  broad  Markarfljot,  a  few  miles  below  the 
mountain.  Hekla  is  the  name  given  to  the  central  and 
loftiest  of  several  parallel  ridges.  It  is  twelve  miles  in  length 
by  three  or  four  in  width.  The  subordinate  ridges  lie  along 
its  sides  like  gigantic  steps.  Many  of  these  seem  once  to 
have  been  active  volcanoes,  and  stand  to  Hekla  in  the  same 
relation  as  the  Monti  Eossi  to  Etna.  All  have  steep  smooth 
sides,  formed  of  loose  sand  and  decomposed  rock,  like  those 
of  a  sifted  ash-heap.  Several  streams  of  lava,  of  different 
ages,  flow  down  among  them  from  craters  in  the  sides  of  the 
mountains.  We  rode  for  an  hour  and  a  half  between  these 
ridges,  getting  gradually  higher  and  higher,  till  we  came  up 
with  the  lava  of  1845,  beyond  which  there  was  nothing  but 
the  central  ridge,  Hekla  itself,  to  be  climbed.  We  crossed  a 
portion  of  the  lava,  a  very  distressing,  but  fortunately  short 
piece  of  work,  and  then  keeping  near  to  its  main  stream, 
struck  obliquely  up  the  side  of  the  mountain.  The  ascent 
offered  no  difficulty,  but  was  very  tiring  oh  account  of  the 
steepness  and  the  heat.  The  snow  was  in  excellent  condition 
for  walking  on ;  we  wished  that  there  had  been  more  of  it. 
About  four  hundred  yards  from  the  top  we  came  to  the 


J.  W.  Clark.]         notes  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  347 

crater  whence  the  lava  of  1845  issued.  It  was  still  smoking. 
Thence  the  stream  descended  in  a  vast  volume  down  the  steep 
mountain  side  to  the  plain,  taking  a  westernly  direction  till 
it  reached  the  level  ground  a  little  east  of  Hals.  Then  it 
stopped,  before  coming  to  the  Kanga.  It  seemed  to  be  a 
mass  nearly  equalling  that  which  descended  from  the  Val  del 
Bove,  in  1851.  The  top,  which  we  reached  at  one  P.  M.,  is  a 
ridge  about  half  a  mile  long,  depressed  in  the  centre,  with 
a  crater  at  each  end.  Its  direction  is  east  and  west.  The 
westernmost  of  the  two  craters  is  broken  down  on  its  western 
side,  and  partially  filled  up  with  debris.  The  bottom  is  filled  to 
a  great  depth  with  snow,  melted  into  caverns  by  the  hot 
vapours  which  rise  from  the  bottom  and  from  various  small 
orifices  in  the  sides.  Moss  grows  on  the  side  opposite  the 
opening,  despite  the  extensive  incrustations  of  sulphur.  On 
the  middle  of  the  ridge  is  a  hot  spring ;  the  ground  about  it 
wet,  with  steam  rising  from  it.  The  easternmost  crater  is 
the  most  picturesque,  from  the  bright  red  colour  of  the  rocks. 
Numerous  jets  of  steam  issue  from  its  sides.  Snow  lies  here 
in  great  quantities.  A  great  deluge  of  lava  blocks  has  been 
ejected  from  this  crater  in  a  southernly  direction. 

The  few  clouds  which  hovered  over  the  mountain  in  the 
early  morning,  had  quite  cleared  off,  and  the  view  was 
splendid.  It  must  be  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  to  be 
seen  in  any  part  of  the  world.  To  the  east  and  south  you 
look  over  a  waste  of  glaciers,  snow-fields,  and  lava,  silent 
and  lifeless.  The  ridges  are  generally  flattened,  and  at  this 
season  had  but  little  snow  upon  them.  The  glaciers  also  are 
flat  and  dirty,  with  little  beauty  of  colour.  I  could  see  no 
moraines.  This,  I  suppose,  is  due  to  the  fact,  that  these 
Jokulls  are  not  glaciers,  properly  so  called,  but  fields  of  snow 
and  ice.  The  term  "  JbkulT  is  applied  very  loosely  to  any 
tract  where  there  is  snow.  There  was  little  to  be  seen  of  the 
great  Skapta  Jokull,  owing  to  clouds.  Its  highest  peaks 
must  be  eighty  or  ninety  miles  from  Hekla.  To  the  north, 
the  chief  object  was  the  muddy  Thiorsa,  fed  by  numerous 
tributaries ;  and  beyond,  the  mountains  and  glaciers  near  the 


348  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

Geyser.  To  the  north-west  and  west  stretched  the  plain  over 
which  we  rode  yesterday,  green  and  fertile-looking,  streaked 
with  dark  lava  streams.  Near  the  sea  we  could  perceive  that 
it  became  sandy,  where  the  great  rivers  are  bringing  down 
yearly  vast  masses  of  deposit,  and  extending  the  coast-line. 
Out  to  sea,  over  a  spur  of  the  Eyafjalla  Jokull,  were  the 
jagged  peaks  of  the  Westmann  Islands.  Nothing  could  ex- 
ceed the  beauty  of  the  soft  greys  and  blues  in  the  shadows 
among  the  hills  ;  a  peculiar  effect  which  we  have  already 
observed  in  other  places.  The  height  of  Hekla  is  5,000 
Danish  feet.  Of  the  two  summits,  the  easternmost  is  rather 
the  highest. 

On  our  way  down,  stopped  to  look  for  obsidian.  At  the 
upper  part  of  the  snow-slopes,  near  the  crater  of  1845,  there 
are  numerous  rocks  projecting  through  the  snow,  which  have 
been  reduced  by  the  action  of  fire  to  something  very  nearly 
resembling  obsidian.  The  great  stream  of  it  is  on  the  south 
side  of  Hekla,  near  the  Torfa  Jokull ;  the  Icelanders  call  it 
Hrafn-tinnah,  and  the  stream  of  it  the  Hrafn-tinnah  Hraun. 
To  reach  it  requires  a  ride  of  twelve  or  thirteen  hours  from 
Hals,  round  the  eastern  end  of  Hekla.  We  reached  Hals  at 
six  p.  M.,  having  descended  very  slowly. ' 

Aug.  29th.  Eode  away  early.  The  road  the  same  as  before 
as  far  as  Thiorsarholt.  Then  we  rode  down  the  right  bank  of 
the  Thiorsa  for  a  long  and  weary  way,  over  a  great  grassy 
plain.  The  view  of  Hekla  rather  obscured  by  clouds,  but  we 
could  get  a  good  idea  of  its  grandeur,  seen  across  so  wide  a 
level,  with  the  detached  glacier  peaks,  each  higher  than  Hek]a 
itself,  between  it  and  the  sea.  After  riding  near  the  river  for 
several  miles,  we  struck  across  the  plain  to  the  right,  crossed 
an  old  lava  stream — which,  lying  as  it  did  far  away  from  any 
rising  ground,  would  seem  to  have  been  upheaved  from  be- 
neath— and  reached  Hjalmholt,  a  substantial  farm  standing  on 
a  rising  ground,  at  nine  P.M.  Our  distance  to-day  must  have 
been  at  least  thirty  miles.  Hjalmholt  is  the  largest  and  richest 
farm  we  have  yet  met  with.  It  is  furnished  in  the  style  of  a 
merchant's  house  in  Eeykjavik,  and  the  room  allotted  to  us 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 8  6o  349 

boasts  of  a  sofa,  clock,  and  other  luxuries.  From  the  farmer's 
cast  of  countenance,  we  suspect  him  to  be  a  Jew,  which  will, 
of  course,  account  for  his  affluence. 

Aug.  30^.  These  hospitable  Israelites  gave  us  a  breakfast 
of  hot  roast  lamb,  after  which  we  started,  and,  descending  into 
the  plain,  rode  seven  miles  across  it  to  Laugardoelir,  where  we 
were  again  to  cross  the  Hvita.  A  very  strong  north-east  wind 
was  blowing,  from  which  we  luckily  were  a  good  deal  sheltered 
by  the  low  hills  on  our  right.  We  could  judge  of  its  strength 
by  the  clouds  of  sand  that  rose  from  the  dunes  along  the 
coast,  and  from  the  occasional  glimpses  we  got  of  the  foam- 
flecked  sea.  The  ferryman  at  Laugardoelir  objected  to  cross 
in  such  a  gale.  We  said  we  would  not  be  stopped,  there 
being  evidently  no  danger,  as  the  wind  was  blowing  down 
stream.  Our  stock  of  expostulations  was  scanty,  but  finally 
they  took  effect,  and  he  consented  to  leave  the  matter  to  the 
decision  of  the  ponies.  If  they  would  swim,  then  he  would 
trust  his  boat.  They  trotted  down  to  the  water's  edge,  snuffed 
at  it  for  a  moment,  and  then  quietly  entered  and  swam  across, 
with  no  other  casualty  than  being  carried  a  few  hundred 
yards  down  stream.  Then  he  of  course  had  to  launch  his 
boat,  much  to  the  amusement  of  a  little  old  farmer,  with  a 
nose  like  a  parrot's  beak,  who  must  have  been  near  eighty, 
but  who  sat  in  the  bows  all  the  while  we  were  crossing, 
waving  his  hat  at  intervals  over  his  head,  and  shouting, 
"  I'm  not  old  !  I'm  not  old  !  " 

From  the  other  side  we  had  a  fearfully  cold  ride  of  seven 
miles  to  Eeykir,  the  wind  having  increased  greatly.  We  slept 
there  most  comfortably  in  the  church.  As  usual  it  was  used' 
as  a  receptacle  for  all  the  clothes,  saddles,  horse-rugs,  &c. 
belonging  to  the  family  ;  and  of  these  we  made  a  capital  bed. 

Aug.  31st. — Eeykir  stands  prettily  in  an  amphitheatre  of 
hills.  It  possesses  a  number  of  hot  springs,  closely  resem- 
bling the  Geysir.  One  threw  up  a  column  of  water,  or  steam, 
exactly  as  the  Geyser  does,  but  to  no  great  height.  As  we 
rode  away,  we  passed  a  very  large  pool  of  still  water,  similar 
to  that  near  the  Great  Geyser,  only  larger  and  more  beautiful. 


350  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

Another  long  ride  of  thirty-two  miles  to  Krisuvik.  From 
Hjalli,  a  village  seven  miles  from  Eeykir,  we  got  a  clear 
view  of  Hekla,  though  nearly  forty  miles  off,  as  the  day  was 
very  fine,  with  a  north-east  wind.  Tor  the  first  time  there  was 
not  a  cloud  on  any  of  the  glaciers.  Between  us  and  them 
all  seemed  level  ground,  the  various  heights  being  destroyed 
by  the  distance.  Nearest  to  the  sea  is  a  Jokull  with  a 
domical  top,  something  like  that  of  Monte  Eosa,  and  as 
snowy ;  then  comes  a  long  level  ridge,  followed  by  several 
peaks,  one  very  acute,  snowy,  and  nearly  as  high  as  Hekla, 
probably  the  highest  peak  of  the  Tindfjalla  Jokull;  then 
another  long  ridge,  and,  finally,  Hekla  itself.  The  summit 
nearest  to  the  sea  must  no  doubt  have  been  that  of  the 
Eyafjalla  Jokull,  5,200  feet  high,  one  of  several  peaks  rising 
out  of  a  large  ice-field,  of  which  the  other  summits,  of  inferior 
height,  are  the  Myrdals  Jokull,  the  Godalands  Jokull,  and 
the  Kotlugja  Jokull.  It  was  from  this  last  that  a  violent 
eruption  broke  out  in  May,  1860,  when  a  deluge  of  water, 
carrying  along  with  it  blocks  of  ice  "  as  big  as  houses,"  to 
quote  the  Icelandic  report  of  the  event,  descended  a  distance 
of  twenty  miles  into  the  sea.  From  this  point  we  could  see  the 
alluvial  deposit  of  the  great  rivers  stopped  by  the  lava-stream 
which  descends  into  the  sea  south-west  of  Hjalli.  Hence  the 
coast-line,  formed  by  these  deposits,  and  by  the  moraines  of 
the  great  Vatna  Jokull,  extends  eastward  for  more  than  180 
miles.  It  is  tolerably  even,  and  differs  from  nearly  all  the 
rest  of  the  Iceland  coast  in  being  wholly  unindented  with 
fiords. 

We  rode  over  lava,  close  to  the  sea,  for  about  seven 
miles,  and  then  for  an  equal  distance  through  the  Selvog- 
sheidi,  a  tract  of  wild  moorland,  with  a  good  many  flowers 
among  the  vegetation,  which  otherwise  was  identical  with 
that  of  the  country  beyond  the  Geysir.  Then  came  lava  again 
till  we  reached  Vogsovar,  a  farm  beside  a  small  tidal  lake. 
At  Straundar  Kirkja,  a  mile  or  so  nearer  the  sea,  good  sleep- 
ing quarters  may  be  found  in  the  church.  Near  Vogsovar  it 
was  a  beautiful  sight  to  see  the  innumerable  sea-fowl,  espe- 


J.  W.  Clark..]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  351 

cially  gannets,  fishing.  They  seemed  very  tame,  and  were 
close  in  shore,  flying  up  high  into  the  air,  and  thence  dashing 
down  into  the  water  whenever  they  spied  a  fish.  After 
leaving  Vogsovar,  we  had  a  most  painful  and  extraordinary 
journey  over  lava.  To  our  right,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
sea,  was  a  range  of  hills,  the  Kistufell,  of  no  great  height. 
Between  them  and  the  sea  there  had  evidently  once  been  a 
bed  of  lava,  similar  in  character  to  so  much  of  what  we  have 
crossed  elsewhere.  It  had  cooled  in  domical  masses,  and  its 
surface  was  corrugated  in  a  similar  way  to  the  lava  near 
Thingvalla.  Here  and  there  the  small  convex  surfaces  had 
burst,  and  formed  deep  depressions,  or  caverns.  Over  it,  from 
Kistufell,  had  streamed  three  cataracts  of  more  recent  lava, 
perfectly  distinguishable  at  the  points  where  they  had  fallen 
over  the  mountain  side,  where,  indeed,  they  were  of  no  great 
width,  and  also  where  they  had  spread  over  the  older  lava 
in  a  mass  similar  in  form  to  that  a  glacier  takes  when  it 
expands  after  long  confinement  in  a  ravine.  The  whole  is 
now  covered  thickly  with  long  grey  moss  and  lichens. 

In  one  of  the  above  mentioned  depressions  we  passed 
within  forty  yards  of  a  pair  of  white-tailed  eagles.  They  had 
just  made  their  evening  meal  of  fish,  and  were  digesting,  with 
drooping  wings,  and  probably  asleep.  They  did  not  move 
for  some  time,  but  at  length  sailed  away,  with  a  very  slow 
flight,  to  Kistufell. 

At  last  the  lava  ended,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  plain  of 
sand,  across  which  we  proceeded  rapidly  to  Krisuvik. 

September  1st. — Spent  the  morning  at  Krisuvik.  The  sul- 
phur mountains  are  a  range  of  no  great  height,  extending  for 
eight  or  nine  miles  in  a  north-easterly  direction,  forming  the 
western  boundary  of  the  plain  of  Krisuvik,  as  Kistufell  forms  the 
eastern.  The  view  is  pretty,  over  the  dark  purplish  coloured 
plain,  dotted  here  and  there  with  green  spots,  and  intersected 
with  rivulets.  A  large  lake,  the  Kleisavatn,  occupies  its 
northern  end  ;  nearer  to  the  sea  are  two  smaller  ones.  In 
the  middle  of  its  broadest  part,  where  it  is  about  five  miles 
across,  are  two  steep  detached  volcanic  hills,  on  the  western- 


352  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

most  of  which  is  the  village  of  Krisuvfk,  occupying  its 
southern  face.  The  plain  terminates  seaward  in  a  low  and 
steep  cliff,  called  the  Krisuvikrberg,  in  which  the  Fulmar 
Petrel  breeds.  The  warm  yellowish-brown  of  the  sulphur 
mountains  is  very  beautiful,  mixed  as  it  is  in  places  with 
the  bright  green  of  the  grass,  which  grows  in  tolerable  pro- 
fusion in  patches  here  and  there.  At  a  short  distance  from 
the  village  is  a  deep  valley,  where  the  chief  deposit  of 
sulphur  is  to  be  seen.  It  is  a  strange  scene,  full  of  jets 
of  steam  and  cauldrons  of  water,  spirting,  boiling,  and  splut- 
tering with  a  loud  noise,  and  great  effusion  of  vapour.  Eound 
and  among  them  are  banks  of  soft  clay,  very  dangerous  to 
walk  over,  as  in  an  instant  you  are  liable  to  sink  up  to  your 
knees  in  the  burning  marl.  A  steep  ascent  from  these  brings 
you  to  a  great  bare  patch,  covered  with  sulphureous  incrusta- 
tions/as are  the  clay  banks  below.  But  the  greatest  quantity 
of  sulphur  is  to  be  found  above,  where  it  lies  in  bright  yellow 
masses,  extremely  pure.  Just  over  the  "  col "  is  a  vast  assem- 
blage of  springs  in  a  space  about  one  hundred  yards  by  fifty 
in  size.  The  clay  is  full  of  fissures,  in  which  are  countless 
spirts  of  boiling  water  and  steam,  and  some  small  basins  of 
mud,  which  spirt  much  more  leisurely.  A  great  cloud  of 
steam  rises  from  the  spot.  A  good  deal  of  gypsum  is  to  be 
found  near.  In  no  place  have  we  seen  the  volcanic  agency 
so  active.  The  steam,  the  strange  combination  of  fire  and 
water,  the  loud  noise,  and  the  treacherous  nature  of  the  soil, 
recalled  the  scene  in  Dante's  Inferno,  where  he  saw  the 
damned  standing  in  boiling  mud,  that  seethed  like  the  pitch 
in  the  Venetian  arsenal. 

Further  east  in  the  hills  are  some  other  jets  of  steam,  but 
they  are  small  and  uninteresting.  The  sulphur  has  been 
worked  by  an  Englishman,  but  hitherto  without  much 
profit. 

Hence  we  rode  back  to  Eeykjavik,  eighteen  miles.  The 
journey  was  very  tedious,  over  lava,  where  we  could  not  go 
out  of  a  walk.  It  lies  between  two  ranges  of  tufa  hills,  very 
fantastic  in  outline,  up  which  in  some  places  it  seems  to  have 


J.  W.  Clark.]         NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  353 

been  forced.     We  passed  through  Havnfiord,  and  reached 
Eeykjavik  about  eight  p.m. 

Sept.  2d — Sept.  8th.  Spent  in  Eeykjavik  and  its  neigh- 
bourhood. 

There  is  not  much  to  see  in  Eeykjavik.  The  college,  a 
large  endowed  school,  transferred  hither  a  few  years  ago  from 
Bessestaol,  a  village  four  miles  off  to  the  south,  is  the  only 
public  building.  There  are  fifty  or  so  scholars,  who  go 
through  a  course  of  study  extending  over  six  years,  and  then, 
if  they  intend  to  be  lawyers  or  physicians,  are  obliged  to  go  to 
the  University  of  Copenhagen.  If  they  intend  to  be  clergy- 
men, they  study  theology,  pass  an  examination,  and  are 
ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  Eeykjavik.  The  livings,  with  two 
exceptions,  are  all  in  his  gift.  The  same  building  includes 
the  room  in  which  the  Althing  still  meets,  a  museum,  quite 
in  its  infancy,  and  a  library  for  the  use  of  the  college.  I  am 
afraid  scholarship  is  at  a  low  ebb.  One  of  the  lines  in 
an  epitaph  over  a  young  student,  considered  a  great  achieve- 
ment, ended  with  "  torpore  captus  abit"  ! 

There  is  a  town  library  in  the  loft  in  the  roof  of  the 
cathedral.  Any  one  subscribing  a  dollar  a  year  may  have 
five  volumes  out  at  once.  At  present  it  is  poorly  furnished 
with  books,  and  the  ladies  of  Eeykjavik  complain  of  the 
paucity  of  novels ;  but  it  is  on  the  increase ;  and  when 
removed  into  a  more  commodious  room,  to  build  which  an 
Englishman  lately  left  1,000?.,  it  will  be  more  accessible,  and 
probably  more  interest  will  be  taken  in  it. 

The  cathedral  was  rebuilt  in  1847.  It  is  of  stone,  with  a 
wooden  roof.  There  is  little  to  be  said  about  it,  except  that 
it  is  large  and  commodious.  It  consists  of  a  nave  with 
aisles,  and  a  small  chancel,  in  which  is  placed  its  only  orna- 
ment, a  marble  font  carved  by  Thorwaldsen.  In  the  vestry 
they  show  a  cope  of  red  velvet,  sent  by  the  Pope  to  the  last 
Eoman  Catholic  Bishop,  who  died  in  1550.  The  embroidery  has 
been  good,  but  now  is  much  worn  and  faded.  There  was  a 
very  thin  congregation  on  the  Sunday  we  went  to  the  cathe- 
dral.   Scandalous  persons  affirm  that  it  is  only  in  the  winter, 

A  A 


354  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

when  there  is  nothing  else  to  do,  that  people  frequent  the  church. 
Certainly  on  September  2d  there  were  not  more  than  fifty 
people  present.  Two  young  ladies  appeared  in  the  national 
costume,  which  has  lately  been  revived.  It  consists  of  a 
skirt  of  silk,  fastened  round  the  waist  by  a  band  of  velvet 
clasped  with  silver ;  a  tight-fitting  silk  boddice  with  long 
sleeves  more  or  less  embroidered ;  and  on  the  head  a  sort  of 
helmet,  covered  with  a  bright  coloured  silk,  from  which  a 
long  veil  hangs  down  the  wearer's  back  to  the  ground. 
Bracelets,  necklaces,  buttons,  and  clasp  are  all  of  silver, 
worked  in  a  beautiful  filagree,  exactly  such  as  were  made 
by  their  ancestors  a  thousand  years  ago.  The  great  glory  of 
the  farmers'  wives  is  to  possess  some  of  these,  and  they  will 
give  great  prices  for  them.  Throughout  the  country  there  is 
little  or  no  costume.  The  men  are  dressed  like  English 
labourers,  in  suits  of  coarse  cloth,  which  their  wives  weave, 
and  shirts  of  coarse  homespun.  In  every  cottage  there  is  a 
loom  and  a  spinning-wheel. 

The  shops  are  mere  warehouses,  with  a  counter,  at  which 
you  can  make  purchases.  The  wares  consist  entirely  of  the 
commonest  articles  of  clothing  and  grocery,  and  a  few  fox  and 
sheep  skins  and  eider-down.  There  is  a  printing-press  here, 
and  at  Akreyri  on  the  north  coast.  Here  they  publish  a 
weekly  newspaper. 

There  are  1,400  inhabitants  in  Eeykjavik,  200  of  whom  are 
Danes,  the  remainder  Icelanders.  The  minority  has  wealth 
on  its  side,  and  takes  to  itself  the  chief  offices.  The  governor, 
the  bishop,  the  rector  of  the  college,  are  all  Danes.  Two  or 
three  Icelanders  are  rich  merchants,  but  they  have  not  much 
influence.  Of  course  the  two  parties  regard  each  other  with  a 
good  deal  of  jealousy,  but  on  the  whole  they  agree  very  well. 
The  Icelanders  are  not  wanting  in  intelligence,  and  possess 
one  gift,  the  power  of  acquiring  languages,  in  rare  perfection ; 
but  poverty  and  habitual  indolence,  which  prevent  their  even 
feeling  the  want  of  change,  paralyse  them.  Each  family  is 
content  to  possess  as  many  sheep,  cows,  and  ponies,  and  as 
lar<?e  a  stock  of  dried  fish  as  is  wanted  for  its  own  use,  and, 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  355 

no  more.  The  only  foreign  products  they  need  are  corn  and 
coffee,  and  the  sale  of  the  wool  of  their  flocks  enables  them 
easily  to  procure  these  from  the  Danes  at  Beykjavik,  whither 
they  resort  once  a  year,  generally  at  Christmas.  Of  commerce 
for  their  own  profit  they  have  no  idea.  If  the  fishery  be 
plentiful,  they  take  no  more  than  is  necessary  for  themselves. 
After  it  is  salted  and  dried,  they  eat  it  with  no  further 
cooking.  You  see  the  children  toddling  about,  holding  half  a 
stockfish  by  the  tail,  and  gnawing  it  for  their  breakfast.  The 
fisheries,  which  are  most  productive,  only  serve  to  enrich 
strangers,  especially  the  French.  A  few  English  vessels  resort 
to  the  north  coast.  Danish  merchants  reside  at  the  Westmann 
Islands,  and  make  the  natives  catch  and  salt  the  fish  for 
them,  as  the  Norwegians  act  by  the  Lapps.  The  case  is  the 
same  at  Akreyri.  At  Berufiord,  on  the  east  coast,  where  the 
Iceland  spar  would  form  an  important  item  of  national  wealth, 
a  Hamburg  merchant  has  purchased,  for  a  small  sum,  the 
exclusive  right  of  collecting  it.  No  steps  have  been  taken  to 
examine  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  country,  which  some  per- 
sons, able  to  judge,  think  will  prove  to  be  large.  Plumbago 
has  been  found  in  the  north  near  Mount  Krabla.  The  sulphur 
of  Krisuvik  enriches  private  English  enterprise. 

The  Danish  Government — which  is  restrained,  however,  by 
an  Iceland  Althing — makes  as  much  as  it  can  out  of  the 
country  with  the  least  possible  outlay.  There  are  no  roads  ; 
there  is  no  drainage.  Yet  notwithstanding  all  this  excessive 
poverty,  and  crowding  in  small  houses,  the  peasants  are  moral 
and  religious,  and  can  even  read  and  write  in  the  absence  of 
schools.  The  lamp  of  learning  has  been  handed  down  from 
father  to  son,  and  they  instruct  each  other  in  the  long  winter 
evenings.  In  every  cottage  you  find  a  few  books  :  a  Bible, 
some  hymn-books,  and  a  Saga  or  two. 

The  rigour  of  the  climate  has  been  a  good  deal  exaggerated. 
It  is  never  very  hot,  though  once  at  the  Geyser  the  thermometer 
stood  at  93° — and  never  very  cold.  From  May  to  September, 
the  weather  is  generally  fine,  though  the  latter  month  is  some- 
times rainy.     Snow  rarely  lies   in  large  quantities  before 

A  A  2 


356  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

February.  The  spring  is  the  stormiest  part  of  the  year.  With 
care,  trees  might  certainly  be  got  to  grow,  and  possibly  corn 
in  some  sheltered  valleys.  The  impediment  to  agriculture  is 
not  the  climate  so  much  as  the  intractable  nature  of  the  soil 

The  Government  has  of  late  removed  the  prohibition  which 
forbids  the  Icelanders  to  trade  with  any  nation  but  the  Danes. 
The  removal  has  not  yet  had  much  effect ;  a  small  trade  goes 
on  with  Scotland  in  ponies,  but  they  are  not  in  great  repute 
there. 

Two  Eoman  Catholic  missionaries — French  Jesuits — have 
settled  here,  and  bought  a  small  estate.  The  Government 
will  not  allow  them  to  build  a  chapel ;  a  piece  of  persecution 
which  causes  popular  feeling  to  set  in  their  favour.  They 
make  no  converts,  however. 

The  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  town  is  low  and 
marshy,  and  the  plains  strewn  with  blocks  of  trap  rock. 
Near  Havnfiord  there  is  a  variety  of  this  in  great  masses, 
which  they  call  Havnfiordite.  At  Fossvogr,  a  small  bay  in 
the  first  fiord  to  the  south  from  Eeykjavik,  there  is  a  bed  of 
palagonite  tufa,  about  eighteen  feet  thick,  containing  a  few 
shells. 

Sept.  8th.  Sailed  into  the  Hvalfiord,  the  first  fiord  to  the 
north.  Its  scenery  is  very  pretty,  the  southern  shore  being 
formed  by  the  cliffs  of  Esja ;  and  the  northern  sloping  more 
gradually  to  the  water's  edge,  with  several  farms  on  it.  There 
is  capital  anchorage  in  a  secluded  bay  at  the  upper  end, 
near  a  farm  called  Hvammr.  Dr.  Hjaltalin  went  with  us  to 
show  us  the  place  where  he  had  found  some  specimens  of 
Iceland  spar  on  a  former  visit.  He  thinks  that  it  may  possibly 
turn  out  a  profitable  vein.  At  present,  only  a  few  pieces  have 
been  found  among  the  pebbles  on  the  beach,  and,  of  course,  a 
good  deal  worn.  Still  they  are  clear  and  good.  We  found 
but  little,  and  that  little  of  very  indifferent  quality.  Near 
our  anchorage  was  a  fine  range  of  basaltic  columns,  with  a 
vein  of  green  stone  cutting  them  diagonally. 

Sept.  9th.  Examined  the  northern  shore  for  minerals. 
Count  Sartorius  found  copper  here.     We  got  some  specimens 


J.W.  Clakk.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  357 

of  the  greenish  clay,  which  does  contain  copper,  but  in  very 
small  quantities.  Plenty  of  crystals  of  carbonate  of  lime  in 
the  rock,  and  some  stilbites.  Got  also  some  pretty  pieces  of 
chalcedony  and  malachite.  Marble,  too,  is  found  both  here 
and  in  Esja. 

Back  to  Eeykjavik  at  night.  We  spent  two  more  very 
pleasant  days  there,  and  finally  sailed  on  the  morning  of 
September  12th.  We  anchored  in  Lerwick  harbour  on  the 
19th. 

I  will  now  add  a  few  particulars  which  may  be  useful  to 
future  travellers  in  Iceland. 

The  steamer  "Arcturus"  runs  every  month,  from  March  to 
October,  from  Copenhagen  to  Iceland,  touching  at  Leith,  and 
at  Thorshavn  in  the  Faro  Islands.  The  voyage  from  Leith 
to  Eeykjavik  occupies  about  five  days,  one  of  which  is  spent 
at  Thorshavn.  The  agents  are  Messrs.  Turnbull  and  Sal- 
verson,  Leith. 

Iceland  is  rather  larger  than  Ireland.  In  form  it  is  an 
irregular  ellipse,  of  which  the  greatest  length  is  about  285 
English  miles,  and  the  greatest  breadth  1 90.  On  a  rough  com- 
putation it  has  an  area  of  37,000  square  miles ;  but  this  it  is 
very  difficult  to  estimate  accurately,  owing  to  the  great 
number  of  fiords  which  run  up  far  into  the  land,  and  the  long 
narrow  peninsulas  which  in  many  parts  of  the  coast  extend 
for  several  miles  into  the  sea.  This  applies  especially  to  the 
northern,  eastern,  and  western  coasts.  The  southern  presents 
a  low  level  line,  continually  increasing,  owing  to  the  debris 
brought  down  by  the  great  rivers,  and  by  the  icefields  of 
Hekla,  and  of  the  Vatna  Jokull. 

Of  this  area,  however,  it  is  only  a  comparatively  narrow 
strip  round  the  coasts  that  is  inhabited ;  and  that  only  by 
peasants  dwelling  in  small  farms  remote  from  each  other. 
The  entire  centre  of  the  island,  for  an  area  of  about  12,000 
square  miles,  is  a  desert,  rarely  visited  by  the  inhabitants, 
and  regarded  by  them  with  some  degree  of  apprehension.  It 
consists  partly  of  glaciers,  partly  of  extensive  lava  fields, 
and  partly  of  scrubby  moor.     It  nowhere  attains  to  any  great 


358  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland, 

elevation ;  its  highest  glacier  peaks,  which  are  quite  isolated, 
are  not  more  than  4,400  feet  high.  It  takes  four  days,  our 
guide  told  us,  to  cross  from  Haukadalr  to  the  first  farm  on 
the  north  side  of  the  island,  during  which  time  not  a  human 
being  is  to  be  seen.  This  track  is  one  frequently  used,  as 
being  the  nearest  way  between  Keykjavik  and  Akreyri,  the 
two  capitals,  so  to  speak.  The  scenery  about  the  glaciers, 
judging  from  the  glimpses  I  got  of  it  beyond  the  Geyser,  must 
be  very  splendid. 

The  grandest  glacier,  however,  in  Iceland,  and  one  wholly 
unexplored,  is  the  great  Vatna  Jokull,  in  the  south-eastern 
angle  of  the  island.  The  district  so  named  occupies  on  the 
map  an  area  of  3,500  square  miles,  140  times  as  large  as  that 
of  the  Finster  Aarhorn  glacier  ;  but  this  of  course  must  not 
be  understood  to  apply  to  one  glacier  only.  As  we  sailed 
within  sight  of  it  on  our  return  voyage — and  this  was  in 
September,  when  the  snow  had  disappeared  in  most  parts  of 
Iceland — it  seemed  a  vast  snow  field,  with  many  single  snowy 
peaks  rising  from  it.  One  of  these,  the  Orcefa  Jokull,  attains 
to  a  height  of  6,000  feet,  and  is  the  highest  mountain  in  Ice- 
land. Generally,  the  whole  field  is  at  least  as  high  as  Hekla  : 
that  is,  about  5,000  feet. 

Travelling  in  Iceland  is  slow,  according  to  our  modern 
ideas.  Still,  as  the  most  blase  tourist  would  hardly  go  to 
Iceland  for  novelty,  it  may  be  fast  enough  for  scientific  men, 
the  only  ones  who  are  likely  to  visit  it.  Thirty  miles  a  day 
is  the  utmost  that  can  be  accomplished,  on  an  average ;  and, 
four  or  five  days'  continuous  travelling,  even  at  that  rate,  will 
be  found  very  wearisome.  There  is  not  the  relief  of  boat 
journeys  which  you  have  in  Norway.  There  are  no  boats 
large  enough  to  ferry  horses  in  ;  there  is  no  system  of  relays 
by  which  you  can  hire  ponies  from  point  to  point,  and 
substitute  water  for  land  conveyance  at  pleasure  ;  with  the 
horses  with  which  you  started  you  must  return  ;  and  so  are 
obliged  to  go  round  fiords  at  a  cost  of  days,  perhaps,  which 
might  be  crossed  in  as  many  hours,  if  boats  were  to  be  had. 
Still,  with  all  this  delay,  the  whole  island  might  be  visited 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  359 

after  a  fashion,  "  parcouru,"  as  the  French  say,  in  a  single 
summer,  between  May  and  October. 

The  cost  is  considerable.  Our  Eeykjavik  guide,  who  was 
certainly  a  first-rate  fellow,  probably  the  best  in  the  island, 
charged  three  dollars,  about  6s.  9d.  a  day,  for  his  own  ser- 
vices ;  and  two  dollars  a  day  besides  for  those  of  a  boy  to 
look  after  the  ponies,  often  a  long  business,  as  they  stray 
during  the  night.  For  the  horses,  we  agreed  to  pay  ten 
dollars  a  horse  for  the  journey,  which  we  specified,  irrespec- 
tive of  the  time.  We  were  out  sixteen  days,  so  that  our 
horses  cost  us  no  more  than  about  Is.  6d.  a  day  each.  Cer- 
tainly, if  the  journey  was  intended  to  be  a  long  one,  with 
frequent  stoppages,  it  would  be  better  to  buy  horses  ;  as  they 
can  be  got  cheap,  and  can  easily  be  sold  when  done  with. 
Their  keep  is  not  costly,  and  they  generally  feed  themselves 
on  the  neighbouring  pastures.  In  cases  where  fodder  has  to 
be  bought,  one  penny  a  day  covers  all  charges.  Several  horses 
are  required  even  by  a  single  traveller,  as  he  must  carry  a 
great  deal  of  baggage.  First,  a  tent  and  bedding  is  almost 
necessary  everywhere,  and  absolutely  so  in  the  wilder  regions. 
Every  farmer  possesses  a  small  tent,  which  he  will  lend  ;  but 
it  is  of  a  very  primitive  cut,  about  two  feet  high,  and  destitute 
of  all  comfort.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  clergymen  and 
farmers,  no  one  in  Iceland  possesses  a  house  where  a  decent 
lodging  can  be  obtained.  The  poorest  in  Norway  is  better 
than  the  richest  there.  Secondly,  provisions  should  be  taken. 
Except  in  very  rare  instances,  no  meat  is  to  be  had,  unless 
the  party  be  large  enough  to  consume  a  whole  sheep.  The 
only  bread  to  be  met  with  is  that  made  with  coarse  rye  flour, 
and  even  that  but  rarely.  The  natives  seem  to  live  principally 
on  "  skier,"  and  dry  salt  fish.  Gulls  and  seals  are  a  delicacy 
with  the  fishermen.  Biscuits,  therefore,  and  preserved  meats, 
become  necessaries  in  Iceland.  Very  little  can  be  got  at  the 
shops  in  Eeykjavik  :  so  that  all  that  is  likely  to  be  wanted 
should  be  taken  from  England.  If  it  be  the  traveller's  object 
to  collect  birds,  he  should  take  an  India-rubber  boat,  as  many 
of  the  inland  lakes  have  either  no  boats  of  any  kind  near 


360  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Iceland. 

them,  or  some  crazy  old  thing  which  leaks  so  fast  that  half  the 
time  is  spent  in  baling. 

For  birds,  the  best  localities  are  the  north  and  east  coasts. 
It  was  on  the  latter,  in  the  Breidifjord,  and  about  the  nume- 
rous bays  in  the  peninsula  forming  the  north-west  corner  of 
the  island,  that  Faber  found  the  rarest  birds.  The  lake 
Myvatn,  near  Mount  Krabla,  is  stated  by  all  to  be  the  best 
place  for  ducks.  A  very  good  ornithologist  assured  me  that 
he  had  found  all  the  ducks  there.  At  Grimsey,  an  island  off 
the  north-coast,  all  the  varieties  of  guillemot  breed,  and  so 
does  the  gerfalcon,  I  am  told.  The  Hvitavatn,  a  great  glacier 
lake  north  of  the  Geyser,  is  said  to  be  full  of  swans.  I 
myself  saw  six  in  one  small  pond  near  Hekla.  The  great 
northern  diver  breeds  on  the  islands  in  the  lake  of  Thingvalla. 
White-tailed  eagles  are  common  ;  I  saw  several  near  the 
coast,  and  one  used  to  come  daily  to  an  island  close  to  our 
anchorage  at  Eeykjavik  to  feed,  but  he  was  too  wary  to  be 
shot.  The  Iceland  falcons  come  close  to  Eeykjavik  in  the 
winter,  and  several  are  shot  yearly.  They  are  not  at  all  rare. 
Dr.  Hjaltalin  told  us  that  this  year  the  famous  Great  Auk 
Scar  had  been  visited  by  some  fishermen  from  Eeykjanes. 
No  birds,  however,  were  found,  nor  any  traces  of  them  ;  since 
1844,  none  have  been  seen,  and  as  their  value  is  known,  and 
a  hundred  dollars  offered  for  a  pair  in  Eeykjavik,  the  bird  has 
little  chance  of  escape  if  he  does  make  his  appearance.  Great 
quantities  of  the  bones  are  said  to  exist  still  near  Eeykjanes, 
relics  of  the  days  when  boat-loads  of  the  birds  used  to  be 
brought  from  the  Scar.  Probably,  however,  the  quantity 
consumed  has  been  greatly  exaggerated  ;  the  Scar  never  could 
have  been  easy  of  access,  and  now  seven  or  eight  weeks  will 
pass  without  a  boat  being  able  to  approach  it. 

Eeindeer  are  said  to  exist  in  considerable  numbers  in  the 
interior.  It  is  not  long  since  they  were  introduced  from 
Norway,  but  no  use  has  ever  been  made  of  them.  Of  course, 
they  never  leave  their  highlands,  and  the  idea  of  shooting  and 
eating  them  has  never  been  yet  entertained  by  an  Icelander. 
Blue  and  white  foxes  are  trapped  in  great  numbers  in  winter. 


J.  W.  Clark.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  361 

An  old  horse  is  killed,  and  the  hunters  place  themselves  en 
cache  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  shoot  the  foxes  as  they  come 
down  to  feed.  In  summer  they  are  rarely  if  ever  seen,  as  they 
resort  to  the  most  unfrequented  places. 

There  fortunately  is  a  capital  map,  the  survey  made  by 
order  of  the  Danish  Government,  and  published  in  1844,  at 
Copenhagen.  It  can  be  got  in  London  from  Messrs.  Williams 
and  Norgate,  for  about  30s.,  mounted,  in  a  case.  I  found  it 
in  general  very  accurate  in  frequented  places,  but  in  unfre- 
quented ones  it  was  by  no  means  so  good.  No  trustworthy 
chart  has  been  published  either  in  England  or  Denmark.  The 
best  is  a  French  one,  to  be  procured  through  the  English  from 
the  French  Admiralty.  The  best  chart  of  the  anchorage  at 
Eeykjavik  is  one  given  in  Sir  James  Mackenzie's  "  Travels 
in  Iceland,"  in  1800  ;  a  book  whose  general  excellence  I  had 
ample  opportunities  of  admiring.  I  can  recommend  it  as 
a  useful  guide-book ;  but  I  ought  to  say,  that  Henderson's 
Iceland  is  considered  by  educated  Icelanders  to  be  the  best 
work  on  their  country.     This  I  have  never  seen. 


362  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 


11.    NORWAY. 
BY  H.  F.  TOZER,  M.A. 


'  He  that  will  visit  Norway,  must  first  pay  a  heavy  toll.' 
This  dismal  thought  was  uppermost  in  our  minds  on  the 
morning  of  the  8th  of  July,  1860,  when,  after  forty  hours' 
heavy  rolling  in  the  German  Ocean,  we  at  last  approached  the 
harbour  of  Christiansand.  But  it  was  soon  dispelled  ;  for  as 
we  drew  near  to  the  shore,  we  perceived  that  we  were  coming 
to  a  perfectly  unique  country.  All  along  the  coast  were  pine- 
covered  mountains,  with  large  bosses  of  rock  projecting  from 
their  sides,  and  inlets  of  the  sea  running  in  amongst  them. 
We  had  never  seen  anything  like  it  before ;  and  after  trying 
various  comparisons,  we  agreed  that  you  would  get  the  clearest 
idea  of  its  appearance,  by  supposing  the  Saxon  Switzerland 
transported  to  the  sea.  On  landing,  we  made  our  way 
through  the  town ;  and  having  crossed  a  river  of  some  size, 
which  forms  its  boundary  on  the  land  side,  mounted  the  hills, 
which  rise  behind,  to  get  a  view  over  the  surrounding  district. 
The  town  lay  below  us,  and  the  well-sheltered  bay  beyond ; 
at  our  feet  the  river  which  we  had  crossed,  the  Torrisdals 
Elv,  flows  into  the  sea ;  and  the  level  country  which  inter- 
venes between  the  river  and  the  mountains,  is  occupied  by 
prosperous-looking  farms  and  green  meadows,  from  which 
splendid  crops  of  grass  were  being  taken.  Away  to  the  north 
is  a  picturesque  break  in  the  hills,  through  which  the  eye  can 
follow  the  river  in  many  of  its  windings  ;  while  to  the  east 
the  broad  Topsdal  Fiord  runs  in  landwards.  The  houses  of 
the  town  are  all  built  of  wood,  with  tiled  roofs,  high-pitched 


H-  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  363 

to  throw  off  the  snow ;  but  they  are  low,  having  generally 
two,  or  at  the  most  three  stories.  The  streets  are  very 
regular,  owing,  probably,  to  frequent  fires  ;  for  in  wooden 
towns  fire  is  the  great  sanitory  reformer,  just  as  Etna,  by  its 
frequent  eruptions,  has  made  Catania  the  best-built  town  in 
Sicily. 

The  next  day  we  proceeded  along  the  coast,  with  fine 
bright  weather,  and  before  long  began  to  thread  the  numerous 
islands  which  fringe  the  shore.  In  many  places  the  passage 
is  very  narrow  ;  but  the  water  is  deep.  These  islands  are  all 
of  the  same  bossy  nature  as  what  we  had  seen  before  ;  some 
are  bare  rocks,  but  generally  they  are  covered  with  wood,  and 
log-huts  and  wooden  houses  are  seen  here  and  there  upon 
them.  It  gave  me  quite  the  idea  of  what  a  back  settlement 
in  Canada  might  be,  as  seen  from  the  inlets  of  one  of  the 
great  lakes  ;  and  very  charming  and  Eden-like  many  of  the 
stations  appeared, — so  compact  they  were,  each  with  its  little 
bay  and  sailing- boat,  with  a  small  bright-green  meadow, 
flanked  by  rocks,  which  in  their  turn  were  crowned  with 
trees,  and  in  the  midst  a  picturesque  cottage  in  a  sheltered 
spot,  painted  with  bright  colours,  yellow,  red,  or  rich  browu, 
as  if  the  art  of  polychrome  had  long  been  there.  After  pene- 
trating some  way  amongst  these,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  wide 
sound*  with  fine  arms  reaching  out  among  the  islands ;  the 
mountains  also  became  higher,  the  houses  larger  and  more 
numerous,  and  before  long  we  discovered  that  we  were  ap- 
proaching the  pretty  town  of  Arendal,  which  is  built  in 
a  steep  gully,  running  down  to  the  sea  at  the  meeting  of 
three  creeks,  and  commands  some  singularly  nice  lake  scenery. 
The  sea  in  these  parts  looks  blue,  though  it  cannot  boast  of 
the  rich  blue  of  the  south ;  the  sky,  too,  is  a  light  blue,  but 
most  transparent,  and  the  air  clear  and  invigorating.  We 
wound  our  way  out  to  the  open  sea  again,  but  before  evening- 
penetrated  once  more  into  a  wilder  and  less  frequented  nest 
of  islands.     The  sunset  was  superb  :  I  have  rarely  seen  such 

*  A  sound  has  been  distinguished  from  a  fiord,  thus:  a  sound  is  a 
thoroughfare ;  a  fiord,  a  evil  de  sac. 


364  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

distinct  and  delicately  pencilled  furrows  of  gold,  and  the  last 
bright  hues  had  not  disappeared  at  midnight.  During  the 
night  we  steamed  up  the  Christiania  Fiord,  the  scenery  of 
which  somewhat  resembles  that  of  the  less  interesting  Swiss 
lakes;  and  in  the  morning  arrived  at  the  capital. 

Christiania  presents  few  objects  of  interest  to  detain  the 
traveller.  Its  appearance  is  commonplace,  reminding  you  of 
Mannheim,  or  some  of  the  less  striking  German  towns  ;  and 
since  it  has  been  ordered  by  law  that  all  the  houses  shall  be 
built  of  stone,  it  wants  the  semi-barbarous  picturesqueness  of 
other  Norwegian  towns.  Accordingly  the  day  that  we  re- 
mained there  was  principally  spent  in  purchasing  carrioles 

(the  Norwegian  travelling  carriage),  one  for  my  friend  E 

and  one  for  myself, — for  the  carriole  is  a  solitary  vehicle, — 
harness  and  maps,  together  with  cayenne  pepper,  and  a  few 
other  things,  which  have  the  power  of  making  unpalatable 
food  seem  palatable.  The  route  which  we  proposed  to  our- 
selves was  to  go  up  the  Gulbrandsdal,  the  principal  inland 
valley  of  Norway,  to  the  foot  of  the  Dovre  Fjeld,  and  thence  by 
way  of  the  Romsdal  to  Molde,  where  we  hoped  to  catch  the 
steamer  for  Trondjem  and  Hammerfest,  and  then  returning  to 
Molde,  to  make  our  way  to  Bergen  across  the  less  frequented 
western  fiords,  and  after  a  visit  to  the  Hardanger  Fiord,  to 
return  to  Christiania  over  the  Fille  Fjeld. 

