Volume 64: Emily Macarthur [Mrs. James Macarthur] correspondence and other papers, 1838-1879: No. 095
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[Page 95]
by high mountains, so high that from October to February, the sun never shines there. This countrified little inn we rested at. The Landlady dressed in Vallais [Valais] Costume - one of your old hats would answer - the rim bound with black velvet & a very gay ribbon sticking up all round the crown - it suited her face amazingly. The next day we passed over the most wonderful roads through galleries cut in the rock & along dizzy precipices & over high bridges - waterfalls tumbling all around sometimes over our heads. We walked up much of this day's ascent - & were almost satiated at last with picking rhododendron & Gentians & persimmons & anemones etc etc. We said we would pick no more at last. We passed a Hospice kept by St Bernard monks & two of their noted dogs rushed out at us such beautiful animals!! I longed for some - we rattled down such a magnificent descent (I forget the torrent, but the gorge runs into the Valley of the Rhone) we looked down such depths! We stopt to rest the horses at [Persal?] - & afterwards we rattled down another
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Tomorrow we propose going on to Wallenstadt [also spelt Walenstadt] & Pfeffers - to return here by Lake Constance & Schaffhausen & then we start for Baden & Frankfort [Frankfurt] Cologne Brussels & Antwerp & home. We hope in the time to see the Normans before they set off for Sheffield & Lees about the middle of August. I had a letter yesterday from my Sister they were all well. Poor George Stone died about a fortnight since & Bruce Roxborough is gone too. Both had been long ill & George's life was a wretched one, Poor fellow - he was hot headed & rash but a kinder heart or a more liberal spirit never breathed & he was a sufferer from bad training and a dreadful wife & extravagant liberality - he is gone now to the presence of One who will judge him more mercifully than