On  Wednesday,  July  11,  we  started  by  railway  for  Eids- 
vold,  at  the  foot  of  the  Miosen  lake,  and  on  the  way  saw 
evident  signs  of  the  great  inundation  which  had  taken  place 
in  the  river  which  flows  out  of  the  lake  ;  for  Norway,  as  well 
as  England,  had  been  deluged  with  rain  during  the  spring. 
At  Eidsvold  the  carrioles  had  to  be  taken  off  the  train,  and 
hoisted  on  board  the  steamer  ;  so,  while  this  operation  is 
going  forward,  I  will  endeavour  to  describe  them.  The 
carriole  is  the  nearest  possible  approach  to  a  skeleton  carriage ; 
in  few  words,  it  is  composed  of  two  long  shafts,  two  large 
wheels,  a  little  seat,  and  a  little  splash-board.  The  shafts 
are  the  great  feature,  as  they  support  the  body  of  the  carriage, 
and  being  made  of  very  strong  ash-wood,  and  thin  in  propor- 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  365 

tion  to  their  length,  they  yield  with  the  motion  of  the  vehicle, 
and  render  springs  unnecessary.     The  wheels  are  behind  the 


seat,  and  just  behind  them  again  is  a  board,  on  which  the 
luggage  is  placed ;  on  the  top  of  which  sits  the  boy,  who  looks 
after  the  horses,  and  takes  them  back  at  the  end  of  the  stage. 
The  seat  is  extremely  small — Falstaff  could  not  possibly  have 
ridden  in  a  carriole — the  sides  are  about  nine  inches  high, 
the  back  about  eighteen  ;  between  this  and  the  splash-board 
is  a  narrow  bottom,  where  a  knapsack  will  conveniently 
stand  ;  and  attached  to  the  splash-board  is  an  apron,  which, 
together  with  a  mackintosh,  will  enable  you  almost  to  defy 
rain.  There  are  no  traces,  but  the  horse  draws  by  thongs 
attaching  the  collar  to  the  fore-part  of  the  shafts.  Your  feet 
rest  on  either  side  of  the  splash-board  against  a  cross-bar, 
which  supports  the  front  of  the  carriage ;  and  as  the  seat  is 
very  low,  so  that  your  legs  are  nearly  at  right  angles  to  your 
body,  and  there  is  hardly  any  support  for  the  back,  it  is  hard 
to  see  on  what  principles,  mechanical  or  anatomical,  it  can 
possibly  be  comfortable  ;  but  it  is  so,  notwithstanding,  and 
you  may  travel  in  this  way  for  the  greater  part  of  a  day 
without  fatigue. 

The  mention  of  a  knapsack  reminds  me  to  give  two  words 
of  advice  on  this  subject  to  future  travellers.  The  first  is, 
Take  a  knapsack  to  Norway  ;  the  second,  Don't  wear  it  unless 
you  are  obliged.  In  spite  of  all  that  has  been  stated  on  the 
other  side,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  Norway  is  not  a 
country  for  a  pedestrian  tour.     Its  area  is  too  large  ;  and 


366  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

both  the  special  objects  of  interest,  and  the  more  comfortable 
stations,  lie  at  too  great  a  distance  from  one  another.  No 
doubt,  if  a  person  goes  abroad  for  the^urpose  of  roughing  it, 
that  mode  of  travelling  will  give  him  ample  opportunities  of 
doing  so  in  Norway ;  and  most  travellers  will  have  enjoyed, 
for  once  in  a  way,  the  independence — some  would  even  say 
the  romance — of  eating  goats'  flesh,  and  lying  on  hard 
boards  ;  but  when  our  first  enthusiasm  has  passed  away,  it 
is  as  well,  perhaps,  to  secure  the  ordinary  comforts  of  life, 
when  they  do  not  prevent  us  from  seeing  all  that  is  worth 
seeing ;  and  this  for  the  pedestrian  tourist  in  Norway  is 
impossible.  Yet  a  knapsack  will  be  found  serviceable  for 
carrying  what  is  wanted  for  ordinary  use,  and  may  be  required 
for  occasional  excursions.  But  the  carrioles  are  on  board, 
and  the  steamer  is  waiting  for  us.     Lad  os  gaae. 

The  Miosen  lake  is  a  very  long  and  narrow  piece  of  water, 
being  upwards  of  sixty  miles  in  length,  and  rarely  more  than 
two  or  three  broad.  The  scenery  is  not  grand,  but  soft  and 
pleasant,  with  sloping  hills,  which  here  and  there  rise  to  some 
height  above  the  water.  It  might  be  compared  to  the  lake 
of  Zurich,  or  the  lower  end  of  that  of  Constance  ;  and  though 
the  cultivation  cannot  vie  with  the  smiling  shores  of  those 
lakes,  yet  there  is  a  good  deal  of  fine  vegetation  and  thriving 
farms  at  the  sides.  Whenever  we  approached  the  land,  we 
were  welcomed  by  the  aromatic  smell  of  the  trees,  which 
recalled  the  fragrance  of  the  "  sweet  south,"  though  it  had  not 
the  richness  of  the  southern  scents.  But  the  greatest  charm 
of  all,  was  in  the  feeling  of  the  evening-time,  which  succeeded 
the  almost  overpowering  heat  of  the  day;  to  breathe  the  air 
was  perfect  enjoyment ;  it  was  fresh  without  chill,  and  soft 
without  languor.  At  eleven,  p.m.,  when  we  reached  Lille- 
hammer,  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  it  was  still  daylight,  and 
you  might  have  read  a  book  with  the  smallest  print  all  the 
night  through. 

The  scenery  of  the  Gulbrandsdal,  which  commences  at  this 
point,  is  apt  to  disappoint  the  traveller,  for  the  descriptions, 
which  represent  it  as  rich  and  beautiful,  give  a  false  idea  of 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  367 

the  reality.  Every  thing  about  it  is  wild  and  dreary,  though 
on  a  grand  scale;  here  and  there  patches  of  cultivation  are 
seen,  and  the  firs  spread  themselves  all  over  the  mountains, 
but  it  impresses  you  everywhere  with  a  sense  of  desolation. 
This  appearance,  together  with  the  size  and  comparative 
calmness  of  the  river,  distinguish  it  from  a  commonplace 
Alpine  valley;  and  in  places,  when  the  dull  bluish  green 
waters  of  the  Logan  expand  into  lakes  of  considerable  extent, 
the  views  are  often  picturesque.  I  will  describe  one  scene 
which  may  suggest  a  general  idea  of  the  features  of  the 
valley.  It  is  at  Elstad,  the  place  where  we  dined  on  this 
first  day  of  our  carriole  journey,  and  where  the  station,  or 
post-house,  is  in  a  fine  position  on  a  hill.  The  broad  river, 
here  of  a  grey-green  colour,  lies  below  you,  broken  into 
several  channels  by  large  sand -banks,  on  some  of  which 
numerous  willows  grow  ;  opposite  you  are  bluffs  of  rock  and 
pine-clad  slopes,  with  pastures  here  and  there,  and  sceters  or 
mountain  farms  upon  them,  while  the  highest  mountains, 
which  rise  behind,  are  bare  of-  trees.  There  is  a  certain 
breadth  and  grandeur  about  it ;  but  the  outlines  are  poor, 
and  the  colours  are  all  neutral  tint  and  dark  green,  so  that  it 
affords  no  relief  to  the  eye  or  the  mind. 

At  Oien,  where  we  supped  that  evening,  while  the  post- 
horses,  which  had  only  just  returned  from  another  stage,  were 
resting,  we  had  a  pretty  little  episode.  We  had  extracted  a 
promise  of  pancakes  (pandekagei*)  from  the  unwilling  hostess, 
who  was  evidently  tired  with  a  long  day's  work,  and  on 
starting  for  a  walk  had  bestowed  sundry  judicious  caresses  on 
her  child,  whom  we  met  in  the  fields.  When  we  returned, 
we  found  her  in  high  good  humour,  and  while  we  were  at 
supper,  the  little  damsel  was  introduced,  with  her  face  washed 
and  a  crown  of  roses  round  her  hat :  it  is  hardly  needful  to 
add,  that  the  pancakes  were  superb.  At  eleven  o'clock,  after 
a  delicious  evening  drive,  we  arrived  at  Viig,  where  we 
intended  to  pass  the  night ;  and  I  proceeded  to  investigate 

the  station,  leaving  K to  manage  that  difficult  mental 

arithmetic,  which  is  required  before  paying  the  shydsharl  or 


368  .     VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

postboy  ;  for  the  Norwegian  mile  is  equal  to  seven  English 
miles,  (seven-leagued  boots  are  still  in  use  in  Norway),  and 
consequently  the  stage  is  often  an  awkward  fraction  of  a  mile, 
which,  together  with  variations  in  the  payment  and  extras, 
cause  endless  confusion  and  trouble.     There  were  no  signs  of 
life  about  the  station :  on  entering,  I  found  the  entrance-hall 
nicely  strewn  with  pine-twigs,  and   some   old  armour  was 
hanging  about  the  walls,  but  the  rooms  were  untenanted ;  I 
went  upstairs  and  explored  the  bedrooms — but  there  was  no 
one  there.     "  Servants  is  in  the  arms  o'  Porpus,"  thought  I; 
so,  with  the  charitable  intention  of  rousing  them  from  their 
slumbers,  I  ascended  another  flight  of  stairs  ;  but  with  as  little 
success,  for  I  was  met  by  a  closed  door,  and  no  amount  of 
kicking  could  elicit  a  responsive  voice.     In  fact,  the  house 
was   empty ;   so   I   descended  to   my  companion,    and   our 
resolution  was  soon  taken,  to  occupy  it  ourselves,  which  ac- 
cordingly we  did,  and,  having  deposited  our  boxes  in  the  hall, 
went  to  bed  in  the  best  room.     About  an  hour  afterwards 
another  traveller  arrived,  who,  being  an  habitue,  managed  to 
find  the  woman  of  the  house  :  we  had  to  exclude  her  forcibly 
from  our  apartment,  for  the  Norwegian  female  is  not  particular 
as  to  the  stage  of  your  toilet  in  which  she  surprises  you ;  a 
subject  on  which  we  heard  many  eloquent  observations  from 
a  French  gentleman,  who  had  been  travelling  in  Lapland. 
"At  one  place,"  he  said,  "  the  mistress  of  the  inn  brought  me 
a  cup  of  coffee  before  I  got  up  in  the  morning,  and  placed  it 
by  my  bedside.     I  drank  the  coffee,  which  was  good,  and 
intended  to  get  up,  but  she  did  not  go.     I  waited  some  time, 
and  made  a  few  remarks,  but  she  would  not  go.     I  was  at  my 
wits'  end,  for,"  he  added,  with  pleasing  naivete0,  "  I  did  not  like 
to  get  up  while  she  was  in  the  room ;  but  at  last  a  bright 
thought  struck  me,  and  I  said,  'will  you  get  me  another  cup 
of  coffee?'  and  while  she  was  away,  I  jumped  out  of  bed,  and 
dressed  as  quickly  as  I  could.    And  it  was  well  that  I  did  so  ; 
for  she  soon  came  back  with  the  second  cup  of  coffee,  and  did 
not  again  leave  the  room." 

The  dwelling  houses  throughout  Norway  are  built  of  wood, 


H.  F.  Tozee.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  369 

and  they  manage  to  make  them  wonderfully  warm  and  air- 
tight.    In  one  place  in  the  Gulbrandsdal  we   saw  one   in 
process  of  building,  and  the  process  is  as  follows.     They  lay 
trunks  of  trees,  shaped  and  squared,  on  one  another,   and 
between  them  are  stuffed  layers  of  moss,  which  acts  as  a 
warm  kind  of  cement :  the  walls  are  plaistered  or  in  some 
way  covered  on  the  inside,  and  then  painted.     Thus  they 
wisely  make  use  of  the  materials  which  they  have  at  hand. 
On  the  sloping  roofs   are   laid  clods  of  earth,   to   form   a 
compact  covering,  on  which  grass,  flowers,  and  heather  grow 
abundantly,  so  that  they  are  sometimes  coloured  purple,  and 
from  time  to  time  the  owners  make  hay  on  their  house-tops. 
The  churches  in  the  country  districts  are  also  of  wood,  and 
often  very  picturesque.     Their  form  is  different  in  different 
parts  of  the  country ;  but  those  in  this  valley  are  mostly  in 
the  shape  of  a  Greek  cross,  having  a  porch  at  the  west  end, 
and  sometimes  a  second  in  one  of  the  transepts ;  while  over 
the  centre  rises  a  small  tower,  surmounted  by  a  narrow  sharp 
spire.     They  are  generally  devoid  of  ornament,  though  now 
and  then  you  see  quaint  metal  crosses  over  the  gables.     The 
roofs  are  tiled  or  slated,  and  in  one  or  two  places  where  the 
soil  was  slaty,  we  saw  the  walls  plated  all  over  with  enormous 
slates,  or,  more  accurately  speaking,  pieces  of  schist.      At 
Lillehove,  and  also  at  Veblungsnaesset,  in  the  Eomsdal,  there 
are  curious  octagonal  churches,  each  with  a  small   central 
tower  and  lantern  ;  at  the  former  place  the  tower  is  painted 
green,  and  the  church  forms  a  striking  object  from  a  distance 
in  the  valley. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  strikes  a  person  on  going  into 
the  interior  of  the  country  is  the  scattered  nature  of  the 
population.  The  villages  are  scarcely  worthy  of  the  name, 
and  a  large  number  of  the  stations  are  merely  single  houses  : 
even  the  number  of  houses  does  not  fairly  represent  the  in- 
habitants, as  the  mountain  farms  are  only  used  during  the 
summer,  the  cattle  being  driven  down  to  the  less  exposed 
vallies  before  the  approach  of  winter ;  and  the  amount  of 
land  which  is  under  cultivation  is  infinitesimally  small.     The 

B  B 


370  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

people  seem  for  the  most  part  prosperous  and  contented  ;  but 
on  the  road  from  Yiig  to  Dombaas,  at  the  foot  of  the  Dovre 
Ejeld,  near  Solheim,  where  a  large  tributary  stream  from  the 
Justedal  glaciers  flows  into  the  Logan,  we  saw  what  is  seldom 
found  in  Norway,  a  considerable  number  of  beggars ;  in  fact, 
begging  is  prohibited  by  law,  but  such  prohibitions  have  little 
effect  in  these  remote  districts.  They  seemed  extremely  poor, 
and  probably  belonged  to  a  class  of  persons  whom  Laing 
mentions  as  being  intermediate  between  the  wandering  Lap- 
landers and  the  farmers,  and  getting  a  precarious  livelihood 
by  cutting  wood  and  similar  employments. 

The  vegetation  gradually  diminishes  all  the  way  up  the 
Gulbrandsdal,  until  at  last  there  are  but  few  firs  to  be  seen  on 
the  mountains.  The  flora  is  principally  composed  of  common 
English  flowers,  but  they  are  so  numerous  as  sometimes  quite 
to  colour  the  fields  ;  the  harebell  grows  to  a  very  great  size, 
and  the  roses  are  unrivalled,  both  for  number  of  blossoms  and 
depth  of  colour.  But  two  of  the  most  conspicuous  plants, 
which  attract  the  eye  with  their  bright  patches  of  pink  and 
purple,  the  Lychnis  viscaria  and  Lithospermum  purpureo- 
cceruleum,  are  among  the  less  common  English  flowers  ;  the 
monkshood  too  grows  by  the  roadside  ;  and  about  Dombaas 
we  found  other  rare  ones,  such  as  Trientalis  Europcea, 
Linncea  borealis,  Cornus  Suecica,  and  the  charming  Pyrola 
uniflora,  quite  a  poet's  plant,  with  its  arched  stem,  and 
single  white  starry  flower  gazing  pensively  on  the  ground : 
together  with  these  were  growing  the  buckbean  and  the 
cranberry. 

Before  leaving  England  we  had  heard  a  great  deal  about 
the  hardships  of  Norwegian  travel,  but  I  am  bound  to  say 
that  this  was  not  confirmed  by  my  experience.  The  beds  at 
most  of  the  principal  stations  are  clean,  and  though  the  fare 
is  not  always  as  good  as  at  Dombaas,  where  we  had  salmon 
for  supper,  and  reindeer  venison  (rendyrsteg)  for  breakfast, 
yet  if  a  person  judiciously  chooses  the  best  halting  places, 
and  possesses  a  certain  knowledge  of  the  language,  he  will 
seldom  be  reduced  to  starvation.    At  many  places  you  can 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  3J\ 

get  meat ;  where  this  is  not  procurable,  there  will  probably 
be  fish  or  eggs  (and  eggs  in  esse  are  pancakes  in  posse,  for  the 
art  of  making  these  is  universal  throughout  the  country), 
then  flode  grod,  or  oatmeal  porridge  mixed  with  cream,  is  no 
despicable  dish,  and  the  coffee  can  hardly  be  surpassed  in 
Paris.     If  after  all  you  are  reduced  to  the  common  cheeses 
and  black  rye-bread  or  flad  brbd,  a  kind  of  thin  oatmeal  cake, 
you  will  enjoy  a  light,  but  not  unpalatable  diet;  timber- 
bread  and  saw-dust  puddings,  which  we  read  of,  that  is,  food 
prepared  from  the  bark  of  trees,  though  they  are  eaten  by  the 
people  in  times  of  scarcity,  do  not  often  come  in  the  way  of 
travellers.     Occasionally  you  meet  with  very  peculiar  dishes  ; 
one  of  them,  called  rodgrod,  or  red  porridge,  I  will  describe 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  take  an  interest  in  such  matters. 
It  is  thin  water-arrowroot  sweetened,  and  flavoured  with  red 
wine   or  cherry  juice  ;   this   is   served  as   soup,  and  when 
elaborately  made   has   the   further    addition    of    cinnamon, 
almonds,  and  raisins  ;   it  is  the  custom  to  eat  with  it,  on 
another  plate,  pickled  fish  and  potatoes.     But  a  certain  know- 
ledge of  the  language  is  serviceable  in  the  highest  degree,  for 
the  Norwegian  innkeepers  are  singularly  unsuggestive,  always 
leaving  the  traveller  to  ask  for  what  he  thinks  procurable, 
without  mentioning  what  eatables  they  can  provide  ;  and  to 
judge  from  appearances,  their  feeling  toward  you  is  rather 
one  of  compassion  than  of  welcome.     When  you  come  to  a 
station,  no  one  comes  out  to  meet  you ;  you  are  forced  to 
explore  for  yourself  until  you  arrive  at  the  kitchen,  where  the 
landlady  will  probably  be  standing  with  her  back  to  you, 
watching  something  on  the  fire  ;  and  if  you  ask  very  civilly, 
and  she  has  nothing  better  to  do,  she  will  probably  turn  round 
and  attend  to  you.     You  must  not  be  discouraged  by  these 
undemonstrative  ways.     It  will  not  be  amiss  to  shake  her  by 
the  hand  and  call  her  Gamle  Mo    (old  mother),  if  she  has 
attained  the  age  at  which  ladies  like  that  appellation;  but 
under  other  circumstances  I  can  safely  recommend  my  friends 
to  adopt  the  plan  which  we  pursued  at  Oien,  and  which, 
according  to   a  distinguished  writer,  had  great  weight  in 

BB  2 


372  -]  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Nokway. 

deciding  the  contested  election  for  the  ancient  and  patriotic 
borough  of  Eat ans will.* 

At  Dombaas  we  left  the  high  road  from  Christiania  to 
Trondjem,  which  here  begins  to  ascend  towards  the  plateau  of 
the  Dovre  Fjeld,  and  followed  a  less  direct  route,  in  order  to 
visit  the  magnificent  scenery  of  the  Eomsdal.  Before  reach- 
ing the  lake,  which  forms  the  watershed  of  this  valley  and 
the  Gulbrandsdal,  we  saw  large  masses  of  granite  lying  about 
in  various  directions ;  and  as  the  surrounding  mountains 
appear  to  be  of  a  different  formation,  one  would  be  led  to 
regard  them  as  traces  of  the  action  of  those  former  glaciers, 
which  seem  quite  to  have  altered  the  appearance  of  some 
districts  of  Norway.  The  finest  part  of  the  valley  begins  at 
Nystuen ;  from  that  place  it  descends  steeply,  and  the  river, 
the  Eauma,  begins  to  break  into  glorious  cascades.  We 
walked  this  stage,  leaving  our  carrioles  to  be  driven  on  by  a 
boy  from  Nystuen,  that  we  might  explore  at  our  leisure  the 
different  waterfalls.  The  first  that  I  will  describe  is  about 
halfway  between  Nystuen  and  Ormen  ;  for  beauty  it  has  few 
rivals  in  Europe,  and  the  falls  of  this  valley  have  one  charm, 
which  is  wanting  to  those  of  Switzerland,  namely,  that  their 
water  is  quite  clear,  so  that  the  cascades  themselves  are  pure 
white,  while  the  water  in  the  pools  below  is  blue.  In  this 
part  of  the  valley  another  river  comes  to  join  the  Eauma ; 
before  their  junction  the  ground  becomes  exceedingly  steep 
and  broken,  and  the  second  river  divides  into  two  parts,  one 
of  which  runs  obliquely  towards  the  Eauma,  and  the  two 

*  A  few  words  about  the  language  may  not  be  unacceptable  to  some  of  my 
readers.  It  is  the  same  as  Danish,  the  old  Norse  having  died  out ;  but  the 
people  are  not  pleased  at  hearing  it  called  anything  but  Norsh.  It  has  four 
principal  peculiarities  : — 1.  The  definite  article  is  placed  after  the  substantive, 
as  hest,  horse  ;  hesten,  the  horse  :  this  is  also  found  in  Wallachian  and  Syriac. 
2.  The  passive  voice  is  formed  by  inflection,  as  jeg  elsker,  I  love  ;  jeg  elshes,  I  am 
loved.  3.  There  is  no  masculine  or  feminine,  but  a  common  gender,  besides 
the  neuter.  4.  It  has  the  same  distinction  between  the  demonstrative  and 
reflective  pronouns  of  the  third  person,  as  is  found  in  Latin ;  han,  ille ;  hans, 
illius  ;  sig,  se  ;  sin,  suus.  An  attempt  is  now  being  made  to  revive  the  archaic 
form  of  the  language,  and  books  have  been  printed  in  that  idiom ;  but  the 
movement  does  not  meet  with  much  support. 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  373 

rivers  meet  with  a  double  fall  in  the  same  basin.  The  Rauma 
after  some  picturesque  rapids  falls  about  sixty  feet  in  a 
broad  white  dashing  mass  ;  the  other  stream,  much  narrower, 
and  yet  a  good  sheet  of  water,  first  slides  down  a  sidelong 
groove  in  the  rocks,  then  suddenly  turns  and  plunges  down 
about  one  hundred  feet,  and  being  divided  by  a  grand  black 
rock,  mixes  its  spray  with  that  of  the  other  fall.  Such  are 
the  falls  in  themselves  ;  but  this  is  only  part  of  the  scene, 
for  they  have  all  the  benefit  of  a  striking  contrast.  As  you 
stand  on  the  high  rocks  opposite,  you  see  their  waters  sweep 
away  into  a  deep-blue  pool  of  considerable  size,  and  beyond 
this  is  the  long  deep  valley,  with  other  shining  pools  lighted 
up,  as  we  saw  the  scene,  by  the  westering  sun,  while  in  the 
distance  rise  magnificent  peaks  which  bound  the  view.  The 
rocks  which  surround  this  pool,  and  those  at  the  back  of  the 
falls,  are  grand,  and  the  vegetation  beautiful ;  the  pines  and 
fir-trees  perch  themselves  in  the  most  picturesque  spots,  and 
bright  shrubs  and  brushwood  cover  the  ground.  But  the 
third  stream  has  yet  to  come :  if  you  mount  to  a  point  some 
way  above  where  you  have  been  standing  before,  you  see  not 
only  this  view,  but  also  a  fine  series  of  cascades,  and  at  last 
a  superb  fall,  which  this  stream  makes  in  joining  the  com- 
bined waters  of  the  other  two.  At  this  point,  also,  a  pine, 
such  as  an  artist  ought  to  fall  in  love  with  at  first  sight,  is 
thrown  out  against  the  Eauma  fall,  and  the  mountains  behind 
rise  broad  and  wild,  here  and  there  flecked  by  the  white  lines 
of  the  upper  waterfalls  of  these  rivers.  Yet  this  scene  is  so 
little  known  that  the  traveller  has  to  explore  for  himself,  and 
make  his  own  path  to  see  it.  Shortly  before  reaching  Ormen, 
we  found  another  fall,  where  the  water  plunges  down,  a  mass 
of  foam,  white  as  wool,  into  a  deep  and  narrow  gorge,  spanned 
by  a  slight  bridge  of  pine-trees,  on  which,  unprotected  as  it 
is  at  the  sides,  and  exposed  to  the  rush  of  wind  which  follows 
with  a  cataract,  it  requires  a  good  head  to  look  over.  The 
views  of  the  gorge,  fall,  and  bridge,  with  their  setting  of  trees, 
from  whatever  side  we  looked  at  them,  were  as  exquisite  as 
could  be.     Again,  nearly  opposite  the  inn  at  Ormen  is  a  fall 


374  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

on  the  mountain  side,  which  would  make  the  fortune  of  an 
hotel  in  any  other  country.  Like  the  Giesbach  in  Switzerland, 
it  is  a  succession  of  single  falls,  one  following  closely  on  the 
other ;  but  before  it  reaches  the  EaUma,  it  breaks  into  three 
parts,  which  descend  together  amongst  the  rocks  which  divide 
them.  The  singularly  blue  water  of  the  river  is  a  great  orna- 
ment to  the  whole  valley.  As  you  descend  to  Ormen,  the 
cliffs  increase  in  grandeur,  and  are  not  unworthy  of  the  finest 
Swiss  passes ;  below  that  place  they  are  finer  still ;  and  in 
one  part  of  the  valley,  within  the  distance  of  two  miles,  nume- 
rous waterfalls,  each  worthy  of  a  separate  description,  tumble 
over  the  rocks  from  a  height  of  from  500  to  1,000  feet. 
They  are  enchanting  ;  every  kind  of  fall  is  represented  there. 
Some  dash  forward  from  the  loftiest  precipices  to  "  blow  their 
trumpets  from  the  steep  ;"  some  glide  like  spun  glass  over 
the  cliffs,  which  they  have  polished  in  their  course ;  others 
drop  from  rock  to  rock,  and  play  at  hide-and-seek,  now  dis- 
appearing, now  re-appearing  among  the  ravines,  while  some, 
the  most  beautiful  of  all,  let  fall — 

"  Their  wreaths  of  dangling  water-smoke, 
That  like  a  broken  purpose  waste  in  air." 

At  the  Horjem  station,  between  Ormen  and  the  sea,  is  a 
magnificent  pass,  the  steep  precipices  of  which  greatly  re- 
minded me  of  those  of  the  Styx,  in  Arcadia,  which  are  among 
the  finest  in  Europe ;  but  here  there  are  glaciers  clinging  to 
the  mountain-sides,  though  they  are  not  more  than  2,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  On  the  left  are  the  Troldtinder,  or  witch- 
peaks,  a  strange  and  weird  line  of  jagged  crests,  broken  into 
a  thousand  splinters,  like  the  varied  outline  of  the  ridges  of 
the  Pyrenees.  On  the  right  is  the  Eomsdalshorn,  a  very 
remarkable  mountain,  which  rises  precipitously  to  a  great 
height  above  the  valley,  and  at  last  throws  up  a  single  conical 
peak,  like  a  huge  eye-tooth,  which  is  conspicuous  from  every 
side.  There  is  an  admirable  view  of  it  some  way  further 
down  the  stream,  where  it  stands  up  above  a  reach  in  the 
broad  blue  river. 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  375 

When  we  reached  Veblungsnsesset,  at  the  head  of  the  Koms- 
dal  Fiord,  we  hired  a  boat  and  four  men  to  take  us  and  the 
carrioles  to  Molde,  which  lies  on  an  island  near  the  mouth  of 
the  fiord.  The  distance  is  about  sixteen  miles,  but  the  tide 
was  against  us  (it  has  considerable  force  in  some  of  these 
fiords),  so  that,  though  we  started  in  the  afternoon,  we  did 
not  reach  our  destination  until  one  in  the  morning ;  but  we 
had  little  reason  to  complain,  for  the  scenery  of  the  upper 
part  of  the  Eomsdal  Fiord  is  hardly  surpassed  by  any  lake- 
scenery  in  Europe,  not  even  by  that  of  the  lake  of  Lucerne, 
which  in  many  respects  it  resembles.  The  precipices,  close 
under  which  we  went,  are  stupendous,  and  in  many  places 
descend  abruptly  into  the  deep  sea.  Trees  grow  wherever 
they  can  find  room,  and  the  vegetation  is  splendid  ;  the  Scotch 
fir,  the  birch,  the  alder  and  other  trees  of  the  brightest  green 
coming  down  close  to  the  water.  The  nearer  mountains,  of 
which  one  sees  a  long  succession  in  passing  through  the 
winding  bays  of  the  fiord,  are  all  grand ;  some  more  rounded 
in  their  outlines,  some  rent  and  jagged.  Between  these,  smil- 
ing basin-like  valleys  intervene,  above  which  rise  the  distant 
peaks  of  deepest  purple,  exquisitely  broken,  with  snow  and 
glaciers  hanging  to  their  sides.  I  do  not  remember  to  have 
seen  in  any  other  views  so  great  variety  of  form  and  colour  ; 
but  the  day  was  unusually  favourable,  for,  instead  of  the  clear 
sky  and  intense  heat,  which  we  had  had  in  the  interior  of  the 
country,  it  was  cloudy  and  broken,  deepening  the  purple 
shadows,  and  throwing  bright  streaks  of  light  over  the  moun- 
tain-sides. During  the  night  the  clouds  cleared  away,  but 
neither  moon  nor  stars  appeared ;  they  were  fairly  overpowered 
by  the  daylight.  The  night  before,  which  we  spent  at  Ormen, 
I  went  out  about  midnight  to  see  if  any  stars  were  visible ; 
one  planet  was  shining  brightly,  but  it  was  with  great  dif- 
ficulty that  at  last  I  discovered  two  of  the  largest  fixed  stars  ; 
these  were  the  last  that  we  were  destined  to  see  for  nearly 
three  weeks. 

On  arriving  at  Molde,  we  knocked  up  the  people  at  the 
inn,  and  got  to  bed  and  to  sleep  notwithstanding  the  garish 


376  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

light.  The  next  morning,  ascending  the  hill  above  the  town, 
we  obtained  a  view  which  has  few  equals  as  a  panorama  of 
distant  mountains.  It  reminded  me  of  the  famous  view  from 
the  esplanade  at  Corfu,  where  you  see  the  long  line  of  Alba- 
nian heights  rising  above  the  sea,  though  there,  perhaps,  the 
mountains  are  higher  and  more  distant ;  but  it  would  be  hard 
to  find  a  lake  which  is  surrounded  by  mountains  such  as 
these.  All  the  Eomsdal  peaks,  and  many  others  not  less 
fine,  are  seen  extended  in  a  semicircle ;  below  you  lie  the 
various  branches  of  the  fiord,  diversified  by  islands,  the  nearer 
of  which,  in  the  middle  distance,  are  very  long  and  narrow, 
and  fringed  with  trees ;  while  in  the  foreground  are  the  pic- 
turesque roofs  of  the  town.  From  the  summit  of  the  hill  the 
view  is  said  to  be  still  finer  ;  but  we  had  not  time  to  reach  it, 
and  the  ascent  must  be  arduous,  from  the  account  which  we 
received  from  a  distinguished  Dutchman,  at  breakfast  that 
morning.  "  The  other  day,"  he  said,  "  I  ascended  to  the 
top  of  the  hill,  and — it  was  very  hot,  you  know ;  and — I  had 
on  my  black  trousers,  for  it  was  Sunday;  and — they  were 
very  tight,  you  know  ;  and  I  looked  round,  and  saw  there 
was  no  one  near  ;  and  so  I —  I —  in  fact,  I  took  them  off,  you 
know  ; "  here  he  shrugged  his  shoulders  apologetically,  "  and 
— and  walked  up  the  hill  without  them."  How  we  envied 
his  coolness  both  of  mind  and  body  ! 

While  we  were  waiting  for  the  steamer,  the  landlord's 
daughter,  a  young  lady  with  her  hair  dressed  a  I ' Imperatrice, 
played  us  some  German  and  Norwegian  airs  with  delightful 
taste  on  the  pianoforte.  I  mention  this  because  the  people 
generally  are  very  unmusical,  having  harsh  voices  and  no  ear ; 
and  she  may,  perhaps,  be  regarded  as  the  exception  which 
proves  the  rule,  as  she  had  been  educated  in  Paris,  a  fact 
which  explained  the  fashion  of  her  hair,  and  her  habit  of 
looking  in  the  glass  to  see  if  we  were  attending.  Some  of  the 
national  airs  are  spirited,  and  some  plaintive,  but  they  want 
character  ;  perhaps  the  best,  though  not  the  most  popular  in 
the  country,  is  the  well-known  "  Hardy  Norseman,"  which  we 
heard  on  one  or  two  occasions.     The  Church  music  is  simply 


H.  F.  Tozee.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  377 

execrable.  The  principal  national  amusement,  we  were  told, 
is  dancing,  in  winter  time ;  but  during  the  short  summer 
they  are  too  much  occupied  with  the  fisheries,  with  the  two 
harvests,  which  follow  within  a  few  weeks — sometimes  even 
a  few  days — of  each  other,  and  with  tending  the  cows  on  the 
mountain  pastures,  to  have  any  time  for  recreations. 

The  steamer  bore  us  away  along  the  coast  and  among  the 
islands  to  Christiansund,  a  place  of  some  importance,  built  on 
the  sides  of  a  number  of  islets  which  surround  a  little  bay  ; 
and  thence  up  the  Trondjem  Fiord  to  the  ancient  capital, 
where  we  arrived  just  a  week  from  the  day  we  had  left 
Christiania. 

The  city  of  Trondjem,  or  Drontheim,  lies  on  the  shores  of 
the  wide  fiord  of  the  same  name ;  on  two  sides  of  it,  to  the 
east  and  west,  are  hills  of  considerable  height ;  but  in  one 
respect  its  position  is  very  singular,  for  the  river  Nid,  which 
flows  down  here,  just  where  it  is  about  to  reach  the  sea,  makes 
a  great  bend  inland,  and  renders  the  site  of  the  city  almost 
insular.  This  may  be  seen  by  ascending  the  tower  of  the 
cathedral,  or  better  still,  from  the  castle,  which  is  on  a  height 
to  the  east  of  the  city  across  the  river.  From  this  point  you 
see  the  river  winding  its  serpent-like  course  round  the  town, 
and  in  the  foreground  the  old  gray  cathedral  surrounded  by 
trees,  with  green  slopes  coming  down  to  the  water,  so  that  it 
rises  above  the  river  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Cathedral  of 
Spires  overlooks  the  Rhine.  Then  on  one  side  is  the  fiord, 
bounded  by  mountains,  the  most  conspicuous  feature  in  which 
is  the  fortress  on  the  little  island  of  Munkholm,  which 
defends  the  harbour :  on  the  other  are  green  meadows  and 
knolls  covered  with  trees,  interspersed  with  neat  country  seats 
and  church  spires.  One  can  hardly  fail  to  notice  in  this  view 
the  raised  terraces  and  levels,  which  are  supposed  to  have 
been  originally  sea-beaches  ;  we  afterwards  observed  similar 
ones  on  the  shores  of  the  Alten  Fiord.  The  town  is  entirely 
built  of  wood,  which  gives  it  a  quaint  appearance  ;  it  is  not 
irregular,  like  Constantinople  and  other  Oriental  wooden 
towns,  but  is  laid  out  in  straight  rows  of  two-storied  houses, 


378  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

in  wide  open  regular  streets,  at  the  end  of  which  views  may 
generally  be  obtained  of  the  country  or  the  sea. 

Trondjem  is  the  most  interesting  place  in  Norway  from 
being  the  centre  of  its  historical  associations :  it  was  the  seat 
of  government  in  the  palmy  days  of  the  Norwegian  monarchy, 
before  the  country  was  made  a  province  of  Denmark  in  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  in  its  cathedral  the  ancient  kings 
were  crowned.  Accordingly,  when  we  heard,  on  our  arrival 
in  Norway,  that  the  coronation  of  the  new  king,  Karl  XV., 
would  take  place  there  while  we  were  in  the  north,  we  caught 
at  the  idea  of  seeing  the  ceremony,  as  a  thing  which  more 
than  anything  else  would  carry  us  back  to  the  olden  time,  and 
help  our  imaginations  to  realize  the  former  glories  of  the 
kingdom.  When  we  succeeded  in  obtaining  more  precise 
information,  we  found  that  it  would  take  place  just  two  days 
after  our  return  from  Hammerfest,  so  that  it  would  not  inter- 
fere with  any  of  our  plans,  excepting  that  of  seeing  the 
North  Cape,  which,  as  it  is  a  low  promontory,  and  situated  on 
an  island,  is  only  interesting  as  being  the  northernmost  point 
of  Europe.  But  then  came  the  question,  how  were  we  to  gain 
admission  ?  In  order  to  discover  how  the  land  lay,  we  went, 
shortly  after  our  arrival  at  Trondjem,  to  our  kind-hearted 
and  obliging  Consul,  M.  Knudtsen,  and  consulted  him  on  the 
subject.  He  promised  to  do  what  he  could  for  us,  bub  re- 
marked that  there  would  be  very  little  room;  that  people 
were  coming  from  all  quarters  to  see  it,  &c.  &c.  :  in  fact,  it 
was  evident,  that  without  some  bold  move  on  our  part,  our 
chance  was  exceedingly  small.  So  I  stated  that  we  were 
members  of  the  Senate  of  the  University  of  Oxford;  and  that 
that  University  had  just  conferred  its  highest  honours  on  the 
representative  of  Sweden ;  *  leaving  the  Consul,  and  through 
him  the  Grand  Chamberlain,  to  whom  it  was  to  be  reported, 
to  draw  the  only  conclusion  which  could  fairly  be  drawn  from 
these  premises,  viz.,  that  honour  should  be  paid  to  us  as 
representatives  of  our  University.  When  requested  to  write 
this  down  on  paper,  I  felt  rather  astonished  at  my  own  sang 
*  Count  Platen  received  the  degree  of  D.C.L.  at  the  Commemoration  in  1860. 


H.  F.  Tozer.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  3J9 

froid ;  which  was  only  surpassed  by  that  of  my  companion 
on  a  later  occasion,  when  being  asked  by  a  dignified  British 
functionary  (who  shall  be  nameless)  whether  we  had  brought 
our  "  uniforms  "  for  the  Coronation,  he  replied,  that  our  cas- 
socks were  in  England,  and  we  did  not  usually  travel  in  cap 
and  gown. 

On  the  evening  of  the  18th  we  started  on  our  expedition 
northward,  on  board  a  steamer  bearing  the  ill-omened  name 
of  JEger,  which,  however,  we  found  to  be  derived,  not  from 
sea-sickness,  but  from  an  ancient  hero.  During  the  first  two 
days  we  saw  few  objects  worthy  of  a  careful  description. 
We  were,  all  along,  threading  our  way  between  the  coast  and 
the  small  outlying  islands,  only  here  and  there  coming  out 
into  the  open  sea ;  in  many  places  the  passage  between  the 
rocks  is  extremely  narrow,  and  here  the  skill  and  knowledge 
of  the  Norwegian  pilots  is  seen,  for  one  would  almost  fancy 
at  first  sight  that  the  vessel  would  graze  her  paddle-boxes. 
At  one  point  we  had  to  go  some  distance  inland  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Namsen  river,  a  great  fishing  station,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  which  the  islands  are  clothed  with  the 
spruce  and  Scotch  fir ;  and  then,  after  passing  Torghatten,  a 
lofty  conical  mountain  with  a  hole  piercing  it,  so  that  you 
can  see  the  light  through,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Seven 
Sisters,  a  long,  bare  grey  rock,  from  the  top  of  which  at 
different  points  rise  seven  sharp  peaks,  darker  in  colour  than 
the  rest  of  the  mass.  All  about  this  part  of  the  coast  the  rocks 
are  rounded  and  polished,  an  effect  which  Forbes  attributes  to 
the  action  of  former  glaciers*  After  this  Domnses  stood  out 
before  us,  a  strange  and  solitary  mountain,  opposite  which, 
upon  the  main  land,  is  one  of  the  largest  icefields  in  Europe. 
The  numerous  sea-birds  which  throng  these  islands  are  quite 
a  study :  all  kinds  of  gulls  and  divers  may  be  seen ;  black 
ducks ;  great  black  geese,  heavy  in  flight,  which  seldom  rise 

*  Mehwald  disputes  all  Forbes'  statements  on  this  point,  and  accuses  him 
of  Glaciermania,  (Nach  Norwegen,  p.  15.)  An  interesting  sketch  of  the  physical 
geography  of  Norway,  together  with  a  geological  map,  will  be  found  in  a 
pamphlet,  Den  Skandinaviske  Halvo,  by  Loffler :  Copenhagen,  1860. 


380  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

more  than  a  few  feet  above  the  water ;  cormorants,  grey  and 
white  eider  ducks,  elegant  terns,  and  oyster-catchers  with  red 
legs  and  bills.  Once  we  saw  the  skua,  or  robber  gull :  he  is 
a  dark-coloured  bird,  and  lives  by  making  other  gulls  drop 
what  they  have  caught  and  seizing  it  as  it  falls.  On  this 
occasion  it  was  satisfactory  to  see  that  he  had  found  his 
match,  for  a  number  of  gulls  had  got  over  him,  and  were 
bullying  him. 

Shortly  after  passing  the  Arctic  Circle  we  arrived  at  the 
town  of  Bodo,*  or  rather  a  collection  of  houses  dignified  with 
that  name,  to  raise  it  to  the  position  of  chief  town  in  the 
province  of  Nordland.  As  the  steamer  stops  here  several 
hours  we  landed,  and  proceeded  to  collect  flowers  in  an  ex- 
tensive peat-bog  in  the  neighbourhood.  In  this  were  growing 
numerous  plants  of  the  Moltebeer  or  Cloudberry  (Rubus 
Chamcemorus) ,  which,  though  it  is  found  in  the  northern  parts 
of  Scotland  and  Ireland,  may  fairly  be  called  the  peculiar 
fruit  of  Norway.  But  beware  of  this  deceitful  plant,  ye  field 
botanists  !  for  when  his  white  petals  fall  off,  he  paints  his  calyx 
red,  so  as  to  resemble  a  gorgeous  flower,  and  passes  himself  off 
as  the  Rubus  Arcticus,  for  which  many  have  mistaken  him. 
Several  other  collectors  besides  ourselves  were  the  victims  of 
his  trickery,  until  we  found  the  rogue  in  the  act  of  putting  on 
his  false  colours,  with  half  his  calyx  green ;  and  we  exposed 
him.  But  in  the  fruit  you  will  not  be  deceived;  it  grows 
single  on  the  stalk,  in  shape  like  a  blackberry,  but  twice  as 
large ;  its  colour,  when  ripe,  is  pale  yellow,  and  the  taste  is 
delicious,  though  slightly  vapid ;  but,  when  eaten  with  cream 

*  The  termination  "6,"  which  will  often  recur,  signifies  island.  It  is  the 
same  word  as  -ey,  the  termination  of  Sheppey,  and  -y  of  Ely,  &c.  In  the  title 
"  Sodor  and  Man,"  the  first  name  is  a  corruption  of  Syder  oer,  or  "  Southern 
islands,"  as  the  Hebrides  were  called,  when  they  and  the  groups  of  islands 
to  the  north  of  Scotland  were  attached  to  the  See  of  Trondjem.  The 
cognate  Saxon  word  is  "ea,"  as  in  Angles-ea:  the  later  form  of  this  is  "i," 
which  forms  the  first  syllable  of  our  word  "  island,"  the  letter  s  having  been 
inserted  from  Latin  and  French  associations.  At  Wells,  where  the  precincts 
of  the  Bishop's  palace  are  surrounded  by  water,  a  visitor  may  be  surprised  at 
receiving  the  following  direction :  "  Go  into  the  Bishop's  Eye,  and  turn  to  the 
right." 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  381 

and  sugar,  it  is  a  dish  for  a  king.  Among  other  plants,  we 
found  the  Butterfly  Orchis  and  Alpine  Ladies'  Mantle,  Drosera 
intermedia,  Comarum  palustre,  Saxifraga  aizoides,  Saussurea 
alpina,  Erigeron  alpinum,  Bartsia  alpina,  Gnaphalium  dioicum, 
Galeopsis  versicolor:  and  on  the  rocky  hills  to  the  north  grows 
the  splendid  Saxifraga  cotyledon. 

From  these  heights  there  is  a  fine  view  over  glittering 
inlets,  strange  peaks,  and  the  wide  sea,  and  far  away  to  the 
north-west  is  obtained  the  first  sight  of  the  distant  Lafoden 
Islands.  If  the  reader  will  take  the  trouble  to  look  at  the 
map,  he  will  see  that,  while  the  whole  coast  of  Norway  is 
fringed  with  islands,  the  Lafodens  are  gathered  into  a  more 
conspicuous  group,  from  the  south-west  corner  of  which  runs 
off  a  long  line  of  rocks  and  islets,  resembling  the  fossil  tail  of 
some  gigantic  reptile.  It  was  this  outlying  chain  that  we 
saw  from  Bodo,  where  they  may  be  fifty  miles  distant ;  and 
from  this  singularly  varied  and  beautiful  outline  they  are 
very  striking  objects  on  the  horizon.  The  smaller  lie,  one 
after  another,  like  loose  beads  on  a  string ;  others  rise  to  a 
considerable  height,  sharply  cut  against  the  sky;  while  the 
appearance  of  the  whole  line  has  aptly  been  compared  to  a 
shark's  jaw.  In  order  to  reach  them  we  have  to  cross  the 
intervening  bay,  which  is  called  the  Yest  Fiord;  but  we 
must  omit  the  description  of  them  for  the  present,  for  the 
weather  is  unfavourable.  It  is  tantalizing,  I  must  confess, 
to  pass  such  peaks  and  precipices,  though  their  tops  are 
shrouded  in  clouds ;  and  the  blue  crevasses  of  the  glaciers 
suggest  delightful  wonders  to  the  imagination ;  but  we 
may  see  them  better  on  our  return;  so  let  us  hasten  on 
our  northward  course,  and  see  if  we  can  catch  the  midnight 
sun. 

Meanwhile  let  me  say  a  few  words  about  the  company 
whom  we  had  on  board,  for  from  the  variety  of  people  who 
got  in  and  out  from  time  to  time,  we  had  excellent  oppor- 
tunities of  observing  various  classes.  First  we  had  a  member 
of  the  Storthing  or  Norwegian  parliament,  an  inhabitant  of 
the  Lafodens,  who  was  chosen  to     epresent  the  Northern 


382  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

Districts  of  Norway  at  the  coronation  at  Stockholm ;  he  was 
a  farmer,  a  man  of  small  property,  but  a  very  intelligent 
person.     Then  there  were  three  priests  and  two  lawyers,  an 
engineer,  and  several  merchants  and  farmers  ;  when  we  first 
saw  these  men  sitting  in  a  line  at  the  table,  we  thought  we 
had  seldom  seen  a  more   striking   set   of  intelligent  faces. 
Great  numbers  of  the  lower  classes  crowd  on  board  at  all 
the  stations,  an  evident  proof  of  the  advantage  this  line  of 
steamers  is  to  the  inhabitants  of  these  parts  :  some  go  to  get 
work,  others  to  visit  relations,  others  again  to  see  a  doctor, 
for  which  they  have  sometimes  to  go  fifty  miles.    The  number 
of  boxes  and  bales  too  that  are  taken  out  at  each  place  is 
surprising,  when  one  considers  the  thinness  of  the  population. 
The  equality  of  the  people  is  evinced  by  the  friendly  and 
unconstrained  recognitions  that  pass  between  persons  of  very 
different  classes :  having  been  so  much  kept  down  by  the 
Danes  before  1814,  they  seem,  like  the  modern  Greeks,  to 
have  only  slightly  developed  the  formal  distinctions  of  society. 
In  their  general  physiognomy  they  are  far  more  like  the 
English  than  any  other  European  nation:  in  the  southern 
half  of  the  country  they  are  perhaps  still  more  like  the  low- 
land Scotch  ;  but  they  have  neither  the  full  faces  of  the 
former,  nor  quite  as  high  cheek-bones  as  the  latter.     The 
lower  classes  are  light  complexioned,  while  many  of  the  upper 
have  a  darker  and  thicker  hue,  somewhat  like  the  English 
middle  classes.     But  in  proportion  as  you  get  further  north, 
the  Scotch  element  in  the  face  gradually  dies  out,  and  the 
likeness  to  the  English  becomes  most  striking ;  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  people  seemed  to  me  quite  undistinguishable 
from  the  English,  so  much  so,  that  when  a  young  English- 
woman, attached  to  a  copper  mine  on  the  Kaa  fiord,  came  on 
board,  I  had  no  suspicion  that  she  was  otherwise  than  a 
native.     In  complexion,  in  features,  in  the  colour  of  the  hair 
and  in  general  expression  they  are  quite  similar.     They  are 
decidedly   a  pleasing  people;   the  upper   classes   are   most 
attentive   and   obliging  ;   the  lower  classes  do   not   at  first 
sight  appear  so,  for  in  them  that  independence,  which  is  the 


H.  F.  Tozee.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  383 

chief  national  characteristic,  degenerates  into  roughness  ;  hut 
in  reality  they  are  thoroughly  kind-hearted  and  good-natured, 
and  a  very  even-tempered  people. 

The  two  points  in  Norwegian  politics  which  most  forcibly 
strike  an  Englishman  are  their  liking  for  England  and  their 
hatred  of  Sweden.  "We  love  the  English  and  drink  tea; 
the  Swedes  love  the  French  and  drink  coffee/'  as  we  saw  it 
epigrammatically  stated  in  a  newspaper  of  the  country  ;  and 
even  if  this  comparsion  should  not  hold  good  in  every  point 
(for  it  is  hardly  reconcilable  with  the  excellence  of  Norwegian 
coffee),  yet  on  the  whole  it  declares  the  truth.  The  feeling 
which  they  express  towards  our  countrymen  is  exceedingly 
friendly  ;  a  great  number  of  the  upper  classes  speak  English, 
and  a  knowledge  of  that  language  is  required  of  their  naval 
officers.  It  is  the  only  foreign  country  where  I  have  heard 
a  Frenchman  making  himself  understood  through  the  medium 
of  English,  and  one  person  of  that  nation  who  only  knew  his 
own  language,  and  persisted  in  asking  for  des  ceufs  a  la  coq  at 
breakfast,  would  have  come  badly  off  without  English  inter- 
vention in  his  behalf.  But  the  antagonism  to  Sweden  is  even 
more  remarkable.  Whether  it  proceeds  from  the  lingering 
recollections  of  former  hostilities,  or  from  complete  diversity 
of  national  sentiment  and  institutions,  or  from  jealousy  of 
suspected  interference,  it  certainly  exercises  a  great  influence 
over  their  actions.  But  notwithstanding  this,  and  though 
their  union  under  the  same  crown  is  the  only  formal  con- 
necting link  between  the  two  nations,  they  remain  and  will 
remain  united  from  motives  of  common  interest ;  partly 
because  the  union  gives  both  nations  more  importance  in 
the  eyes  of  Europe,  and  partly  through  fear  of  a  too  powerful 
neighbour.  For  while  European  politicians  are  watching  the 
movements  of  Bussia  in  the  Baltic  and  Black  Sea  and  on 
the  coasts  of  Kamskatka,  that  many-handed  power  keeps  a 
watchful  and  eager  eye  on  Norwegian  Lapland,  on  the  border 
of  which  her  territory  approaches  within  twenty-five  miles 
of  the  sea,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  a  port  on  the  shores  of 
the  Atlantic,  kept  open  for  traffic  by  the  warm  gulf  stream 


384  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

all  the  year  round,  and  not  exposed,  like  the  Sound,  to  be 
blockaded  by  the  navy  of  an  inferior  power. 

Though  the  Norwegian  constitution  is  as  near  an  approach 
to  a  perfect  democracy  as  a  constitutional  monarchy  can  be, 
yet  the  spirit  of  the  people,  like  that  of  the  English,  is  essen- 
tially conservative ;  a  fact  which  is  illustrated  by  the  favourite 
title  of  Gamle  Norge,  or  old  Norway,  which  they  use  in  the 
same  way  as  we  do,  when  we  speak  of  Old  England.  For  the 
northern  nations,  it  would  seem,  in  seeking  for  a  term  of 
endearment  for  their  fatherland,  have  looked  rather  to  its  old 
associations  and  institutions  ;  while  those  of  the  south,  the 
inhabitants  of  la  belle  France,  la  bella  Italia,  &c,  have  been 
enamoured  rather  of  its  beauty.  But  the  time  may  not  be  far 
distant,  when  the  constitution  of  Norway,  notwithstanding  its 
theoretic  perfection  and  admirable  adaptation  to  the  wants  of 
the  people,  will  have  to  sustain  a  trying  strain ;  for  neither 
the  people  themselves,  nor  their  manner  of  life,  nor  their 
narrow  system  of  political  economy,  appear  likely  to  adapt 
themselves  easily  to  a  wider  sphere  of  action  ;  and  yet  the 
vast  undeveloped  resources  of  the  country,  and  its  important 
maritime  position,  would  seem  to  point  to  a  future  of  great 
influence. 

One  of  the  priests  whom  we  had  on  board  was  an  artist, 
and  the  incumbent  of  two  churches  in  the  Lafodens,  which 
are  fourteen  miles  apart.  The  system  of  pluralities  is  common 
throughout  Norway  :  in  the  Eomsdal  we  found  that  five 
churches  were  served  by  the  same  priest,  so  that  each  had  a 
service  once  in  five  weeks  ;  but  this  is  not  considered  an 
abuse,  because  the  clergy  are  resident  in  their  respective 
districts,  and  they  are  almost  universally  well-educated  and 
intelligent  men.  If  their  stipends  were  smaller,  the  character 
of  the  country  clergy  would  probably  be  lowered  ;  as  it  is,  the 
priest's  residence  (prestegaard)  is  generally  the  nicest  house 
in  the  neighbourhood,  and  the  priest's  daughters  are  the  most 
eligible  young  ladies.  It  is  surprising  under  these  circum- 
stances that  dissent  does  not  spring  up  throughout  the 
country ;    but  though  dissenters   are  tolerated  now,  neither 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  385 

they  nor  the  Koman-Catholics  seem  to  make  any  progress. 
The  probable  reason  is,  that  the  Church  suits  the  people,  and 
still  more,  that  it  is  national  in  the  same  sense,  though  not 
the  same  degree,  as  the  Greek  and  Armenian  Churches ;  that 
is,  it  is  bound  up  with  their  national  history  and  associations. 
The  Norwegians  are  a  religious  people  :  they  come  from  great 
distances  to  church,  even  as  much  as  twenty  miles,  and  both 
in  and  out  of  Church  they  seem  devout  in  their  feelings  and 
behaviour ;  but  they  cannot  be  considered  a  highly  moral 
people.  This  arises  partly  from  the  large  consumption  of 
corn-brandy,  which  causes,  not  so  much  actual  drunkenness, 
as  intemperance  ;  partly  from  the  numerous  impediments  in 
the  way  of  marriage ;  and  partly  from  other  causes,  such  as 
the  temporary  migrations  of  portions  of  the  population  to  the 
sea-coast  during  the  fishing  seasons,  and  the  solitary  life  of 
the  women  in  the  mountain  farms. 

On  leaving  the  Vest  Fiord,  we  made  our  way  northward 
through  the  Tjeldesund,  the  general  character  of  the  shores  of 
which  is  much  softer  than  what  we  had  lately  passed  ;  they 
slope  gently  down  to  the  water  with  a  good  deal  of  northern 
vegetation,  and  here  and  there  cultivated  land  and  villages 
are  seen.  But  both  in  this  sound  and  in  the  Eamsund,  which 
we  entered  at  Sandtorv,  we  found  it  difficult  to  persuade  our- 
selves that  we  were  on  the  sea ;  they  are  so  narrow  and  so 
calm  that,  as  your  eye  ranges  over  their  long  reaches,  you 
would  much  rather  fancy  yourself  on  a  broad  river.  The 
average  breadth  may  be  about  half  a  mile,  which  is  consider- 
ably narrower  than  that  "  ocean  stream,"  the  Bosphorus.  From 
this  part  to  Tromso  the  scenery,  though  not  striking,  is  very 
peculiar :  there  are  generally  low  hills  in  the  foreground,  and 
behind  these  mountains  of  no  great  height,  patched  with  snow, 
or  bearing  small  glaciers  ;  but  every  object  is  so  pale  in 
colour,  both  the  sky,  and  the  water,  and  the  mountains,  that 
there  is  an  appearance  of  faintness,  and  one  might  easily 
fancy  that  sounds  would  be  deadened,  as  the  ancients  sup- 
posed them  to  be  amongst  the  shades,  and  I  almost  expected 
to  hear  my  own  voice  "  thin  as  voices  from  the  grave ; "  and 

c  c 


386  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

at  last  an  indefinable  idea  crept  over  me,  that  I  was  coming 
to  the  end  of  the  world.  This  was  during  the  day ;  but  by- 
night  the  appearance  of  the  scenery  was  stranger  still.  There 
was  a  sort  of  weird  light  over  all  things,  neither  day  nor 
night ;  more  like  early  morning  than  late  evening,  but  yet 
unlike  any  other  light  I  have  ever  seen.  The  night  that  we 
spent  in  the  harbour  of  Tromso  I  shall  not  easily  forget :  a 
small  drizzling  rain  came  on,  and  it  is  hard  to  express  how 
ghastly,  how  grizzly  the  light  appeared.  We  cannot  wonder 
that  the  superstitions  of  the  northern  nations  should  have 
been  so  wild,  or  that  their  fancies  should  have  taken  so 
grotesque  a  form,  when  they  have  lived  in  the  midst  of  these 
strange  scenes,  or  the  still  more  striking  wonders  of  the  long 
winter  nights. 

Tromso  is  the  capital  of  Finmark,  and  the  principal  place 
north  of  Trondjem.  It  has  a  classical  school,  and  is  an 
Episcopal  see,  but  the  bishopric  was  then  vacant.  It  has 
really  the  appearance  of  a  town;  the  villages  on  the  sea- 
coast  are  merely  collections  of  small  houses,  which  stand 
apart  at  some  distance  from  one  another  in  a  most  unsociable 
way,  without  having  any  notion  of  forming  a  street ;  in  the 
larger  ones  the  most  prominent  objects  are  the  warehouses, 
supported  on  piles,  which  project  into  the  sea ;  but  Tromso 
has  regular  streets  and  a  busier  look  about  it,  and  there  are 
numerous  merchant  vessels  in  the  harbour.  On  starting  for 
a  botanical  walk,  we  saw  for  the  first  time,  hay  hanging  to 
dry  on  large  hurdles  strongly  resembling  a  gigantic  towel- 
horse  ;  in  this  way  they  make  the  most  of  their  brief  summer, 
and  we  afterwards  found  that  this  custom  is  common  in  most 
parts  of  Norway.  We  found  here  Viola  palustris,  Gnapha- 
lium  Norvegicum,  Maianihemum  bifolium,  Pyrola  rotundifolia 
and  media. 

Four  hours  after  leaving  Tromso  we  arrived  at  Karlso,  a 
small  island  on  the  70th  degree  of  north  latitude,  on 
which  is  a  church,  which  serves  as  the  Sunday  rendezvous 
of  all  the  surrounding  islands.  Just  beyond  this  we  got  a 
view  out  into  the  open  sea,  and  it  was  a  real  pleasure  to 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  387 

see  it  once  more,  and  even  to  feel  its  swell,  after  having  been 
so  long  cooped  np  in  narrow  lifeless  sonnds  and  straits  ;  with 
all  its  passions  and  caprices  it  is  a  living  and  half-hnman 
monster  !  No  wonder  misanthropes,  like  Byron,  have  rejoiced 
to  find — 

"  Society  where  none  intrudes 
By  the  lone  sea,  and  music  in  its  roar  !" 

for  it  is  the  nearest  approach  to  that  human  society,  from 
which  their  morbid  sentiments  have  cut  them  off.  At  this 
point  we  entered  on  a  series  of  views,  which  are  quite  un- 
rivalled in  their  way,  and  would  in  themselves  repay  a 
journey  from  England.  On  the  side  towards  the  sea  a 
picturesque  island  with  fine  bluffs  stands  out  beyond  Karlso  ; 
to  the  east  at  one  point  is  seen  a  long  line  of  exquisitely 
broken  peaks,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  a  deep  inlet  between 
the  islands,  at  the  end  of  which  in  the  distance  stands  up  a 
high  snowy  summit,  quite  a  northern  Alp  ;  and  to  the  south 
the  Ulfs  fiord  runs  far,  far  in,  surrounded  by  a  girdle  of 
mountains  which  form  a  view  such  as  almost  to  rival  that 
from  Molde.  Peak  rises  behind  peak,  and  range  beyond 
range,  in  shapes  so  manifold,  so  delicate,  so  harmonious  as 
almost  to  recal  the  incomparable  Greek  mountains.  Amongst 
these  heights  lie  glaciers  of  different  forms  and  sizes,  one  of 
which,  a  great  distance  off,  was  very  like  the  Ehone  glacier, 
and  apparently  not  much  inferior  in  size.  The  finest  moun- 
tains are  those  which  separate  the  Ulfs  from  the  Lyngen 
fiord  ;  and  when  we  had  rounded  the  promontory  in  which 
they  terminate,  we  were  astonished  at  finding  that  their 
appearance  from  this  side,  cast  the  former  views  quite  into 
the  shade.  It  is  a  hopeless  task  to  picture  the  scenery  of 
the  Lyngen  fiord.  I  will  only  describe  it  as  simply  as  I 
can,  for  no  epithets  can  convey  any  idea  of  its  grandeur. 
The  mountains  here  descend  steeply  into  the  sea ;  the  loftiest 
summits,  though  few  of  them  tower  above  the  rest,  are  suf- 
ficiently varied  in  elevation  to  prevent  monotony ;  the  out- 
lines of  the  lower  ridges  also  are  as  fine  and  as  well  marked 

c  c  2 


388  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

as  the  others,  and,  like  those  in  the  Pyrenees,  are  so  steep  as 
seldom  to  allow  the  snow  to  remain  on  their  crests ;  in  the 
gorges  which  intervene,  grand  glaciers  flow  down,  eight  of 
which  can  be  seen  together  in  one  view :  all  of  them  are 
broken,  clear,  and  blue  ;  but  there  are  four,  which  I  must 
briefly  describe.  The  first  you  come  to  lies  like  a  great 
crawling  creature  on  the  top  of  a  crust  of  rock,  and  breaking 
short  off  where  the  rock  descends,  pours  forth  from  one  point 
a  stream,  which  falls  in  two  cascades  to  the  valley.  Another, 
the  most  striking,  runs  in  one  stream  of  ice,  narrow  in 
proportion  to  its  length,  from  the  mountain  ridge  to  within 
fifty  feet  of  the  sea ;  most  elegant  in  form,  and  in  several 
places  compressed  between  the  rocks  and  breaking  into  more 
marked  crevasses.  A  third,  of  no  great  size,  is  remarkable 
for  its  position,  hanging  on  the  very  summit  of  a  peak,  so 
that  it  is  hard  to  see  from  what  snows  it  can  be  fed.  And 
last  of  all,  far  up  on  the  side  of  one  mountain  is  a  great  basin 
full  of  ice,  like  a  bowl  of  cream  brimming  over,  from  which 
at  one  point  a  glacier-stream  escapes  for  some  distance 
towards  the  sea.  What  strikes  one  especially  about  the 
northern  glaciers  is  that  they  lie  at  a  very  steep  inclination, 
and  are  free  from  moraine,  two  features  which  add  greatly 
to  their  beauty.  Some  have  a  moraine  at  their  foot,  but  the 
ice  itself  is  almost  always  free.  And  when  one  considers  that 
these  mountains  are  not  more  than  4,000  or  5,000  feet  high, 
one  learns  that  elevation  is  not  the  most  important  element 
in  mountain  grandeur. 

At  Havnces  we  left  the  Lyngen  fiord  by  a  side  channel, 
where  there  is  more  vegetation,  and  the  hill-sides  are  covered 
with  birch-trees.  The  birch  and  the  willow  are  the  only  trees 
which  can  endure  the  severe  climate  of  this  arctic  region. 
All  along  this  part,  for  several  hours,  the  views  continued  to 
be  superb  ;  piles  of  peaks  appeared,  with  glaciers  lying  among 
them.  Here  was  seen  a  ridge,  throwing  up  strange  fingers, 
like  the  dolomite  peaks  of  the  Tyrol ;  there  a  great  crust  of 
ice  showed  itself  among  the  projecting  mountains-tops ;  but 
when  we  came  to  Kaago,  just  before  emerging  into  the  open 


H.  F.  Tozee.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 86o.  389 

sea,  on  our  way  to  the  outlying  island  of  Loppen,  a  glacier 
appeared  which  surpassed  all  the  others,  and  is  really  worthy  of 
a  place  on  the  side  of  Mont  Blanc.  It  descends  in  two  parts 
at  first,  divided  by  rocks  much  resembling  the  Grands  Mulets, 
below  which  the  two  streams  meet  in  a  narrow  place  with 
extraordinary  crushing,  and  the  whole  is  precipitated  in  one 
vast  mass  down  a  steep  cliff,  where  it  stands  clear  from  the 
rocks  which  flank  its  sides.  We  touched  at  Oxfiord,  an 
Oxford  of  the  north,  which  lies  in  a  remarkably  pretty  posi- 
tion, close  to  a  bright  green  valley,  enclosed  by  steep  rocks, 
with  a  waterfall  at  the  back,  while  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
water,  are  fine  peaks  and  glaciers ;  it  is  a  contrast  to,  though 
hardly  a  rival  of,  its  greater  namesake.  At  last,  after  coast- 
ing round  the  Alten  fiord,  which  is  famed  for  its  salmon- 
fishing — its  murderous  mosquitoes,  which  bite  through  leather 
gloves  and  gaiters,  and  harass  the  soul  of  the  fisherman — and 
its  unusual  vegetation,  for  here  the  spruce-fir  and  other  trees 
re-appear ;  we  arrived  on  the  7th  day  of  our  voyage  at  Ham- 
merfest,  the  northernmost  town  in  the  world. 

This  place  lies  in  a  small  but  very  safe  harbour,  in  the 
recesses  of  a  large  bay.  When  seen  from  the  heights  above 
it  has  a  pretty  appearance,  as  opposite  the  town  a  long  strip 
of  land  runs  out,  forming  a  breakwater,  not  unlike  that  sickle- 
shaped  tongue  of  land  which  protects  the  harbour  of  Messina. 
The  town,  which  is  on  the  south  side,  lies  compactly  together, 
almost  enclosing  the  numerous  trading  vessels  which  resort 
thither,  and  lie  close  under  the  warehouses.  Most  of  the 
houses  are  roofed  with  red  tiles,  though  a  few  are  covered 
with  the  same  kind  of  garden  which  I  have  described  as 
existing  in  the  interior  of  the  country.  The  streets  are  fairly 
regular,  but  most  of  the  houses  are  built  singly,  and  only 
form  a  street  by  standing  in  the  same  line.  The  pleasing 
custom  of  having  flowers  in  the  windows  of  the  houses,  which 
is  usual  throughout  Norway,  prevails  also  here.  The  Ham- 
merfestians  do  not  boast  of  an  hotel ;  but  there  is  a  house 
which  answers  the  purpose  of  one,  with  a  notice  over  it  for 
retsende,  i.e.  "for  travellers."     The  merchant  vessels,  some 


390  .     VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  .    [Norway. 

of  which  are  Norwegian,  some  Eussian  traders  from  the  White 
Sea,  are  of  the  strangest  build,  reminding  one  almost  of  the 
English  ships  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  time  ;  but  their  occupants, 
especially  the  Russians,  are  stranger  still.  One  wonderful 
being,  with  flat,  coarse  features,  who  wore  an  old  red  cap,  and 
was  enveloped  in  an  enormous  light  red  beard,  and  whom  we 
saw  paddling  a  punt  across  the  harbour,  we  at  once  surnamed 
Charon.  But  what  forces  itself  upon  your  attention  more 
irresistibly  than  anything  else,  is  the  smell  of  fish ;  in  fact, 
Hammerfest  may  not  unfairly  be  called  a  mausoleum  of  dead 
fish.  Some  are  seen  hanging  to  dry  on  frames  in  various 
parts  of  the  town  ;  others  are  being  tossed  in  great  quantities, 
with  a  dry  sound,  from  vessels  on  to  the  wharves,  while  others 
are  being  stowed  away  in  warehouses.  But  the  smell  is  all- 
pervading ;  go  where  you  will,  you  cannot  escape  from  it. 
We  went  miles  into  the  country  among  the  mountains  in 
search  of  flowers,  but  it  followed  us  even  there. 

The  day  and  half  which  we  spent  at  Hammerfest  were 
principally  devoted  to  botanizing,  and  our  labours  were  amply 
rewarded,  for  the  flora  of  this  part  is  extremely  interesting, 
some  of  the  plants  being  Alpine,  some  Arctic,  and  some 
common  to  various  other  European  floras.  Amongst  others 
we  found  Viola  biflora,  the  exquisite  little  yellow  violet,  and 
Gentiana  nivalis,  both  of  which  I  had  before  found  on  high 
passes  in  the  Alps  ;  Trollius  Europa?,us,  Viola  montana,  Silene 
acaulis,  Dry  as  octopetala,  Rhodiola  rosea,  Diapensia  Lapponica, 
Andromeda  hypnoides  and  polifolia,  Azalea procumbens,  Men- 
ziesia  cairulea,  Melampyrum  pratense,  Pedicularis  palustris 
and  Lapponica,  Habenaria  viridis,  Allium  Schamoprasum* 
There  are  no  trees  in  this  district,  though  here  and  there  stumps 
and  rotten  branches  show  that  some  have  existed  until  lately : 
and  the  almost  entire  absence  of  birds  serves  to  increase  the 
solitude.  When  wandering  in  this  stern,  unfruitful  region, 
where  the  hardy  birch  and  willow  can  no  longer  grow,  and 
where  the  pine  and  fir  have  been  left  far  behind,  it  is  quite 

*  An  excellent  account  of  the  flora  of  Lapland  will  be  found  in  HenfreVs 
Vegetation  of  Europe,  p.  89,  &c. 


H.  F.  Tozee.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 860.  391 

strange  to  turn  one's  thoughts  southward,  and  think  of  the 
smiling  pastures  of  England,  or  still  more  of  the  luxuriant 
vegetation  and  "  riotous  prodigality "  of  life  which  is  charac- 
teristic of  Italy,  or  the  bursting  of  the  spring  in  Greece,  when 
every  tint  of  green  may  be  seen,  from  the  lightest  shade  of 
the  almond  to  the  darkest  and  glossiest  evergreen,  and  the 
mountain  sides  are  brightened  with  golden  and  purple 
blossoms. 

I  had  often  in  former  years  been  filled  with  a  longing  to 

"  See  the  midsummer,  midnight  Norway  sun 
Set  into  sunrise," 

but  I  had  hardly  expected  to  accomplish  my  desire,  and 
while  I  was  in  the  country  my  hopes  had  almost  vanished, 
because  the  weather  was  cloudy,  and  the  last  night  of  our 
stay  at  Hammerfest  was  to  be  "positively  his  last  appearance" 
during  the  whole  night  above  the  horizon.  However,  as  on 
this  last  night  the  sky  looked  more  propitious,  and  the 
steamer  did  not  leave  till  two  A.M.,  we  determined  to  make 
one  final  trial.  We  crossed  the  harbour,  and  made  for  a  high 
hill  about  three  miles  off,  which  lay  between  us  and  the  sun. 
As  we  mounted,  our  hopes  rose,  for  though  the  great  luminary 
himself  was  hidden  from  us,  yet  we  could  see  his  light  on  the 
hills  and  islands  around.  When  we  reached  the  top  about 
eleven  o'clock,  he  burst  upon  us  round  and  ruddy,  but  glowing 
and  free  from  mist,  though  a  long  dark  bank  of  ominous 
cloud  lay  below  him  on  the  horizon,  threatening  to  engulf 
him  before  he  could  rise  again.  The  view  from  this  point 
would  at  any  time  be  a  striking  one.  Bare  craggy  islands 
fling  their  long,  wild  arms  over  the  sea,  dividing  it  into  straits 
and  sounds,  or  rise  to  a  considerable  height  in  numerous 
ridges  and  undulations.  But  now  what  would  otherwise  have 
been  rough  and  barren  was  glorified  by  the  most  gorgeous 
roseate  sunset  light,  and  softened  by  the  evening  shadows 
lying  behind  all  the  hills.  To  the  south  was  Hammerfest  in 
deep  shadow,  its  harbour  perfectly  calm,  with  a  few  small 
vessels  lying  at  anchor,  and  the  steamer  which  was  soon  to 


392  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway- 

carry  us  far  away  :  the  mountains  above  were  patched  with 
snow,  and  about  half-way  up  were  crossed  by  the  line  of 
shadow  thrown  by  the  hill  on  which  we  were  standing. 
Beyond  this  was  the  sound  by  which  we  had  arrived,  and 
then  the  large  island  of  Seyland,  crowned  with  two  snow- 
peaks,  and  bathed  in  the  richest  light.  All  along  to  the  west 
reached  the  long,  dark,  varied  outline  of  another  island,  which 
cast  its  shadows  into  the  grey-purple  sea  ;  and  between  these 
two,  to  the  south-west,  at  the  end  of  a  deep  sound,  far,  far 
away,  a  fine  line  of  mountains  bearing  a  ridge  of  ice,  which 
was  brightly  lighted  by  the  sun.  Between  all  these  islands 
and  the  peak  on  which  we  stood  lay  a  wide  sheet  of  water, 
and  to  the  north  the  open  sea,  with  a  superb  trail  of  light 
reflected  from  the  sun :  beyond  were  two  small  islands,  and 
to  the  east  a  high  mountain  excluding  the  rest  of  the  view. 
The  clouds  were  spread  in  thin  banks  over  the  sky,  and 
flushed  by  the  light  of  the  sun,  which  was  now  below  them. 
As  we  looked  round  on  this  exquisite  eight  in  the  marvellous 
and  awe-inspiring  silence  of  midnight,  it  was  hard  to  say 
what  could  be  added  to  make  the  scene  more  perfect ;  and 
yet  this  was  not  all.  Suddenly  there  arose  opposite  the  sun 
the  brilliant  limb  of  a  magnificent  rainbow,  which  reappeared 
at  intervals  with  increasing  splendour  for  more  than  an  hour  : 
a  solar  rainbow  at  midnight!  But  the  sun — you  will  be 
anxious  to  hear  wha  was  his  fate  all  this  time.  "We  had 
carefully  watched  him  as  he  partially  sank  behind  the  clouds, 
and  continued  to  skim  the  horizon,  but  when  at  last  three- 
fourths  of  his  disk  were  obscured,  he  began  to  rise  again,  and 
at  one,  we  saw  him  round  and  clear  once  more  on  his  upward 
course.  It  struck  us  that  there  was  a  marked  difference 
between  the  effects  before  and  after  midnight,  corresponding 
to  the  general  difference  between  sunset  and  sunrise,  the 
former  being  richer,  the  latter  harder  and  more  distinct  in  its 
lights.  Few  scenes  have  ever  impressed  me  more  forcibly 
than  this,  for  here  besides  those  two  grand  features  of  nature, 
which  symbolize  two  of,  the  highest  attributes  of  Him,  whose 
"  righteousness  standeth  like  the   strong  mountains,"   and 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  393 

whose  "judgments  are  like  the  great  deep,"  there  was  the  sun 
pursuing  his  majestic  course,  the  emblem  of  eternity,  and  the 
whole  scene  brought  before  our  minds  that  state  of  being  in 
which  "  there  shall  be  no  night !  " 

We  charged  down  the  hills  again,  and  reached  the  steamer 
as  she  was  nearly  ready  to  start.  Before  I  went  to  bed, 
between  two  and  three,  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens. 

One  great  source  of  amusement  which  we  had  found  during 
our  stay  at  Hammerfest,  consisted  in  watching  the  Lapps, 
who  form  a  considerable  part  of  the  population,  and  a  family 
of  whom  lived  just  opposite  our  windows.  This  singular 
people  is  interesting,  not  only  because  of  their  strange  appear- 
ance and  habits,  but  also  because  they  belong  to  the  same 
branch  of  the  human  race  which  now  occupies  the  northern 
half  of  Asia,  and  which  in  early  times  had  spread  itself  over 
Europe,  before  the  present  occupants  of  that  country  and  of 
India  had  left  their  common  home  in  the  highlands  of  Cen- 
tral Asia.  These  original  inhabitants  were  driven  by  the 
conquering  tribes  into  the  extremities  of  the  continent ;  and 
their  only  representatives  besides  the  Lapps,  and  their  neigh- 
bours the  Finns,  are  the  Basques  in  the  Pyrenees,  the  Magyars 
in  Hungary,  and  the  Albanians.  The  Lapps  and  Finns,  or 
Quains,  as  they  are  often  called  in  the  country,  are  distinct 
tribes,  so  that,  though  their  languages  are  cognate,  they 
cannot  understand  one  another.  In  appearance  they  are  still 
more  different,  for  the  Finns,  having  been  long  settled  in  the 
country,  have  approached  nearer  to  the  Norwegian  type  of 
face,  while  the  Lapps,  either  being  nomad  still,  or  having 
only  lately  given  up  their  roving  habits,  have  retained  their 
original  appearance,  which  would  betray  their  Turanian  origin, 
if  that  was  not  sufficiently  indicated  by  their  language.  The 
first  of  this  race  that  I  saw,  made  a  great  impression  upon 
me.  It  was  shortly  before  we  reached  Tromso,  on  our  north- 
ward voyage,  and  as  I  was  walking  one  morning  towards  the 
bows  of  the  vessel,  my  nostrils  were  suddenly  assailed  by  a 
peculiar  goaty  smell.  Led  on  rather  by  curiosity  than  plea- 
sure, I  discovered,  to  my  great  delight,  on  the  further  part  of 


394  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Noway. 

the  deck  a  nomad  Lapp,  enveloped  in  untanned  skins,  from 
which  the  unamiable  odour  proceeded  ;  but  thinking  that, 
like  the  Nubian  young  ladies,  who  anoint  their  sweet  selves 
with  castor  oil,  he  might  be  more  agreeable  if  seen  from  the 
windward  side,  I  took  up  a  safe  position  in  that  quarter,  and 
regarded  him  from  thence.  He  was  a  very  little  man,  not 
more  than  four  feet  high ;  his  legs,  which  were  short  in  pro- 
portion to  his  body,  were  very  wide  apart  at  the  hips,  and 
bowed  outwards.  His  face  was  not  less  peculiar,  the  most 
marked  points  being  the  narrow  slit  of  the  eyes  slanting 
downward  towards  the  temples ;  the  small  pupils,  the  high 
cheekbones  set  very  far  apart  in  the  head,  a  yellow  beardless 
skin  like  parchment,  and  the  falling  in  of  the  face  towards 
the  chin.  Some  of  these  particulars  might  remind  one  of 
the  description  of  the  Huns.  His  upper  dress  was  a  loose 
coat  of  reindeer-skin,  fastened  by  a  girdle,  below  which  were 
leggings,  and  loose  boots  also  of  reindeer-skin,  tied  with  bands 
round  the  ancle.  A  considerable  number  of  this  people,  like 
those  we  saw  at  Hammerfest,  are  now  engaged  in  trade,  but 
they  retain  the  form  of  the  national  dress,  only  adopting  a 
woollen  material,  which  is  often  braided  and  slashed  with 
various  colours,  while  the  girdle  is  richly  decorated  with 
brass  ornaments.  The  men  wear  a  red  cap,  the  women  a 
variegated  head-dress,  which  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe. 
This  picturesque  costume  adds  greatly  to  the  appearance  of 
the  towns  in  which  they  live.  They  are  all  Christians,  and  a 
highly  moral  people ;  we  were  assured  that  only  one  Lapp 
had  been  convicted  of  a  crime  during  the  past  year.  A  few 
of  them,  we  were  told,  are  priests ;  even  the  nomad  Lapps 
can  read :  it  is  a  remarkable,  if  not  singular,  instance  of  a 
nomad  Christian  nation.  They  are  by  no  means  an  unintel- 
ligent-looking people.  When  we  went  into  the  church  at 
Hammerfest,  we  found  that  the  provost  of  the  district — an 
officer  who  answers  to  our  archdeacon — was  holding  an  exami- 
nation previous  to  Confirmation ;  and  of  the  candidates,  who 
were  about  one  hundred  in  number,  at  least  one-third  must 
have  been  Lapps.     It  was  a  pretty  and  interesting  sight  to 


H.  F.  Tozeb.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  395 

see  them  in  their  gay  costume,  ranged  on  either  side  of  the 
nave.  There  was  one  old  Lapp  amongst  them  who  had  a 
wild  face,  and  long,  dishevelled,  black  hair,  which  he  scratched 
ad  libitum,  hanging  over  his  shoulders ;  he  looked  a  model 
pirate  of  ancient  days,  and  would  have  made  an  admirable 
companion  portrait  to  Charon. 

We  had  an  opportunity  of  visiting  an  encampment  of 
nomad  Lapps  on  our  return,  in  a  valley  called  Tromsdal,  on 
the  mainland,  opposite  Tromso.  A  gentleman  from  that  town, 
who  had  friends  on  board,  kindly  acted  as  our  guide,  and 
provided  a  little  picnic  for  us  in  the  valley,  including  some 
Engelsh  Porter,  an  expensive  luxury  in  those  parts,  as  an 
especial  compliment  to  us.  Here  we  first  saw  the  reindeer, 
which  are  the  property,  the  companions,  and  the  means  of 
subsistence  of  the  Lapps.  Near  the  head  of  the  valley  the 
whole  herd  were  collected,  about  500  in  number,  having 
just  been  brought  in  to  be  milked,  from  the  mountains, 
where  they  find  the  reindeer  moss.  They  were  confined  in  two 
circular  enclosures,  surrounded  by  a  stockade ;  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  moving  mass  and  twinkling  horns  was  at  first 
quite  bewildering.  They  are  of  a  dun  colour,  and  smaller 
than  I  expected,  few  being  more  than  three  feet  high ;  the 
antlers  of  many  were  large,  though  the  summer  is  an  unfa- 
vourable time  for  them.  They  make  a  grunting  noise  like 
a  pig ;  their  milk  is  very  rich,  but  they  do  not  yield  more 
than  a  goat.  The  Lapps  were  very  expert  in  catching  them 
round  the  neck  with  a  lasso,  and  drawing  them  in,  when  they 
wanted  to  milk  them.  The  huts  of  the  Lapps  are  of  the 
rudest  kind,  being  formed  of  branches  and  logs  set  upright, 
and  covered  with  turf,  so  that  from  outside  they  look  like 
gigantic  bee-hives ;  inside  they  are  begrimed  with  smoke, 
and  the  chimney  is  formed  by  a  hole  in  the  top,  over  which 
is  a  trap-door,  which  can  be  shut  when  necessary.  Under 
a  shed  near  the  huts  were  their  implements,  which  were 
mostly  composed  of  crates,  churns,  and  similar  things,  among 
which  there  were  hanging  a  few  small,  flat  cheeses.  It  is 
curious  to  see  that,  when  they  could  easily  buy  these  things 


396  VA  CATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Nokway. 

in  Tromso,  they  follow  the  traditions  of  their  fathers,  like  the 
Arabs,  and  other  nomad  nations,  and  make  them  themselves 
of  birchwood  and  reindeer-skin.  We  were  introduced  to  the 
Paterfamilias,  the  ancestor  of  the  community,  a  very  old  man, 
singularly  like  a  goat ;  but  one  old  lady,  who  was  busy  in 
milking,  had  a  bright  face,  and  with  her  hair  drawn  off  her 
forehead,  and  twisted  into  a  knot  at  the  back,  might  have 
reminded  a  person,  whose  imagination  could  have  taken  such 
a  leap  from  barbarism  to  civilization,  of  Marie  Antoinette. 
Another  woman  carried  her  child  in  a  wooden  case,  which 
served  the  purpose  both  of  a  cradle  and  of  baby-linen,  and 
was  slung  in  front  when  she  wanted  to  suckle  the  child,  and 
behind  on  ordinary  occasions.  We  made  a  subscription  for 
them,  and  gave  them  some  tobacco,  and  before  we  left  them 
were  gratified  by  the  pretty  sight  of  the  herd  of  reindeer  wind- 
ing its  way  in  a  long  line  back  to  the  mountains. 

The  evening  after  we  left  Hammerfest,  when  we  emerged 
at  Havnses  on  the  middle  of  the  Lyrgen  Fiord,  a  wondrous 
sight  awaited  us.  It  was  midnight,  and  over  the  mouth  of 
the  fiord  was  the  most  gorgeous  sunset  I  have  ever  seen : 
the  northern  sky  was  streaked  with  translucent  bars  of  the 
clearest  purple,  green,  and  gold,  while  here  and  there  lay  thin 
lines  of  delicate  cloud,  edged  with  a  fretwork  of  the  most 
brilliant  light ;  and  all  this  was  reflected  in  the  sea.  The  sun 
had  disappeared  behind  the  island  I  have  before  described, 
which  stood  out  dark  and  grand  in  contrast ;  but  he  had  not 
set  to  the  mountains,  and  thus  we  saw  his  light  resting  in 
rosiest  hues  on  the  upper  glaciers  of  that  sublimest  of  Arctic 
inlets.     Eose-hues  on  glaciers  at  midnight ! 

"  Match  me  such  marvel,  save  in  Arctic  clime !  " 

There  is  an  unspeakable  charm  in  an  Eastern  sunset,  when 
the  sun  descends  clear  and  undimmed  to  the  horizon,  and 
after  his  disappearance  a  flush  of  pink,  transparent  light 
streams  upward  to  the  zenith :  the  sunsets  of  our  own  misty 
atmosphere  are  superb,  when  the  clouds  are  painted  every 
conceivable  colour  by  the  broken  light;  but  none  can  vie 


H.  E.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  397 

with  these  brilliant  tints  and  delicately-pencilled  lines  of  the 
sunsets  of  the  North. 

As  we  had  missed  the  Lafoden  Islands  in  going  northward, 
we  were  fortunate  in  seeing  them  on  our  return.  The  shores 
of  Norway  are  for  the  most  part  composed  of  metamorphic 
rock,  but  these  islands  are  of  granite,  and  for  marvellous 
peaks  and  picturesque  rocks  they  are  unequalled.  Every 
form  is  represented  there.  Some  rise  like  huge  castles  with 
broken  battlements,  some  throw  up  lofty  pinnacles,  others 
take  the  shape  of  cones  or  triangles,  or  dart  up  into  aiguilles 
like  those  of  Mont  Blanc.  Some  of  the  islands  are  of  con- 
siderable extent,  while  others  are  single  peaks  rising  out  of 
the  water ;  among  them  lie  innumerable  rocks  of  various 
sizes.  Between  two  of  the  larger  islands  is  a  narrow  strait, 
leading  to  the  outlying  Steilo,  which  is  called  the  Baftesund. 
Here  the  cliffs  on  either  side  rise  steeply  to  an  immense 
height,  though  in  places  they  leave  room  at  their  base  for  a 
slope  of  bright  green  vegetation;  while  above,  fine,  broken 
glaciers  cling  to  the  ravines.  We  followed  the  line  of  the 
islands  as  far  south  as  Balstad,  and,  towards  night,  crossed  the 
Vest  Fiord,  in  the  middle  of  which  you  find  yourself  encircled 
by  a  girdle  of  mountains,  which  is  only  slightly  broken 
towards  the  north  and  south.  The  general  outline  is  splendid, 
but,  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  miles,  the  want  of  great  height 
diminishes  their  grandeur.  If  any  one  asks  why  I  have  not 
described  the  Malstrom,  I  must  answer,  with  sorrow,  that 
though  there  is  a  dangerous  current  between  two  of  the 
islands  which  bears  that  name,  yet  the  real  Malstrom,  the 
Malstrom  of  our  imagination — is  no  more  ! 

The  evening  after  we  recrossed  the  Arctic  Circle,  I  was 
quite  startled  by  seeing  in  the  Eastern  sky,  brightening  the 
skirts  of  a  dark  cloud,  the  golden  face  of  our  long-lost  friend, 
the  moon.  Two  nights  later,  as  we  were  approaching  Trond- 
jem,  the  stars  were  shining  brilliantly,  and  she  was  casting  a 
long  trail  of  light  over  the  waters.  It  seemed  quite  strange 
to  have  suddenly  plunged,  as  it  were,  into  darker  regions. 

We  found   the   old  place  looking  very  gay;  there  were 


398  VACATION  TOURISTS,   AND  [Norway- 

picturesque  crowds  of  people,  and  an  abundance  of  Norwegian 
flags  (crimson,  with  a  white  cross)  to  light  it  up,  and  several 
fine  frigates  were  lying  in  the  harbour.  Nor  were  we  dis- 
pleased by  the  intelligence  that  we  were  to  have  tickets  for 
the  coronation,  which  was  to  take  place  on  the  Sunday  fol- 
lowing (August  5th),  On  Friday  afternoon  the  King  arrived 
by  water  from  the  camp,  which  was  some  distance  up  the 
fiord,  where  he  had  been  reviewing  the  national  troops.  At 
his  approach  the  vessels  saluted,  and,  when  he  passed,  the 
sailors  manned  the  bulwarks  and  cheered,  (they  are  not 
accustomed  to  man  the  yards) ;  the  steamer  anchored  near 
the  pier,  and,  having  landed  in  a  boat,  he  passed  on  foot 
through  the  assembled  crowd  to  a  carriage  which  was  waiting 
to  convey  him  to  the  palace.  The  "hurrahs"  sounded  poor 
to  an  English  ear,  though  a  large  number  of  people  were 
collected  there  ;  they  did  not  seem  to  have  much  enthusiasm 
in  their  natures.  Both  the  King  and  his  brothers,  Prince 
Oscar  and  Prince  Auguste,  are  fine-looking  men ;  very  tall, 
with  long  faces  and  Jewish  features,  and  dark  beards  and 
complexions.  Prince  Oscar  is  the  popular  man  in  Norway ; 
the  King  is  too  imperious  and  overbearing  for  this  independent 
people.  Later  in  the  day  the  Queen  arrived  from  Christiania. 
On  the  evening  before  the  ceremony  we  received  our 
tickets,  accompanied  by  a  plan  of  the  building  and  of  the 
arrangements  of  the  seats.  From  this  it  was  evident  that  as 
the  entire  body  of  the  cathedral  was  to  be  occupied  by  those 
who  should  take  part  in  the  procession,  and  only  a  few  seats 
to  the  sides  were  appropriated  to  spectators,  it  would  be  no 
easy  matter  to  get  a  good  view.  Accordingly,  that  the  trouble 
we  had  taken  might  not  be  in  vain,  having  discovered  the 
side  door  by  which  we  were  to  be  admitted,  we  arrived  there 
at  an  early  hour,  and  by  judicious  management  got  in  first, 
and  secured  the  first  seats.  These  were  slightly  elevated 
above  the  dignitaries,  opposite  the  king's  throne  and  close  to 
the  pulpit,  and  commanded  views  both  up  and  down  the 
building.  But  before  proceeding  further,  I  will  briefly  de- 
scribe the  church. 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  399 

It  is  a  grey  and  weather-beaten  old  place,  and  bears  witness 
to  the  misfortunes  as  well  as  the   former  grandeur  of  its 
country.     Though  the  stone  of  which  it  is  built  is  hard,  and 
much  of  the  ornamental  work  retains  the  sharpness  of  its 
outlines,  yet  much  is  in  ruins,  much  has  been  patched,  and 
the  foundations  seem  in  many  places  to  have   given  way. 
But  all  this  is  so  much  in  keeping  with  its  history,  that  one 
could  hardly  wish  it  to  be  otherwise.     Of  the  nave  only  the 
walls  remain ;  the  oldest  parts  are  the  transepts,  the  central 
tower,    and   a   small   chapel   on  the   north   side,    originally 
separate  from  the  rest  of  the  building,  which  now  serves  as 
a  chapter-house.     All  these  are  in  the  Norman  style,  and  in 
an   architectural  point   of  view,  the   great  interest   of  this 
building  consists  in  its  proving  the  wide-spread  influence  of 
that  style.     The  choir  and  the  narrow  aisles  at  the  sides  are 
of    a  later   date,  corresponding    to   the  style  .of  our  earlier 
Edwards  ;  but  the  greatest  peculiarity  of  all  is  an  octagonal 
chapel   at    the  east   end,   with    a   corridor  or  aisle  running 
round  it.     It  is  separated  from  the  choir  by  light  pillars  and 
open  tracery,  which  perfect  the  octagon  without  much  im- 
peding the  view ;  in  the  centre  of  it  stands  the  altar,  and 
behind  this  a  cast  of  the  grand  statue  of  Christ,  by  Thor- 
waldsen  at  Copenhagen.    The  ornamental  work  of  this  chapel 
inside  is  rich,  but  extremely  peculiar ;  the  ball-flower  and 
other  common  ornaments  are  mixed  with  some,  which  one 
would  expect  to  see  in  Lombardic  or  even  Egyptian  archi- 
tecture rather  than  Gothic,  and  the   stonework   is   twisted 
into  all  sorts  of  forms,  in  a  way  which  would  scandalize  an 
advocate  of  pure  principles  of  architecture.     From  outside, 
however,  it  looks  still  more  strange,  for  it  rises  at  last  to 
a  bulb-like   cupola   covered   with   copper,   such   as   we   are 
more  accustomed  to  see  represented  in  Eussian  and  Indian 
buildings.* 

*  The  cultus  of  the  two  Saints  of  Trondjem  Cathedral  has  passed  into 
England  through  the  Scandinavian  nations.  One  of  them  is  St.  Olaf  or  Olave, 
a  monarch  who  propagated  Christianity  by  the  sword.  A  well  under  the 
octagon  chapel,  the  water  of  which,  according  to  the  Sagas,  issued  forth  when 


400  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

The  high  pews  and  enormous  galleries,  with  which  the 
building  was  rilled  before  the  arrangements  for  the  coronation, 
had  now  been  swept  away;  a  large  organ  and  a  singing 
gallery  had  been  erected  at  the  west  end  between  the  tran- 
septs, and  the  seats  were  placed  as  in  a  cathedral  choir.  All 
the  decorations  were  in  admirable  taste ;  the  side  walls 
towards  the  east  end  of  the  choir  were  richly  ornamented 
with  arcades  and  hangings  of  crimson  and  gold,  and  beneath, 
two  thrones  were  sat,  opposite  one  another,  for  the  king  and 
queen.  On  the  king's  right  hand  were  seats  for  the  princes, 
near  them  were  others  for  the  court  and  the  chief  ministers  ; 
the  rest  of  the  building  was  allotted  to  the  representatives  of 
the  Storthing,  to  the  army  and  navy,  foreign  ambassadors, 
municipal  authorities,  &c.  At  ten  o'clock  the  clergy,  about 
fifty  in  number,  dressed  in  surplices,  and  wearing  ruffs,  like 
those  which  Queen  Elizabeth  used  to  wear,  began  to  assemble 
about  and  behind  the  altar ;  and  amongst  them  were  seen  the 
Bishops  of  Christiania,  Christiansand  and  Bergen,  simply 
dressed  in  their  cassocks.  Our  eyes  had  wandered  to  another 
part  of  the  building,  when  suddenly  they  were  recalled  by  a 
young  Englishman  behind  us  exclaiming,  "  Oh  !  I  say,  just 
look  at  the  Bishops  now."  They  had  just  reappeared  from  the 
sacristy,  robed  in  the  most  gorgeous  apparel,  copes  of  amber- 
coloured  brocade,  covering  the  whole  person,  and  bearing  a 
red  cross  in  front.  After  this  the  candles  were  lighted  on 
the  altar,  and  they  advanced  to  meet  the  king  and  queen, 
who  were  now  approaching  :  and  then  the  whole  procession 
moved  slowly  into  church.  It  was  a  superb  spectacle,  though 
one  rather  missed  the  bright  British  uniform  :  the  royal  pair 

St.  Olave's  body  was  removed  from  the  spot,  is  still  in  some  measure  regarded 
as  possessing  healing  powers  ;  a  fact,  which  corroborates  Mr.  Clark's  remark, 
as  true  as  it  is  beautiful,  that  "A  tradition  to  be  lasting,  must  be  writ  on 
water."  {Peloponnesus,  p.  286.)  The  other  is  St.  Clement  of  Rome,  the  patron 
saint  of  the  church  of  St.  Clement  Danes,  which  was  the  great  burial-place  of 
the  Danes  in  England.  He  seems  to  have  been  adopted  as  the  patron  Saint 
of  the  Sea-Kings,  in  consequence  of  the  legend,  that  he  was  thrown  into  the 
sea  with  an  anchor  round  his  neck,  and  that  his  body  was  miraculously 
preserved  in  a  submarine  tomb,  to  which  pilgrimages  were  made.  The 
emblem  of  the  parish  of  St.  Clement  Danes  is  an  anchor. 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  401 

wore  robes  of  crimson  velvet,  ermine  and  gold,  with  immense 
trains  ;  but  the  greatest  sight  of  all  were  the  heralds,  gigantic 
men,  who  were  gorgeously  dressed,  and  covered  with  lace  and 
feathers,  which  seemed  to  stream  from  every  part  of  them,  so 
that  they  resembled  beef-eaters  raised  to  the  highest  power. 
The  man  who  interested  me  most  was  Professor  Munch,  the 
most  learned  man  in  Norway,  who  unites  in  his  own  person 
the  titles  of  geographer,  historian,  and  poet,  as  he  has  compiled 
the  government  map  of  the  country,  is  writing  its  history, 
and  composed  the  verses  (and  excellent  poetry  they  were)  to 
which  the  music  was  set  on  this  occasion.  In  his  appear- 
ance the  poetical  element  predominates,  for  he  has  a  dreamy 
face  and  long  hair. 

While  the  dignitaries  were  taking  their  seats,  the  choir  had 
been  performing  some  fine  music,  in  parts  of  which  mention 
was  made  of  Olaf,  Hako,  and  other  great  men  of  the  olden 
time ;  the  service  began  with  a  hymn,  sung  to  Luther's  Hymn 
tune,  and  then  the  Bishop  of  Bergen  ascended  the  pulpit.  He 
is  a  fine-looking  old  man,  venerable  and  benign,  but  with  a 
great  deal  of  humour  in  his  countenance.  The  subject  of  his 
sermon  was  the  blessing  of  God,  with  special  application  to 
the  occasion.  It  was  a  written  discourse,  simple,  and  delivered 
with  energy,  but  so  slowly  and  distinctly  that  we  could  follow 
it  all  through.  Its  brevity  also  was  remarkable ;  but  the 
King's  patience,  we  were  told,  had  been  so  tried  by  an  un- 
usually long  sermon  at  his  former  coronation  at  Stockholm 
that  he  had  given  peremptory  orders  that  it  should  not 
exceed  twenty  minutes.  This  was  followed  by  a  short  Litany, 
and  then,  after  the  performance  of  some  more  music,  came 
the  ceremony  of  coronation.  The  king  moved  up  to  a  seat, 
which  had  been  prepared  for  him  in  front  of  the  altar,  so  that 
he  sat  with  his  back  to  the  people,  facing  the  clergy.  His 
robe  having  been  taken  off,  the  Bishop  of  Christiania  invested 
him  with  the  royal  robe ;  next  he  placed  the  magnificent 
crown  of  Norway  on  his  head,  and  then  presented  him  with 
the  ball,  the  sceptre,  and  other  insignia,  accompanying  each 
part  of  the  ceremony  with  prayer.     One  of  the  heralds  then 


402  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Nokway. 

proclaimed  "Karl  XV.  King  of  Norway,  him  and  none 
other,"  a  salute  thundered  from  the  harbour,  and  the  King 
of  Norway,  looking  every  inch  a  king,  returned  to  his  throne. 
The  same  ceremony  was  repeated  in  the  person  of  the  queen ; 
and  then,  after  another  hymn  and  the  performance  of  some 
more  music,  the  procession  was  formed  once  more,  and  they 
left  the  cathedral  as  they  entered.  From  time  to  time  I 
recalled  the  former  history  of  Norway,  and  pictured  to  my 
mind's  eye  the  old  building  as  it  must  have  appeared  on 
similar  occasions  in  the  grand  old  days  of  the  Norwegian 
Kings.  And  if  the  remark  is  true,  that  Norway,  from  the 
simple,  straightforward  character  of  its  people,  and  their 
manner  of  life,  is  the  most  Idyllic  of  the  countries  of  Europe, 
there  was  nothing  in  this  scene  to  dispel  the  idea.  Even  the 
king  himself,  though  a  great  contrast  to  "  the  blameless  King 
Arthur,"  with  his  haughty  look  and  proud  carriage,  was  no 
bad  representative  of  the  stern,  hard-handed  monarchs  of 
mediaeval  times.  We  slipped  out  before  the  procession 
arrived  at  the  palace,  and  having  climbed  to  an  elevated 
position,  saw  it  move  along,  the  king  and  queen  walking 
under  canopies  ;  it  was  a  pretty  sight,  as  we  looked  over  the 
gay  crowd  down  the  long  street  to  the  quiet  fiord,  where  a 
ship  of  war  was  seen  dressed  in  all  her  flags. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  were  off  again,  rejoicing  at 
being  once  more  seated  on  our  carrioles  ;  the  bright  green 
meadows  too,  along  which  we  passed,  were  a  continual  source 
of  delight  after  the  pale  colours  of  the  far  north.  Our  object 
being  to  make  our  way  to  the  coast  near  Molde,  as  the  first 
step  on  our  route  to  Bergen,  wTe  chose  the  inland  road  by  the 
valley  of  the  Gula,  the  Dovre  Fjeld,  and  the  Eomsdal.  As 
several  of  the  stations  in  this  district  are  slow,  we  were 
obliged  to  send  fo?°bud ;  but  as  these  terms  may  perhaps  be 
unintelligible,  I  will  endeavour  to  explain  the  posting  system 
of  Norway,  which  is  probably  the  most  elaborate  in  all 
Europe.  At  some  stations,  which  are  called  fast,  horses  are 
regularly  provided  by  a  contractor  appointed  by  the  govern- 
ment ;  but  where  no  such  person  can  be  found,  the  station 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  403 

is  called  slow,  and  the  horses  are  supplied  by  the  neigh- 
bouring farmers.  If  you  give  no  warning,  you  always 
have  to  wait  a  considerable  time  before  they  arrive  ;  but 
if  you  send  forbud  or  "  notice,"  stating  the  time  of  your 
coming,  they  are  bound  to  be  there.  It  is  really  a  lordly 
way  of  doing  things.  You  drive  to  a  station,  and  there  is 
your  relay  of  horses  with  their  owners  waiting  your  pleasure  ; 
you  come  to  a  lake,  and  a  boat  with  the  required  number  of 
men  is  in  readiness  to  take  you  over  :  and  this  the  population 
are  required  to  do  by  law  at  a  certain  rate  of  payment,  for  the 
traveller's  benefit. 

There  are  plenty  of  objects  besides  the  scenery  to  attract 
our  attention  in  this  part  of  our  route.  The  pole  and  bucket, 
which  are  used  for  drawing  water  out  of  the  wells,  are  almost 
identically  the  same  as  the  shadoof,  which  was  and  is  still  in 
use  in  Egypt.  Here  and  there  are  huts  closely  resembling 
the  original  Greek  temple,  the  temple  in  antis,  the  form  of 
which  was  probably  derived  from  huts  of  this  character : 
those  of  the  Turks  in  Asia  Minor  are  the  same  at  the  present 
day.*  Then  about  the  farm- buildings  we  see  numbers  of 
magpies,  which  are  the  sacred  bird  of  this  country,  as  storks 
are  in  Holland  and  Turkey,  together  with  the  large  grey-and- 
black  crow,  which  always  reminded  me  of  a  clergyman  in 
weekday-clothes:  they  are  the  commonest  birds  of  the  in- 
terior. But  here  we  are  at  Soknses ;  and  our  old  friend 
A ,  who  rents  the  fishing  here,  brings  us  to  his  comfort- 
able room,  where  we  are  regaled  with  fresh  butter,  port  wine, 
and — hear  me  patiently,  Odin  and  Thor — the  last  number  of 
the  Saturday  Review.  The  port,  which  had  been  bought  of 
a  Landhandler,  or  country  merchant,  would  not  have  disgraced 
the  table  of  "  a  fine  old  English  gentleman ;"  but  the  greatest 
treat  was  the  fresh  butter,  for  the  Norwegians  (to  their  shame 
be  it  said),  though  they  have  the  finest  dairies  in  Europe,  and 
abundance  of  unrivalled  milk  and  cream,  make  nothing  but 
salt  butter,  unless  an  Englishman  steps  in  as  the  pioneer  of 

*  See  Fellowes'  Lycia,  abridged  edition,  p.  313,  and  compare  Wordsworth's 
Greece,  pp.  5,  and  153-4. 

DD  2 


404  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

civilization.  We  pocketed  our  literary  pierce  de  resistance, 
and,  as  iheforbud  admits  of  no  delay,  were  soon  cracking  our 
whips  again  en  route  for  the  Dovre  Fjeld. 

Before  reaching  that  famous  tract  of  country,  we  were 
destined  to  meet  with  an  accident.  I  had  just  passed  a  Nor- 
wegian, who  was  quietly  jogging  along  in  his  carriole,  and  my 
companion  was  following,  when  suddenly  the  Norwegian's 
horse  swerved,  the  carrioles  met  with  a  crash,  and  their  occu- 
pants were  ejected,  one  into  the  ditch,  the  other  into  the  road. 
I  saw  no  more,  for  my  horse  became  restive,  and  his  state  of 

mind  was  not  improved,  when  E 's  horse  came  careering 

by,  whirling  along  the  overturned  chariot.  The  boy,  who 
rode  behind  me,  at  last  secured  the  fugitive ;  and  I  was 
thankful  to  find,  on  reaching  my  friend,  that  we  had  no  fur- 
ther injury  to  complain  of  than  two  broken  shafts.  These  we 
patched  up  with  pieces  of  wood  and  cord,  which  held  them 
together  until  we  reached  the  next  station. 

The  Dovre  Fjeld  is  a  moor,  just  like  Dartmoor,  only  on  a 
larger  scale,  with  large  rolling  hills,  unbroken  by  projecting 
rocks,  but  here  and  there  backed  by  higher  mountains,  the 
principal  of  which  is  Sneehatten.  A  few  trees  grow  in  the 
more  sheltered  parts,  but,  as  you  ascend  higher,  these  also 
disappear ;  first  you  lose  the  alder  and  pine,  next  the  birch, 
and  last  of  all  the  willow.  But  its  most  distinguishing  feature 
is  the  reindeer  moss,  which  lies  in  great  patches  of  a  pale 
canary  colour  over  the  mountain  sides,  and  is  more  peculiar 
than  beautiful.  At  Dombaas  we  rejoined  our  former  route, 
and,  after  driving  once  more  down  the  magnificent  Bomsdal, 
took  a  boat  to  Vestnaes,  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  fiord. 
The  roses  were  now  past,  but  the  valley  was  adorned  with 
bright  bushes  of  the  rosebay  willowherb.  The  change  that 
had  taken  place  in  the  vegetation  was  very  striking  ;  and  on 
our  return  to  Trondjem,  we  had  remarked  the  rapid  advance  of 
the  harvest  during  our  short  visit  to  the  north.  In  one  part 
of  the  Eomsdal  a  dog,  which  we  had  been  asked  to  take  to  his 
home  some  distance  down  the  valley,  killed  for  us  several 
lemmings,  an  animal  which  we  desired  to  possess.     It  is  of 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  405 

the  mouse  tribe,  about  five  inches  long,  of  a  brown  colour, 
with  beautiful  black  spots  on  the  head  and  neck;  but  its 
interest  arises  from  its  migrating  in  swarms  from  the  Eussian 
borders  at  intervals  of  about  ten  years,  when  the  district 
which  they  traverse  is  covered  by  their  hosts,  and  every  trace 
of  vegetation  destroyed.  When,  at  last,  they  reach  the  sea, 
some  swim  across  to  the  outlying  islands,  but  the  greater  part 
of  them  perish.  They  are  regarded  by  naturalists  as  a  sort  of 
ver  sacrum,  a  colony  from  an  overstocked  nation,  which  are 
forced  to  emigrate  in  search  of  food. 

The  part  of  Norway  between  Molde  and  Bergen  is  more 
deeply  intersected  by  fiords  than  any  other  district,  and 
though  it  is  not  much  travelled,  contains  a  greater  succession 
of  fine  views  than  can  be  found  elsewhere.  From  Vestnaes 
we  crossed  a  tract  of  moorland,  near  which  we  found  the 
Arnica  montana,  a  flower  of  central  Europe,  resembling  a 
large  marigold,  and  which  in  Norway  is  called  the  "Erl 
King,"  and  before  long  descended  to  Soholdt  on  a  branch  of 
of  the  Star  Fiord.  This  place  appeared  to  us  the  most  delight- 
ful we  had  seen.  It  lies  near  a  fine  piece  of  water,  and  the 
mountains  around  are  of  some  height ;  but  the  village  itself 
stands  in  the  midst  of  charming  trees  and  meadows,  which 
remind  you  of  Scotland  rather  than  Norway,  and  have  an 
appearance  of  thoroughly  home  scenery :  add  to  which,  the 
inn  can  boast  of  English  neatness  and  comfort,  and  there 
were  ripe  currants  hanging  in  the  garden.  The  following  day 
was  spent  on  the  Stor  Fiord,  which  runs  in  to  this  place  from 
Aalesund,  the  principal  town  of  these  parts  after  Molde ;  but 
just  before  reaching  Soholdt  the  fiord  turns  sharp  round  at 
right  angles  to  its  previous  course,  and  as  our  route  lay 
towards  its  head,  we  had  to  bid  farewell  to  the  numerous 
headlands  which  are  seen  on  both  sides  as  it  runs  out  towards 
the  sea,  and  follow  this  branch.  It  may  be  on  an  average  a 
mile  in  width,  but  from  the  high  rocks  at  its  sides,  it  looks 
a  very  narrow  piece  of  water.  The  nearer  mountains,  which 
are  somewhat  rounded  in  outline,  descend  in  steep  precipices 
to  the  fiord,  or  where  they  retire  a  little  from  the  water  are 


406  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

broken  into  picturesque  ledges,  about  which  grows  the  most 
luxuriant  vegetation,  Scotch  fir,  birch,  hazel,  mountain  ash, 
and  other  trees.  The  Scotch  fir,  as  it  grows  in  this  country, 
is  an  exquisite  tree ;  and  when  it  stands,  as  it  often  does,  on 
the  rocky  promontories,  close  under  which  you  pass,  it  might 
almost  rival  the  Italian  pine.  The  birch  tree,  though  elegant, 
is  formal  in  its  shape,  and  a  number  of  them  never  can  mass 
themselves,  or  give  breadth  to  a  landscape ;  but  their  bright 
foliage  admirably  relieves  the  pines  when  interspersed  among 
them,  just  as  the  beeches  relieve  the  sombre  firs  in  the 
Pyrenees.  The  little  bights  and  bays  that  you  pass  as  you 
coast  along,  are  exceedingly  pretty;  and  here  and  there  a 
bright  bit  of  meadow-land,  with  its  attendant  cottage,  is  seen 
on  the  hill-side,  or  projecting  into  the  water.  The  rocks  at 
the  water's  edge  are  in  many  places  thickly  lined  with  a 
crust  of  mussel  shells,  which,  when  washed  by  the  tide,  look 
almost  like  steel.  But  perhaps  the  most  striking  sight  of  all 
is  the  numerous  waterfalls,  which  tumble  from  the  heights  in 
a  succession  of  cascades,  and  not  unfrequently  fall  sheer  into 
the  sea.  When  we  had  rowed  about  half  way,  a  fine  arm 
branched  off  on  our  left,  and  from  hence  to  the  head  of  the 
fiord  the  mountains  became  still  higher  and  wilder,  and  many 
of  the  rocks  were  tinged  with  an  iron  hue. 

In  the  evening  we  reached  Hellesylt,  which  lies  at  the  head 
of  the  fiord.  We  had  not  gone  more  than  ten  miles  in  the 
day,  but  the  wind  was  unfavourable,  and  Norwegian  boatmen 
are  somewhat  lazy.  They  are  a  good-humoured  and  amusing 
set,  and  chatter  all  the  time  they  row.  They  are  perfectly 
honest,  too,  except  in  the  matter  of  brandy ;  but  we  could 
not  too  much  admire  their  friendliness  and  unselfishness,  for 
while  some  of  them  "  shuffled "  and  "  shirked  their  stroke  " 
woefully,  the  rest  seemed  perfectly  contented  with  doing  the 

work  of  all.     On  these  occasions  E used  frequently  to 

take  an  oar,  and  I  used  to  steer  ;  and  neither  was  light  work, 
for  the  oars  are  of  gigantic  size,  with  a  place  for  the  fingers 
when  they  cannot  be  grasped ;  while  the  rudder  is  so  managed 
that  the  whole  weight  falls  on  the  steerer's  arms,  so  that  a 


II.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN   1 860.  407 

day's  steering  is  enough  to  weary  the  wrist  of  a  Hardi- 
canute. 

Close  to  Hellesylt  is  a  very  striking  fall,  which  comes  down 
in  broken  cascades  like  Lodore  on  a  large  scale,  over  great 
masses  of  rock  into  the  sea ;  the  village  at  the  side,  and  a 
wooden  bridge  above  it,  surmounted  by  rocks  and  trees,  form 
a  picturesque  accompaniment.  We  passed  over  this  the  next 
morning,  and  after  ascending  steeply  through  a  fine  gorge, 
found  ourselves  in  a  green  upland  valley,  through  which  we 
drove  for  several  stages,  and  then  descended  to  Grodaas,  which 
lies  on  one  arm  of  a  lovely  lake  called  Horningdals  Vand. 
By  a  steep  road  we  ascended  along  the  rocks  which  flank  one 
side  of  it,  and  crossing  a  promontory,  descended  again  to  the 
other  arm.  The  views  over  the  lower  part  of  the  lake,  as 
seen  from  these  parts,  with  projecting  headlands  and  small 
islands  quite  covered  with  trees,  are  exquisite,  and  reminded 
us  of  some  of  the  best  parts  of  Loch  Lomond.  We  followed 
the  narrow  arm  to  its  head,  then  for  a  long  time  wound  about 
through  upland  forest  ground,  interspersed  with  small  dark 
lakes,  and  at  last  descended  by  an  excessively  steep  and  bad 
road  to  the  waters  of  the  Nord  Fiord.  The  evening  was  now 
fast  closing  in,  so  we  had  to  drive  down  as  hard  as  we  could 
tear ;  but  it  was  with  many  regrets,  for  the  water  was  of  the 
softest  tint  of  green,  and  had  that  solid  look  which  Swiss  lakes 
assume  when  seen  from  a  height ;  and  through  the  trees, 
among  which  our  road  ran,  appeared  a  vessel  with  one  large 
white  sail  reflected  in  the  motionless  water.  A  boat  was  here 
awaiting  us,  and  late  at  night  we  arrived  at  Taaning,  a  very 
comfortable  station,  where,  however,  we  should  have  been  but 
poorly  treated,  had  it  not  been  for  the  kindness  of  an  English 
gentleman,  who  rented  the  fishing  :  by  his  intervention  we 
obtained  everything  we  could  desire. 

From  Taaning,  we  crossed  the  fiord  to  another  of  the  bays 
which  run  in  among  the  lofty  mountains  that  surround  its 
head,  and  landed  at  Oldoren,  from  which  place  we  intended 
to  make  an  expedition  to  the  Justedal  glaciers,  the  largest  ice- 
fields in  Europe.     Our  object  was  to  ascend  to  the  plateau  ot 


408  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND"  [Norway. 

the  ice,  for  these  glaciers  are  level  on  the  top  ;  but  though  we 
were  disappointed  in  this,  as  we  found  it  could  not  be  scaled 
from  this  point,  yet  the  result  proved  that  our  time  was  not 
wasted.  We  started  at  once,  accompanied  by  the  landlord  of 
the  inn  and  the  postmaster,  and  ascended  the  valley  until  we 
came  to  the  Olden  Vand,  a  narrow  piece  of  water  winding 
among  huge  mountains.  When  we  had  rowed  some  miles, 
there  suddenly  opened  upon  us  a  long  valley,  about  half-a- 
mile  in  width,  flanked  by  mountain  walls,  which,  at  its  eastern 
end,  runs  up  into  what,  in  the  Pyrenees,  would  be  called  a 
cirque,  a  semi-circular  cul-de-sac,  in  the  middle  of  which  lies, 
or  rather  hangs,  the  magnificent  Brixdal  glacier,  one  of  those 
which  descend  from  the  Justedal.  On  landing,  we  bent  our 
steps  towards  this,  over  rough  ground  and  piles  of  debris,  and 
arrived  at  its  foot  after  about  two  hours'  walking.  It  descends 
in  two  great  falls,  one  below  the  other,  and  all  the  lower  part 
is  jammed  in  between  two  huge  peaks,  which  stand  up  like 
pillars  of  Hercules.  No  foot  of  a  glacier  that  I  have  seen — 
not  even  that  of  Eosenlaui,  is  equal  to  this :  the  ice  is  clear 
and  bright  blue  in  colour,  and  its  masses  are  most  beautifully 
broken  :  as  we  saw  it,  a  large  piece  had  been  pushed  forward 
and  was 'joined  to  the  rest  by  an  arch.  You  pass  two  other 
glaciers  of  great  size  on  your  left  as  you  ascend  from  the  lake. 
One  of  these  is  a  huge  basin  of  ice,  which  has  the  appearance 
of  being  enclosed  in  forests  ;  as  we  saw  it  in  coming  down,  its 
upper  ridge  was  all  gilded  by  the  setting  sun.  The  whole 
valley  is  full  of  waterfalls,  which  plunge  down  the  mountain 
sides  :  one  comes  careering  down  within  200  yards  of  the 
Brixdal  glacier,  while  another,  a  little  lower  down,  on  your 
right  hand  as  you  ascend,  falls  with  a  large  body  of  water 
over  the  edge  of  a  steep  precipice,  divided  in  two  by  a  rock  at 
the  top  ;  and  in  this  manner  it  descends  to  a  great  depth  in  a 
double  fall,  the  two  streams  of  which  are  yet  near  enough  to 
mingle  their  spray.  It  is  surpassingly  beautiful !  Again,  as 
we  looked  towards  the  west,  we  could  see  the  calm  lake  lying 
in  shadow  in  its  cradle  of  enormous  cliffs,  and  over  all  was 
spread  the  rosy  flush  of  a  magnificent  sunset.     So  much  for 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  409 

the  pleasant  part  of  our  expedition ;  now  for  the  disagreeables. 
As  it  was  too  late  to  return  to  Oldoren  that  night,  we  had 
arranged  to  remain  at  one  of  the  farms  in  the  valley.  Being  of 
a  suspicious  nature,  I  had  intended  to  sleep  on  a  box  or 
bench,  but  in  an  unwary  moment  we  were  persuaded  by  our 
conductor,  who  vividly  depicted  the  cleanliness  of  the  natives, 
to  lie  down  on  a  bed.  Alas  !  it  was  not  to  sleep,  but  to  be 
crawled  over,  so  terrible  was  the  abundance  of  insect  life  ! 
Between  three  and  four  in  the  morning  I  got  up  and  washed 
my  fevered  face  and  hands  in  the  icy  stream  hard  by,  and 
used  my  toothbrush  too,  though  that  proceeding  would  seem 
to  be  open  to  misrepresentation,  if  a  story  that  we  heard  is 
true,  that  an  Englishman  under  similar  circumstances  was 
reported  to  the  family  with  whom  he  lodged,  as  having  been 
seen  by  the  river  side,  sharpening  his  teeth  for  breakfast. 

We  escaped  as  soon  as  possible,  and  returned  to  Oldoren, 
from  whence  in  the  afternoon  we  were  rowed  down  the  Nord 
Fiord  to  Utvik,  another  delightful  station.  The  shores  of  this 
fiord  are  more  inhabited,  and  its  scenery  is  softer  than  the 
others  which  we  had  seen ;  the  sloping  hill-sides  which  en- 
close one  bay,  from  their  smiling  farms,  well-cultivated  fields, 
and  numerous  trees,  reminded  us  of  the  valley  of  Schwytz,  as 
seen  from  the  lake  of  Lucerne.  During  the  whole  of  the 
next  day,  we  were  passing  through  very  fine  country.  After 
mounting  the  long  hill  behind  Utvik,  which  commands  grand 
views  over  the  reaches  of  the  Nord  Fiord,  we  descended 
again  amongst  wild,  rude  mountains,  in  the  midst  of  which 
you  look  down  on  a  valley  full  of  bright  vegetation,  orna- 
mented with  several  small  green  lakes,  and  a  long  winding 
green  river.  Following  the  course  of  this  stream,  we  arrived 
at  a  lake  called  the  Breum  Vand,  about  which  the  scenery 
reaches  its  greatest  sublimity :  along  its  nearer  arm  there  is 
vegetation  similar  to  that  which  had  charmed  us  on  the  Stor 
Fiord ;  while  about  the  further  part  rise  magnificent  masses 
of  rock,  which  stand  out  with  more  character  than  is  usually 
found  in  the  mountains  which  surround  these  fiords.  It  is 
not  a  large  piece  of  water  ;  and  when  we  had  crossed  it,  we 


410  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

passed  through  another  fine  valley  to  the  Jolster  Vand,  along 
the  shores  of  which  we  drove  for  some  fifteen  miles.  The 
road  here  was  new  and  good,  with  the  exception  of  ex- 
cessively steep  and  stony  bits  in  places  ;  indeed,  though  this 
is  often  described  as  a  rough  excursion,  yet  both  the  roads 
and  inns  of  this  part  of  Norway  are  decidedly  above  the 
average. 

We  had  at  one  time  intended  to  walk  through  this  district, 
and  were  only  prevented  by  the  crowded  state  of  the  steamers 
at  the  time  of  the  coronation,  which  rendered  it  impossible 
to  send  the  carrioles  by  water  to  Bergen.  They  are  a  great 
source  of  trouble,  wherever,  as  in  this  part,  there  are  nume- 
rous water-stages,  for  the  wheels  have  to  be  taken  off  each 
time,  in  order  that  they  may  be  stowed  away  in  the  boats. 
But  we  never  regretted  having  brought  them,  for  the  objections 
to  a  pedestrian  tour,  which  I  have  already  stated,  apply  here 
with  especial  force ;  and,  besides,  we  had  become  thoroughly 
enamoured  of  carriole  travelling.  It  gives  you  full  enjoyment 
of  the  air  and  sun,  and  at  the  same  time  sufficient  occupation 
for  your  thoughts,  together  with  an  occasional  appearance  of 
danger  in  going  fast  down  steep  places,  which  combines  a 
gentle  excitement  with  perfect  safety.  The  Norwegian  ponies 
are  very  sure-footed,  especially  in  rough  and  loose  ground ; 
they  go  admirably  at  a  moderate  pace,  and  with  a  light 
carriole  behind  them,  do  not  require  to  walk  up  any  but  very 
steep  hills.  Their  appearance  is  very  peculiar ;  they  have  a 
round  body,  and  their  limbs  are  so  round,  that  at  first  sight 
you  would  suppose  them  to  be  very  fat,  which  is  seldom  the 
case.  They  are  mostly  creams,  with  a  dark  line  running 
down  the  back  ;  their  manes  are  hogged,  and  in  many  respects 
they  are  so  like  what  the  ancient  Greek  horses  must  have 
been,  that  the  traveller  might  easily  fancy  he  had  a  piece  of 
the  Elgin  marbles  before  him. 

From  the  Jolster  Yand  we  descended  through  rich  and 
beautiful  country  to  Moe,  where  we  stopped  to  see  the  Moe 
Eos,  the  largest  waterfall  in  these  parts.  It  looks  about  400 
feet  high,  and  the  river  which  forms  it  is  of  considerable 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  411 

size.  There  are  two  falls,  the  upper  of  which  plunges  almost 
unbroken  into  a  dark  basin,  while  the  lower,  emerging  from 
this,  throws  itself  in  steep  cataracts  to  the  bottom.  At  last 
we  arrived  at  Forde,  near  the  head  of  the  fiord  of  the  same 
name,  where  there  is  an  excellent  hotel.  It  lies  in  the 
midst  of  a  delicious  valley  of  unusual  width,  flat  and  rich, 
with  a  river  running  through  it,  and  abundant  cultivation, 
such  as  only  those  can  appreciate  who  have  long  been  wan- 
dering in  a  rocky  land.  As  we  ascended  again  the  next 
morning  among  pines,  green  turf,  and  heather,  it  was  charm- 
ing to  look  through  the  trees  over  this  bright  region,  encircled 
by  its  girdle  of  mountains.  When  we  had  reached  the  top 
of  the  ascent,  we  drove  for  several  hours  by  the  side  of  bright 
gleaming  lakes,  and  through  upland  valleys,  partly  meadow, 
partly  forest  land,  until  we  descended  through  a  narrow  gorge 
to  Vadheim,  a  station  on  a  beautiful  creek  of  the  Sogne  Fiord. 
From  hence  the  steamer  carried  us  to  Bergen. 

Both  from  its  situation,  and  from  its  curious  streets  and 
buildings,  Bergen  has  a  right  to  be  called  the  most  picturesque 
town  in  Norway,  and  might  almost  take  its  rank  with  Nurem- 
berg, Verona,  and  Granada.  To  understand  its  position,  the 
reader  must  picture  to  himself  a  narrow  bay,  flanked  by 
mountains,  from  one  side  of  which  runs  out  a  piece  of  land 
in  the  form  of  the  letter  T,  connected  by  a  bridge  with  the 
opposite  shore.  On  this  piece  of  land  and  the  mountain- 
slopes  from  which  it  runs  out,  the  greater  part  of  the  town 
lies,  and  the  water  between  these  forms  the  main  harbour ; 
but  numbers  of  suburbs  and  country  houses  fringe  the  water's 
edge  in  different  directions.  From  the  heights  on  the  land- 
ward side  of  the  place,  where  the  eye  is  attracted  by  the 
numerous  trees  which  are  interspersed  among  the  red-tiled 
roofs  of  the  houses,  and  where  the  shipping  are  seen  moored 
close  under  the  buildings,  the  bird's-eye  view  is  very  striking, 
and  the  contrast  is  especially  remarkable  between  the  bright 
busy  town,  with  its  green  gardens  and  fields,  and  the  setting 
of  barren  heights  and  rocky  islands  which  encases  it,  together 
with  the  grey  unfriendly  sea.     Many  of  the  streets  are  very 


412  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

irregular,  and  the  wooden  houses  are  quite  charming  from 
their  quaintness,  the  most  marked  feature  being  a  kind  of 
large  dormer  window,  which  rises  from  the  middle  of  the  roof 
in  front.  The  costumes  of  the  peasants,  too,  which  are  singu- 
larly picturesque  in  this  part  of  Norway,  are  nowhere  better 
seen  than  in  the  market-place  of  Bergen  ;  one  of  the  prettiest 
is  that  worn  by  unmarried  women,  consisting  of  a  red  boddice, 
and  a  double  red  snood  round  the  head.  In  history  Bergen 
is  known  as  one  of  the  great  trading-stations  of  the  Hanse 
towns,  whose  monopolies  for  a  long  time  materially  injured 
the  commerce  of  Norway.  • 

After  a  stay  of  two  days  we  left  the  town  by  the  southern 
road,  casting  frequent  glances  of  admiration  backwards,  and 
not  neglecting  to  notice  the  tasteful  villas  along  the  roadside. 
At  Garnses  we  came  to  a  piece  of  water,  which  runs  in  from 
the  sea  near  Bergen,  and  penetrates  a  long  way  inland  with 
many  windings  :  in  this  part  it  is  called  the  Dale  Fiord.  The 
electric  telegraph,  which  runs  from  Christiania  to  all  the  prin- 
cipal towns  in  Norway,  is  carried  along  one  side  of  it ;  and 
in  some  places  where  the  cliffs  overhang,  it  has  to  be  sup- 
ported on  iron  bars  projecting  from  the  rock.  It  is  strange  to 
see  it  in  these  unfrequented  places,  and  it  often  recalled  to  my 
mind,  by  a  curious  association  of  ideas,  the  great  arches  of 
the  aqueducts  which  stretch  across  the  Campagna  of  Eome, 
like  Civilization  stalking  over  a  waste  of  desolation.  The 
station  Dale  lies  near  the  head  of  a  small  branch  which  runs 
up  transversely  from  the  fiord  ;  and  this  bay  is  very  striking, 
from  its  narrowness,  the  steepness  of  the  cliffs,  and  the 
elegant  trees.  We  drove  across  for  a  few  miles,  and  descended 
again  to  the  same  piece  of  water,  which  doubles  round,  after 
making  a  circuit,  and  here  is  called  the  Bolstad  Fiord  ;  such 
is  the  winding  nature  of  these  pieces  of  water.  The  precipices 
here  are  magnificent — as  near  an  approach  to  perpendicular 
rocks  as  you  will  almost  ever  see ;  they  are  beautifully  marked 
with  purple  stripes,  and  in  places  the  lines  of  the  strata  are 
curiously  traced  by  trees,  which  fix  themselves  in  the  ledges 
of  the  rocks.     We  found  the  harvest  general  in  this  part,  and 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  413 

the  corn  fields  added  greatly  to  the  look  of  the  country ;  the 
sheaves  were  fastened  to  high  poles  instead  of  being  piled  on 
the  ground.  There  were  one  or  two  charming  little  bits  of 
cultivation  about  these  bays  of  the  fiord,  which  would  have 
made  perfect  vignettes.  One  was  a  sceter  or  mountain  farm, 
perched  high  up  amongst  the  cliffs,  with  an  emerald  meadow, 
and  the  cottage  roof  so  green  from  the  bright  grass  growing 
on  it,  that  you  might  have  supposed  it  to  be  freshly  painted. 
Another  was  a  farm  on  a  slope  between  the  mountains  and 
the  sea,  where  the  ground  was  divided  up  into  patches  of 
grass,  golden  corn  land,  and  dark  green  potatoes ;  beside  the 
farm-house  a  fine  waterfall  was  dashing  into  the  fiord. 

These  small  allotments  of  land,  devoted  to  different  kinds 
of  produce,  denote  the  great  subdivision  of  property  among 
small  landholders,  which  is  the  peculiarity  of  the  tenure  of 
land  in  Norway.  It  seems  to  conduce  to  the  comfort  and 
prosperity  of  the  people,  (though  the  Norwegians  themselves 
will  tell  you  that  Mr.  Laing's  account  of  the  life  of  the 
peasants  is  too  highly  coloured  ;)  and  it  suits  their  simple 
and  unambitious  habits  ;  but  it  prevents  the  development 
of  the  resources  of  the  country,  for  they  have  no  capital,  by 
means  of  which  to  reclaim  their  immense  tracts  of  unculti- 
vated land.  At  Bolstadoren,  which  lies  at  the  head  of  the 
fiord,  we  landed,  and  again  drove  a  few  miles  to  the  Evanger 
Vand,  a  freshwater  lake  of  great  beauty,  cradled  in  the  midst 
of  superb  mountains.  We  had  been  delayed  by  these  water- 
stages,  and  at  half-past  eight,  when  we  arrived  at  Evanger, 
the  night  was  fast  coming  on — so  little  remained  to  us  of  our 
long  protracted  daylight !  However,  the  inevitable  forbud 
called  us  on  to  Vossevangen,  two  hours  further ;  and  having 
driven  a  long  distance  in  the  dark  with  a  lame  horse  and  an 
uncivil  man,  who  possessed  the  voice  of  a  raven,  and  a  notion 
of  using  it,  I  at  last  arrived  at  my  destination.  On  awaking 
in  the  morning  I  found  Vossevangen  a  very  pretty  place  ;  the 
fertile  mountain-sides  slope  gradually  down  to  a  small  lake, 
and  are  covered  partly  with  forests,  partly  with  smiling  farms ; 
while  the  village   itself,  at  a  little   distance  from  our  inn, 


414  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

formed  a  nice  object  with  its  cluster  of  white  houses  and 
a  church  with  a  dark  wooden  spire. 

This  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the  Yoring  Fos,  the 
greatest  waterfall  in  Europe.  We  started  and  drove  for  three 
hours  through  pretty  forest  scenery,  and  passing  a  fine  water- 
fall, descended  to  the  little  lake  of  Graven.  It  is  one  of  the 
great  charms  of  the  whole  of  this  west  part  of  Norway,  that 
all  the  scenery  is  so  good ;  not  only  are  there  occasional 
views  of  great  magnificence,  but  all  the  ordinary  scenery  is 
pleasing  and  far  from  commonplace,  whereas  in  most  moun- 
tainous districts  you  meet  from  time  to  time  with  tracts  of 
uninteresting  country.  At  this  point  we  had  to  leave  the 
carrioles,  as  the  road  came  to  an  end.  After  skirting  the 
head  of  the  lake  under  the  rocks,  we  ascended  the  other  side 
by  a  very  steep  path,  from  which  the  views  over  the  dark  still 
water  increased  in  beauty  in  proportion  as  we  ascended,  and 
when  we  reached  the  ridge  among  the  pine  trees,  we  caught 
an  exquisite  peep  of  the  Graven  Fiord,  a  narrow  piece  of 
water,  with  headlands  projecting  into  it,  and  beyond  it  a 
reach  of  the  great  Hardanger  Fiord,  of  which  it  is  a  branch, 
while  a  falling  shower  glittered  over  all.  The  piece  of  ground 
which  we  were  now  traversing,  has  features  characteristic  of 
the  mountain  masses,  which  intervene  between  fiords,  being 
steep  on  both  sides  and  more  or  less  level  on  the  top  ;  and 
so,  when  we  had  proceeded  some  distance  along  it,  we 
descended  again  by  a  slanting  path  down  the  mountain 
side.  Charming  it  was — a  perfect  shrubbery  on  either  side 
of  us — and  when  we  could  look  below  we  caught  sight  of 
an  exquisite  circular  lake  (it  proved  to  be  the  head  of 
the  Ulvik  Fiord),  embedded  in  sloping  hills,  with  a  pretty 
island  on  one  side,  in  shape  and  position  like  the  Isola  San 
Giulio  on  the  lake  of  Orta,  and  in  front  a  little  promontory, 
on  which  stood  the  white  church  of  Ulvik,  and  one  red- 
tiled  house  by  its  side.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  that  there 
are  circumstances  under  which  whitewash  conduces  to  the 
picturesque.  At  Ulvik,  we  got  a  boat  to  take  us  to  Vik, 
at  the  head  of  the  Eid  Fiord,  which  is  the  highest  point  of 


H.  F.  Tozek.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  415 

the  Hardanger  ;  but  in  accordance  with  our  almost  universal 
ill-luck  on  the  water,  we  had  a  head  wind  and  heavy  sea, 
and  did  not  arrive  until  late  at  night. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  started  on  foot  for  the  Voring 
Eos.  The  scenery  on  the  way  thither  is  rude,  grey,  and 
gloomy.  We  soon  came  to  a  small  lake,  over  which  we  were 
ferried  by  our  guide,  and  then  ascended  a  valley,  in  the  midst 
of  which  was  the  white  rushing  river  which  forms  the  falls, 
until  we  came  to  a  place  where  the  path  is  carried  in  steep 
zigzags  up  the  side  of  a  mountain.  After  mounting  this  we 
crossed  a  piece  of  moorland,  and  made  for  a  point,  from 
which  a  great  roar  proceeded,  and  over  which  a  wreath  of 
spray  was  hanging.  When  we  again  saw  the  river,  it  was 
hurrying  along,  as  if  from  a  presentiment  of  its  destiny,  and 
shortly  after  this  the  Eos  appeared  before  us.  It  is  indeed 
worthy  of  its  fame,  and  its  beauty  surprised  me,  for  I  expected 
it  to  be  strange  and  grand,  but  hardly  beautiful.  It  is  a 
clear  fall  of  900  feet,  and  the  body  of  water  is  very  large ; 
it  descends  into  a  narrow  bare  chasm,  the  sides  of  which  are 
as  nearly  as  possible  perpendicular — a  dizzy  thing  it  was  to 
look  down  from  the  edge  of  the  precipice  to  the  boiling  surge 
beneath — and  the  spray  dashes  up  from  below  with  such 
force,  that  another  waterfall,  which  descends  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  chasm,  is  actually  stopped  by  it  and  dispersed, 
before  it  can  reach  the  bottom.  Its  chief  beauty  consists  in 
its  pure  whiteness,  and  the  fleecy,  yet  distinct  and  well- 
marked  masses  in  which  it  descends,  while  a  sufficient  number 
of  trees  and  shrubs  grow  on  the  heights  around  to  prevent  the 
scene  from  appearing  savage.  We  returned  to  Vik,  and  then 
rowed  down  the  Hardanger  Eiord  to  Utne,  a  village  at  the 
extremity  of  the  glacier-bearing  promontory  of  the  Eolge- 
fond,  whence  we  made  our  way  by  the  Graven  Fiord  back  of 
Vossevangen. 

Shortly  after  commencing  our  homeward  journey  to  Chris- 
tiania,  we  stopped  at  the  little  wooden  church  of  Vinge,  a 
building  of  great  antiquity,  on  the  walls  of  the  interior  of 
which  are  some  paintings,  a  very  rare  thing  in  this  country 


416  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

They  are  on  panel,  in  a  hard  style,  representing  for  the  most 
part  figures  of  our  Lord  and  saints,  but  in  one  place  there  is 
a  picture  of  the  scourging.  Though  they  cannot  be  said  to 
belong  to  a  high  style  of  art,  yet  there  is  considerable  expres- 
sion in  the  faces,  and  grace  in  the  flowing  lines  of  the  drapery. 
They  are  evidently  of  some  antiquity,  but  what  may  be  their 
exact  date,  or  whence  they  came,  it  would  be  hard  to  say. 
On  the  next  stage,  the  man  who  accompanied  my  carriole, 
having  walked  up  a  hill,  was  jumping  on  behind,  as  usual, 
while  the  vehicle  was  in  motion,  when  to  my  dismay  he 
sprang  too  far,  tumbled  forward  and  fell  flat  on  the  ground, 
and  in  an  instant  the  wheel  went  over  him.  I  thought  his 
legs  must  have  been  broken  ;  but  my  faith  in  the  lightness 
of  carrioles  and  the  toughness  of  the  natives  was  not  a  little 
increased,  when  he  got  up,  perfectly  unhurt.  We  descended 
at  last  by  a  very  steep  and  well-engineered  zigzag  into  the 
magnificent  Nserodal,  a  valley  like  the  Eomsdal,  though  not 
quite  equal  to  it  in  grandeur.  At  Gudvangen,  which  lies  at 
the  head  of  the  Naeroens  Fiord,  we  took  a  boat  to  Leirdalsoren, 
the  highest  point  of  the  great  Sogne  Fiord,  which  is  seventy 
miles  from  the  ,sea.  The  scenery  of  this  fiord  passes  all 
description  ;  it  is  far  finer  than  the  Eomsdal  Fiord,  and  quite 
outrivals  any  European  lake  scenery.  It  is  narrow,  and 
divided  into  a  succession  of  bays  by  projecting  headlands ; 
the  surrounding  mountains  are  extremely  steep,  and  rise  in 
many  places  5,000  feet  above  the  water  :  and  that  which  is 
generally  the  weak  point  of  Norwegian  mountains,  want  of 
character,  is  certainly  not  to  be  complained  of  here.  Many 
of  the  precipices  are  of  a  sheeny  silver-grey :  other  mountain 
tops  are  white,  scaly,  and  almost  leprous  in  their  appearance  ; 
and  I  have  never  seen  the  birch  trees, — small  as  they  seem, 
and  showing  by  their  minuteness  the  height  of  the  mountain 
sides  on  which  they  grow — so  effective  in  ornamenting  the 
lofty  cliffs.  Each  bay,  as  it  succeeds  the  other,  appears  the 
most  subliirfe,  until  at  last  you  open  out  into  a  wider  fiord, 
and  look  back  on  another  branch,  almost  as  grand  as  that 
which  you  have  left,  running  up  into  the  far  distant  moun- 


H.  F.  Tozer.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  417 

tains,  on  the  sides  of  which  the  patches  of  corn  land  are  seen 
like  mosaic  work  through  the  clear  atmosphere. 

The  Sogne  Fiord  has  an  especial  interest  attaching  to  it, 
because  most  striking  historical  recollections  still  linger  about 
its  shores :  the  peasants  still  remember  the  part  their  fore- 
fathers took  in  the  second  crusade  under  King  Sigurd  I.  It 
is  one  of  the  few  points  in  which  Norwegian  history  comes  in 
contact  with  that  of  Europe  at  large ;  and  few  episodes  can 
be  found,  which  give  such  ample  materials  for  picturesque 
description  :  the  wild  children  of  the  North  visiting  the  court 
of  our  second  Henry,  contending  with  the  Moors  by  sea, 
entertained  with  splendid  hospitality  by  their  brethren  the 
Norman  princes,  under  the  sunny  sky  of  Sicily,  and  at  last 
arriving  at  Jerusalem  and  fighting  for  the  Cross.  The  want  is 
here  supplied,  which  the  traveller  cannot  help  feeling  in  other 
parts  of  the  country,  even  in  the  midst  of  the  most  sublime 
scenery — the  want  of  local  historical  associations.  Greece 
and  Norway,  lying  at  the  opposite  extremities  of  Europe,  may 
both  be  truly  called  "  a  land  of  mountains  ; "  but  the  contrast 
between  them  is  complete.  The  one  is  a  land  of  "poetic 
mountains,"  a  land  where 

"  The  sense  aches  with  gazing  to  behold 
The  scenes  our  earliest  dreams  have  dwelt  upon  "— 

the  other,  though  the  spirit  of  the  old  mythology  may  still 
appear  to  rest  upon  it,  and  though  many  events  in  its  annals 
are  most  striking  in  their  details,  fails  for  the  most  part  to 
make  its  grandest  features  the  exponents  of  its  history. 

About  twenty  miles  from  Leirdalsoren,  and  not  far  from 
the  road,  is  the  wooden  church  of  Borgund,  a  building  of 
great  antiquity,  dating,  probably,  from  the  eleventh  or  twelfth 
century,  and  certainly  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  in 
.Christian  architecture.  The  first  view  makes  you  think  more 
of  a  Chinese  pagoda  than  anything  else  :  it  rises  story  above 
story,  roof  above  roof,  gable  above  gable,  until  at  last,  by 
means  of  narrowing  gables,  one  surmounting  the  other,  it 
loses  itself  in  a  sort  of  spire.     There  are  few  windows,  but 

E  E 


418  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

each  of  those  that  there  are,  is  surmounted  by  a  gable,  and 
all  the  gables  have  wooden  crosses.  The  ridges  of  the  roofs 
are  ornamented,  and  at  the  end  are  long  projecting  finials  of 


the  most  grotesque  description.  All  round  the  outside  a  low 
cloister  runs,  having  a  lean-to  roof  resting  against  the  church, 
and  an  open  arcade  without,  with  semicircular  arches  and 
small  pillars.  There  are  three  porches,  answering  to  three 
doors  on  the  north,  south,  and  west  sides  ;  over  the  apse  is  a 
cupola,  not  altogether  unlike  that  at  Trondjem.  The  whole  is 
covered  with  wooden  tiles  resembling  scales,  fastened  together 
with  nails,  which  are  mostly  of  wood :  it  is  entirely  built  of 
firwood,  and  covered  with  thick  coats  of  tar,  which  give  it  a 
picturesque  colour  of  dark  sepia.  The  jambs  of  the  doorways, 
and  the  semicircular  arches  above  are  elaborately  decorated  in 
a  quaint  style,  with  interlaced  dragons  and  other  ornaments. 
Inside  there  are  large  fir-poles  standing  up  within  the  walls 
on  all  four  sides  of  the  nave,  which  act  as  pillars  to  support  a 
clerestory :  in  this  way  something  like  aisles  are  formed ;  and 
cross-bars  of  wood,  which  run  from  one  of  these  poles  to 


H.F.Tozeb.J         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  419 

another  about  half-way  up,  produce  the  effect  of  a  triforium  ; 
but  the  whole  building  is  so  abnormal,  that  one  is  obliged  to 
torture  architectural  words  from  their  original  meaning  in 
order  to  describe  it.  The  arches  are  everywhere  round,  as 
also  is  the  vaulted  roof,  the  supports  of  which  rest  on  corbels 
shaped  like  barrels  and  carved.  At  the  west  end  is  a  gallery. 
The  wood  inside  is  in  most  parts  stained  red,  but  the  walls 
and  roof  are  painted  with  strange  designs  of  flowers  and  other 
objects.  At  first  sight  this  nave,  from  its  shape,  its  dull 
colours  and  general  effect,  reminded  me  forcibly  of  the 
Narthekes,  or  ante-chapels  of  the  monasteries  of  Mount  Athos. 
The  nave  is  thirty-nine  feet  long,  the  chancel  about  fifteen  ; 
they  are  divided  by  a  screen.  The  chancel  has  a  flat  roof 
within,  and  in  the  apse  is  a  quaint  altar-piece  of  later  date 
than  the  building  ;  but  the  font  may  be  of  any  antiquity — a 
square  stone  basin,  resting  on  a  rude  block.  Not  the  least 
wonder  about  the  place  is  that  it  has  no  foundations,  being 
supported  by  stones,  which  rest  on  the  earth.  I  examined 
this  point  carefully,  and  it  was  confirmed  by  the  old  man  who 
opened  the  doors  for  us  ;  but  the  poles  which  support  the 
clerestory  seem  to  run  into  the  ground;  and  this  would 
account  for  that  part  of  the  building  standing  quite  upright 
while  the  rest  has  sunk  in  many  parts  :  but  it  is  a  wonder 
that  the  whole  structure  has  not  been  blown  away.  A  little 
way  from  the  church  is  the  belfry,  a  building  of  the  same 
date  and  character.  The  walls  incline  inwards,  as  they  rise, 
for  two-thirds  of  its  height ;  then  comes  an  open  arcade,  and 
above  this  is  the  high-pitched  roof.  It  is  supported  by  poles 
and  cross-beams  inside. 

The  question  naturally  arises,  whence  came  this  style  of 
architecture  ?  for  a  style  there  seems  to  have  been,  since  other 
churches  in  various  parts  of  Norway  bear  more  or  less  resem- 
blance to  that  of  Borgund.  The  ornamental  work,  both  of 
the  exterior  and  interior,  is  evidently  Celtic,*  which  will  be 

*  This  will  be  plain  to  any  one  who  will  compare  the  plates  in  Dahl's 
Denhmale  einer  sehr  ausgebildeten  Holzbaubmst,  with  Plates  63,  64,  of  Owen 
Jones'  Grammar  of  Ornament. 

E  E  2 


420  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Norway. 

sufficiently  explained  by  the  connexion  which  existed  be- 
tween the  churches  in  Norway  and  the  British  Isles  *  But 
for  the  plan,  arrangement,  and  form  of  these  buildings,  a 
more  distant  origin  is  to  be  sought.  Professor  Dahl,  who  has 
made  this  subject  his  own,  maintains  their  close  affinity  to 
the  Byzantine  style,  and  finds  the  connecting  link  in  the 
migrations  of  the  Varangians.  This  name  was  applied  to  the 
original  Eussians,  who  were  Scandinavian  conquerors  :  after 
establishing  a  dynasty  in  Eussia  in  the  ninth  century,  the 
great  body  of  the  invading  tribe  passed  on  to  Constantinople, 
where  they  became  the  body-guard  of  the  Byzantine  emperors,  t 
As  the  Byzantine  style  of  architecture  spread  itself  through 
Eussia,  it  was  not  unlikely  that  it  should  penetrate  to  the 
original  home  of  the  Varangians.  There  are  other  traces  of  a 
connexion  between  this  country  and  Constantinople  :  there  is 
a  Byzantine  painting  in  the  Museum  at  Bergen,  and  churches 
at  Constantinople  were  dedicated  to  St.  Olave ;  in  several 
places  in  the  Sagas  also,  mention  is  made  of  communication 
both  with  Eussia  and  Constantinople :  perhaps  the  bulb-like 
cupola  of  Trondjem  Cathedral  may  be  traced  to  a  Eussian 
model,  and  the  form  of  the  Greek  cross,  which  is  so  common 
in  the  churches  of  the  Gulbrandsdal,  may  have  been  intro- 
duced in  the  same  way.  If  this  theory  is  true,  it  serves  as  an 
additional  proof  of  the  wide-spread  influence  of  that  which  is 
historically  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  styles  of  archi- 
tecture, the  Byzantine,  the  traces  of  which  are  found  in  the 
west  of  France,  in  the  north  of  Eussia,  in  Spain,  Africa,  and 
India,  and  wherever  Mahometanism  has  penetrated,  j 
Between  the  head  of  the  Sogne  Fiord  and  Christiania  the 

*  Neander,  v.  p.  403.  Mosheim,  ii.  p.  247.  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  the 
Hebrides,  were  often  visited  by  the  Northmen  in  their  piratical  expeditions, 
and  the  Orkneys  were  for  some  time  subject  to  the  kings  of  Norway.  See 
Laing's  Translation  of  Snoiro  Sturleson's  Eeimskringla,  passim. 

t  Smith's  Gibbon,  vii.  pp.  80 — 83,  and  notes.  Geyer's  Histoire  de  la  Suede, 
p.  17.    Laing's  Heimskringla,  iii.  pp.  4,  296. 

%  Those  who  take  an  interest  in  wooden  architecture  may  like  to  know,  that 
the  church  of  Little  Greenstead  in  Essex,  is  the  one  ancient  wooden  church 
which  exists  in  England. 


H.  ¥.  Tozee.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  42] 

country  is  pleasing,  but  not  worth  speaking  of  after  what  we 
had  lately  seen.  It  is  very  much  the  sort  of  scenery  which, 
before  starting,  I  had  expected  to  find  throughout  Norway  : 
deep  valleys,  with  rushing  rivers  and  high  fir-clad  mountain 
sides  ;  occasional  lakes,  and  sweeps  of  moorland.  During  the 
latter  part  of  this  route,  however,  we  passed  through  the  most 
cultivated  country  we  had  seen,  the  inclosures  being  often 
large,  and  the  corn-fields  running  far  up  the  mountains.  For 
ten  days  before  we  started  there  had  been  torrents  of  rain,  the 
effects  of  which  were  visible  in  many  parts  of  our  route ; 
bridges  were  broken,  and  we  had  often  to  cross  the  streams  by 
temporary  bridges  or  ferries  ;  the  road  in  many  parts  was 
washed  away,  or  covered  with  a  mass  of  slush  and  soil,  so 
that  we  had  to  make  our  way  by  circuitous  paths  through  the 
fields.  In  one  place,  at  the  head  of  the  Eans  Fiord,  a  whole 
valley  was  laid  under  water,  and  only  farm-buildings  and 
trees  could  be  seen  standing  out  of  it.  On  this  journey  we 
learnt  more  than  ever  how  truly  the  carriole  is  the  proper 
conveyance  for  Norway,  for  no  other  kind  of  carriage  could 
have  gone  over  such  rough  and  broken  ground. 

On  the  third  day  of  our  journey  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
Miosen  lake,  and  the  next  evening  arrived  at  the  capital,  after 
an  absence  of  nearly  two  months. 


422  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND      [Spain  and  Eclipse. 


12.     A   VISIT  TO  NORTH  SPAIN  AT  THE  TIME 
OF  THE  ECLIPSE. 

BY  EKANCIS  GALTON,  F.RS. 

A  direction  was  given  to  my  summer  rambles  by  the  desire 
of  witnessing  the  solar  eclipse  of  last  June,  and  by  the  fact 
that  the  path  of  its  totality,  where  nearest  to  England,  lay 
across  a  country  which  I  ardently  longed  to  visit.  The  result 
was,  that  I  applied  for  permission,  and  obtained  it,  to  form 
one  of  the  party  of  astronomers  who,  under  the  leadership  of 
the  Astronomer-Eoyal,  were  taken  by  H.M.S.  Himalaya  to 
Spain. 

The  Himalaya  is  truly  a  noble  vessel,  and  we  were  right 
imperially  treated.  Those  whose  experience  has  been  drawn 
from  coasting  passenger-steamers,  in  English  or  Mediterranean 
waters,  would  hardly  credit  that  anything  floated  comparable 
in  spaciousness  and  luxury  to  this  magnificent  ship.  And 
she  is  as  fast  and  as  easy,  excepting  a  tendency  to  roll,  as  she 
is  spacious  and  comfortable  ;  for  we  steamed  out  of  Plymouth 
Sound  on  a  Saturday  forenoon,  so  steadily,  that  I  hardly  knew 
we  were  moving ;  and  on  the  Sunday  night  we  were  going 
at  half -power,  because  we  were  too  near  the  Spanish  coast, 
whose  bold  outlines  lay  in  full  view  on  the  early  Monday 
morning. 

It  was  therefore  with  one  of  those  feelings  of  contrast  so 
often  enjoyed  by  travellers,  that  I,  with  my  eyes  still  toned 
to  that  dim  English  daylight  in  which  we  had  just  bade  fare- 
well to  our  shores,  found  myself  paddling  up  the  Bilbao  river 
in  a  small  shore-going  craft,  under  a  full  flood  of  southern 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  423 

sunshine,  by  the  side  of  suburbs  and  quays  crowded  with 
people — where  every  incident,  shape,  colour,  and  sound, 
assured  me  that  I  was  in  a  new  country,  and  amidst  a  civi- 
lization that  was  neither  English,  French,  nor  Italian,  nor 
resembling  that  of  any  other  country  I  knew,  but  something 
wholly  peculiar. 

At  Bilbao,  the  plans  of  that  section  of  the  Himalaya 
party,  which  had  there  been  landed,  were  discussed  and 
arranged.  Different  groups,  of  two,  or  three,  or  four  persons, 
undertook  to  occupy  different  stations,  with  the  purpose  of 
scattering  the  observing  power  of  our  party  as  widely  as 
possible  over  the  path  of  totality.  I  joined  myself  to  two 
friends — Mr.  Atwood  and  Mr.  Charles  Gray — and  we  accepted 
one  of  the  more  distant  positions,  near  Logrorio.  My  friends 
were  prepared  to  observe  the  "  Eed  Protuberances,"  and  I,  for 
my  part,  had  hoped  to  make  some  experiments  on  the  heat 
radiated  by  the  Corona,  though,  afterwards,  an  accident  to  my 
instrument  compelled  me  to  alter  my  plans. 

The  thoughtful  arrangements  for  our  comfort  on  landing, 
and  the  energy  with  which  Mr.  Vignolles  fulfilled  the  self- 
imposed  duty  of  host  and  guardian  to  our  large  party,  were 
such  as  made  us  feel  an  almost  painful  debt  of  gratitude. 
I  and  my  friends  were  billeted  as  guests  in  a  capital  house, 
belonging  to  a  Spanish  merchant,  who  tended  us  like  infants. 
Even  a  packet  of  tea,  provided  by  Mr.  Vignolles,  was  in  readi- 
ness for  our  use.  Our  luggage  was  looked  after,  our  money 
was  changed,  our  plans  were  settled,  introductions  to  the 
authorities  at  Logrorio  were  given  to  us,  and  eveiy  difficulty 
was  smoothed  away  as  soon  as  it  was  discovered.  Not  less 
do  we  owe  to  the  leadership  of  the  Astronomer-Eoyal,  and  to 
the  trouble  he  took  in  originally  organizing  the  expedition. 
It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  that  he  has  undertaken  the 
part  of  historian  to  the  eclipse,  and  that  we  shall  soon  learn 
the  whole  value  of  the  results  that  have  accrued  from  it,  by 
means  of  a  comparative  analysis  of  the  numerous  observations 
that  were  made  upon  each  separate  phenomenon  of  that 
strange  and  magnificent  meteor. 


424  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

For  my  part,  I  do  not  profess  to  do  more  in  this  place  than 
to  give  a  brief  account  of  two  or  three  appearances  which 
made  considerable  impression  on  me  at  the  time,  and  which 
do  not  seem  to  have  been  so  fully,  if  at  all,  observed  by 
others,  either  in  the  present  eclipse  or  in  previous  ones,  and 
which  I  am  glad  of  an  opportunity  of  putting  upon  record. 
To  these  I  will  recur.  At  present,  I  will  endeavour  to  describe 
a  few  of  my  general  recollections  of  that  rapidly  improving 
part  of  Spain  which  I  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing.  I  think 
I  may  be  excused  for  doing  so,  although  my  stay  was  a  very 
short  one,  because  I  have  not  found  any  book  that  gives  a 
recent,  and  at  the  same  time  what  appears  to  me  to  be  a  fair 
account  of  this  portion  of  the  Basque  provinces.  They  are 
usually  described  as  different  from  Spain  only  in  being  less 
Spanish,  and  by  having  a  strong  infusion  of  the  Basque 
mountaineer  element ;  yet  I  found  it,  as  the  Germans  would 
say,  thoroughly  "  selbst-standig,"  and  with  none  of  the  airs  of 
an  outlying  province  of  a  larger  and  vivifying  central  king- 
dom. Bilbao  is  becoming  exceedingly  wealthy ;  the  provinces 
to  which  it  and  Santander  are  the  outlets,  are  being  cut  into 
by  railways.  There  is  every  sign  of  abundant  local  activity ; 
no  beggary,  or  apparent  poverty,  or  listless  indolence :  added 
to  all  this,  there  is  a  remarkable  picturesqueness  in  its  social 
life.  In  short,  this  portion  of  the  Basque  provinces  did  not 
appear  to  me  as  I  had  been  led  to  expect. 

Almost  the  first  thing  that  arrested  my  attention  on 
Spanish  land  was  the  chiaro-oscuro  tint  of  everything  I  saw. 
It  was  especially  remarkable  in  the  soil  and  in  the  buildings. 
There  was  an  abundance  of  bright  colour,  but  it  seemed  to  have 
none  of  that  garish  effect  which  is  so  remarkable  under  a 
French  sky.  The  exquisite  mellowness  and  depths  of  shading 
surpassed  anything  I  had  previously  seen,  and  explained  at 
once  the  possibility  and  the  truthfulness  of  Murillo's  treat- 
ment. It  also  showed  me  that  the  universal  black  dresses 
of  the  upper  class  of  either  sex  were  in  no  way  incongruous 
or  dismal  when  seen  through  a  Spanish  atmosphere,  and  with 
Spanish  surroundings.     The  eye  soon  becomes  used  to  a  new 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  I  860.  425 

influence,  and  while  I  always  recognised  its  effect,  I  after- 
wards tried  in  vain  to  recall  the  vividness  of  that  first  impres- 
sion of  novelty.  However,  the  converse  effect  struck  me 
forcibly  when  I  left  Spain  for  France,  and  found  myself  at 
Bordeaux.  There  is  a  well  known  and  strongly  contrasting 
influence  of  this  nature  to  be  seen  when  crossing  the  hills 
above  Yillafranca,  which  separate  Mentone  from  Nice ;  the 
east  side  of  this  very  natural,  though  not  the  actual,  frontier 
between  two  great  kingdoms  being  thenceforth  wholly  Italian 
in  its  colours  and  its  aspect,  and  the  west  side  as  French  as 
it  is  possible  to  conceive. 

It  is  evidently  the  lowermost  stratum  of  air  that  has  the 
greater  power  in  giving  a  mellowness  of  light,  or  an  apparent 
depth  of  blueness,  to  the  sky.  One  sees  this  unmistakeably 
in  those  Italian  valleys  that  lie  south  of  the  Alps,  where  a 
blue,  low-lying  haze,  which  a  little  hill-climbing  surmounts, 
floods  the  strath  and  mellows  the  view.  So,  again,  a  man 
standing  at  Chamouni  and  looking  south  over  Mont  Blanc, 
proclaims  that  the  sky  is  decidedly  Swiss,  that  it  is  hard  and 
pale  blue ;  while  another  man,  who  is  stationed  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  mountain,  at  Cormayeur,  and  looks  north, 
asserts  that  the  sky  is  soft,  and  deep  blue,  and  eminently 
Italian ;  yet,  in  each  case,  whatever  sky  the  observer  sees 
above  the  mountain's  crest,  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  it.  The 
Swiss  man  sees  an  Italian  firmament,  and  the  Italian  man 
a  Swiss  one.  Hence  it  is  manifest  that  the  characters  of  these 
aerial  tints  do  not  reside  in  the  stratum  that  lies  above  the 
level  of  high  mountains.  The  peculiarity  of  the  Chamouni, 
or  Cormayeur  sky,  is  caused  by  the  quality  of  the  atmosphere 
that  dwells  in  the  Chamouni,  or  Cormayeur  valleys,  and  in 
no  way  by  that  which  spreads  aloft  in  the  higher  regions. 

It  was  a  great  delight  to  me  to  find  that  the  Spanish  ways 
of  life  appeared  thoroughly  characteristic,  and  wholly  un- 
copied  from  other  nations  of  modern  Europe.  There  is  a 
common  cant  phrase  used  sometimes  in  respect  to  France, 
and  sometimes  to  England,  of  "advancing  in  the  van  of 
European  civilization."  Yet,  however  flattering  to  our  vanities, 


426  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

it  would  be  a  matter  of  deep  regret  if  European  civilization 
should  ever  become  so  far  one  and  indivisible,  that  nations, 
whose  instincts  and  geographical  conditions  of  life  are  dif- 
ferent, should  make  it  a  point  of  fashion  or  of  education  to 
live  on  the  same  model.  One  longs  to  see  a  freer  develop- 
ment than  exists  at  present,  of  the  immense  variety  of  apti- 
tudes and  peculiarities  that  are  found  in  the  human  race,  and 
are  fostered  by  different  geographical  circumstances.  Let  us, 
at  least,  hope  that  a  united  Italy  may  develop  a  vigorous  and 
high-class,  but  an  autogenous  form  of  social  life.  If  she  did 
so,  it  would  be  as  welcome  to  the  majority  of  educated  Europe, 
as  a  new  face  and  a  new  mind  to  a  small  provincial  society. 
Yet  an  exception  to  this  statement  must  be  made  on  behalf 
of  the  French,  to  whom  any  hope  of  the  kind  would  be 
wholly  unintelligible.  They  are  strangely  unconscious  of  their 
own  monotony,  and  seem  honestly  convinced  of  the  doctrine 
they  subscribe, — that  all  which  is  not  Frenchified  is  pagan, 
that  there  is  but  one  path  of  perfection,  and  that  the  panacea 
for  afflicted  aliens  is  French  influence  and  the  Code  Napoleon. 
With  feelings  very  different  from  theirs,  it  was  an  in- 
expressible pleasure  to  me  to  witness  a  busy,  thriving  nation- 
ality, utterly  distinct,  as  I  have  already  said,  from  any  I  had 
seen  before,  and,  moreover,  of  a  character  which  strangely 
fitted  into  my  peculiar  tastes.  Every  wheel  of  life  in  these 
northern  parts  of  Spain,  so  far  as  a  stranger  can  judge  by 
what  goes  on  in  the  streets  before  his  eyes,  appears  to  move 
freely,  while  the  whole  forms  a  machine  absolutely  different 
from  any  other  in  Europe.  Nothing  in  common  use  seemed 
borrowed  from  other  countries.  The  dresses  of  the  men, 
women,  priests;  porters,  and  muleteers,  were  peculiar  and  not 
ineffective.  The  cattle  were  mules  and  oxen,  and  did  their 
work  excellently — better,  I  dare  say,  under  a  driver  of  Spanish 
temperament  than  a  horse  would.  The  animals  and  the 
men  are  notoriously  well  matched ;  indeed,  the  skill  of  the 
muleteers,  the  mastery  they  showed  over  their  art,  and  the 
ingenuity  and  novelty  of  their  harness  and  pack-saddle 
appliances,  were  an  endless  astonishment  to  me.     The  street 


P.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  427 

architecture  was  peculiar  and  exceedingly  imposing,  with  its 
large,  square,  well-glazed  balconies  and  numerous  awnings. 
Every  act  of  the  people  was  original — their  gait,  their  imple- 
ments, their  way  of  setting  to  work.  I  looked  into  many 
shops — such  as  tinkers',  blacksmiths',  potters',  and  so  forth — 
and  came  to  the  conclusion,  speaking  very  broadly,  that 
if  any  of  their  patterns  were  introduced  into  England,  or 
that  if  any  of  ours  were  made  to  replace  theirs,  the  change 
would  involve  decided  incongruity,  and  lead  to  questionable 
improvement.  Another  subject  which  struck  me  at  once,  and 
with  which,  up  to  the  last  moment  of  my  stay  in  Spain, 
I  became  no  less  charmed,  was  the  graceful,  supple,  and 
decorous  movement  of  every  Spanish  woman.  It  was  as 
constant  a  pleasure  to  me  to  watch  their  walk,  their  dress,  and 
their  manner,  as  it  is  a  constant  jar  to  all  my  notions  of 
beauty  to  see  the  vulgar  gait,  ugly  outlines,  mean  faces,  bad 
millinery,  and  ill-assorted  colours  of  the  vast  majority  of  the 
female  population  that  one  passes  in  an  English  thoroughfare. 
The  hideous  bonnet  is  still  wholly  absent  in  these  parts,  and, 
in  place  of  it,  every  Spanish  woman,  of  every  class,  has  her 
dense,  black,  uncovered  hair  divided  with  a  straight,  clean, 
white  parting  down  to  the  forehead,  and  beautifully  smoothed 
on  either  side. 

Taking  it  all  in  all,  I  felt  myself  as  one  dropped  in  a 
thoroughly  new  land,  with  an  infinity  to  learn  and  observe. 
Yet  I  did  not  feel  any  strangeness  in  its  ways,  but  imagined 
I  could  accommodate  myself  with  ease  and  pleasure  to  the 
every-day  matters  of  Spanish  life,  so  far  as  I  could  judge  from 
what  lay  on  the  surface.  The  marked  orientalism  of  the  place 
captivated  me.  I  enjoy  oriental  life,  even  under  the  draw- 
back of  knowing  that  the  natives  are  ready  to  spit  at  me  as 
an  unclean  dog  of  a  Christian  ;  how  much  more,  then,  should 
I  be  at  ease  where  I  was  only  liable  to  be  cursed  as  a  Pro- 
testant heretic.  The  nurses  sing  oriental  airs  to  the  children  ; 
the  colours  of  the  peasantry  are  Moorish  in  hue,  pattern,  and 
harmony,  yet  Spain  is  no  mere  Moslem  country  in  its  appear- 
ance.    Among  many  others,  there  are  two  notable  points  of 


428  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

difference  in  its  favour — the  one,  that  unveiled  women  form 
more  than  half  of  the  population  in  the  streets  ;  and  the  other, 
a  consequence  of  non-seclusion  of  the  sex,  that  the  houses 
are  enlivened,  as  I  have  already  observed,  by  their  large 
projecting  windows  and  numerous  balconies. 

We  were  treated  with  marked  courteousness  wherever  we 
were  recognised  ;  but  another  minor  welcome  delighted  me 
the  most,  by  its  evident  sincerity.  It  was  this :  I  have  always 
noticed  that  a  stranger  is  soonest  discovered  and  objected  to 
by  children  and  by  dogs.  JSTow,  it  was  a  fact,  which  I  do  not 
recollect  to  have  experienced  elsewhere,  that  although  I  was 
dressed  like  an  Englishman — for  instance,  I  usually  wore 
a  light-coloured  shooting-coat,  while  all  the  Spaniard  upper 
classes  wear  black,  and  the  lower  ones  national  costumes — yet, 
whenever  I  explored  side  streets  and  came  unexpectedly  upon 
groups  of  children  or  scattered  curs,  they  one  and  all  treated 
me  as  a  fellow-countryman,  and  hardly  ever  raised  a  cry  of 
terror  or  a  bark  of  antipathy.  I  fairly  fell  in  love  with  Spain 
at  first  sight,  and  have  continued  constant  in  my  admiration 
ever  since. 

Let  me  devote  a  paragraph  to  the  Public  Promenade.  I 
had  never  realized  that  truly  Spanish  institution  until  I  saw  it. 
A  large  half-deserted  square,  or  suburban  garden,  fills  towards 
night  with  a  well-dressed  swarming  crowd,  that  hums  with 
low  conversation.  All  the  spare  population  of  the  town  takes 
part  in  it.  They  walk  in  ranks  of  three  or  four,  the  two  sexes 
never  intermingled  in  the  same  group,  and  they  pace  rank 
behind  rank,  on  a  broad  gravelled  path,  under  the  warm  starry 
sky,  between  low  trees.  The  promenade  leads  down  the  walk, 
round  at  the  end,  and  back  again.  The  ascending  and  de^ 
scending  stream  almost  touch  each  other,  that  everybody  may 
have  one  good  view  of  everybody  else  in  each  round.  Con- 
versation seems  to  be  carried  on  merrily,  but  in  a  well-bred, 
gentle  tone  of  voice.  All  ranks  except  the  lowest  take  part 
in  it,  and  all  have  the  air  of  ladies  and  gentlemen.  It  is  a 
very  pleasing  exhibition  to  a  stranger,  the  more  so,  as  there  is 
no  gendarmerie  or  beadledom.     These  great  crowds  seem  to 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  429 

keep  order  for  themselves  ;  there  is  no  appearance  of  military 
or  police. 

I  saw  few  beautiful  faces  in  the  north  of  Spain,  but  I  rarely 
saw  a  mean  one.  The  men  were  all  moulded  in  a  high  type, 
especially  the  peasantry.  It  was  an  absolute  grief  to  me,  when 
I  left  Spain,  by  way  of  that  fashionable  watering-place,  St. 
Sebastian,  to  see  the  inferiority  of  physique,  manner,  and 
address,  of  the  upper  classes  of  Madrid  society,  who  congre- 
gate there,  to  those  of  the  Basque  peasantry  I  had  so  lately 
travelled  amongst.  How  remarkable  is  this  in  many  oriental 
— I  do  not  mean  Indian — and  semi-oriental  countries  !  With 
us,  the  higher  classes,  speaking  generally,  have  the  higher  make 
of  body  and  mind,  and  by  far  the  nobler  social  tone ;  they 
form  a  true  aristocracy  in  our  land,  to  whom  Scriptural  depre- 
ciations of  the  Syrian  wealthy  in  respect  to  the  Syrian  humble 
are  singularly  inapplicable. 

I  have  no  fault  to  find  with  the  inns  in  the  only  three 
towns  where  I  stayed — Bilbao,  Yittoria,  and  Logrofio.  (I  do 
not  reckon  St.  Sebastian  as  a  genuine  north  Spanish  town.) 
The  lodging  and  cooking  were  not  only  equal,  but  considerably 
superior  to  that  in  the  large  towns  of  France,  not  on  any 
regular  line  of  tourist  traffic — superior,  for  instance,  to  that 
in  Nantes.  There  was  no  disagreeable  quantity  of  garlic,  or 
of  anything  that  was  unusual,  in  the  food ;  and  much  of  the 
common  wine  was  exceedingly  good.  Some  of  the  eatables — 
for  instance,  the  sugary  biscuits,  like  hardened  froth,  or  fine 
pumice  stone,  but  white  and  soluble,  which  all  the  world  con- 
sumes, dipping  them  into  chocolate  or  water — are  excellent. 
The  chocolate  is  really  good ;  far  better — I  wonder  why — 
than  what  I  can  get  elsewhere.  As  for  the  solid  articles,  I 
don't  care  to  enter  into  details  :  suffice  it,  that  I  found  them 
toothsome  and  digestible,  which  English  inn  dinners  are  not. 
If  the  inns  were  dirty,  yet  the  bed  linen  was  clean,  and  the 
towns,  from  end  to  end,  were  remarkably  free  from  dirt  and 
bad  smells.  It  is  not  doing  justice  to  these  parts  of  Spain  to 
talk  of  them  as  being  extraordinarily  backward  ;  as  for  men- 
dicancy, it  does  not  seem  to  exist.     I  had  with  me  a  recently 


430  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND         [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

published  number  of  the  "  Journal  of  the  Statistical  Society," 
— that  for  June,  1860 — in  which  is  an  exceedingly  interesting 
account  of  the  recent  progress  of  Spain.  The  conclusion  of 
the  writer  is,  that  her  exports  and  imports  had  doubled 
between  1850  and  1856,  and  were  steadily  increasing  (the 
last  published  census  being  of  1857),  and  that  whatever  tests 
may  be  applied  to  the  stated  fact  of  her  rapid  advancement, 
the  result  is  uniformly  favourable.  I  would  strongly  recom- 
mend all  who  care  to  learn  the  actual  state  of  modern  Spain, 
to  study  this  paper. 

The  road  from  Bilbao  to  Vittoria  is  full  of  interest.  Besides 
the  history  of  the  great  Peninsula  struggle,  which  gives  some 
memorial  to  nearly  every  village,  brook,  and  road,  there  is 
abundant  intrinsic  charm  of  landscape  and  wayside  incident. 
One  interesting  phenomenon  of  physical  geography,  on  which, 
by  the  way,  our  eclipse  prospects  were  intimately  dependent, 
was  a  subject  of  continual  inquiry  and  remark.  It  was  the 
rapid  change  from  a  humid  sea-coast  climate  at  Bilbao,  on  the 
north  face  of  the  Pyrenees,  to  an  arid  soil  and  a  clear  blue  sky 
on  the  south  of  them.  It  is  the  old  story.  The  cold  moun- 
tains condense  a  large  part  of  the  moisture  in  the  Atlantic 
winds  ;  therefore,  whatever  air  has  passed  over  the  mountain- 
tops  is  comparatively  dry  and  cloudless.  The  valley  of  the 
Ebro  is  literally  parched,  and  would  be  utterly  barren  if  it 
were  not  for  an  elaborate  system  of  field  irrigation — elaborate, 
I  mean,  in  its  extent  and  comprehensiveness,  but  simple 
enough  in  its  details. 

We  had  naturally  sought  information  with  eagerness,  from 
the  moment  of  our  landing,  about  the  relative  sunniness  of 
different  places  on  the  calculated  path  of  total  eclipse — it  was 
an  all-important  question  to  us — and  I  heard  that,  as  a  rule, 
travellers  to  the  interior  left  Bilbao  under  an  overcast  sky, 
that  they  ascended  the  mountains  in  fog  and  rain,  that  the 
clouds  broke  long  before  reaching  Vittoria,  and  that  from 
Logrofio  onwards  the  sky  was  cloudless.  I  do  not  know  that 
anybody  has  examined  into  the  proportionate  effect  of  this 
nature  produced  by  mountains,  with  reference  not  only  to 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  431 

their  height,  but  to  other  geographical  conditions.  There 
seems  to  be  considerable  variation  that  is  difficult  to  account 
for ;  for  instance,  not  to  travel  further  than  our  own  country, 
the  west  wind  is  far  wetter  than  the  east  wind,  but  the  district 
at  the  eastern  foot  of  the  Westmoreland  hills  is  little,  if  at 
all,  drier  than  that  on  their  western,  notwithstanding  the 
enormous  quantity  of  rain  that  falls  upon  the  latter.  I  believe 
the  average  distribution  of  cloud  and  blue  sky,  as  distinct 
from  rain  and  drought,  to  be  far  less  uniform  over  any  given 
district  than  is  commonly  supposed.  In  a  country  like 
England,  a  difference  of  a  few  miles  makes  a  considerable 
alteration  in  the  average  character  of  the  sky.  Clouds  collect 
over  clay  soils,  and  are  dispersed  over  chalk.  In  fact,  I 
endeavoured  once,  but  failed  from  an  absence  of  anything  like 
a  sufficient  number  of  recorded  facts,  to  compile,  for  my 
amusement,  a  sun  and  cloud  chart  of  England,  the  intensity 
of  shading  to  represent  the  average  amount  of  cloudiness.  I, 
however,  collected  enough  matter  to  make  me  believe  that 
there  was,  as  I  have  stated,  great  inequality  in  this  element  of 
climate.  Thus,  with  all  the  faults  of  a  London  atmosphere, 
the  clearness  of  its  sky  at  a  late  hour  of  the  night,  or  rather  at 
a  very  early  one  of  the  morning,  is  probably  unsurpassed  in 
all  England ;  but  in  this  case  Sir  J.  Herschel  has  well 
described  the  cause.* 

Until  our  arrival  at  Vittoria,  my  two  companions  and 
myself  were  almost  as  helpless  as  babies  in  the  art  of  ex- 
pressing our  wants.  Spanish  is  so  obviously  a  language 
that  one  ought  to  know,  from  its  resemblance  to  Latin,  &c. 
— the  mere  light  of  nature  enabling  one  to  read  it  with 
reasonable  fluency,  after  the  rudimentary  matters  of  grammar 

*  See  the  invaluable  article  by  Sir  J.  Herschel  on  Meteorology,  in  the  late 
edition  of  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica.  It  is,  so  far  as  I  know,  the  only 
worthy  exposition  of  that  science,  as  a  whole.  I  have  always  wondered  it  has 
not  already  been  re-printed  in  an  easily  accessible  form,  and  that  it  does  not 
become  a  text-book  at  our  Universities,  and  other  places  of  advanced  education. 
Meteorology  is  a  branch  of  physical  science  which  seems  peculiarly  well  fitted 
for  a  University  subject,  especially  when  treated  in  so  condensed  yet  comprehen- 
sive a  manner  as  it  has  been  by  Sir  J.  Herschel. 


432  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

have  been  once  mastered,  and  a  few  minor  words  learnt — 
that  I  felt  quite  ashamed  of  myself  at  my  inability  to  frame 
an  intelligible  sentence.  What  made  the  matter  worse  was, 
that  the  Spaniards  I  accosted  did  not  seem  hopeful  about  the 
possibility  of  understanding  me.  The  power  of  impressing 
on  a  foreigner,  of  whose  language  you  know  but  little,  that  it 
is  within  his  power  to  comprehend  you  if  he  only  chooses  to 
try,  is  a  sine  qua  non  to  success  in  conversation.  With  mutual 
faith,  abundant  interchange  of  ideas  may  be  carried  on  through 
the  medium  of  an  abominably  broken  dialect ;  without  it,  a 
fairly  good  vocabulary  may  be  absolutely  useless.  French 
was  an  unknown  language  to  hotel  servants,  diligence-office 
keepers,  and  all  that  genus.  I  heard  of  exceptions  to  this 
rule,  but  saw  only  one  or  two  instances  myself.  However, 
after  our  second  day  at  Yittoria,  the  spell  of  dumbness  was 
broken  by  the  effective  assistance  of  a  railway  inspecting 
engineer,  whose  invaluable  services  had  been  made  available 
to  us  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Vignolles,  and  he  henceforth 
managed  all  our  little  difficulties  and  wants. 

This  gentleman  was  one  of  a  class  who  form  an  influential 
element  in  the  districts  where  railroad-making,  under  English 
superintendence,  is  being  carried  on.  A  line  of  railway  is 
undertaken  by  a  contractor,  inspecting  engineers  are  ap- 
pointed, each  to  a  particular  section  of  the  line,  a  few  miles  in 
length,  to  see  that  the  contractor  does  his  work  fairly.  They 
live  in  strange  out-of-the-way  Spanish  villages,  lodging  with 
some  Spanish  family,  and  spending  all  the  day  in  riding 
about  the  line.  Now  and  then,  it  is  possible  for  them  to  take 
a  few  days'  holiday  at  Vittoria  or  Logrorlo,  or  at  the  reputed 
Paris  of  these  parts,  Bilbao.  They  have  exacted  fixed  charges 
at  the  hotels,  introduced  some  good  dishes  into  the  bills  of 
fare,  and  in  one  case,  at  least,  where  accommodation  was  bad, 
had  established  a  respectable  person  in  a  new  inn  to  the 
convenience  of  the  travelling  public.  They  are  all  of  the 
class  of  young  rising  engineers,  receiving  considerable  salaries, 
and  looking  forward  to  some  future  time  when  they  them- 
selves  shall   be   contractors  and   wealthy  men,  in   Europe, 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  433 

Australia,  or  America,  or  wherever  a  good  opening  may  then 
happen  to  exist. 

It  is  of  course  impossible  for  a  Protestant  to  forget  for  one 
moment  that  he  is  a  reputed  Heretic,  and  that  on  however 
good  terms  he  may  be  with  a  Spaniard,  there  is  an  essential 
difference  between  them,  which  any  accident  may  unmask. 
I  was  curious  to  know  how  far  this  feeling  would  affect  the 
somewhat  intimate  relationship  which  must  necessarily  spring 
up  between  a  lodger  and  his  hosts.  I  understood  from  our 
friend  the  engineer  that,  as  a  general  rule,  there  was  no  appear- 
ance of  meddling  intolerance,  the  Englishman  being  considered 
as  an  unaccountable  sort  of  animal,  and  allowed  to  go  his  own 
gait ;  the  more  so,  as  an  Englishman's  probity  and  energy 
has  a  name  in  these  parts  of  Spain.  Yet  little  circumstances 
constantly  arose  to  show  how  easily  this  thin  crust  of  forced 
indifference  might  be  broken  through.  The  death  of  a 
Protestant,  and  the  question  of  his  burial,  is  sure  to  create 
a  difficulty.  Our  friend  told  us  that  he  every  now  and 
then  received  a  serious,  but  kindly  lecture,  from  some  elderly 
female,  pointing  out  to  him  the  danger  of  his  heretical  ways, 
and  the  certain  future  that  threatened  him,  and  far  more  fre- 
quently, that  semi-serious  allusions  were  thrown  out  to  the 
same  purport. 

I  made  many  inquiries  about  the  honesty  and  the  morality 
of  the  Spanish  peasantry,  and  being  assured  from  different 
sources  that  it  is  very  high,  much  higher  than  in  England, 
I  believe  it.  However,  the  use  of  the  knife  is  rather  common. 

We  hired  a  carriage  at  Vittoria,  and  passed,  by  a  little  used 
mountain  road,  over  the  Sierra  de  Tolonio  to  Logrofio,  beyond 
which  our  proposed  station  was  situated.  The  crest  of  the 
Sierra  formed  the  northern  boundary  of  the  valley  of  the  Ebro, 
and  we  felt  much  anxiety  to  witness  the  reputed  blue  sky  of 
the  new  country,  for  hitherto  the  weather  had  been  capricious 
and  frequently  overcast.  When  we  attained  the  ridge,  and 
had  descended  clear  of  the  clouds  that  lay  on  it,  the  largeness 
and  aridity  of  the  view  took  me  by  surprise.  The  valley  was 
almost  as  tawny  as  an  African  wady,  and  some  forty  miles  in 

F  F 


434  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclips^ 

breadth,  running  in  ample  sweeps  between  lines  and  groups 
of  mountains  that  towered  in  wild  disorderly  masses,  flanked 
with  some  noble  crags,  and  garnished  with  a  few  isolated 
peaks.  It  was  a  first-class  view,  deserving  to  rank  among 
the  best  ten  or  twelve  of  those  with  which  I  am  acquainted. 
There  are  three  views,  more  or  less,  of  this  description,  to 
which  I  habitually  refer  myself  as  convenient  standards  of  com- 
parison, and  which  I  usually  quote,  as  the  finest  that  I  know. 
Their  similarity  lies  in  the  amplitude  of  the  mountain  shoulder 
whence  the  view  is  taken,  in  the  vast  unbroken  sweep  of  rich 
country  extending  from  its  foot,  and  in  the  completeness  of  the 
picture,  owing  to  its  limits  being  framed  with  natural  objects,; 
and  not  passing  out  of  sight  in  an  untidy,  indistinct  haze. 
These  views  are — 1.  That  from  the  hills  above  Trieste.  2.  From 
below  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  over  the  plains  of  Tripoli ;  and 
3.  From  our  own  Devil's  dyke,  near  Brighton.  The  sweep  of 
the  valley  of  the  Ebro  is  little  inferior  to  any  of  these. 

The  Spaniards,  at  least  in  the  northern  provinces,  seem 
mad  upon  road-making ;  here  and  there  were  pieces  of  our 
present  way  tended  with  incommensurate  care.  It  debouched 
by  no  less  than  three  roads  down  into  the  valley.  One  was 
a  bad  one ;  then  came  another,  with  grand  zigzags  and 
parapets,  as  good  as  could  be  desired :  but,  not  contented 
with  this,  a  third  road,  also  with  zigzags,  cutting  across  the 
second  one  at  many  places,  was  newly  constructed.  The  hill 
side  looked  a  labyrinth  of  roads  from  their  curious  inter- 
crossings.  Our  driver,  as  he  spun  down  hill,  was  constantly 
puzzled  which  turn  to  take,  and  the  mules  were  pulling  in 
opposite  directions,  at  many  awkward  corners.  We  saw  some 
ascending  waggons  in  similar  indecision,  passing  up  different 
ways.  Everywhere  the  road-makers  seemed  to  revel  in  funds,, 
though  they  certainly  do  not  apply  them  equally. 

On  reaching  the  plain,  our  way  led  us  through  a  village, 
called  La  Guardia.  It  was  perched  up  on  the  top  of  a 
detached  conical  hill,  burrowed  with  wine-vaults,  in  a  situa- 
tion that  dominated  the  plain.  It  was  battlemented  with 
ancient  walls  and  towers,  and  suggested  the  very  ideal  of  its 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  435 

name.     Here  we  had  to  stop  to  bait — it  was  eleven  miles 
short  of  Logrono — and  our  proposed  station  was  twenty  miles 
on  the  other  side  of  that  town,  on  the  opposite  boundary  of 
the  Ebro  valley,  on  a  broad  hill-top,  inaccessible  to  carriages 
on  account  of  some  broken  bridges,  and  deficient  in  buildings 
where  our  instruments  could  be  housed  and  got  into  order. 
But  La  Guardia  was  fully  as  well  situated  both  as  regards  the 
path  of  the  shadow,  and  the  stations  of  the  other  observing 
parties.     House  room  for  our  instruments  was  there,  the  view 
of  the  plain  towards  the  south-east,  along  which  the  black 
skirt  of  the  shadow  of  totality  would  sweep  when  the   sun 
reappeared,   was   uninterruptedly  visible ;   and,    lastly,   the 
clouds  clung  about  the  high  hill-tops,  while  all  the  sky  above 
us  was  bright  and  clear.     A  few  words  sufficed  to  show  that 
we  equally  appreciated  these  advantages,  and  we  sallied  forth, 
up  the  principal  church-tower,  among  the  clock  and  bells, 
about  the  tumble-down  ramparts,  and  everywhere  where  we 
could  hope  to  select  the  best  station,  to  the  wonderment  of 
the  natives,  who  did  not  at  first  comprehend  the  object  of  our 
proceedings.     The  result  was,  that  we  ventured  to  transmit 
a  civil  message  to  the  owner  of  a  house  that  rose  high,  and 
had  a  flat  top,  used  for  clothes-drying,  and  partially  roofed 
over.    It  proved  to  be  tenanted  jointly  by  a  priest  and  doctor. 
They  cordially   and  most   courteously  welcomed  us.      We 
clambered  up  the  little  stone  staircase  that  led  to  its  roof, 
knocking  our  heads  and  grating  our  elbows,  and  found  the 
place  exceedingly  well  fitted  for  our  wants.     Our  hosts  put 
it  at  once  at  our  full  disposal.     They  gave  us  tressels  into 
which  we  could  screw  the  telescope-stands,  tables,  and  chairs. 
We  then  went  to  a  carpenter,  who  took  in  hand  some  little 
matters   that  were  wanted  by  us,  and  did  them,  as  I  find 
foreigners  usually  do  on  such  occasions,  with  an  intelligence 
and  quickness  of  apprehension   rarely  seen  in  an  English 
mechanic.     Finally,  we  locked  up  our  precious  instruments, 
in  an  empty  room,  to  await  the  day  preceding  the  eclipse, 
when  we  were  to  return  to  mount  them  in  readiness,  and  to 
make  a  few  prefatory  observations.     La  Guardia  was  not  a 

F  F  2 


436  VA  CATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

place  to  stay  at  with  comfort — it  was  a  mere  village ;  besides, 
we  had  letters  of  introduction  to  Logroiio,  so  we  went  on  there 
and  established  our  quarters,  taking  Spanish  lessons,  bathing 
in  the  Ebro,  buying  trifles,  and  prying  everywhere. 

Logroiio  was  the  most  thoroughly  national  town  we  saw, 
and  I  have  carried  away  a  great  affection  for  it.  The  streets 
and  arcades  are  busy  in  the  morning ;  besides  business,  there  is 
a  good  deal  of  church-going.  I  was  vastly  interested  in  the 
movements  of  the  ladies'  fans  at  church.  All  the  world 
knows  that  Spanish  fans  are  in  perpetual  motion,  and  betray 
each  feeling,  real  or  assumed,  that  passes  through  the  mind  of 
its  bearer.  I  felt  convinced  I  could  guess  the  nature  of  the 
service  at  any  particular  moment  by  the  way  in  which  the 
fans  were  waving.  The  difference  between  a  litany  and  a 
thanksgiving  was  unmistakeable ;  and  I  believed  that  far 
minuter  shades  of  devotion  were  also  discernible. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  military  were  paraded,  and  the  bands 
played  in  the  square.  Of  course,  all  the  spare  population 
went  to  see  them ;  but  what  amused  us  especially,  was  the 
part  taken  by  the  nurses  and  the  children,  both  here  and  at 
Yittoria.  They  came  in  hundreds,  scattered  among  the  crowd. 
The  instant  the  music  began,  every  nurse  elevated  her  charge, 
sitting  on  her  hand,  at  half-arm's  length  into  the  air,  and  they 
all  kept  time  to  the  music  by  tossing  the  babies  in  unison, 
and  slowly  rotating  them,  in  azimuth  (to  speak  astronomically), 
at  each  successive  toss.  The  babies  looked  passive  and  rather 
bored,  but  the  energy  and  enthusiasm  of  the  nurses  was 
glorious.  At  each  great  bang  of  the  drummers  a  vast  flight 
of  babies  was  simultaneously  projected  to  the  utmost  arms' 
length.     It  was  ludicrous  beyond  expression. 

The  environs  of  Logrono  greatly  pleased  my  particular 
taste.  The  land  is  utterly  arid  when  in  a  state  of  nature, 
but  wherever  a  runnel  of  water  can  be  led,  pumped  up  from 
the  Ebro,  there  is  fertility ;  consequently,  the  charms  of  an 
oasis  are  always  present :  there  is  the  air  of  the  desert,  with 
abundance  of  neighbouring  verdure  to  cheer  the  eye.  I  could 
not  understand  how  It  was,  that  not  a  single  country  residence 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  437 

had  been  anywhere  seen  since  Bilbao.  The  landscape  was  ex- 
ceedingly varied,  and  in  all  cases  exhibited  the  appearance  of 
a  most  liveable  country.  I  had  been  everywhere  looking  for 
"gentlemen's  seats/'  like  the  Yorkshire  servant  of  Eothen's 
companion,  when  riding  across  the  Balkan  ;  yet  I  saw  nothing 
but  peasantry — hard-working  men,  who  seemed  only  to  want 
a  good  pattern  of  agricultural  implements,  and  modern  agri- 
cultural knowledge,  to  become  first-rate  small  farmers — or 
else  muleteers  and  others  riding  on  gaudy  saddle-cloths,  so 
gaudy,  that  one  which  I  bought  at  Logrofio,  of  the  common 
pattern  and  material,  is  now  amongst  the  most  showy  pieces  of 
drapery  in  my  drawing-room.  It  is  woollen,  woven  in  bands 
of  colours,  and  absolutely  Moorish-looking. 

The  day  before  the  eclipse,  we  drove  to  La  Guardia,  to 
arrange  our  instruments.  It  was  there  I  discovered  a  disaster 
which  had  befallen  mine.  I  had  taken  an  actinometer 
(Herschel's),  and  on  exposing  it  to  the  sun,  found  something 
had  gone  wrong.  It  proved  that  the  enclosed  thermometer- 
stem  had  broken.  I  candidly  confess  that  a  rising  feeling  of 
exultation  accompanied  this  discovery ;  I  was  not  now  neces- 
sarily obliged  to  spend  the  precious  three  minutes  of  the 
eclipse  in  poring  on  an  ascending  column  of  blue  fluid  in  a 
graduated  stem,  and  noting  down  the  results  by  a  feeble 
lamp-light,  but  I  was  free  to  enjoy  in  full  the  whole  glory  of 
the  eclipse.  I  should  here  say,  that  there  is  something  very 
faulty  in  the  mechanical  arrangement  of  these  very  important 
instruments.  Negretti  and  Zambra,  who  are  the  makers  of 
them,  tell  me,  that  in  no  instance  have  they  ever  sold  one 
that  was  not,  sooner  or  later,  returned  for  repair,  the  enclosed 
thermometer  being  broken. 

It  now  became  necessary  to  fix  on  some  other  limited  class 
of  observations ;  and  I  decided  upon  sketching  the  Corona, 
and  also  on  endeavouring  to  determine  the  exact  colour  of 
the  eclipse  light,  about  which  there  had  been  discrepancy  of 
opinion.  For  the  first,  I  required  merely  my  naked  eye, 
pencil,  paper,  and  a  lantern.  I  happened,  however,  to  pos- 
sess a  small  theodolite  telescope  of  the  lowest  power,  very 


438  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

conveniently  mounted,  that  would  enable  me  to  isolate  any 
portion  of  the  Corona  I  chose,  and  thus  to  guard  against  the 
possibility  of  optical  illusion  from  adjacent  appearances.  For 
experimenting  on  the  eclipse  light,  I  happened  also  to  have 
with  me  a  tiny  box  of  twelve  colours,  which  I  had  selected 
some  years  ago,  after  numerous  trials,  as  being  those  which 
were  most  distinct  each  from  the  other,  that  I  could  obtain. 
Whenever  I  wanted  to  paint  upon  a  map  different  marks, 
meaning  different  physical  features,  or  travellers'  tracks,  I 
used  these  colours.  I  accordingly  painted  a  sheet  of  paper 
in  squares,  numbered  very  legibly,  and  proposed  observing 
them  from  time  to  time  during  the  eclipse,  and  to  note 
whenever  any  of  the  twelve  became  mutually  indistinguish- 
able ;  then  it  would  always  be  in  my  power,  as  I  supposed, 
to  reproduce  this  effect  by  light  passing  through  glass,  of  a 
colour  to  be  determined  by  after  trials.  After  I  had  found 
a  piece  of  glass  that  produced  the  required  effect,  its  colour, 
when  looked  through,  would  be  the  average  of  that  thrown 
down  by  the  sky  at  the  time  of  the  eclipse.  My  colours 
were  as  follows — I  especially  mention  their  names,  because 
I  can  recommend  the  selection  to  any  person  who  wants  a 
box  for  purposes  similar  to  those  for  which  I  originally  pro- 
cured mine,  and  about  which  I  took  a  good  deal  of  trouble  : — 
Violet  carmine,  Vandyke  brown,  Prussian  green,  Hooker's 
green,  Emerald  green,  Orange  chrome,  Cobalt,  Vermilion, 
Crimson  lake,  Olive  green,  Burnt  sienna,  Indian  yellow. 
Nine  of  these,  including  most  of  the  greens,  strangely  enough, 
are  very  distinguishable  by  candle-light. 

Mr.  Atwood  and  Mr.  Gray  had  large  telescopes,  and  chiefly 
devoted  themselves,  as  I  have  said,  to  the  Eed  Protuberances. 
We  arranged  our  lanterns  and  watches  in  convenient  positions, 
and  rehearsed  the  proceedings  of  the  morrow.  The  weather 
was  far  from  being  as  satisfactory  as  we  had  expected.  The 
clouds  hung  about  the  mountains,  while  La  Guardia  was 
comparatively  free  ;  so  we  felt  reassured  as  to  the  wisdom  of 
our  choice,  although  exceedingly  anxious  as  to  the  prospect 
of  the  precious  three  minutes  of  the  eclipse,  next  afternoon, 


!\  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  439 

finding  us  under  a  favourable  sky.  The  wretched  weather 
of  this  summer  has  afflicted  even  Spain,  but  we  returned  to 
Logrono  in  hope. 

The  morning  of  the  eventful  day  broke  grey  and  unpro- 
mising— wind  north,  and  therefore  over  the  Sierra  de  Tolonio — 
drifting  clouds  from  its  summit,  where  an  abundant  reservoir 
of  them  lay  piled.  The  drifted  clouds  were  low  cumuli,  with  few 
indications  of  blue  between  them  ;  however,  the  sky  improved 
as  the  day  advanced,  and  when  we  had  reached  La  Guardia, 
the  clouds  were  settled  into  rounded  forms,  with  large  blue 
spaces  in  their  intervals.  The  wind  gradually  died  away,  and 
x)ur  massive  enemies  moved  very  slowly  and  undecidedly,  some- 
times in  one  direction,  sometimes  in  another.  "We  had  a  good 
view  of  the  beginning  of  the  eclipse ;  after  that,  a  succession 
of  clouds  passed  before  the  sun,  hiding  it  from  time  to  time, 
and  making  us  sorely  anxious  ;  but  about  twenty-five  minutes 
before  totality  they  gave  place  to  our  wishes,  and  the  welcome 
crescentic  sun  shone  perfectly  clear  from  out  of  a  good  English 
blue  sky — perfectly  clear,  I  say,  but  not  so  deep  a  blue  as  we 
had  previously  seen  in  the  magnificent  atmosphere  of  the 
Ebro  valley.  There  was,  doubtless,  vapour  in  the  air,  which 
the  chill  of  the  eclipse  might  possibly  convert  into  a  thwart- 
ing haze,  or  a  source  of  accidental  and  puzzling  appearances ; 
nevertheless,  from  this  time  onwards,  we  had  no  trouble, 
the  blue  space  above  head  enlarged  rapidly  and  continuously, 
and  the  evening  closed  with  a  constant  sunshine. 

Crowds  of  people  were  clustered  at  the  foot  of  our  tower, 
and  about  a  dozen  spectators  were  on  the  roof-top  by  our 
side.  They  carefully  and  courteously  respected  the  portion 
we  occupied,  and  added  to  our  pleasure  by  their  shrewd 
remarks  and  manifest  interest  in  our  proceedings.  My  notes 
were  as  follows:— Eclipse  commenced  at  lh.  50m.  by  my  watch. 
2h.  1 5m.  Light  sensibly  diminished.  2h.  22m.  No  apparent 
difference ;  my  colours  unchanged.  B thinks  the  land- 
scape is  becoming  fainter.  2h.  35m.  Light  still  more 
peculiar;  the  colours  as  before.  The  people  on  the  roof 
remark  the  colour  of  the  sky  to  be  darker.     I  doubt  it.     The 


440  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

spots  on  the  sun,  as  seen  through  a  telescope,  appear  decidedly 
darker.  We  all  agree  in  this.  45m.  The  light  certainly 
appears  more  yellow,  but  the  country  is  yellow,  and  is  now 
everywhere  in  full  sunlight.  My  colours  just  as  distinguish- 
able as  ever.  50m.  Indian  yellow,  cobalt,  and  emerald  green 
are  lower  in  tone.  I  can  distinguish  all  twelve  colours  per- 
fectly. Light  much  fainter.  55m.  Light  far  fainter.  I  made 
a  hole  in  a  paper  screen,  and  watched  the  crescentic  image 
of  the  speck  of  sun-light  that  shone  through  it  on  the  floor. 
The  shadows  were  very  dark  and  sharp.  Air  cold.  58m. 
The  numerous  pigeons  of  the  place  began  to  fly  home, 
fluttering  about  hurriedly,  taking  shelter  wherever  they  could. 
There  was  something  of  a  hush  in  the  crowd. 

At  about  3h. — I  forgot  to  note  the  exact  watch  time,  I  am 
sorry  to  say — totality  came  on  in  great  beauty.     The  Corona 
very  rapidly  formed  itself  into  all  its  perfectness.     It  did  not 
appear  to  me  to  grow,  but  to  stand  out  ready  formed,  as  the 
brilliant  edge  of  the  sun  became  masked.     I  do  not  know  to 
what  I  can  justly  compare  it,  on  account  of  the  peculiar 
whiteness  of  its  light,  and  of  the  definition  of  its  shape  as 
combined  with  a  remarkable  tenderness  of  outline.     There  was 
firmness  but  not  hardness.     In  its  general  form,  it  was  well 
balanced,  not  larger  on  one  side  than  the  other.     It  reminded 
me  of  some  brilliant  decoration  or  order,  made  of  diamonds 
and  exquisitely  designed.     There  was  nothing  to  impress 
terror  in  the  sight  of  the  blotted-out  sun ;  on  the  contrary, 
the  general  effect  of  the  spectacle  on  my  mind  was  one  of  un- 
mixed wonder  and  delight.     A  low  buzz  of  voices  arose  among 
the  crowd  at  the  foot  of  the  tower,  like  what  is  heard  when 
an  exceedingly  beautiful  firework  is  displayed  at  a,  fete.     The 
Corona-light  sufficed  abundantly  for  writing  rough  notes  and 
for  seeing  my  colours.    Oddly  enough,  the  burnt  sienna  and  the 
vermilion  alone  ceased  to  be  distinguishable  from  each  other. 
Indian  yellow  had  greatly  lost  brilliancy.     I  made  a  rough 
sketch  of  the  Corona — it  was  too  manifold  in  its  details  and 
too  beautiful  in  its  proportions  for  me,  bad  artist  as  I  am,  to 
do  justice  to  it  in  the  short  time  the  spectacle  lasted — yet 


F.  Galton.]  :  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  i860.  44 1 

the  drawing  which.  I  made,  and  which  is  given  here,  is  to 
my  mind  a  fair  diagram  of  this  splendid  meteor.  I  drew  it 
without  taking  any  measurements  to  guide  me,  but  simply 


as  I  would  sketch  any  ordinary  object.  The  uppermost  part 
is  that  which  was  uppermost  when  I  drew  it.  I  used  no 
lantern,  and  required  none ;  there  was  a  sufficiency  of  light. 
The  principal  facts  were,  firstly,  that  the  long  arms  of  the 
Corona,  fig.  2,  do  not  radiate  strictly  from  the  centre,  neither 
are  they  always  bounded  by  straight  lines.  The  upper  edge 
of  a  was  truly  tangential,  that  of  d  and  of  others,  nearly  so  ; 
c  was  remarkably  curved,  and  so  was  the  lower  edge  of  b, 
though  less  abruptly  ;  it  was  like  a  finch's  beak,  and  remark- 
ably defined.  Secondly,  the  shape  of  the  Corona  was  not 
absolutely  constant ;  speaking  generally,  it  was  so ;  but  in 
small  details,  it  appeared  to  vary  continually,  by  a  slow 
diorama-like  change.  There  was  no  pulsation  or  variation  of 
intensity,  visible  in  its  light:  I  was  particularly  impressed 
by  its  solemn  steadiness. 

It  seemed  scarcely  possible  to  believe  that  the  light  of 
the  Corona  was  other  than  the  rays  from  the  sun,  made 
visible  in  some  incomprehensible  manner  round  the  edge  of 
the  moon,  the  appearance  being  eminently  suggestive  of  a 
brilliant  glistering  body,  hidden  behind  a  screen.  The  nearest 
resemblance  I  can  think  of,  to  express  my  meaning  (not  that 
I  am  to  be  understood  as  supposing  the  remotest  analogy 
between  the  causes  of  the  two  appearances),  is  the  effect  of 
a  jet  of  water,  playing  from  behind  against  some  obstacle, 
and  throwing  an  irregular  halo  of  spray  around  it,  on  all 


442 


VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 


sides.  That  a  reasonable  foundation  may  exist  for  ascribing 
the  Corona  to  some  diversion  of  the  ordinary  rays  of  the  sun, 
however  unintelligible  the  cause  of  this  diversion  may  be, 
and  not  to  a  luminous  atmosphere  surrounding  the  sun,  was 
powerfully  impressed  on  me  by  certain  appearances  that  were 
observed  when  totality  had  passed  :  they  were  these.  Four 
or  five  minutes  after  the  reappearance  of  the  sun,  Mr.  Atwood 
called  attention  to  remarkable  luminous  radiations,  like  sun- 
beams slanting  through  a  cloud,  and  proceeding  in  narrow 
but  long  brushes  from  the  cusps  of  the  sun.  They  changed 
their  angular  directions,  and  even  their  shapes  with  such 
rapidity,  that  I  was  almost  bewildered  in  a  first  attempt  to 
draw  them.  If  I  looked  down  on  my  paper  to  draw  a  few 
strokes,  the  appearances  had  become  changed  when  I  again 
raised  my  head.  Nevertheless,  between  3h.  11m.  and  3h.  13m. 
1  managed  to  make  three  sketches ;  the  two  that  were  most 
characteristic  are  here  very  fairly  represented.    After  3h.  13m. 


the  light  of  the  emerging  sun  was  too  strong  to  admit  of 
further  observation.  The  brushes  were  perfectly  distinct  and 
unmistakeable,  they  were  best  seen  by  holding  up  the  hand 
so  as  to  mask  the  sun,  and  they  were  perfectly  visible  through 
the  telescope  when  it  was  so  turned  as  to  exclude  the  sun. 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  443 

There  was  no  mistake  whatever  about  their  existence.  I 
trust  the  attention  of  observers  of  future  eclipses  will  be 
directed  to  them,  both  before  and  after  totality.  Now,  what- 
ever may  have  been  the  cause  of  the  brushes,  would  also,  I 
should  guess,  be  competent  to  create  the  greater  part  of  the 
Corona :  the^  two  appearances  being  of  identically  the  same 
genus.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  brushes  in  Fig.  3  enclose 
an  angle  of  about  130°,  on  the  side  of  the  emergent  sun,  and 
that  this  same  angle  had  changed  to  about  195°  in  Fig.  4,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  new  appearance  of  a  central  bar  of  light. 
The  angular  change  of  the  brushes  was  continuous,  so  long  as 
I  had  an  opportunity  of  looking  continuously  at  them. 

I  have  since  often  looked  for,  and  have  only  just   seen 
(Sunday,  February  10th),  an  almost  precise  representation  of 
these  appearances,  in  the  case  of  a  small  black  snow-laden 
cloud  sailing  before  the  sun.     When  the  clouds  are  in  any 
way  transparent,  though  some  indications  of  these  brushes 
may  be  observed,  their  effect  is  proportionately  feeble,  and  if 
the  sun  be  masked  by  an  object  at  no  great  distance,  the 
effect  does  not  occur  at  all.     The  common  artist  represen- 
tations of  the  sun  about  to  rise  over  a  distant  hill,  show  that 
these    appearances   are  generally  recognised.     Now   I   can 
hardly  understand  what   I   have   described,    on   any  other 
supposition  than  that  of  sunbeams  being  reflected  from  off 
the  back  of  the  cloud  at  a  very  acute  angle  athwart  the  line 
of  sight.     They  would  illuminate  the  haze  of  the  atmosphere 
through  which  they  passed,  and  being  seen  exceedingly  fore- 
shortened, would  be  the  more  apparent.     But  here  I  stop.     I 
do  not  comprehend  why  the  wisps  of  light  should  be  pro- 
jected from  the  cusps  of  the  uncovering  sun,  and  therefore 
have   an   apparent  movement  of  revolution.     Still  less  can 
I  understand  why  the  moon,  which   is   presumed  to  have 
no  atmosphere  of  any  description,  capable  of  being  illumi- 
nated by  passing  rays,  should   exhibit  this   appearance  so 
beautifully.     When  I  shall  have  seen  wisps  of  light,  as  in 
Figs.  3  or  4,  coming  from  a  cloud,  but  shaped  in  any  way 
like  those  of  Fig.  1 — convergent  and  not  divergent,  curved 


444  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

and  not  straight — whether  owing  to  irregular  distribution  of 
the  adjacent  haze  or  other  less  intelligible  reason,  I  shall 
hardly  resist  feeling  satisfied  that  the  Corona  is  mainly  due  to 
the  same  description  of  cause  that  produces  them,  whatever 
that  cause  may  really  be.  There  may,  in  addition,  be  some 
luminous  effect  produced  by  an  enveloping  atmosphere  of  light 
round  the  sun,  seen  beyond  the  edges  of  the  eclipsing  moon. 

The  skirt  of  the  shadow  of  totality  sweeping  over  the 
country  to  the  south-east,  did  not  impress  me  as  I  had 
expected ;  there  happened  to  be  the  shadow  of  a  broad  distant 
belt  of  clouds  near  the  horizon,  in  which  the  eclipse-shade 
merged,  and  the  skirt  was  never  well  defined.  Our  range  of 
vision  in  that  direction  was  immense.  We  could  see  but 
little,  and  I  looked  for  nothing,  towards  the  north-west. 

The  lightening  of  the  landscape  was  rapid :  even  at  3h.  16m. 
everything  looked  to  my  eyes  as  almost  natural.  At  the  time 
of  totality,  the  sky  did  not  appear  to  me  to  descend.  The 
sky  was  quite  yellow  near  the  horizon,  but  I  remarked  the 
absence  of  light,  rather  than  the  colour  of  the  light ;  and  a 
strangeness,  rather  than  a  mournfulness  of  effect.  A  couple 
of  gusts  of  wind  preceded  totality. 

As  to  my  colours  :  after  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  I  find  I  can 
reproduce  the  exact  effect  that  I  witnessed,  by  placing  them 
in  a  closed  box  having  a  dark  ceiling,  and  admitting  a  faint 
white  light  at  a  low  angle.  I  then  view  the  colours,  also  at 
a  low  angle,  through  a  piece  of  dull  yellow  glass.  All  these 
details  seem  essential  to  effect :  they  are,  in  some  sort,  the 
equivalents  to  a  yellow  sky  near  the  horizon,  and  gloom 
above  head. 

Thus  was  completed  the  object  that  had  brought  us  to 
Spain,  and  we  drove  down  the  hill  of  La  Guardia  amid  cries 
of  "  Viva  Ynglaterra! "  for  we  had  become  exceedingly  popular 
in  the  town,  thanks  to  the  kind  way  in  which  our  hosts  had 
introduced  us  everywhere,  and  we  increased  the  triumph  of 
our  departure  by  scattering  coppers  among  the  ragamuffins 
who  had  collected  to  see  us  go. 

It  was  a  marked  instance  of  the  local  nature  of  sunny 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  445 

weather,  that  the  people  at  Logrono  could  not  credit  we  had 
been  so  fortunate  in  our  day.  At  that  town,  nothing  of  the 
eclipse  had  been  seen ;  and  a  party  from  the  Himalaya, 
Mr.  Pole  and  Mr.  Perry,  who  were  stationed  on  a  hill-top 
near  it,  and  in  full  view  of  us,  though  some  ten  miles  off, 
were  greatly  annoyed  by  clouds ;  they,  too,  could  with  dif- 
ficulty understand  our  good  fortune. 

The  instances  are  as  many  in  this  eclipse  as  in  others,  of 
discrepant  observations  and  of  important  things  forgotten. 
My  fault  was  not  noting  the  moment  of  totality.  It  would 
have  been  of  service  in  calculating  the  extent  to  which  the  sun 
had  emerged,  and  the  exact  position  of  its  cusps  at  the  time 
when  Figs.  3  and  4  were  drawn,  in  order  to  find  out  whether 
these  brushes  of  light  were  exactly  or  not,  in  a  line  of  pro- 
longation of  them.  One  very  unlucky  piece  of  forgetfulness 
is  rumoured  to  have  been  made  by  an  eminent  photographer, 
not  of  the  Himalaya  party.  He  went,  partly  on  commercial 
grounds,  excellently  provided  with  instruments,  and  all  the 
way  overland,  on  purpose  to  photograph  the  eclipse.  Every- 
thing was  prepared,  the  day  was  glorious,  the  totality  came 
on,  and  the  slide  of  the  camera  was  carefully  inserted.  When 
all  had  passed,  and  the  slide  was  opened  in  the  dark  chamber, 
alas !  the  operator  had  forgotten  to  put  his  plate  into  the 
slide  ! 

Gray  and  myself  did  not  return  by  the  Himalaya,  but 
went  to  St.  Sebastian,  and  ultimately  spent  a  part  of  the 
summer  together,  in  the  Pyrenees — I  having  in  the  interim 
joined  my  wife  at  Bordeaux,  and  taken  her  with  me. 

The  valley  of  the  Ebro  is  separated  from  the  Pyrenees  by  a 
belt  of  broken  country,  almost  untraversed  except  by  horse- 
roads,  along  some  few  of  which,  invalids  are  taken  as  they 
best  can  go,  to  the  baths  of  Panticosa,  &c.  and  occasionally 
across  the  Pyrenees,  by  one  or  other  of  the  horse-passes,  to 
the  French  watering-places  of  Eaux-bonnes,  Luz,  Cauterets, 
or  Luchon.  This  belt  I  did  not  traverse.  The  northern  part 
of  it  was  very  familiar  to  my  eyes,  owing  to  the  numerous 
mountain-tops,  beginning  with  the  diligence-road  by  St.  Se- 


446  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

bastian,  and  ending  with  the  Canigou,  near  the  Mediter- 
ranean, whence  I  looked  down  upon  it.  The  part  adjacent 
to  the  main  chain,  including  the  small  republic  of  Andorre, 
is  very  little  traversed  or  known.  On  the  French  side,  the 
plain  is  prolonged  up  the  valleys,  to  the  very  bases  of  the 
mountains ;  but  the  Spanish  side  is  far  more  tossed  and 
tumbled. 

Here  that  remarkable  madness  of  mountain  climbing,  to 
which  every  healthy  man  is  liable  at  some  period  of  his  life, 
and  which  I  had  always  believed  myself  to  have  gone  through 
once  for  all,  in  a  mitigated  form,  began  to  attack  me  with 
extreme  severity.  I  will  spare  the  reader  the  details  of  the 
direction  which  my  malady  took,  because  none  of  the  Pyre- 
neean  mountains  are  sufficiently  high  to  afford  a  field  for  feats, 
though  glorious  for  actual  enjoyment.  Yet  they  are  of  no 
despicable  elevation  or  grandeur  :  there  are  plenty  of  10,000 
feet,  and  three  of  11,000  ;  while  the  ruggedness  and  steep- 
ness of  their  sides  is  fully  equal  to  those  of  any  other  chain. 
I  do  not  know  where  a  worse  piece  of  climbing  is  likely  to 
be  found  than  about  those  mountains,  one  of  whose  bases  is 
well  known  as  the  "  Grand  Chaos,"  being  crossed  by  the  road 
from  Luz  to  Gavarni ;  and  there  are  few  steeper  hill-tops 
anywhere,  than  the  Pie  de  la  Pique,  near  Luchon,  and  the 
Fourcanade  (which  latter  I  had  not  an  opportunity  of  at- 
tempting). I  like,  too,  the  absence  of  fir  and  pines,  and  the 
varied  forest  foliage  that  replaces  them.  The  climate  is  more 
southern  than  that  of  Switzerland,  being  finer  and  gloriously 
hot.  Again,  when  one  is  tired,  a  vast  deal  may  be  done  on 
horseback  along  the  numerous  bridle-paths,  that  lead  to  many 
admirable  points  of  view.  One  drawback  is  that  the  guides  are 
rather  a  poor  set,  ignorant  of  the  country,  unable  or  unwilling 
to  carry  weights,  and  bad  walkers.  There  are  not  half  a  dozen 
in  all  Luchon  with  whom  I  would  care  to  be  accompanied, 
yet  Luchon  is  the  destination  of  2,000  yearly  visitors. 

The  French  give  a  bad  name  to  the  Spaniards  of  the 
Pyreneean  chain ;  and  as  the  accommodation  of  the  country 
is,  for  the  most  part,  villanous,  and  the  language  a  patois, 


F.  Galton.]  notes  of  tra  vel  in  1 860.  447 

and  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  climb  and  shoot  chamois, 
and  explore  the  beauties  of  a  new  country,  they  do  not  care 
to  penetrate  there.  There  is  no  lack  of  chamois.  Bears 
exist ;  in  fact,  I  saw  one  just  shot,  but  the  brute  had  been 
tracked  and  mobbed.  A  single  sportsman  would  have  had 
small  chance  of  finding  him.  There  are  abundance  of  eagles, 
and  a  few  ptarmigan.  The  Spanish  side  is  doubtless  a  wild 
land,  and  is  not  to  be  explored  except  by  persons  prepared  to 
sleep  in  chalets  or  cabins,  and  to  cook  for  themselves.  It  was 
always  most  annoying  to  me  when  I  had  clambered,  for  some 
hours,  to  a  distant  peak,  that  the  absence  of  accommodation 
and  means  of  bivouac  drove  me  prematurely  to  return.  I  had 
long  been  convinced  that  the  only  way  of  exploring  the  in- 
teresting mountain  tracts  that  still  remain  almost  unknown 
in  Europe,  such  as  these  Spanish  Pyrenees,  Dauphine\  the 
Savoy  Alps,  the  Carpathians,  the  northern  parts  of  Turkey  and 
Greece,  and  so  on,  is  for  the  traveller  to  take  some  means  of 
making  himself  independent  of  beds,  and,  to  a  certain  degree, 
even  of  a  roof.  But  what  those  means  should  be,  I  could 
never  determine.  Alpine  travellers  seem  wholly  unversed  in 
the  art  of  comfortable  bivouac.  I  hardly  know  a  single 
instance  when  the  nights  spent  by  them  on  the  hill-sides  have 
not  been  recorded  as  nights  of  discomfort,  and  often  of  misery. 
Let  those  who  doubt  it  refer  to  "  Peaks  and  Passes."  This  is 
an  old  opinion  of  mine,  and  one  which  has  set  me  widely  to 
inquire  about  facts  bearing  on  the  subject.  Saussure's  ex- 
perience is  not  much  to  the  point,  except  in  showing  that 
a  tent  will  stand  in  any  weather ;  witness  his  hurricane  orr 
the  Col  du  Ge'ant.  The  brothers  Schlagintweit  also  used  tents, 
and  they  drove  sheep  for  food.  Dr.  Eae's  Arctic  equipment 
is  exceedingly  interesting;  he  relied  on  snow  houses,  built 
wTith  great  neatness,  for  protection  against  the  weather :  so  did 
Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock.  I  have,  indeed,  a  selection  of  that 
energetic  officer's  travelling-gear ;  sledge,  cook's  apparatus, 
and  tent-poles, — which  he  and  Captain  Allen  Young  used  in 
their  search  after  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  were 
afterwards  so  good  as  to  give  me.     But  none  of  these  pre- 


448  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

cisely  meet  the  want  I  feel.  The  travelling-gear  should  be 
light  and  convenient  for  carrying  on  the  back,  and  require 
no  previous  practice  in  its  use.  Each  man  should  be  inde- 
pendent of  his  neighbour ;  for  the  close  proximity  of  snoring 
and  flea-covered  guides  is  a  nuisance.  Finally,  the  bedding 
must  be  capable  of  withstanding  a  night  of  severe  weather, — 
wet,  snow,  and  tempest. 

These  desiderata  were  well  fulfilled  by  a  contrivance  I 
became  acquainted  with  during  the  very  close  of  my  stay  in 
the  Pyrenees,  when,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  it  was  hardly  in  my 
power  to  give  it  a  fair  trial.  I  must,  therefore,  speak  from 
hearsay  and  the  experience  of  others.  I  found  a  large  class  of 
men  who  were  liable,  at  any  hour,  in  any  weather,  to  be 
ordered  off  to  any  place  in  the  mountains,  there  to  keep  watch 
for  two  or  three  days  ;  while  everything  was  so  systematized, 
that  they  simply  had  to  take  down  a  sort  of  large  knapsack 
from  their  shelf,  certain  specified  articles  of  dress,  and  a 
sufficiency  of  bread,  meat,  and  wine,  and  were  ready  in  a 
minute  to  be  off  to  their  post.  These  are  the  French  doua- 
niers,  who  go  in  twos,  to  watch  any  pass  where  a  smuggling 
attempt  may  happen  to  be  expected  by  their  chief;  and  the 
contrivance  which  makes  it  possible  to  do  so,  is  a  sheep- 
skin sleeping  bag,  of  a  kind  I  am  about  to  describe,  which 
folds  up  in  the  simplest  manner  possible,  and  is  secured 
by  five  small  straps.  When  so  folded  and  secured,  it  shapes 
itself  into  a  large,  but  military-looking  knapsack,  weighing 
seven  pounds  and  a  half.  The  bag  is  shown  bottom  up- 
wards in  Fig.  1.  It  is  open  from  D  to  the  end,  and  its 
coffin  shape  makes  it  fit  a  man  without  any  superfluous 
space.  Fig.  2  represents  a  gusset  inserted  between  the  top 
and  bottom  faces  of  the  bag,  of  which  the  edge  c  d  is 
sewn  to  the  upper  edge  from  C  to  D,  and  c  e  is  sewn  to  the 
lower  edge  from  C  to  E.  This  is  very  important,  in  order  to 
give  sufficient  space  to  the  breast  and  arms.  The  peculiar 
shape  of  the  gusset  gives  an  exceedingly  cozy  lay  to  the 
machine,  about  the  back  and  sides.  It  is  easy  to  spring  in  a 
moment  out  of    a  bag   thus   constructed,   there  being  no 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860. 


449 


F.  Galton.] 

embarrassment  whatever  at  the  sides  or  shoulders.  In  folding 
it  up — the  bag,  of  course,  lying  on  the  ground,  with  its  upper 
side  uppermost,  and  not  as  shown  in  the  drawing — is  folded 


at  m  :  again,  first  at  0,  and  secondly,  at  n.  Then  it  assumes 
the  appearance  of  Fig.  4  (which,  unluckily,  has  been  drawn 
on  rather  too  large  a  scale).  Next,  the  straps  are  buckled  to 
the  corresponding  buckles,  the  arms  are  slipped  into  the 
straps,  and  off  walks  the  douanier,  with  his  house  on  his  back. 
Fig.  3  represents  the  fastening  actually  used  for  the  knapsack 
straps,  shown  on  a  smaller  scale  in  Fig.  1.  I  strongly  suspect 
it  is  the  best  for  these  rude  purposes.  The  left-hand  part  is 
a  piece  of  wood,  round  which  a  thong  is  sewn.  This  makes 
the  button.  Two  or  three  button-holes  are  cut  in  the  corre- 
sponding knapsack  strap.  From  the  time  when  a  man  is  lying 
fully  dressed,  shoes  and  all,  inside  one  of  these  bags,  to  that 
when  he  has  begun  to  march  off  with  it,  strapped  upon  his 
back,  need  not  exceed  ninety  seconds.  It  is  an  invention,  as  I 
was  informed,  of  about  twenty-five  years  standing,  and  has, 

G  G 


450  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

alone,  rendered  it  possible  to  watch  this  mountain  frontier 
with  regularity  and  strictness.  The  Spaniard  Customs'  men,  on 
their  side,  use  cloaks,  and  cannot  approach  to  the  effectiveness 
of  the  French.  The  French  douaniers  seemed  to  speak  with 
great  fondness  of  their  bags.  They  make  them  themselves, 
and  they  last  many  years.  It  is  easy  to  buy  one  that  has 
been  more  or  less  used,  at  a  cost  of  about  fifteen  shillings. 
The  average  stature  of  a  Frenchman  is  so  much  less  than  our 
own,  that  I  did  not  meet  with  one  large  enough  to  shelter  my 
shoulders  and  neck,  and  I  did  not  care  to  make  an  imperfect 
experiment.  For  my  own  part,  I  abominate  sheepskin,  and 
bearskin,  and  buffalo  robes,  and  carosses  of  all  descriptions. 
They  have  great  merits  for  rough  work  in  a  dry  climate,  but 
much  wet  reduces  them  to  a  miserably  soppy  state,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  keep  furs  pure  and  moth-free  without  continued 
use.  I  much  prefer  some  sort  of  waterproof,  whether  oiled 
linen  or  mackintosh,  as  an  outside,  and  blanketing  or  home- 
spun cloth,  within.  It  is  heavier,  and  much  more  expensive, 
but  I  believe  far  the  better  of  the  two.  I  have  had  one  made 
with  a  double  blanket  bag  within  ;  this  can  be  withdrawn,  and 
simply  laid  on  the  waterproof  for  indoor  use  ;  again,  one  can 
lie  under  one  or  two  blankets  at  pleasure,  according  to  the 
heat  of  the  weather :  from  the  slight  trial  I  made,  I  should 
fear  the  heat  of  the  sheepskin  bags  on  a  warm  night.  If  I 
have  another  bag,  I  shall  use  coarse  plaid,  or  home-made 
Welsh  cloth  instead  of  blanket.  A  soft  weight  strapped  on 
the  back  is  undoubtedly  oppressive,  and  I  think  it  is  open  to 
question,  whether  the  bag  would  not  be  carried  easier  if  it 
were  attached  to  a  wicker-work  frame,  placed  between  it  and 
the  back.  Neither  wind  nor  wet  can  hurt  a  sleeper  inside 
his  mackintosh  cover.  They  are  not  oppressive  to  sleep  in, 
as  a  slight  half-unconscious  fidgetting  will  pump  out  the  used 
air,  and  re-supply  it  with  fresh.  Besides,  the  skin  of  a  man 
who  has  been  perspiring  all  day  in  a  rare  air,  is  incomparably 
more  quiescent  at  night  than  that  of  a  sedentary  citizen. 
During  the  day-time  the  bags  are  of  use,  for  the  douaniers  sit 
with  them  pulled  up  to  their  waist,  when  the  weather  is  wet 


F.  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TEA  VEL  IN  1 860.  451 

or  cold.  At  night  they  take  off  their  shoes,  but  nothing  else, 
and  wrap  a  small  cloak  round  their  heads  and  shoulders. 
The  sheepskin  is  that  of  the  beautiful  merino  sheep  ;  it  is 
double  at  the  feet  and  legs,  and  also  in  the  small  of  the 
back ;  those  are  the  places  where  the  cold  is  most  felt. 

Numerous  travellers  have  used  sleeping-bags,  and  there 
is  no  novelty  in  the  fact  of  their  rain-proof  capabilities, 
but  the  way  of  folding  them  into  a  knapsack  in  place  of 
carrying  them  in  a  cumbrous  roll,  is  new  and  well  worthy 
of  record :  so  also  is  the  fact  that  the  high  snow  regions 
may  be  securely  braved  in  one  of  them.  Of  course  an 
Alpine  man  would  prove  his  sleeping  gear  on  low  heights 
before  risking  himself  on  higher  ones.  The  addition  of  a 
light  tent,  like  an  half -opened  book,  with  one  end  closed  by 
a  triangular  piece,  and  the  other  closeable  with  flaps,  would 
give  increased  security  against  tempestuous  weather.  Such  a 
tent,  made  of  calico  or  holland,  need  not  exceed  six  pounds  in 
weight,  and  could  be  supported  by  aid  of  two  alpen  stocks. 

Next,  as  to  food.  That  usually  taken  by  mountain  climbers 
is  assuredly  far  from  the  best.  In  the  first  place,  the  guides, 
the  hotel-keepers,  and,  in  part,  the  tourists  themselves,  think 
the  occasion  should  be  one  of  feasting.  They  take  all  kinds 
of  absurdities.  They  also  commit  another  mistake  in  the 
opposite  direction  by  confining  themselves  to  cold  things, 
which  agree  with  few  stomachs  :  if  they  take  warm  things,  it 
is  chiefly  tea  or  coffee.  Now  tea,  hot  or  cold,  is  exceedingly 
refreshing  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and,  to  a  certain  degree, 
in  the  evening ;  but  its  influence  in  producing  restlessness 
and  sleepless  nights,  is  powerfully  increased  by  the  conditions 
of  an  ordinary  Alpine  bivouac,  viz.  excitement,  snoring  guides, 
hard  bed,  pure  air,  and  fleas.  I  believe  all  beyond  a  very 
small  quantity  of  tea,  coffee,  and  the  rest  of  that  genus,  to  be 
a  mistake,  in  night  bivouacs.  This  year,  at  first  unknowingly, 
and  afterwards  experimentally,  I  made  abundant  experiments 
on  this  subject,  making  a  good  deal  of  coffee,  chocolate,  or 
tea  habitually,  in  the  middle  of  my  longer  walks,  and  in  a 
couple  of  night  bivouacs.     I  myself  sleep  through  almost 

GG  2 


452 


VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 


anything,  but  I  felt  its  influence  when  I  thought  about  it,  and 
my  companions  complained  of  it. 

I  will  venture  to  give  two  tables  of  rations,  such  as  can  be 
bought  in  any  foreign  market-place,  calculated  on  Dr.  Chris- 
tison's  principle,  as  containing  30  oz.  of  real  nutriment  per 
man,  per  day ;  of  which  7 J  oz.  is  nitrogenous,  and  22  J  car- 
boniferous. When  bread  is  mentioned,  I  should  advise 
solid  stuff,  such  as  the  peasantry  use,  not  dinner  rolls.  (I  say 
nothing  about  eggs,  for  I  do  not  know  their  practical  dietetic 
value.) 


A. 

B. 

Ounces. 

Grammes. 

Ounces. 

Grammes. 

Bread  .    .    . 

32 

900 

Bread    ...    22 

620 

Cheese      .    . 

6 

170 

Lean  Meat     .    22 

620 

Butter .    .    . 

.      4 

110 

Butter  ...      6 

170 

Sugar  .     .    . 

.       2 

60 

Sugar    ...      3 

80 

2  lbs.  12  oz. 

=  44 

3  lbs.  5  oz.  =  53 

Allow  4  oz.  in  addition,  for  pepper,  salt,  onion,  tea,  and  a 
little  milk. 

The  meat  may  be  carried  in  either  of  three  ways  : — 

1 .  Eoasted  or  baked,  but  underdone  ;  it  may  then  be  eaten 
without  further  cooking,  or  else  it  may  be  cut  into  slices,  and 
broiled  over  the  embers  of  a  fire. 

2.  Eeady  cut  into  slices,  to  be  fried  in  butter,  in  a  frying- 
pan. 

3.  Eeady  chopped  into  lumps,  the  size  of  a  walnut,  to  be 
thrown  into  boiling  water,  which  must  be  removed  in  two 
minutes  from  off  the  fire,  and  afterwards  be  kept  gently  sim- 
mering, for  half  an  hour.  This  makes  broth  and  boiled  meat, 
and  is  the  most  congenial  sort  of  food  to  a  man's  stomach 
after  hard  work.     The  receipt  is  Liebig's. 

A  soup  maigre,  very  good  after  much  perspiration,  is  con- 
cocted in  five  minutes  by  boiling  water,  with  slices  of  onions, 
and  adding  salt  and  pepper,  and  plenty  of  slices  of  bread, 
just  before  taking  it  off  the  fire  :  this  is  commonly  used  in 
the  Pyrenees. 


F,  Galton.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  453 

The  frying-pan  may  be  small,  and  like  a  very  large  soup- 
ladle,  but  is  not  wanted,  except  for  No.  2,  and  for  making 
omelets.  The  same  vessels  in  which  the  meat,  butter,  &c. 
is  packed  (loaves  of  bread  require  no  envelope),  do  well  for 
fetching  water,  and  for  boiling  purposes,  while  their  lids 
serve  as  plates,  or  cups.  They  should  be  of  thin  tin,  cylin- 
drical, eleven  inches  high,  and  four  and  a  half  in  diameter ; 
they  might  be  slipped,  end  to  end,  in  a  long  woollen  bag, 
and  lie  at  the  top  of  the  knapsack.  Their  lids  ought  to  be 
fitted  much  like  the  tops  of  pill-boxes,  with  rings,  that  shut 
flat,  to  take  hold  by.  The  handles  of  the  vessels  should  be 
of  wire,  like  bucket-handles,  but  two  to  each  tin,  for  the  con- 
venience of  holding  them  steady,  when  pouring  out  their 
contents.  When  not  in  use,  they  should  fall  closely  back 
against  the  sides  of  the  tin.  A  large  spoon  is  almost  neces- 
sary. For  the  convenient  making  of  tea,  place,  before  starting, 
a  quantity  of  it,  with  its  corresponding  sugar,  in  a  muslin 
bag  ;  drop  this,  when  you  want  to  use  it,  in  a  tin  of  boiling 
hot  water  :  let  it  stand  the  usual  time,  then  pull  out  the  bag, 
and  the  tea  is  made.     Throw  the  bag  away. 

Finally,  butter  is  carried  conveniently  in  small  tin  or  zinc 
boxes.  Pepper  and  salt  should  be  wrapped  in  rag,  not  only  in 
paper,  which  always  tears  ;  it  should  also  go  in  a  small  tin 
box.     Milk,  for  tea,  in  a  phial. 

Now,  as  three  days'  rations  of  A.  weigh  about  8  lbs.  and  of 
B.  10  lbs.,  and  reckoning  10  lbs.  for  the  sleeping-bag,  and  1  lb. 
for  the  tin  vessels,  or  from  19  to  21  lbs.  in  all,  it  is  evident 
that,  allowing  for  wine  carried  in  mackintosh  or  leather  bags 
(which  is  an  excellent  way  of  carrying  it,  after  the  bags  are 
once  well  seasoned  for  use),  spare  stockings,  and  a  few  fancy 
extras,  25  lbs.  gross  weight  ought  to  suffice  a  man  for  three 
entire  days.  A  practical  English  pedestrian  would  carry  this 
up  hill  for  half  a  day  without  suffering :  a  native  porter 
would  think  nothing  of  it.  I  therefore  conclude  that  a  man 
with  a  couple  of  guides  so  equipped,  and  with  the  occasional 
help  of  a  porter,  might  push  his  expeditions  with  ease  and  leisure 
to  places  he  now  can  barely  reach,  even  with  severe  exertion. 


454  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND        [Spain  and  Eclipse. 

Also,  that  he  can  use  the  shelter  of  any  cabin,  or  wretched 
inn,  without  fear  of  damp,  and  with  the  comfort  of  his  own 
bedding.  Perhaps  some  volunteers,  mad  upon  bivouacking, 
may  be  inclined  to  try  these  bags.  They  would,  I  really 
believe,  if  carried  in  carts,  or  by  an  assistant  peasantry,  be  no 
unimportant  equipment  for  home  campaigning  against  an 
invading  army,  and  could  be  used  with,  or  without,  tents  or 
house  accommodation. 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  455 


13.    SYRIAN  TRAVEL,  AND  SYRIAN  TRIBES. 
BY  THE  HOK  KODEN  NOEL. 

Much  attention  having  of  late  been  directed  to  Syria,  perhaps 
one  or  two  rapid  sketches  of  Syrian  travel,  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  inhabitants,  may  not  prove  uninteresting.  After 
a  protracted  journey  in  Egypt,  in  company  with  Mr.  Cyril 
Graham,  I  left  Cairo  for  Syria,  April  1,  1859,  and  continued 
in  that  country  until  1860.  Through  the  Delta  of  Egypt 
I  passed  into  the  Desert,  which  realizes  the  popular  notion — 
not  consisting,  like  many  others,  of  hardened  gravel  powdered 
over  with  black  scorise,  but  of  deep,  loose,  yellow  sand,  in  which 
a  horse  often  finds  much  difficulty  in  walking,  and  where  the 
camel,  with  his  flat  fleshy  foot,  is  best  adapted  to  the  work. 
Extraordinary  and  not  to  be  forgotten  are  these  desert  scenes. 
Breathless  and  cloudless  is  the  blinding  sky,  as  the  traveller 
marches  over  sheets  of  deep  loose  sand,  whose  smooth  mountain- 
mounds  (for  it  is  not  always  a  plain)  lie  in  the  hollow  blue 
crystal  of  the  sky  like  cream-coloured  snow ;  it  and  all  things 
penetrated  with  that  peculiar  desert  glare,  or  rather  unnatural 
light  (I  know  no  other  word),  which  in  a  picture  would  in- 
fallibly be  called  exaggerated.  What  makes  it  peculiarly  trying 
to  the  eyes  is,  that  while  the  forms  of  things  are  indistinct,  and 
all  the  atmosphere  seems  vibrating,  like  the  hot  air  over  a 
lime-kiln  (which  produces  mirage),  yet  all  the  colours  are 
painfully  vivid  and  hot ;  not  toned  down  or  softened  in  the 
dry  atmosphere.  A  long  file  of  camels  comes  silently  over 
the  brow  of  some  sandy  mound,  looking  gigantic  and  un- 
earthly ;   their   shadows   cutting  hard    and  black  into   the 


456  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria, 

ground,  their  long  heads  and  noses  laid  out  flat  upon  the  air, 
looking  like  strange  visions  of  a  dream  ;  their  bright  head- 
geared  and  flowing-robed  drivers  seated  upon  them,  and 
bending  their  bodies  drowsily  to  the  long  swinging  walk  of 
the  camel.  Some  few  black  sheep,  driven  by  Bedawy  over 
the  desert,  look  like  hard  inky  blots  on  the  sand.  The  tra- 
veller plods  on  mechanically,  not  daring  to  look  upward;  as 
the  author  of  Eothen  says,  "  feeling  the  sun  his  enemy,"  with 
its  intolerable  burn  ever  upon  his  head  and  back.  Every- 
thing swims  in  the  painful  light.  Dreamily  he  sees  the 
camels  and  their  drivers  heaving  forward  through  the  dreary 
silence,  relieved  only  by  the  occasional  gurgle  of  half-emptied 
water  in  the  barrels,  which  is  like  a  refreshing  hint  to  him  of 
deep  wells  glimmering  cool  in  the  shadow,  and  plashing  water 
drawn  from  them  for  drinking  under  the  palms.  Passing 
through  the  beautiful  Philistia,  I  crossed  the  Judsean  hills  to 
Jerusalem.  The  hills,  though  barren,  are  covered  with  pic- 
turesque villages,  with  the  house  of  the  local  chief,  or  Sheikh- 
el-Beled,  in  the  midst ;  and  he  it  is  who  administers  justice, 
rather  according  to  traditional  usage  than  according  to  written 
law.  He  again  is  subject  to  the  governor  of  the  district, 
whose  government  consists  (he  having  bought  his  office)  in 
encouraging  the  rivalries  of  local  chief  families,  and  in  ap- 
pointing to  the  local  headship  the  chief  who  can  bribe 
highest.  Thus  Mr.  Porter,  whose  handbook  {Murray)  con- 
tains the  best  general  information  on  Syria,  relates  that  a 
man  was  appointed  to  the  governorship  of  a  district  in  South 
Lebanon,  by  Mohammed  Pasha,  of  Damascus.  On  his  way 
to  undertake  his  duties,  a  rival  met  him  and  killed  him, 
and  then  wrote  to  the  Pasha  to  inform  him  of  this  trifling 
occurrence.  "  No  matter,"  replied  the  Pasha,  "send  me  a 
hundred  purses,  and  name  what  governor  you  please." 

The  Syrian  peasantry,  however,  are  a  fine  race,  brave, 
shrewd,  and  industrious ;  they  have  great  love  for  colour  in 
dress,  and  display  it  very  tastefully.  They  are  handsome, 
tall,  healthy,  athletic  ;  and  wear  endless  daggers,  dirks,  and 
pistols,  often  handsomely  mounted,  in  their  broad  red  leather 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  457 

belts.  A  turban  wound  round  a  tarbush,  or  fez,  is  the  usual 
headdress  ;  whereas  the  Bedawy  of  the  desert  wear  the  kufieli, 
a  brilliant  silk  scarf,  that  hangs  down  behind,  to  protect  the 
back  of  the  neck,  the  part  most  susceptible  of  sunstroke,  and 
the  shoulders ;  and  in  order  to  save  their  mouths  and  faces 
from  the  fierce  heat  that  radiates  from  the  ground  (which  is  as 
dangerous  and  disagreeable  as  the  direct  rays),  they  fold  one 
end  of  the  kufieh  so  as  to  veil  the  whole  of  their  faces,  except 
the  eyes.  This  also  serves  in  the  desert  to  conceal  their  faces 
in  case  they  meet  a  foe.  No  Arab  ever  rides  up  to  a  strange 
encampment  not  thus  concealed  ;  nor  is  it  etiquette  for  a 
host  to  bid  him  uncover. 

The  Moslems  of  the  towns  are  a  vicious,  degraded  set  of  men, 
whose  religion  has  degenerated  into  a  mere  bigoted  intolerance 
to  all  others,  and  a  slavish  observance  of  forms,  which  they 
believe  will  secure  them  immunity  from  the  displeasure  of 
Allah  in  the  commission  of  any  crime  ;  and  Allah  is  pleased 
rather  than  displeased  with  crimes  committed  against  Naza- 
rene  dogs,  in  so  far,  at  least,  as  the  offence  is  committed 
cleanly — not  in  a  bungling  way,  calculated  to  favour  the 
chance  of  discovery  and  retaliation  ;  even  then,  many  sheikhs, 
dervishes,  and  zealous  Moslems  assert  that  the  punished  man 
is  a  martyr.  For  why?  Allah  has  a  chosen  people,  the 
believers  in  Islam.  Infidel  dogs  are  to  burn  for  ever  in  the 
next  world  ;  but  whatever  the  crimes  of  the  faithful,  they 
shall  be  finally  restored.  And  the  way  to  gain  the  favour 
of  Allah  is  not  so  much  by  goodness,  as  by  minute  attention 
to  religious  ceremonies,  enjoined  in  the  Koran,  and  in  the 
Sonnas  or  traditions.  It  is  just  the  old  Jewish  spirit :  "  We 
are  the  children  of  Abraham,  and  wear  broad  our  phylac- 
teries ;  scouted  be  the  impious  notion  that  God  can  care  for 
Gentiles."  "Ye  devour  widows'  houses,  and  for  a  pretence 
make  long  prayers." 

The  opinion  of  many  Pagan  races  has  been,  and  is,  that  if 
they  neglect  the  rites  enjoined  on  them  by  the  Supreme 
Power,  it  must  be  propitiated  even  by  the  sacrifice  of  all  that 
is  dearest  to  them,  a  son  or  a  daughter.     However  horrible 


45b  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

this  may  be,  we  can  believe  that  some  have  felt  in  doing  so 
that  they  were  right  in  thus  giving  up  their  own  selves  to  the 
Supreme  Will ;  but  no  such  self-sacrifice  can  be  implied  in  the 
mere  washings  and  bowings  which  the  Moslem  thinks  suf- 
ficient. The  favouritism  of  his  god  makes  it  superfluous. 
While  the  heathen  makes  his  deity  unbending  and  revenge- 
ful, the  Moslem  makes  his  easy  and  indifferent  in  reference 
to  those  whom  his  caprice  has  favoured,  and  cruel  to  others. 
The  Moslem  faith  has  not  always  been  so  corrupt.  There  are 
drinking-fountains,  and  the  remains  both  of  Khans  (vast 
inns,  where  poor  travellers  were  lodged  gratis),  and  of  other 
charitable  institutions,  to  attest  the  benevolence  and  gene- 
rosity of  Moslem  princes  and  men  of  wealth  in  former  days  ; 
but  they  are  ruins.  Mohammed  and  his  legions  conquered, 
strong  in  the  faith  and  assertion  of  the  supreme  will  of  the 
one  good  God,  who  would  have  all  men  to  be  like  him,  by 
obeying  his  righteous  precepts  ;  alike  strong  against  the 
empty  formalism  of  the  Jew,  and  the  degrading  idolatry  of 
both  Pagan  and  Christian.  ADd  so  the  old  effeminate  crum- 
bling empires  fell  before  the  fierce  warriors  of  the  Crescent, 
simple  in  their  habits  and  manner  of  life,  brave,  hardy,  and 
inspired  with  religious  zeal. 

It  is  indeed  impossible  to  read  the  Koran  without  perceiving 
how  much  that  is  true  and  excellent  the  prophet  had  imbibed 
both  from  Jew  and  Christian,  while  protesting  against  their 
formalism  and  idolatry.  But  this  faith  has  degenerated  into 
fatalism,  for  the  most  part  the  creed  of  those  who  have  lost 
the  healthy  energy  and  strength  of  their  own  characters. 

One  is  at  first  inclined  to  be  pleased  with  the  absence  of 
false  shame  that  characterises  the  Moslem  in  the  regular  per- 
formance of  his  devotions — so  different  to  what  is  common 
among  ourselves.  When  I  landed  at  Alexandria,  the  first 
thing  that  struck  me,  was  the  sight  of  a  camel,  and  his  master 
kneeling  on  a  prayer-carpet  by  him,  sitting  on  his  heels,  as  is 
the  custom,  telling  his  beads,  bowing  forward  now  and  then, 
and  touching  the  earth  with  his  forehead.  Striking  also  is 
the  manner  in  which  the  Moslem  never  positively  asserts  that 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  459 

he  will  do  a  thing,  but  qualifies  his  expression  by,  "  If  God 
will."  But  one  soon  discovers  that  his  devotion  is  too  often  a 
substitute  for  common  honesty,  and  that  the  greater  the  saint 
the  greater  the  sinner,  contriving  to  be  both  at  the  same 
moment.  Their  dervishes  and  holy  men,  at  whose  tombs 
they  pray,  and  who  evidently  hold  the  place  that  saints  do, 
with  the  most  ignorant  and  superstitious  among  Eoman 
Catholics,  have  generally  been  greater  rascals  than  the 
generality  of  their  fellows  while  living.  To  illustrate  this 
subject,  I  will  relate  something  that  I  saw  in  Egypt.  Our 
sailors  asked  permission  to  stop  the  vessel  we  had  engaged  to 
take  us  up  the  river,  at  a  certain  town,  as  they  wished  to  pay 
their  respects  to  a  sheikh  or  dervish  there.  We  gave  it,  and 
went  ashore  with  them.  Only  a  little  way  from  the  landing- 
place,  and  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  devotees,  sate  a  hideous, 
wizened  figure,  that  was  so  frightfully  like  a  baboon,  that  one 
shuddered.  He  was  old,  shrivelled,  and  naked ;  he  squatted 
by  a  fire,  the  embers  of  which  he  stirred  with  a  stick  ;  his 
filthy,  grizzled  beard,  and  matted  hair,  were  covered  with 
ashes  ;  he  had  a  low,  cunning,  brutal  face,  and  small,  leer- 
ing eyes  ;  he  rocked  himself  and  mumbled  prayers,  occasion- 
ally putting  out  a  claw,  which  the  infatuated  bystanders 
kissed. 

Eeturning  to  the  ship,  I  asked  his  story.  Our  dragoman, 
an  intelligent  Moslem,  replied,  that  he  had  been  a  robber,  and 
had  murdered  two  people  barbarously. 

"  Then  how  did  he  escape  justice  ? " 

"  By  becoming  a  dervish,"  he  answered.  "  The  people  then 
would  not  allow  him  to  be  touched." 

"  What  good  actions,  then,  has  he  done  as  a  dervish  ? " 

"  Oh,  none.  But  he  is  partly  mad,  and  madness  with  us  is 
sacred.  Besides,  he  has  supernatural  powers.  He  puts  his 
hand  into  the  mouths  of  crocodiles,  and  they  do  not  hurt 
him :  and  his  touch  can  cure  diseases.  For  his  devotion  is 
great." 

Thus,  a  man  stained  with  crime,  by  feigning  semi-madness, 
and  performing  religious  conjuring-tricks  and  antics,  not  only 


460  -    VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

escapes  punishment,  but  is  venerated  as  a  saint,  gets  his  living, 
and  is  canonized  when  he  dies. 

This  people  have  a  uniform  tendency  to  consecrate  the 
deformed,  the  monstrous,  and  strange.  It  speaks  to  them  of 
the  supernatural ;  the  mysterious  supreme  power  or  fate,  which 
it  is  well  to  conciliate. 

Though  the  Moslem  fatalism  may  have  been  exaggerated 
as  to  its  practical  results,  it  does  lead  to  deplorable  conse- 
quences— very  obvious  to  any  intelligent  visitor  of  these 
countries.  The  degradation  of  the  national  character  has, 
doubtless,  caused  this  degradation  of  the  creed ;  but  this 
again  reacts  on  the  character.  You  find  that  their  profes- 
sional men  are,  for  the  most,  mere  empirics,  and  seldom 
even  intelligent  empirics.  There  is  little  of  native  science, 
properly  so  called,  among  them.  As  to  their  arts,  such  of 
them  as  remain  (and  they  are  mostly  decaying)  are  purely 
traditional.  There  is  no  belief  that  men,  by  reverent  and 
patient  study  of  natural  laws,  may  adapt  them  to  the  im- 
provement of  their  own  condition,  far  less  any  interest  in 
the  study  as  such. 

With  us,  the  man  who  knows  nothing  of  book-learning,  at 
least  becomes  empirically  wise  respecting  those  natural  phe- 
nomena that  concern  his  profession.  The  sailor  is  weather- 
wise.  But  an  Egyptian  Nile  sailor,  though  sharp  and  active 
enough  in  other  respects,  yet  sees  the  same  phenomena  uni- 
formly following  one  another,  without  ever  perceiving  their 
connexion :  so  that  if  you  ask  whether  there  are  indications 
of  wind  in  this  quarter  or  in  that,  or  any  simple  question  con- 
cerning common  river  phenomena,  he  answers  for  ever,  "  God 
knows," — never  calculates  on  a  probable  occurrence,  takes  no 
measures  to  provide  for  it,  and  when  he  suffers  loss  in  conse- 
quence, shrugs  his  shoulders  with,  "  It  was  the  will  of  God." 

But  of  all  Moslem  races,  probably  the  Turks  are  the  most 
degraded.  They  have  all  the  Oriental  vices,  their  chief  talent 
lying  in  cleverly  simulating  to  be  and  to  know  all  that  they 
are  not,  and  know  not,  which  they  often  contrive  by  the 
expedient  of  looking  wise,  and  preserving  a  dignified  silence  : 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  461 

none  greater  adepts  in  the  "Nil  admirari,"  and  in  the  noble 
art  of  affecting  superiority  to  the  vulgar  necessity  of  learning. 
The  indifferentism  so  much  prized  by  some  as  a  badge  of 
"  high  breeding,"  is  theirs  to  perfection.  Their  finesse,  their 
tact  in  discovering  and  playing  upon  weaknesses,  their 
assumed  frankness  and  generosity,  are  marvellous.  Well 
was  it  for  us  that  we  so  long  had  at  head-quarters  a  man  who 
understood  their  character  so  thoroughly  as  Lord  Stratford  de 
Eedclyffe.  And  I  believe  it  will  be  proved  that  our  present 
ambassador,  Sir  H.  Bulwer,  has  acted  with  kindred  intelli- 
gence, judgment,  and  vigour,  in  the  present  crisis.  I  must 
own,  indeed,  I  found  all  those  Turks  in  high  office  with  whom 
I  happened  to  come  in  contact,  what  the  world  calls  courteous 
gentlemen.  But  Europeans  living  among  these  Moslem  races 
are  much  discouraged.  They  do  not  keep  faith  with  each 
other,  much  less  with  Christians.  They  seem,  in  most  cases, 
insensible  to  kindness,  and  deficient  in  gratitude.  They  say 
that  a  Christian  who  does  them  kindnesses  involving  self- 
sacrifice,  is  but  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  Allah,  to  benefit 
his  elect ;  and  so  it  is  to  Allah,  and  not  to  the  poor  Giaour, 
the  elect  should  be  grateful. 

The  name  of  God  is  always  upon  their  lips.  The  vendors 
of  sherbet  and  fruits  in  the  streets  of  Cairo  and  Damascus  cry, 
"  May  God  enable  me  to  sell  this  well ! "  When  friends  meet, 
they  utter  a  series  of  salutations,  in  which  the  name  of  God  is 
always  used.  Also  when  a  camel  trips,  they  exhort  him  "  to 
mind  his  steps,  to  go  on,  and  put  his  trust  in  God."  They 
will  utter  the  most  fearful  imprecations,  in  which  the  name  of 
God  is  also  mixed,  on  man  and  beast.  "  Out  of  the  same 
mouth  truly  proceed  blessings  and  cursings."  Yet  the  fact 
was  once  nobly  significant,  that  the  Arabic  word,  "  I  hope," 
" Inshallah"  meant,  "If  God  will,"  even  as  our  own  good-bye 
meant,  "  God  be  with  you."  Their  compliments  to  one  another, 
or  to  strangers,  are  astonishing.  "  All  that  I  have  is  yours." 
"Whose  is  this  house?"  you  ask  the  owner;  "Yours,"  he 
insists.  You  admire  this  article,  and  however  costly, — "  It  is 
yours,   pray  take  it."     Awkward  strangers  sometimes  take 


462  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

them  at  their  word,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  courteous 
Turk.  However,  they  often  do  give  handsome  presents,  but 
generally  expect  to  gain  some  greater  advantage  by  so  doing, 
besides  the  present  which  etiquette  obliges  you  to  make 
in  return. 

It  may  be  thought,  perhaps,  that  I  am  unduly  darkening 
this  picture.  I  readily  admit  that  the  people  in  general  have 
their  virtues,  especially  some  of  the  races,  and  there  are  noble 
exceptions  in  every  race.  The  Nile  sailors,  for  example.  I  had 
a  great  liking  for.  They  are  cheerful,  hardy,  and  active,  and 
kind  to  one  another ;  and  the  poorest  Moslem  seldom  passes 
a  beggar  in  the  street  without  relieving  him.  If  he  is  unable 
he  says,  "  May  God  relieve  you."  And  in  the  recent  massacres 
in  Damascus,  some  of  the  more  respectable  Moslem  inha- 
bitants, it  must  be  remembered,  afforded  protection  to  the 
Christians.  The  Emir  Abd-el-Kader  stands  out,  especially, 
as  a  noble  instance.  Now  he  is  a  decided  Moslem.  He  is 
Professor  in  the  Theological  School  of  Damascus,  and  his 
opinion  is  much  esteemed  by  large  sections  on  theological 
matters.  He  is  a  rare  specimen  of  those  Mohammedans  who 
lived  before  religion  became  a  dead  form  ;  when  salutations  in 
the  name  of  God  had  a  real  meaning  ;  when  men  had  faith  in 
the  living,  good  God.  A  man  like  Abd-el-Kader  is  worth  a 
million  of  those  Hindoo  or  Moslem  gentlemen,  such  as  Nana 
Sahib,  who  have  been  educated  in  European  capitals,  and  re- 
ceived European  instruction,  without  having  imbibed  the  Spirit 
of  Christianity.  Our  civilization  has  but  torn  from  their  souls 
the  lingering  faith  that  might  have  been  sheltered  under  the 
creed  of  their  race.  That  creed  was  so  involved  with  physical 
problems  or  ceremonial  observances,  that  we  could  not  teach 
them  our  civilization  without  oversetting  that.  Do  we  think 
they  acquired  greater  respect  for  us  ?  What  have  they  seen — 
what  have  we  taught  them— that  we  should  suppose  so  ?  No ! 
the  bad  is  not  eradicated  as  easily  as  the  good.  The  old 
prejudices  fostered  by  the  old  creed  remained.  They  were 
not  dispelled  by  the  tone  of  society  in  Paris  or  London — 
strange,   perhaps  ;    yet,  nevertheless,  so  it  was — or  by  the 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRA  VEL  IN  1 860.  463 

conduct  of  Europeans  with  whom  they  came  in  contact 
abroad  :  for  instance,  by  our  policy  and  conduct  toward  them 
personally  in  India.  They  were,  perhaps,  fostered  by  fami- 
liarity with  vice  under  novel,  and  to  an  Oriental,  stimulating 
forms  ;  for  fellowship  in  evil  does  not  really  draw  men 
together,  but  insensibly  separates  them.  They  lost  all  faith 
in  God,  and  all  regard  for  man. 

It  may  be  better  to  leave  them  without  what  we  are  pleased 
to  term  "  civilization,"  if  we  shrink  from  showing  to  them  that 
Saviour  and  Eegenerator  of  the  world  for  whom  all  humanity 
is  panting.  Let  Nana  Sahib  be  a  specimen  of  the  civilized 
enlightened  Moslem.  Let  Abd-el-Kader  be  a  specimen  of  the 
good  uncivilized  Moslem  who  retains  his  faith.  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  him  at  Damascus,  and  was  much  struck 
both  with  his  appearance  and  conversation.  His  face  and 
bearing  indicate  that  remarkable  combination  of  the  man  of 
action  and  the  man  of  thought  which  is  characteristic  of  him. 
He  looks  born  to  command  in  war  and  in  council.  Perhaps 
his  face  betokens  a  thinker  whose  trenchant  logic  would  no 
more  brook  a  metaphysical  or  theological  mystery  than  the 
sword  of  Alexander  the  intricacies  of  a  Gordian  knot.  He  is 
said  to  be  a  man  of  original  thought  and  independent  opinions 

In  point  of  externals,  the  manner  of  any  Oriental  of  rank  is 
on  the  whole  superior  to  the  European,  being  less  stiff  than 
the  English,  and  more  dignified  than  the  French,  while  his 
petite  morale  (his  etiquette)  embodies  far  more  delicacy  of  tact 
than  does  that  of  European  society  in  general.  I  suspect  that, 
like  Hajji  Baba,  in  Morier's  clever  Eastern  tale,  any  one  of 
these  Orientals  might  pass  with  us  for  a  prince,  so  far  as 
manner  goes,  even  imposing  on  better  judges  than  Mrs.  Hogg 
and  her  "  two  head  of  daughters." 

Expedition  to  Palmyra, — Some  English  ladies  and  Mr. 
Carl  Haag  (who  in  his  picture  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun, 
exhibited  last  year,  has  so  successfully  given  the  burning 
of  the  sunset  into  that  fine  transparent  limestone),  were  my 
companions  on  this  expedition.  It  may  be  considered  no 
slight  feat  for  ladies   to  ride  ten,   twelve,  and  twenty-four 


464  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

hours  on  camel  back  at  a  stretch,  but  indomitable  English 
pluck  can  accomplish  much.  Sheikh  Mignel,  of  the  Anazi 
Bedawy,  accompanied  us,  and  furnished  us  with  an  escort. 
His  kindness  and  courtesy  were  unvarying.  He  guarantees 
you  from  robbery  on  the  part  of  any  divisions  of  his  own 
great  tribe,  one  of  the  most  powerful,  on  the  payment 
to  him  of  a  heavy  tribute,  though  not,  of  course,  from  the 
attacks  of  tribes  hostile  to  his.  As  Tadmor  is  the  one  watering 
place  in  that  great  desert  for  all  the  Arab  tribes  who  are 
usually  scouring  about  in  search  of  plunder,  the  journey  can 
never  be  made  without  some  risk  ;  but  it  is  in  every  respect 
a  most  interesting  one.  Having  traversed  an  arid  desert 
during  so  many  burning  weary  hours,  it  is  on  surmounting  a 
ridge  of  hills  that  the  ruins  burst  on  you.  Unrivalled  is  that 
view :  a  city  of  temples,  palaces,  arches,  colonnades,  with  the 
stupendous  pile  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  in  the  midst.  As 
you  sweep  down  the  hills  in  among  these  deserted  streets  of 
columns,  where  the  wind  of  centuries  has  heaped  the  sand, 
and  now  wails  mournfully  where  once  Zenobia  drove  and  rode 
in  triumph ;  as  your  eye  ranges  over  the  trackless  waste  of 
desert,  and  looks  back  to  the  purple  mountains  of  noble  form, 
against  which  many  a  fair  column  of  golden  stain  stands 
relieved ;  as  you  watch  the  weird  figures  of  your  mounted 
Arabs,  like  winds  incarnate,  galloping  among  the  ruins, 
shouting  wildly,  and  charging  one  another  with  quivering 
lance  in  mimic  fight,  turning  it  gracefully,  and  wheeling  their 
steeds  in  circle — all  weariness  ceases.  You  feel  not  the 
burning  sun ;  there  is  a  glow  within  your  spirit,  which 
expands  to  overflowing  with  the  mingled  sense  of  such 
departed  human  glory — such  wild  lawlessness  and  desolation 
triumphant  now — such  calm  everlasting  grandeur  of  Nature — 
and  you  could  not  tell  why  you  weep.  Those  desert  scenes 
are  not  to  be  forgotten.  Oft  will  they  come  before  the  inward 
eye.  "When  wearied  with  the  long  day's  ride,  the  sheikh 
gave  the  word  to  halt  for  a  few  hours'  rest  on  the  yet  warm 
sand,  the  camels  would  kneel,  a  bivouac  fire  would  be  lighted, 
the  Arabs  dismount  from  their  mares,  and  gather  round  the 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  465 

flame,  with  its  ruddy  glow  on  their  swarthy  features  and  gay 
coloured  dress,  their  lances  planted  upright  in  the  sand,  black 
against  the  brilliant  orange  of  the  evening  sky,  into  which 
distant  mountains  rose  "  wine-empurpled."  The  freshness  of 
the  air,  the  sense  of  freedom,  on  those  limitless  plains — 
especially  if  you  happen  to  be  mounted  on  a  swift  Arab  mare ! 
However,  for  a  long  desert  ride,  I  think  the  camel  less 
fatiguing  than  the  horse  ;  and  contrary  to  the  assertion  of  some, 
that  its  quick,  swinging  walk  is  very  easy.  You  can  change 
your  position  on  the  saddle.  We  did  not  much  relish,  indeed, 
having  the  driver  on  the  camel's  back  immediately  behind  us, 
for  no  remonstrances  could  prevent  him  indulging  in  his 
favourite  amusement  of  prolonging  a  monotonous  note  when- 
ever the  camel  trotted,  which  quavered  harshly  in  one's  ears 
with  the  rough  motion  of  the  animaL  But  when  the  camels 
got  tired,  the  drivers  would  dismount,  and  joining  hands, 
walk  by  the  side,  singing  in  chorus,  "  Go  on,  good  camel,  and 
then  the  fairest  maidens  of  the  village  shall  make  thee  kneel, 
and  give  thee  thy  food : "  at  which  the  good  patient  beasts 
really  pricked  up  their  ears,  and  strode  on  lustily.  We  were 
six  days  at  Palmyra — unusually  long — and  there  being  a 
great  scarcity  of  food,  our  poor  camels  had  little,  so  that 
day  by  day  we  saw  their  humps  diminishing.  In  the  absence 
of  food,  they  feed  on  their  own  fat,  even  as  they  drink 
the  water  they  have  stored  in  their  second  stomach.  Then 
the  other  Arabs  got  wind  of  us,  and  we  had  to  leave. 
How  luxurious  were  those  nights,  wrapt  in  our  cloaks,  and 
sleeping  under  the  open  clear  starry  sky  of  Syria.  Tents  are 
forbidden,  as  you  must  be  prepared  to  be  up  and  off  at  a 
moment's  notice.  We  were  often  forced  to  travel  in  the 
moonless  parts  of  the  night  only,  and  then  forbidden  to  speak 
or  light  a  pipe,  constantly  on  the  look  out  for  the  flicker  of 
bivouac  fires  afar.  When  the  moon  did  rise,  then  the  shadows 
of  camel  and  rider  blent  were  suddenly  thrown  on  the  pale 
sand,  moving  on,  swift,  silent,  ghostly,  and  soon  we  crouched 
into  some  depression  or  wady,  fireless  ;  or  if  a  fire  was  for  a 
few   minutes   allowed,   the   Arabs   squatted   round  it,    and 

H  H 


466  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syeia. 

covered  it  with  their  broad  AMyeh  cloaks.  But  in  spite 
of  some  pleasantly  exciting  alarms,  we  arrived  at  Damascus 
without  attack.  I  was  most  kindly  received  and  tended 
through  a  fever  I  caught  there,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Graham, 
the  Missionary,  who  was  murdered  in  the  recent  massacres, 
and  whose  loss  all  who  knew  him  most  deeply  deplore.  My 
excellent  friend  Mr.  Eobson,  the  Missionary,  whose  own  con- 
duct during  the  massacre  was  so  firm  and  praiseworthy,  wrote 
that  he  died  a  martyr.  It  was  proposed  to  him  by  his  mur- 
derers, as  a  condition  of  safety,  that  he  should  renounce 
Christianity ;  and  when  he  refused,  he  was  at  once  dispatched. 
When  you  visit  a  Bedawy  Sheikh,  if  he  wishes  to  do  you 
honour,  he  has  a  sheep  immediately  slaughtered,  which  you 
eat  out  of  a  huge  bowl,  together  with  pilaw  of  rice,  with  your 
fingers :  afterwards,  black  slaves  bring  you  water  and  wash 
your  hands  with  an  embroidered  napkin.  While  it  is  pre- 
paring, they  bring  coffee  and  pipes,  and  the  wife  makes  ready 
an  unleavened  thin  cake,  which  is  excellent  hot.  You  get 
delicious  camel's  milk,  Leban  (sour  milk),  and  sometimes 
cucumbers,  and  every  kind  of  gourd.  While  you  eat,  the 
sheikh,  as  a  point  of  etiquette,  refuses  to  enter  the  tent.  He 
watches  you  from  outside.  At  night  he  gives  you  his  own 
cloaks  to  cover  you,  often  very  magnificent,  but  always  swarm- 
ing with  vermin.  The  sheikh  usually  wears  a  crimson  pelisse, 
edged  with  fur,  and  high  red  leather  boots.  But  his  tent  does 
not  differ  from  those  of  other  Arabs.  It  is  of  black  goat's  hair, 
open  one  side.  In  many  encampments,  a  curtain  is  hung  up 
to  divide  the  harim  from  the  tent  of  the  men ;  and  I  have  seen 
women  sitting  working  tapestries  or  spinning,  in  the  tent  of 
the  men,  and  joining  in  the  conversation.  They  are  far  more 
virtuous  than  other  Moslem  women,  and  far  less  frivolous. 
They  are  not  so  strictly  kept  separate ;  and  the  laws  that 
punish  immorality  are  stern  and  stringently  enforced.  It  shows 
a  slight  knowledge  of  human  nature  to  suppose  that  any  class 
of  Moslem  women  are  mere  mindless  playthings,  in  the  sense 
of  being  without  influence.  But  their  false  social  position 
makes  their  influence  too   often  bad.     To  some  extent  the 


Eoden  Noel.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  467 

Bedawy  occupy  the  position  of  the  early  Mohammedan  con- 
querors, having  many  of  their  virtues  and  habits  of  life.  They 
are  simple,  brave,  patriarchal,  hospitable.  But  they  are  false, 
often  cruel,  childishly  covetous.  It  should  be  remembered, 
however,  that  there  have  always  been  two  distinct  Arab 
races,  the  dwellers  in  towns,  and  the  wandering  Bedawy. 
Now  people  talked  at  the  time  of  the  Syrian  massacre  of  a 
new  invasion  of  Barbarians,  and  of  Damascus  being  at  the 
mercy  of  the  Arabs.  So  it  has  been  for  many  years  past ; 
but  the  truth  is,  nothing  would  induce  them  as  a  body  to 
avail  themselves  of  their  power  to  occupy  this  city  or  any 
other.  They  might  plunder, — as  they  did.  They  have  long 
overrun  the  plains,  and  the  Turks  have  less  weight  in  their 
eyes  than  the  passing  traveller.  But  see  an  Arab  in  a  town, 
and  in  his  native  desert.  You  would  not  know  him  for  the 
same  man.  Can  yonder  slouching,  humble-looking  creature,  be 
one  with  that  proud,  fierce,  erect,  and  dignified  chief,  sniffing 
the  air  like  the  impatient  wide-nostrilled  mare  he  bestrides? 

He  abhors  the  confinement  of  a  house,  and  all  the  luxuries 
appertaining  thereunto.  His  wealth  consists  of  herds  of 
camels,  and  mares,  or  flocks  of  goats  and  sheep.  The  Patri- 
archs were  a  sort  of  Bedawy ;  and  the  account  of  Oreb  and 
Zeeb,  Princes  of  Midian,  whom  Gideon  defeated  at  the 
fountain  of  Jezreel,  reads  like  a  description  of  the  hordes 
that  range  over  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  to  this  day.  They 
refuse  to  cultivate  the  rich  land  they  roam  over,  and  they 
drive  away  the  diligent  tiller,  oppressing  and  living  upon  him. 
A  voyage  I  made  through  the  Arab  tents  by  a  very  unfre- 
quented path  from  Csesarea  to  Nazareth,  made  the  Old  Tes- 
tament accounts  of  the  thickness  of  the  population  more 
intelligible  to  me.  The  site  of  a  town  or  village  unidenti- 
fied presented  itself  within  incredibly  short  distances — like- 
wise in  an  unexplored  part  of  Phoenicia,  where  the  remains  of 
Phoenician  buildings,  of  so-called  Cyclopean  masonry,  were 
very  remarkable. 

Of  these  interesting  localities  I  will  just  say  a  few  words. 
We  crossed  the  Nahr  Turka  (Crocodile  Eiver  of  Strabo).     I 

hh2 


468  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

could  get  but  the  vaguest  tradition  about  the  crocodiles  from 
any  Arabs  on  the  spot.  "  Have  you  seen  them  \ "  "  No." 
"  But  my  father" — "  Has  seen  them  ? "  "  No.  But  he  was 
told  by  a  man  that"—"  He  had  seen  them  ? "  "  No  ;  but  that 
watering  his  flocks  on  a  certain  day  near  here  (we  were  at  a 
woody  place  called  Miemes),  several  sheep  were  drawn  under, 
no  doubt  by  the  Timsah  (Crocodile)."  In  this  stream  there 
can  scarcely  have  ever  been  anything  but  large  water- 
lizards. 

We  came,  at  length,  to  Tell  Kisah,  where  there  are  hewn 
cisterns,  many  rock  tombs,  and  extensive  mounds.    The  place, 
an  important  one,  seems  not  to  have  been  identified.    Was  it 
Kishion  (or  Kedesh)  of  Issachar?  (See  Josh.  xxi.  28  ;  I  Chron. 
vi.  72).    Having  mentioned  Kedesh,  may  I  be  permitted  to  say 
a  word  on  the  Euins  at  Kedesh  Naphteli  (Caesarea  Philippi) 
beyond  Nazareth,  between  Safed  and  Banias  ?     This,  the  holy 
place  of  Naphtali  was  the  birthplace  of  Barak,  and  near  here 
Sisera  was  slain.  (Judg.  iv.)     The  ruins  are  interesting.     It 
has  been  disputed  whether  they  are  Jewish,  or  Koman.   There 
are   fine    old    stone    sarcophagi,   some   of  them  double.     I 
believe     Dr.    Bobinson    inclines    to    think    them    Jewish. 
On  the   other  hand,   Mr.  Porter  asks — How,   then,  can  we 
explain  the  "figures"  (of  gods  or  genii)  sculptured  on  their 
sides  ?     Now  I  looked  for  these  figures,  but  could  not  find 
them,     The  sculpture  is  all  much  defaced,  and  in  the  eluci- 
dation of  it  much  depends  on  the  light,  and  time  of  day  ; 
I  thought,  however,  I  could  make  out  the  body  of  a  bird  ; 
next,  finding  an  eagle  sculptured  with  outspread  wings  over 
one  of  the  portals  of  the  temple  beyond,  I  returned  to  the 
sarcophagi,   and  distinctly  traced  the  same  device  on  them. 
The  figures,  then,  are  eagles.     Now  from  the  style  of  archi- 
tecture there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  temple  is  Boman. 
Some  friends  and  I  subsequently  discovered  there  a  small 
bas-relief  figure  of  a  man  wearing  the  toga ;  and  made  our 
servants  dig  out  an  old  altar,  on  whose  face  there  had  been 
an  inscription,  now  entirely  illegible ;  but  one  or  two  letters 
left  little  doubt  in  my  mind  that  it  was  in  Greek.     The  eagle 


Roden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  469 

seems,  then,  to  be  the  Eoman  eagle,  and  this  goes  far  towards 
settling  the  question.  The  first  ruin  appears  to  have  been  a 
tomb,  and  may  not  be  of  the  same  date  and  origin. 

As  to  Jewish  Eemains,  there  are  few  of  importance  in 
Palestine.  The  most  perfect  and  interesting  are  at  Kefr 
Birim,  between  Safed  and  Tyre.  The  front  of  an  old  synagogue 
is  nearly  perfect ;  the  Jewish  architecture  is  very  peculiar ; 
the  treble  column  seems  most  characteristic  of  it.  The 
capitals  of  each  pillar  are  like  the  Torus  and  Plinth  reversed. 
The  mouldings  are  elaborate  and  fantastic,  though  poorly 
executed.  One  may  be  called  the  vertebrate  style.  I  do  not 
see  any  analogy  between  this  building  and  those  at  Kedesh. 

And  now,  a  word  respecting  the  Phoenician  Eemains  of  this 
district. 

I  was  anxious  to  examine  a  rock  tablet,  which  Mr.  Porter 
speaks  of  as  Assyrian,  (on  hearsay,  I  think,)  near  El  Megrah, 
a  village  near  Cana,  in  the  Mountain  above  Tyre.  I  found  it 
to  be  Egyptian.  It  is  much  defaced.  But  the  Agathodamion 
over  the  whole  group  is  unmistakeable  ;  there  is  Disk,  Uraeus 
and  wings.  The  king  (or  God)  is  seated  on  an  Egyptian 
throne,  and  figures  are  presenting  offerings  ;  but  they  are 
nearly  erased.  Their  slender  Egyptian  type  and  their  head- 
dresses leave  no  doubt  of  their  race. 

The  people  here  are  Metawileh.  Their  Sheikh  was  profuse 
in  his  civilities,  and  gave  me  every  assistance.  With  an 
Arab  guide  I  explored  the  district  around,  and  came  upon 
numerous  remains  of  old  towns ;  the  houses  built  of  large, 
rough,  irregular  blocks,  like  the  pedestal  of  the  famous  Sar- 
cophagus of  Hiram  near  Tyre.  One  could  hardly  make  one's 
way  through  the  dwarf  oak  that  grew  about  the  buildings. 
There  were  many  gigantic  portals,  formed  of  two  vertical 
blocks  and  another  simply  laid  across  them ;  the  peculiar 
grooving  of  the  jambs,  together  with  the  numerous  millstones 
about,  make  it  probable  these  may  have  been  olive-presses, 
yet — curious  fact — there  are  no  olives  in  that  country  now. 

In  one  case,  a  tree  had  rent  the  huge  stone,  and  then  died, 
leaving  a  fragment  of  itself  between  the  lintel  and  jamb. 


470  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

Meanwhile,  a  second  old  oak  is  luxuriating  there  and  threat- 
ening to  play  the  same  prank.  This  impresses  one  with 
the  idea  of  hoar  antiquity.  In  one  town  I  found  a  Jewish 
treble  column  among  the  older  remains.  Near  it  I  visited  a 
curious  tomb,  unlike  any  other  rock-tombs  I  saw  in  Syria, 
though  the  variety  of  them  is  most  remarkable.  It  is  a 
chamber,  small  and  square,  hewn  in  the  rock.  On  one  wall 
was  rudely  scratched  a  disk,  on  another  a  character  some- 
thing like  a  capital  Greek  Gamma;  on  a  third,  a  palm 
branch  (the  Phoenician  emblem).  How  well  would  all  this 
country  repay  exploration  !  It  is  very  fine,  the  mountains  are 
sublime,  and  the  ravines  are  well  wooded.*  . 

I  must  not  pause  to  describe  Damascus,  "  the  Queen  of  the 
East,"  of  which  so  much  has  lately  been  said.  On  recovering 
from  my  illness  in  Beyrout,  I  rode  by  the  magnificent  ruins  of 
Baalbek  to  Bludan,  the  Paradise  of  Anti-Lebanon,  overlooking 
the  fruitful  Plain  of  Zebdary,  where  Mr.  Brant,  our  consul,  was 
staying,  who  was  most  kind  to  me,  and  whose  energy  and 
courage  during  the  recent  massacre  at  Damascus  have  been 
beyond  all  praise — demanding  surely  some  substantial  mark 
of  appreciation  from  our  Government.  At  Bludan  there  is  a 
grove  of  prickly  oak  (Ballut)  trees,  a  representation  of  one  of 
those  groves  or  high  places  so  often  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament,  as  places  of  idolatrous  worship.  Astarte  seems  to 
have  been  the  patroness  of  this  one,  for  the  people  still  follow 
the  traditional  usage  of  breaking  a  pitcher  in  honour  of  the 
"mother  of  the  grove;"  and  they  add  that  one  man,  who 
omitted  to  do  this  before  starting  for  Damascus,  was  found 
strangled  near  the  grove,  doubtless  by  the  mother  herself. 
The  superstitions  of  the  Greek  Christian  peasantry  are  de- 

*  I  got  a  sunstroke  here  that  disabled  me.  I  could  scarcely  ride  so  far  as 
Tyre.  Arrived  there,  a  severe  fever  set  in  ;  but,  by  the  kindness  of  our  Vice- 
Consul  at  Tyre,  I  was  placed  in  a  felucca  some  days  after,  and  then  sailed  in 
one  night  to  Beyrout,  where  my  life  was  saved  by  the  care  of  friends,  who 
(though  strangers  to  me  at  that  time)  took  me  into  their  house.  S.  Broe, 
Esq^.  comptroller  of  the  Ottoman  Bank  at  that  place,  will,  I  trust,  forgive  my 
mentioning  his  name.  His  wife  has  proved  a  Miss  Nightingale  to  many  a 
traveller  beside  myself. 


Hoden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  471 

liberately  encouraged  by  their  priests,  Astarte  reappearing  as 
Mary.  On  the  eve  of  the  fight  at  Beit  Miri  (August,  1859), 
there  was  an  eclipse,  and  the  people  said  the  moon  was 
"ominously  struggling  out  of  a  nightmare  of  blood;"  while 
at  Bludan  they  were  all  shouting  and  striking  pots  and  pans 
together,  "to  make  the  big  fish  disgorge  her,"  which  at  last 
they  succeeded  in  doing  to  their  satisfaction. 

The  traveller,  entering  on  the  Lebanon  from  the  plain  of 
Bukaa,  the  ancient  Ccelesyria,  by  Zahle,  (the  Christian  town 
which  has  been  lately  decimated,)  is  much  struck  with  the 
contrast  between  it  and  the  Anti -Lebanon,  which  bounds  the 
Bukaa  on  the  east.  That  is  rocky  and  desolate  ;  but  so  soon 
as  he  enters  on  the  Lebanon,  he  finds  the  mountains  carefully 
terraced.  Sometimes  the  soil  is  laid  along  the  horizontal 
naked  strata  of  limestone,  sometimes  along  an  artificial  terrace 
of  stones.  Every  inch  of  ground  is  made  the  most  of ;  mul- 
berries, for  the  sake  of  the  silk  crop,  and  vines,  are  universal. 
The  latter  are  often  trained  along  covered  trellis- work,  the  rich 
luscious  clusters  depending  from  bowered  sunny  leaves.  Figs 
are  very  frequent ;  so  that  the  mountain  combines  excessive 
fertility,  which  pleasantly  suggests  the  industry  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, with  unsurpassed  sublimity.  Those  deep  dark  ravines 
over  which  the  stone  pines  hang — those  heights  of  grand  wild 
form  suggesting  the  landscapes  of  Salvator  Kosa — with  crests 
of  rugged  grey  rocks,  rising  up  height  upon  height  to  summits 
of  perpetual  snow  !  You  ride  along  through  groves  of  stone 
pine  wherein  the  cicalas  are  ever  shrill,  over  mere  torrent- 
beds  of  paths  as  break-neck  as  can  be ;  and  beneath  you  are 
ledges  of  mountain,  where  gleaming  villages  and  convents 
nestle  in  mulberries  and  vines.  They  stud  every  slope,  every 
lower  wooded  crest,  and  the  sweet  convent  chimes  are  ever  float- 
ing over  hill  and  valley.  At  every  turn  you  meet  gaily  dressed 
peasants,  Maronite  or  Druze,  armed  with  a  gun,  or  pistols 
and  dirks  in  the  folds  of  their  sash,  often  driving  mules  with 
loads  of  cocoons.  They  wear  full  baggy  trousers  down  to  the 
knee,  the  leg  bare,  braided  jackets  with  slashed  sleeves, 
showing  the  bright  coloured  vestment  beneath.     The  Druze 


472  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syeia. 

women  wear  a  silver  horn  on  the  head,  called  Tantur ;  over 
this  they  throw  a  silk  or  linen  veil  which  may  cover  them 
entirely,  or  be  thrown  back  at  pleasure.  The  Maronite  women 
wear  a  silver  head-dress,  not  unlike  that  of  the  Druzes,  but 
less  prominent :  they  wear  very  pretty  ornaments.  Beautiful 
from  the  mountain  (from  Beit  Miri  especially)  is  the  view 
of  Beyrout.  It  lies  far  below,  on  a  tongue  of  rich  cultivated 
land,  washed  by  the  faf-smiling  sapphire  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, its  white  clustered  villas  gleaming  amid  thick  green- 
glowing  orchards,  and  many  scattered  hamlets  and  convents 
on  the  plain  and  hill  sides.  Yet  the  view  of  it  is  perhaps 
more  unique  in  loveliness  from  the  sea  approach,  where  it  is 
backed  by  the  plum-bloom  piled  mountains,  and  the  snowy 
crests. 

I  will  now  give  only  a  brief  sketch  of  the  Druzes  and 
Maronites,  confining  myself  chiefly  to  matters  of  personal 
observation. 

It  is  not  correct  to  say  that  the  Druze  religion  is  a  secret, 
a  full  account  of  it  having  been  published  by  M.  De  Sacy. 
There  is  much  in  it  very  mystical  and  metaphysical.  Let  me 
refer  the  reader  to  Lord  Carnarvon's  recent  little  book  for  a  brief 
but  excellent  resume  of  all  the  information  we  have  on  this 
subject  and  on  the  origin  of  the  race.  I  will  here  state  merely, 
that  in  A.D.  1017,  Ben  Ismail  Ed-Derazz,  a  Persian,  settled  in 
Egypt,  and  became  an  adherent  of  Hakim,  third  Eatimiti 
Caliph,  who,  albeit  a  monster  of  iniquity,  was  proclaimed  (and, 
perhaps,  himself  claimed  to  be)  an  Incarnation  of  the  Deity. 
Derazz  was  driven  out  of  Egypt,  and  took  refuge  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Mount  Hermon,  where  he  preached  this 
doctrine  among  the  people  of  the  district.  He  thus  gave 
his  name  to  the  Druzes ;  but  yet,  having  subsequently  pro- 
claimed himself  as  a  rival  prophet,  he  is  of  the  Druzes  an 
object  of  execration.  They  regard  the  Persian  Hamza  as  their 
true  founder.  He  very  much  enlarged  the  system.  They 
expect  Hakim,  their  Messiah,  to  come  again  to  judgment,  and 
reduce  all  to  submission.  It  is  with  more  reason  alleged  that 
their  rites  are  secret.     In  company  with  a  friend  I  visited 


Koden  Noel.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  473 

the  most  celebrated  of  their  chapels  near  Hasbeija,  called 
Khulwat  (solitudes).  We  found  a  council  of  Druze  Okkals 
sitting  under  some  Balluts  (prickly  oaks)  on  a  stone  divan. 
Their  chief  was  a  venerable  man  of  ninety,  with  flowing  white 
beard,  but  his  bright  blue  eye  told  of  unclouded  intelligence. 
They  were  all  patriarchs.  They  received  us  most  courteously, 
and  insisted  on  showing  us  over  their  chapel.  It  was  spread 
with  prayer-carpets.  They  next  brought  us  in  plates  of  raisins 
and  pine-almonds,  and  begged  us  to  be  seated  and  partake  of 
them,  while  a  large  congregation  gathered  round.  On  Thursday, 
when  they  assemble  for  worship  in  the  early  part  of  the 
evening,  strangers  are  admitted,  and  partake  of  these  eatables. 
Eeaders  are  squatted  upon  the  floor,  reading  from  the  Koran, 
probably  as  a  blind,  to  Moslems;  but  at  a  certain  period 
strangers  must  retire,  the  Okkals  remaining  alone.  The  question 
is,  What  do  they  do  then  ?  The  sheikhs  I  have  spoken  to  reply, 
"  Nothing  but  pray,  and  read  out  of  our  own  sacred  books." 
It  is  commonly  alleged  that  they  worship  a  calf.  Others  say 
that  the  image  of  a  calf  enters  into  their  rites,  but  that  it  is 
as  a  symbol  of  false  religion,  which  they  abhor ;  that  it  is  a 
symbol  of  Iblis,  the  Evil  Principle,  or  of  Ed-Derazz.  Others 
think  that  the  calf  story  is  a  Maronite  invention ;  for  the 
direct  evidence  of  the  production  of  the  image  in  worship 
seems  to  be  furnished  by  Maronites,  who  are  alleged  to  have 
gained  access  in  disguise  as  Druzes  to  the  Khulwat.  On  the 
face  of  it,  this  story  is  absurd  to  any  one  who  knows  the  pro- 
found sagacity  and  caution  of  the  Druzes.  No  Maronite  would 
ever  have  got  in,  and  if  he  had,  he  would  never  have  got  out 
to  tell  the  tale.  If  we  believe  in  the  calf,  we  must  believe 
more  that  comes  from  the  same  quarter.  The  Maronite 
Sheikh  who  told  me  about  the  calf  said  also  that  these  dis- 
guised Christians  saw  a  series  of  rude  wooden  images  suc- 
cessively brought  into  the  Okkal  assembly,  flogged  and  spit 
upon  with  execrations,  as  representing  the  prophets  of  other 
religions.  Among  them  were  Mohammed,  Moses,  and  Christ. 
Now  Mohammed  and  Moses  are  regarded  by  the  Druzes  as 
prophets,  while  Christ  and  Hamza  are  incarnations  of  one 


474  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND       '  [Syria. 

of  the  five  great  celestial  powers,  who  form  a  part  of  their 
system.  (See  De  Sacy.)  More  than  once  have  these  Khulwat 
been  plundered  when  the  Druzes  least  expected  it,  and 
access  obtained  to  their  sacred  books.  But  only  sacred  books 
were  found  ;  where  then  did  they  stow  the  calf  and  the 
images  ?  In  1838,  Ibrahim  Pasha  suddenly  fell  upon  these 
very  Khulwat  near  Hasbeiya,  of  which  I  have  spoken  above, 
and  took  away  many  Arabic  MSS.,  but  nothing  else  was 
found.  Most  important  these  MSS.  proved;  for  in  those 
which  De  Sacy  had  previously  examined,  there  was  a  portion 
written  in  a  species  of  cypher,  containing,  apparently,  the 
innermost  mysteries  of  the  faith.  To  this  cypher  he  had  no 
clue;  but  the  new  MSS.  contained  its  key  in  Arabic,  and 
that  accomplished  oriental  scholar,  Dr.  Van  Dyck,  has  had 
access  to  them.  I  trust  he  will  publish  the  results  of  his 
investigations  ere  long.  He  assured  me  he  had  found  no 
trace  of  any  idolatrous  or  impure  rites,  as  among  the  Ismaeli 
and  Ansayrii. 

The  Maronites,  indeed,  accuse  them  both  of  idolatry  and 
atheism.  Thus,  the  Sheikh  I  have  mentioned  above  told  me 
the  learned  Druzes  assert  that  there  was  once  a  God,  but  he 
created  a  great  wind,  which  carried  him  away ;  so  he  is  for  ever 
whirled  round  and  round,  powerless,  in  his  own  whirlwind.  This 
is  evidently  the  caricature  of  a  myth.  There  is,  indeed,  a  pan- 
theistic element  in  their  system,  which,  with  some  thinkers 
and  teachers,  may  degenerate  into  atheism.  It  has  been  said, 
perhaps  with  some  truth,  that  they  are  more  a  political  than 
a  religious  body.  Yet  there  is  no  reason  to  accuse  them  of 
atheism.  They  are  a  practical,  energetic  people  ;  and  the  most 
remarkable  and  interesting  feature  of  the  race,  is  its  perfect 
union  and  brotherhood.  Every  Druze  is  educated  to  feel 
himself  the  member  of  a  body,  and  act  as  such,  always 
making  his  private  interest  subordinate  to  that  of  the  frater- 
nity. He  is  trained  in  the  most  implicit  obedience  to  his 
superiors ;  also  to  be  silent  or  prevaricate  when  it  is  neces- 
sary. The  Druzes  are  divided  into  Okkal,  initiated,  and 
Juphal,  ignorant.     The  former  must  profess  to  renounce  all 


Roden  Noel.]        NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  4J5 

luxuries,  even  spirits  and  tobacco.  They  undergo  a  severe 
probation  for  two  years,  then  assume  the  white  turban.  The 
Okkals,  on  being  initiated  into  Druze  mysteries,  are  sworn 
not  to  reveal  the  Druze  secrets.  Towards  each  other,  the 
Druzes  practise  the  most  generous  virtues. 

The  body  is  governed  by  the  Okkals,  they  being  the  priest- 
governors  who  negotiate  marriages,  &c.  The  country  is 
divided  into  districts,  where  a  council  of  Okkal  assemble 
weekly.  A  delegate  from  each  council  is  sent  to  each  meet- 
ing of  neighbouring  councils.  Thus,  information  and  orders 
are  transmitted  in  time  of  peace  and  war,  with  very  great 
rapidity,  from  one  spot  to  the  other ;  and  this  enables  the 
body  to  act  in  concert,  and  with  all  the  effect  of  an  union 
which  constitutes  strength,  while  the  Maronites  are  singularly 
deficient  in  organization  and  discipline.  These  do  not  obey 
their  chiefs,  and  are  constantly  quarrelling  among  themselves, 
even  in  the  face  of  a  common  foe.  This  in  great  measure 
accounts  for  the  easy  victories  of  the  Druzes  over  them  last 
year,  which  is  otherwise  singular,  seeing  that  they  far  out- 
number the  Druzes  in  Lebanon,  the  former  being  estimated  at 
about  220,000  in  the  Pashalic  of  Sidon,  and  the  latter  at  (Porter) 
only  60,000 ;  especially  as  I  do  not  believe  the  Christians  to 
be  deficient  in  physical  courage.  There  are  other  things  to  be 
taken  into  account.  There  was  a  conviction  (which  the  event 
justified)  among  the  Christians,  that  the  Moslems  were  every- 
where about  to  act  in  concert  with  the  Druzes,  the  Metawileh, 
and  all  other  anti-Christian  tribes,  to  exterminate  them,  which 
paralysed  the  Maronites.  They  believed  (with  perfect  reason) 
that  the  Turks  were  aiding  and  abetting  the  designs  of  their 
foes ;  and  yet,  through  a  strange  infatuation,  partly  to  be 
explained  by  moral  perplexity  and  fear,  they  trusted  their 
lawful  rulers  so  far,  as  on  three  successive  occasions,  at 
Hasbeiya,  Easheiya,  and  Deir-el-Kammar,  to  deliver  up  their 
arms  to  them,  the  Turks  having  solemnly  promised  them 
protection, — the  Christians  perhaps  hoping  that  the  fear  of 
France  would  stay  the  Turks  from  any  gross  acts  of  treachery 
toward  them.     The  result  is  known.     History  furnishes  few 


476  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

parallels  to  the  atrocious  treachery  in  these  three  instances, 
practised  by  a  government  on  the  subjects  who  had  obeyed 
and  trusted  it, — when  the  Christians  were  massacred  in  cold 
blood  in  the  courts  of  the  governor's  castle,  while  Turkish 
soldiers  guarded  the  gates.  It  is  a  notable  fact,  perhaps  not 
very  generally  known,  that  when  all  of  us  in  Syria  were  in 
momentary  expectation  of  this  war  (in  May  last),  the  troops 
were  sent  out  of  Syria  by  the  Pashas,  on  the  plea  of  certain 
disturbances  in  Bosnia,  so  that  the  Turkish  Minister  in 
London  could  assure  Lord  J.  Eussell,  that  unfortunately  there 
were  no  troops  to  act  with. 

The  weak  element  in  the  Druzes  is  their  exclusiveness.  It 
is  a  principle  with  them  to  deceive  those  out  of  their  own 
pale,  for  the  advancement  of  the  Druze  interest.  They  do 
not  seek  converts — only  to  make  the  Druze  race  dominant. 
Towards  enemies  they  have  proved  cruel  and  implacable. 
But,  indeed,  they  are  not  the  only  mountain  tribe  who  are 
guilty  of  this,  though  hospitable,  generous,  and  virtuous  in 
time  of  peace.  This  they  are  in  a  high  degree.  And  former 
travellers  speak  of  the  good  terms  on  which  Maronite  and 
Druze  lived.     They  may  probably  share  the  same  blood. 

In  the  Pashalic  of  Damascus  there  are  about  18,000  Druzes. 
There  are  great  numbers  in  the  Hawran,  the  ancient  Bashan, 
east  of  Damascus.  Of  these  Mr.  Porter  says,  "  We  are  among 
a  people  of  patriarchal  manners,  and  patriarchal  hospitality. 
Strangers  cannot  pass  without  being  constrained  to  accept 
proffered  hospitality :  '  Will  not  my  lord  descend,  while  his 
servants  prepare  a  little  food  V  is  the  urgent  language  of  every 
village  sheikh.  The  coffee  (which  is  roasted,  pounded,  and  boiled 
in  the  presence  of  the  visitor)  is  always  on  the  fire :  a  kid  or 
lamb,  representation  of  the  old  fatted  calf,  is  soon  got  ready- 
One  fancies  himself  carried  back  to  the  days  of  Abraham, 
when  the  good  patriarch  sat  in  his  tent-door,  ready  to  welcome 
every  visitor,  and  hail  every  passer  by."  In  fact,  Eastern 
manners  are  everywhere  permanent. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  enter  into  the  history  of  the  Maro- 
nites  (Mardaites),  which  may  be  found  elsewhere ;  merely 


Roden  Noel.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  477 

observing  that  their  faith  and  rites  agree  pretty  nearly  with 
those  of  the  rest  of  the  Eastern  Church,  though  in  the 
twelfth  century  they  submitted  to  the  authority  of  the  Pope. 
Their  patriarch,  who  receives  his  Bull  of  Confirmation  from 
Eome,  resides  in  the  convent  of  Canobur,  in  the  glen  of  the 
Kadisha. 

Many  Maronite  families  have  retained  Frank  names,  which 
makes  it  probable  that  some  of  the  Crusaders  may  have  taken 
refuge  and  settled  among  them.  They  have  long  been  under 
French  protection  ;  and  French  missionaries  have  done  some- 
thing toward  their  enlightenment. 

I  must  own  that,  during  my  residence  among  them,  though 
I  respected  the  zealous  and  kindly  labours  of  the  Lazariste 
missionaries  (at  Ehden  there  were  four  or  five),  and  admired 
their  Eoman  Catholic  Institutions,  backed  as  they  are  by  the 
powerful  influence  of  their  Government,  yet  I  did  not  think 
the  half-Frenchifying  process  had  done  much  good  to  their 
manners ;  while  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  Jesuits  have  fanned 
the  flame  of  religious  bigotry  and  fanaticism  amongst  them 
(as  the  emissaries  of  Russia  have  done  for  the  Greeks),  till 
they  have  been  led  to  rely  on  the  support  of  France,  in  case 
of  a  collision  with  their  enemies. 

We  found  the  people  unpleasantly  curious  and  familiar, 
nor  are  they  so  energetic  as  the  Druzes.  Yet  they  are  honest 
and  brave,  with  fine  frames  and  independent  bearing.  Our 
tents  were  always  open,  yet  we  never  lost  anything  out  of 
them. 

We  visited  the  largest  of  their  convents,  that  of  St.  An- 
toine,  situated,  as  most  of  them  are,  in  a  romantic  glen  (below 
Ehden),  built  into  the  clefts  and  sides  of  the  rock,  like  the 
better-known  Greek  convent  of  Mar  Saba,  near  the  Dead  Sea. 
The  chapel,  refectory,  and  cloisters  were  very  venerable-looking 
and  picturesque.  Here  there  is  a  curious  old  printing-press, 
where  some  aged  monks  were  engaged  printing  and  binding 
some  Syriac  ecclesiastical  MSS.  (their  ecclesiastical  language 
being  Syriac).  Close  to  the  convent  is  a  gloomy  old  cavern,  full 
of  dark  recesses,  used  as  a  madhouse,  where  they  confine  the 


478  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syiua. 

insane  and  beat  them  into  sanity — or,  if  Providence  be  merci- 
ful, as  it  more  often  is,  to  death.  The  shrieks  of  these  poor 
maniacs,  chained  to  the  rock,  echoing  through  these  fearful 
twilight  dungeons,  are  said  to  be  terrible.  If  they  can  of  them- 
selves unhook  the  great  chain  that  binds  them,  it  is  supposed 
to  be  a  proof  of  their  recovery.  In  some  of  the  convents  the 
chambers  were  subterranean,  equally  gloomy.  The  monks 
were  for  the  most  part  dirty-looking  bon  vivants,  of  the  order 
of  St.  Anthony.  I  visited,  near  St.  Antoine,  in  the  sides  of 
the  rock,  the  cells  of  two  very  old  anchorites,  but  did  not  find 
their  conversation  specially  edifying,  and  the  caress  one  of 
them  gave  me  with  his  blessing,  in  return  for  a  silver  coin,  I 
did  not  duly  appreciate,  for  the  good  fathers  reeked  of  garlic. 

At  the  village  of  Ehden,  beautifully  situated  high  in  the 
Lebanon,  near  the  celebrated  Brotherhood  of  Cedars,  where 
we  spent  some  time,  lives  one  of  their  principal  Emirs, 
Yusuf  Bey,  of  whom  we  saw  much.  I  liked  him  greatly.  He 
most  kindly  pressed  us  to  stay  in  his  castle,  but  we  preferred 
our  tents  under  the  walnuts.  His  castle  was  conspicuous 
among  the  houses  of  the  village — a  strong  baronial  building, 
made  for  standing  a  siege,  with  small,  deep  sunk  windows, 
double-arched,  with  a  little  pillar  dividing  the  lights.  He  is 
much  beloved  by  his  people.  He  is  famed  for  his  oratory, 
and  much  deference  is  paid  to  his  opinion,  in  these  parts,  both 
in  political  and  social  matters.  He  speaks  French  and  Italian 
well.  In  many  respects,  you  have  among  this  people  a  living 
example  of  what  society  was  among  us  in  feudal  times.  The 
Emir  is  quite  the  old  lord,  or  "  laford"  " loaf-giver  "  of  ancient 
time.  Yusuf  keeps  open  house ;  his  halls  are  crowded  with 
the  poorer  mountaineers,  who  come  nightly  to  partake  of  his 
bounty,  and  his  table  is  spread  for  vast  numbers.  It  is 
remarkable,  that  Yusuf  Bey,  so  far  back  as  August  last  year, 
prophesied  exactly  what  has  taken  place  in  the  mountain. 
The  special  design  of  the  Turks  in  Lebanon,  he  said,  was 
forcibly  to  overset  the  existing  state  of  things,  expressly 
guaranteed  by  treaty,  between  the  Porte  and  the  Western 
Powers:    namely,  that   the   Christians   and  Druze   Sheikhs 


Koden  Noel.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.  r     479 

should  govern  their  respective  people  independently ;  that 
Christians  and  Druzes  respectively  should  be  governed  by 
their  own  Kaimakans,  or  governors.  The  Pashas  were  always 
intriguing  in  the  mountain,  in  order  to  depose  the  Christian 
Sheikhs,  and  appoint  Turkish  officials  instead,  even  when 
they  were  not  inciting  the  Druzes  to  violence.  The  Christian 
Kaimakan  appointed  by  the  Porte  was  in  reality  a  Druze, 
though  a  pretended  convert  to  Christianity ;  and  his  conduct 
plainly  showed  that  he  was  the  creature  of  Kurschid,  the 
Pasha  at  Beyrout.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  had  urged  the 
expediency  of  Yusuf 's  resignation,  on  the  plea  that  it  would 
put  a  stop  to  local  feuds,  and  give  general  satisfaction  to  that 
part  of  Lebanon,  Yusuf  did  resign :  but  soon  the  mountaineers 
of  all  the  district  gathered  round  his  palace,  entreating  him 
not  to  give  them  up  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  Turks. 
f'  What  could  I  do?"  he  said  to  me.  And  so  he  resumed  his 
hereditary  position. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  affair  at 
Beit  Miri,  1859,  which  I  witnessed,  and  which  formed  the 
commencement  of  these  sad  disturbances.  I  have  already 
spoken  of  its  romantic  situation.  The  Europeans  of  Beyrout 
go  there  during  the  heat  of  summer.  I  took  four  bare  walls,  and 
furnished  them  from  Beyrout.  Some  friends  of  mine,  English 
ladies,  were  staying  in  the  village,  and  had  the  best  house. 
Mine  belonged  to  a  Greek  priest,  whose  chapel  my  servants 
were  fortunately  able  to  save  from  plunder.  The  poor  native 
women  brought  me  their  jewels  and  property  to  keep.  I  had 
a  Maltese  servant  who  was  most  kind  in  taking  good  care  of 
it  for  them,  and  he  devoted  himself  to  ministering  to  their 
wants.  (His  name  is  G.  Zarb.  I  can  conscientiously  recom- 
mend him  as  an  excellent  Dragoman  and  servant.  He  was 
with  me  a  long  time.     He  resides  at  Yaletta.) 

It  was  very  difficult  to  get  a  correct  version  of  the  beginning 
of  the  affair,  even  though  I  was  in  the  village,  and  as  in  the  case 
of  the  massacres  of  1 860,  it  is  impossible  to  say  who  fired  the 
first  shot,  or  gave  the  most  immediate  provocation  ;  but  so  far 
as  I  can  gather,  it  appears  that  two  muleteers  had  a  quarrel 


480  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

near  Beit  Miri,  a  Druze  and  a  Maronite — and  that  the  Druze 
got  the  worst  of  it.  The  Druzes  of  the  place,  therefore,  insisted 
that  the  Christian  should  be  given  np  to  them  to  be  punished. 
This  the  Christians  would  not  consent  to :  so  on  Sunday, 
Aug.  7,  1859,  they  began  firing  on  one  another  in  the  streets. 
After  some  time  we  could  see  Druze  chiefs,  with  flowing 
white  abbas  (cloaks),  riding  among  the  pines  below  with  a 
flag  of  truce,  and  Christian  chiefs  riding  to  meet  them.  But 
their  parley  came  to  nothing.  The  Bishop  had  before  en- 
deavoured to  mediate,  in  vain.  Then  the  Christians,  being 
the  most  numerous,  retired  to  their  houses,  chiefly  to  the  flat- 
roofs,  and  the  Druzes  went  down  among  the  mulberry  ter- 
races below  the  hill  on  which  the  village  stands,  and  a  regular 
fight  began.  With  these  tribes,  it  is  chiefly  guerilla  warfare, 
wherein  man  picks  off  his  man.  The  firing  lasted  four  hours. 
It  was  sharp  and  incessant.  The  Druzes  were  firing  from 
behind  mulberries  and  vines,  whence  every  now  and  then  a 
white  puff  of  smoke  issued.  Their  women  stood  by  them  with 
pitchers  of  water,  giving  them  drink,  and  encouraging  them. 
So,  also,  did  the  Christian  women  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses, 
to  their  men,  shrieking  and  waving  their  veils.  The  guns 
mostly  in  use  were  long  Turkish  ones,  with  gleaming  brass- 
encircled  barrels,  and  as  I  watched  the  Christians  firing,  from  a 
ruined  house  near,  I  could  see  that  the  guns  generally  snapped 
four  times  for  each  shot  that  was  fired.  Some  better  guns 
(distributed  by  us,  probably,  in  the  time  of  Ibrahim  Pasha) 
were,  however,  in  use  amongst  them.  It  was  a  picturesque 
scene,  but  it  became  a  sad  one.  You  could  see  every  now  and 
then  a  man  fall,  and  a  wounded  or  dying  man  carried  by. 
Altogether,  on  both  sides,  there  were  thirty  killed  and  many 
wounded.  The  Druzes  slowly  crept  up  the  terraces;  at 
last  the  Christians  gave  way,  and  fled  down  the  mountain  in 
a  body.  They  had  no  succours  in  view ;  while  the  Druzes 
were  gathering  from  other  villages,  and  the  Christians  feared 
they  would  be  hemmed  in  if  they  remained.  The  Druzes 
celebrated  their  victory  by  sacking  the  Christian  houses,  in 
which  they  were  joined  by  a  handful  of  irregular  soldiers 


Roden  Noel.]         NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  i860.  481 

whom  the  Pasha  had  sent  up  to  stop  the  fighting  (having 
well  ascertained  that  it  was  all  over),  who  took  care  to  get 
their  share  of  the  plunder  ;  and  that  night  the  Druzes  sang 
their  wild  war-paean,  the  burden  of  which  we  have  since 
learned  is — 

"  How  sweet  to  shed  the  blood  of  Christians." 

The  contending  parties  were  most  anxious  to  make  my 
house  a  place  to  fire  from,  and  to  take  my  powder,  of  which 
they  knew  I  had  a  store  ;  but  being  resolved  to  remain  quite 
neutral,  I  could  not  accede  to  the  wishes  of  either  party  ;  and 
when  I  intimated  that  their  persistence  would  involve  an  act 
of  personal  hostility  toward  myself,  they  retired  at  length 
with  many  protestations  of  friendship ;  especially  on  being 
informed  that  they  might  send  such  of  their  women  and 
wounded  as  the  house  would  contain.  Neither  my  friends 
nor  myself  suffered  any  discourtesy  or  molestation. 

Some  of  the  scenes  I  thus  witnessed,  were  very  heartrending, 
for  the  Eastern  women  are  demonstrative  in  their  grief.  They 
sat  on  my  open  terrace,  rocking  themselves  backward  and 
forward,  and  moaning,  having  deposited  their  children  within 
the  house.  The  village  surgeon  had  fled  at  the  beginning  of 
the  affray,  and  there  was  no  one  to  extract  the  bullets  from 
the  wounded.  Several  of  these  unfortunate  creatures  were 
brought  to  my  house.  One  could  only  be  saved  by  the  ampu- 
tation of  an  arm,  and  there  was  no  one  to  afford  him  relief. 
One  incident  I  may  briefly  mention.  After  the  capture  of  the 
village,  some  Druzes  made  their  way  into  a  Christian  house, 
and  ordered  a  little  boy,  who  was  then  alone  with  his  mother, 
to  sling  some  pitchers  upon  a  donkey,  and  guide  them  to  the 
fountain.  The  mother  prayed  in  vain  that  they  would  not 
take  him,  as  she  knew  that  the  Druzes  are  in  the  habit  of 
killing  the  male  Christian  children  in  time  of  war.  But  they 
protested  that  he  should  return  safe.  On  arriving  at  the 
fountain,  the  Druzes  ordered  the  boy  to  give  them  the  donkey, 
and  to  go  back.  The  brave  little  fellow  refused,  saying  his 
mother  had  nothing  but  this  donkey  left.     Upon  which  one  of 

1  I 


482  VACATION  TOURISTS,  AND  [Syria. 

the  Druzes  put  a  pistol  to  the  boy's  back,  and  shot  him  in  cold 
blood.  It  was  evening — his  mother  waited  for  him  in  vain. 
They  left  him  under  the  cold  open  night,  his  wound  stiffening 
in  the  mist.  It  was  not  till  next  day  they  brought  him  to 
me,  with  the  bullet  still  in  at  his  waist.  I  knew  him  well. 
He  had  been  playing  about  my  house  with  other  children  a 
few  mornings  before. 

I  have  since  heard  that  the  Sardinian  Consul  was  very  kind 
in  taking  sufferers  into  his  house,  and  relieving  their  wants. 
I  did  not  personally  know  him. 

But  with  respect  to  the  Druzes,  against  whom  there  has 
been  much  fair,  and  some  unfair  indignation  of  late,  let  us  in 
justice  remember  one  thing.  The  Druzes,  neither  then,  nor 
more  recently,  ever  touched  or  insulted  a  woman.  They 
never  have.  Their  enemies  confess  this  to  be  a  fine  trait  in 
them.  Woman  has  her  place  even  in  their  Okkal  assemblies. 
A  very  bright  spot  in  the  character  of  an  eastern  race,  is  this 
almost  solitary  recognition  of  the  social  position  of  woman. 
In  the  triumphs  of  Christians — aye !  even  of  the  most  civilized 
and  enlightened — have  women  been  thus  respected  by  stern 
vindictive  men  flushed  with  victory?  Doubtless  we  were 
right  in  insisting,  conjointly  with  the  French,  that  the  chief 
actors  in  these  cold-blooded  massacres  should  be  delivered  up 
to  take  their  trial — that  they  might  never  again  be  so  deluded 
as  to  think  that  England's  Protestant  and  peculiar  interests 
would  lead  her  to  wink  at  their  iniquity.  But  are  the  actors 
so  much  worse  than  the  instigators  ?  Turkey  having  used 
the  Druzes  to  crush  the  Christians,  would  now  gladly  avail 
herself  of  the  indignation  of  European  Christians  to  aid  her 
in  humbling  the  Druzes.  That  policy  of  a  corrupt  and  en- 
feebled state  has  long  been  hers.  But  the  Druzes  have  a 
claim  on  England.  They  have  shown  unvarying  gratitude  for 
our  goodness  to  them  in  saving  many  of  their  race  in  the  time 
of  Ibrahim  Pasha.  Their  services  in  return  have  not  been 
slight,  and  every  English  traveller  testifies  to  their  kindness 
and  generous  hospitality. 

Whatever  may  be  the  interests   of  France,  it  would  be 


Eoden  Noel.]  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  1 860.    "  483 

directly  opposed  to  the  interests  of  England  to  permit  the 
weakening  of  this  strong  and  healthy  Druze  nationality  in 
Syria.  Yet  this  is  evidently  what  France  and  Turkey,  for 
different  reasons,  would  both  view  with  complacency.  It 
seems  certain  that  a  system  of  flagrant  persecution  was  at 
one  time  adopted  by  the  authorities  towards  the  Druzes.  They 
look  to  us  as  their  protectors  ;  but  I  fear  that  England  has  of 
late  lost  much  of  her  ancient  prestige  in  the  -  eyes  of  these 
Eastern  races.    Why  should  these  things  be  ? 


THE  END. 


R.  CLAY,    SON,   AND    TAYLOR,   PRINTERS,    LONDON. 


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A  3 


10  NEW  WORKS  AND  NEW  EDITIONS, 


THE  WORKS  OF 

WILLIAM     ARCHER     BUTLER,     M.A., 

Late  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy  in  the  University  of  Dublin. 

FIFE  VOLUMES  Svo   UNIFORMLY  PRINTED  AND  BOUND. 

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Edited  from  the  Author's  MSS.,  with  Notes,  by  William  Hep- 
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PUBLISHED  BY  MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  11 

THE  WORKS  OF 
JULIUS  CHARLES  HARE,  M.A., 

Sometime  Archdeacon  of  Lewes,  Rector  of  Herstmonceux,  Chaplain  in  Ordinary  to  the 
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12  NEW  WORKS  AND  NEW  EDITIONS, 

THE  WORKS  OF 
CHARLES   KINGSLEY,  M.A. 

Chaplain  in  Ordinary  to  the  Queen,  Rector  ofEversley, 
and  Regiua  Professor  of  Modern  History  in  the  University  of  Cambridge. 

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of  Devon,  in  the  reign  of  Her  most  Glorious  Majesty  Queen 
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c(  Almost  the  best  historical  novel  to  our  mind  of  the  dag." — Frazer'S 
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degreed — Eclectic  Review. 

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V       \ 

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S 


k\ 


PUBLISHED  BY  MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  13 

WORKS 
BY  C.  J.  VAUGHAN,  D.D. 

Chaplain  in  Ordinary  to  the  Queen,  Vicar  of  Doncaster,  and  Chancellor  of  York 
Cathedral. 

1.  Notes  for  Lectures  on  Confirmation.    With  Suitable 

Prayers.    Third  Edition.    Fcap.  8vo.  limp  cloth,  red  leaves,  Is.  Qd. 

2.  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans.     The  Greek  Text  with 

English  Notes.  8vo.  cloth,  7  s.  Qd. 

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passages  from  St.  Paul  himself,  with  a  nearly  continuous  paraphrase  and 
explanation  by  which  the  very  difficult  connexion  of  the  argument  of  the 
Epistle,  with  its  countless  digressions  and  ellipses  and  abrupt  breaks,  is 
pointedly  brought  out.  An  educated  lad,  who  thought  for  himself,  would  learn 
more  of  the  real  meaning  of  St.  Paul's  words  by  thoroughly  thinking  out  the 
suggestive  exposition  of  them  here  supplied,  than  by  any  amount  of  study 
bestowed  upon  more  elaborate  and  erudite  works.  .  .  As  a  whole,  Br.  Vaughan 
appears  to  us  to  have  given  to  the  world  a  valuable  book  of  original  and  careful 
and  earnest  thought  bestowed  on  the  accomplishment  of  a  work,  which  will  be 
of  much  service,  and  which  is  much  needed? — Guardian. 

3.  Memorials  of  Harrow  Sundays.    A  Selection  of  Sermons 

preached  in  the  School  Chapel.  With  a  View  of  the  Interior 
of  the  Chapel. 

Second  Edition.    Crown  8vo.  cloth,  red  leaves,  10s.  Gd. 

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Writ,  are  the  highest  guarantees  of  success.  Replete  with  thought,  scholarship, 
earnestness,  and  all  the  elements  of  usefulness.'''' — Literary  Gazette. 

5.  Revision    of    the    Liturgy.      Eive  Discourses.     With  an 

Introduction.  I.  Absolution.  II.  Regeneration.  III.  The  Atha- 
nasian  Creed.     IV.  Burial  Service.     V.  Holy  Orders. 

Second  Edition.  Cr.  8vo.  cloth,  red  leaves  (I860),  117  pp.  4s.  6c?. 
"  The  large-hearted  and  philosophical  spirit  in  which  Dr.  Vaughan  has  handled 

the  specific  doctrines  of  controversy  point  him  out  as  eminently  fitted  to  deal 

with  the  first  principles  of  the  question?'' — John  Bull. 

6.  Rays  of  Sunlight  for  Dark  Days.     A  Book  of  Select 

Readings  for  the  Suffering.  With  a  Preface  by  C.  J.  Vaughan,  D.D. 

Royal  16mo.  Elegantly  printed  with  red  lines,  and  handsomely 

bound,  red  edges,  4-<?.  6d. 
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The  spiritual  wisdom  and  healthy  feeling  with  which  the  contents  have  been 
selected,  equally  appear  in  their  character,  their  suitable  brevity,  and  their 
catholic  union.  We  find  thoughtfulness,  tenderness,  devoutness,  strength  in 
these  well-chosen  extracts?— Nonconformist. 


14  NEW  WORKS  AND  NEW  EDITIONS, 

BY  JOHN  McLEOD  CAMPBELL, 

Formerly  Minister  of  Row. 

The  Nature  of  the  Atonement,  and  its  Relation  to 
Remission  of  Sins  and  Eternal  Life. 

8vo.  cloth,  10«.  6d, 

11  This  is  a  remarJcahle  look,  as  indicating  the  mode  in  which  a  devout  and  intel- 
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and  Calvinistic  views  of  the  Atonement  into  a  healthier  atmosphere  of  doctrine. 
. .  .  We  cannot  assent  to  all  the  positions  laid  down  by  this  writer,  but  he  is 
entitled  to  be  spoken  respectfully  of,  both  because  of  his  evident  earnestness  and 
reality,  and  the  tender  mode  in  which  he  deals  with  the  opinions  of  others  from 
whom  he  feels  compelled  to  differ." — Literary  Churchman. 

BY  THE  RIGHT  HEV.  G.  E.  LYNCH  COTTON,  D.D., 

Lord  Bishop  of  Calcutta  and  Metropolitan  of  India. 

Sermons   and  Addresses    delivered   in    Marlborough 
College,  during  Six  Years. 

Crown  8vo.  cloth,  price  10*.  6c/. 

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discourses  will  be  admirable? — Literary  Churchman. 

Sermons  :    Chiefly  connected  with  Public  Events  in  1854. 

Fcap.  8vo.  cloth,  3-y. 
"  A  volume  of  which  we  can  speak  with  high  admiration" 

Christian  Remembrancer. 

Charge  delivered  to  the  Clergy  of  Calcutta   at   his 
Primary  Visitation  in  September,  1859.  8vo.  2*.  M. 

THE  ORE-SEEKER. 
A   Tale   of  the   Hartz   Mountains.      By   A.  S.  M. 

Illustrated  by  L.  C.  H.     Printed  on  toned  paper,  with  elaborate 
full-page  Illustrations  and  Initial  Letters,  and  bound  in  elegant 
cloth  with  gilt  leaves,  15s. 
This  work  is  most  elaborately  illustrated,  and  i3  published  as  a 
Christmas  present.   The  Observer  of  Nov.  18, 1860,  says  of  it : — 

"  One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  illustrated  volumes  published  in  the  present 
season,  and  one  pre-eminently  fitted  for  a  Christmas  present.  .  .  .  Love  and 
truth  beautify  the  story,  and  render  it  delightful  to  all  persons.  .  .  .  The  illus- 
trations are  many  of  the  finest  specimens  extant." 


PUBLISHED  BY  MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  15 


BY  THE  VENBLE.  ARCHDEACON  HARDWICK. 
Christ  and  other  Masters:   A  Historical  Inquiry  into 

some  of  the  chief  Parallelisms  and  Contrasts  between  Christianity 
and  the  Religious  Systems  of  the  Ancient  World. 

Religions  of  China,  America,  and  Oceanica.    In  one  volume. 

Religions  of  Egypt  and  Medo-Persia.     In  one  volume. 

8vo.  cloth,  7s.  Gd.  each. 

"  Never  was  so  difficult  and  complicated  a  subject  as  the  history  of  Pagan 
religion  handled  so  ably,  and  at  the  same  time  rendered  so  lucid  and  attractive" 
— Colonial  Church  Chronicle. 


BY  THOMAS   RAWSON   BIRKS,  M.A., 

Rector  of  Kelshall,  Examining  Chaplain  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Carlisle; 
Author  of ' '  The  Life  of  the  fiev.  E.  Bickersteth." 

The   Difficulties   of   Belief,   in    connexion   with   the 
Creation  and  the  Fall.  Crown  8vo.  cloth,  4*.  6d. 

"  A  profound  and  masterly  essay." — Eclectic. 

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of  God"— Record. 


BY  THE  VERY  REV.  R.  C.  TRENCH,  D.D., 

Dean  of  Westminster. 

1.  Synonyms  of  the  New  Testament. 

Fourth  Edition.    Ecap.  8vo.  cloth,  5*. 

2.  Hulsean  Lectures  for  1845 — 46. 

Contents.  1.— The  Fitness  of  Holy  Scripture  for  unfolding  the 
Spiritual  Life  of  Man.  2. — Christ  the  Desire  of  all  Nations ; 
or  the  Unconscious  Prophecies  of  Heathendom. 

Fourth  Edition.     Fcap.  8vo.  cloth,  5*. 

3.  Sermons  Preached  before  the  University  of  Cam- 

bridge. Fcap.  8vo.  cloth,  2*.  Qd. 


16  NEW  WORKS  AND  NEW  EDITIONS, 

BY  DAVID  MASS0N,  M.A., 

Professor  of  English  Literature  in  University  College, London. 

1.  Life  of  John  Milton,  narrated  in  connexion  with 

the  Political,  Ecclesiastical,  and  Literary  History 

of  his  Time.  Vol.  I.  8vo.     With  Portraits.    18*. 

"  Mr.  Masson's  Life  of  Milton  has  many  sterling  merits  .  .  .  his  industry  is 
immense ;  his  seal  unflagging  ;  his  special  knowledge  of  Milton's  life  and  times 
extraordinary  ....  with  a  zeal  and  industry  which  we  cannot  sufficiently  com- 
mend, he  has  not  only  availed  himself  of  the  biographical  stores  collected  by  his 
predecessors,  but  imparted  to  them  an  aspect  of  novelty  by  his  skilful  re- 
arrangement."— Edinburgh  Review.    April,  I860. 

2.  British    Novelists    and    their   Styles :     Being    a 

Critical  Sketch  of  the  History  of  British  Prose 

Pictlon.  Crown  8vo.  cloth,  7s.  6d. 

"  A  work  eminently  calculated  to  win  popularity,  both  by  the  soundness  of  its 
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3.  Essays,   Biographical    and    Critical  :     chiefly   on 

English  Poets.  8vo.  cloth,  12s.  6d. 

CONTENTS. 
I.  Shakespeare  and  Goethe. — II.  Milton's  Youth. —  III.  The  Three 
Devils :  Luther's,  Milton's,  and  Goethe's. — IV.  Dryden,  and  the  Litera- 
ture of  the  Restoration. —  V.  Dean  Swift. — VI.  Chatterton  :  a  Story  of 
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THE  ILIAD  OF  HOMER. 
TRANSLATED  INTO  ENGLISH  VERSE. 

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Fellow  of  Magdalen  College,  Oxford.     Books  I. — VI.     Crown 
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Daily  I^Iews. 


PUBLISHED  BY  MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  17 

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18  THEOLOGICAL  MANUALS, 

MANUALS  FOR  THEOLOGICAL  STUDENTS, 

UNIFORMLY  PRINTED  AND  BOUND. 

This  Series  of  Theological  Manuals  has  been  published  with  the  aim 
of  supplying  books  concise,  comprehensive,  and  accurate,  convenient  for 
the  Student  and  yet  interesting  to  the  general  reader. 


Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the  Gospels.     By  Brooke 

Fobs    Westcott,  M.A.    formerly  Fellow    of   Trinity  College, 
Cambridge.  Crown  8vo.  cloth,  10s.  Gd. 

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approving  words.  It  presents  with  an  unparalleled  completeness — the  charac- 
teristic of  the  book  everywhere  being  this  completeness — wholeness  of  view, 
comprehensiveness  of  representation,  the  fruits  of  sacred  learning." — Now- 

CONFOBKJST. 


II. 
A  Genera]  View  of  the  History  of  the  Canon  of  the 

New  Testament  during  the  FIRST  FOUR  CENTURIES. 
By  Brooke  Foss  Westcott,  M.A. 

Crown  8vo.  cloth,  12*.  6</. 

"  The  Author  is  one  of  those  who  are  teaching  us  that  it  is  possible  to  rifle  the 
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sphere :  and  to  recognise  the  value  of  their  accumulated  treasures,  and  even 
track  the  vagaries  of  their  theoretic  ingenuity, without  abandoning  in  the  pursuit 
the  clear  sight  and  sound  feeling  of  English  common  sense  ....  It  is  by  far 
the  best  and  most  complete  book  of  the  kind;  and  we  should  be  glad  to  see  it 
well  placed  on  the  lists  of  our  examining  chaplains." — Guardiak. 

"  Learned,  dispassionate,  discriminating,  worthy  of  his  subject,  and  the  present 
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••  To  the  student  in  Theology  it  will  prove  an  admirable  Text-Book :  and  to  all 
others  who  hare  any  curiosity  on  the  subject  it  will  be  satisfactory  as  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  instructive  pieces  of  history  which  the  records  of  the  Church 
supply." — London  Qxi,\ rtf.rit. 


PUBLISHED  BY  MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  19 

THEOLOGICAL  MANUALS-continued. 

III. 

History  of  the  Christian  Church,  during  the  Middle 
Ages   and   the    Reformation    (a.d.   590-1600). 

By  the  Venerable  Charles  Hard  wick,  Archdeacon  of  Ely. 

2  vols,  crown  8vo.  10*.  bd.  each. 

Vol.  I.  History  of  the  Church  to  the  Excommunication  of  Luther. 
With  Four  Maps. 

Vol.  II.  History  of  the  Reformation. 

Each  Volume  may  be  had  separately. 

"  Full  in  references  and  authority ,  systematic  and  formal  in  division ,  with  enough 
of  life  in  the  style  to  counteract  the  dryness  inseparable  from  its  brevity,  and 
exhibiting  the  results  rather  than  the  principles  of  investigation.    Mr.  Hard 
wick  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  successful  achievement  of  a  difficult  task." 
— Christian  Remembrancer. 

"  He  has  bestowed  patient  and  extensive  reading  on  the  collection  of  his  materials  ; 
he  has  selected  them  with  judgment ;  and  he  presents  them  in  an  equable  and 
compact  style." — Spectator  . 

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in  such  a  manual,  but  we  have  found  them;  we  should  be  satisfied  in  this 
respect  with  conciseness  and  intelligibility  ;  but  while  this  book  has  both,  it  is 
also  elegant,  highly  finished,  and  highly  interesting." — Nonconformist  . 

IV. 
History     of      the      Book     of     Common       Prayer, 

together  with  a  Rationale  of  the  several  Offices.  By  Francis 
Procter,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  Witton,  Norfolk,  formerly  Fellow  of 
St.  Catharine's  College,  Cambridge.  Fourth  Edition,  revised  and 
enlarged.  Crown  8vo.  cloth,  10*.  Qd. 

"  Mr.  Procter's  •  History  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer'  is  by  far  the  best 

commentary  extant Not  only  do  the  present  illustrations  embrace  the 

whole  range  of  original  sources  indicated  by  Mr.  Palmer,  but  Mr.  Procter 
compares  the  present  Book  of  Common  Prayer  with  the  Scotch  and  American 
forms;  and  he  frequently  sets  out  in  full  the  Sarum  Offices.  As  a  manual  of 
extensive  information,  historical  and  ritual,  imbued  with  sound  Church  princi- 
ples, we  are  entirely  satisfied  with  Mr.  Procter's  important  volume.' ' 

Christian  Remembrancer. 

"  It  is  indeed  a  complete  and  fairly-written  history  of  the  Liturgy  ;  and  from  the 
dispassionate  way  in  which  disputed  points  are  touched  on,  will  prove  to  many 
troubled  consciences  what  ought  to  be  known  to  them,  viz. : — that  they  may, 
without  fear  of  compromising  the  principlesof  evangelical  truth,  give  their  assent 
and  consent  to  the  contents  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer.  Mr.  Procter  has 
done  a  great  service  to  the  Church  by  this  admirable  digest." 

Church  of  England  Quarterly. 


MACMILLAN   AND   CO.'S 
€hsn  §00ks  f0r  €allt%m  miir  S&dgaate. 

I.    ARITHMETIC  AND,  ALGEBRA. 
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382  pp.     Crown  8vo.     8*.  Gd. 

Arithmetic   and  Algebra  in  their  Principles  and  Applications. 

With  numerous  Examples,  systematically  arranged.     By  Baesard  Smith,  M.A. 
Seventh  Edition  (I860),  696  pp.     Crown  8vo.     10s.  Gd. 

Exercises  in  Arithmetic.     By  Barnard  Smith,  M.A.     Part  I. 

48  pp.  (I860).     Crown  8vo.  Is.     Part  II.     56  pp.  (1860).     Crown  8vo.  Is.      Answers, 
6d.    The  Two  Parts  hound  together  2s. ;  or  with  Answers,  2s.  6d. 

Arithmetic  in  Theory  and  Practice.     For  Advanced  Pupils.    By 

J.  Brook  Smith,  M.A.    Part  First.     164  pp  (1860).    Crown  8vo.    3s.  6d. 

A  Short  Manual  of  Arithmetic.     By  C.  W.  Underwood,  M.A. 

96  pp.  (1860).     Fcp.  8vo.    2s.  6d. 

Algebra.  For  the  use  of  Colleges  and  Schools.  By  I.  Todhunter, 

M.A.    Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo.    516  pp.  (1860).     7s.  Gd. 

II.     TRIGONOMETRY. 
Introduction  to  Plane  Trigonometry.     For  the  use  of  Schools. 

By  J.  C  Snowball;  M.A.    Second  Edition  (1847).    Svo.  5s. 

Plane  Trigonometry.  For  Schools  and  Colleges.  By  I.  Todhunter, 

M.A.     Second  Edition,  279  pp.  (1860).     Crown  8vo.     5s. 

Spherical  Trigonometry.      For  Colleges  and   Schools.      By  I. 

Todhunter,  M.A.     112  pp.  (1859).     Crown  8vo.    4s.  Gd. 

Plane  Trigonometry.    With  a  numerous  Collection  of  Examples. 

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Plane  and  Spherical  Trigonometry.     With  the  Construction  and 

Use  of  Tables  of  Logarithms.     By  J.  C  Snowball,  M.A.     Ninth  Edition,  240  pp. 
(1857).    Crown  8vo.     7s.  Gd. 

III.     MECHANICS   AND   HYDROSTATICS. 
Elementary    Treatise   on   Mechanics.      With   a   Collection    of 

Examples.  By  S.  Parkinson,  B.D.   Second  Edition,  345  pp.  (1860).  Cr.  8vo.  9s.  Gd. 

Elementary  Course  of  Mechanics  and  Hydrostatics.     By  J.  C. 

Snowball,  M.A.     Fourth  Edition.     110  pp.  (1851).     Crown  8vo.    5*. 


POBLISHED  BY  MACMILLAN  AND  CO.  21 

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5s.  Gd. 

Analytical  Statics.  With  numerous  Examples.  By  I.  Todhunter, 

M.A.     Second  Edition.     330  pp.  (1858).     Crown  8 vo.     10s.  6tf. 

Dynamics  of  a  Particle.     With  numerous  Examples.     By  P.  G. 

Tait,  M.A.  and  W.  J.  Steele,  M.A.     304  pp.  (1856).     Crown  8vo.     10*.  Gd. 

A  Treatise  on  Dynamics.     By  W.  P.  Wilson,  M.A.     17G  pp. 

(1850).     8vo.     9s.  6d. 

Dynamics  of  a  System  of  Rigid  Bodies.    With  numerous  Exam- 
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IV.    ASTRONOMY  AND    OPTICS. 

Plane  Astronomy.     Including  Explanations  of  Celestial  Pheno- 
mena and  instruments.    By  A.  R.  Grant,  M.A.    128  pp.  (1850).    8vo.    6s. 

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A  Treatise  on  Optics.    By  S.  Parkinson,  B.D.     304  pp.  (1859). 

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Plane  Co-ordinate  Geometry  as  applied  to  the  Straight  Line  and 

the  Conic  Sections.     By  I.  Todhunter,  M.A.    Second  Edition.     3)0  pp.  (1858). 
Crown  8vo.     10*.  6d. 

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By  G.'H.  Puckle,  M.A.  Second  Edition.  264pp.  (1856).   Crown  8vo.  7*.  Gd. 

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VI.     DIFFERENTIAL  AND    INTEGRAL   CALCULUS. 

The  Differential  Calculus.     With  numerous  Examples.     By  I. 

Todhunter,  M.A.    ThirdEdition.    404  pp.  (1860).    Crown  8vo.     10s.  Gd. 

The  Integral  Calculus,  and  its  Applications.     With  numerous 

Examples.     By  I.  Todhunter,  M.A.     268  pp.  (1857).     Crown  8vo.     10s.  Gd. 

A  Treatise  on  Differential  Equations.    By  George  Boole,  D.C.L. 

486  pp.  (1859).    Crown  8vo.    14s. 

A  Treatise  on  the  Calculus  of  Finite  Differences.     By  George 

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CLASS  BOOKS  FOR  COLLEGES  AND  SCHOOLS, 


VII.     PROBLEMS   AND    EXAMPLES. 
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Vocabulary  and  Exercises  on  "The  Seven  Kings."     By  Josiah 

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A  First  Latin  Construing  Book.     By  E.  Thring,  M.A.    104  pp. 

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Sallust. — Catilina  and  Jugurtha.     With  English  Notes.     For 

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IX.     GREEK. 
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FORTHCOMING     BOOKS. 

i. 

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II. 
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Gaol.  With  Selections  from  his  Writings  and  Correspondence, 
and  a  Sketch  of  the  Progress  of  Prison  Discipline  in  England. 
Edited  by  his  Son.     8vo.  with  Portrait. 

in. 
The  Moor  Cottage  :    A  Tale  of  Home  Life.    Crown  Svo. 

IV. 

Life    of     Edward    Forbes,     The  Naturalist.     By  George 
Wilson,  M.D.,  late  Professor  of  Technology  in  the  University  of 
Edinburgh,  and  Archibald  Geikie,  E.G.S.,  of  the  Geological 
■  Survey. 

v. 

Pictures  of  Old  England.     By  Dr.  Pauli.  Translated  from  the 
Original  by  E.  C.  Otte. 

VI. 

Cicero's  Second  Philippic  with  Notes  and  Introduction. 

Translated  from  the  German  of  Karl  Halm.  By  John  E.  B. 
Mayok,  M.A.  Eellow  and  Classical  Lecturer  of  St.  John's 
College,  Cambridge,  Editor  of  "  Juvenal,"  &c. 

VII. 

An  Elementary  Treatise  on  Quaternions.    With  numerous 

Examples.  By  P.  G.  Tait,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy 
in  the  University  of  Edinburgh. 

VIII. 

A  Treatise  on  Geometry  of  Three  Dimensions.     By 

Percival  Erost,  M.A.,  St.  John's  College,  and  Joseph  Wolstbn- 
holme,  M.A.,  Christ's  College,  Cambridge. 

IX. 

A  Treatise  on  Trilinear  Co-ordinates.    By  N.  M.  Eereers, 

M.A.,  Eellow  and  Mathematical  Lecturer  of  Gonville  and  Caius 
College. 

R.  CLAY,    SON,    AND    TAYLOR,    PRINTERS, 
BREAD    STREET    HILL. 


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