TALBOT2739

Geneva,
September 4^th 1833

My Dear Mother

I think my last letter ¹ was from Thun, on the 16^th August; so I must take up my account of our proceedings from that epoch. On the 17^th we took a boat, but the lake being rough and the boatmen lazy, we got tired of our slow progress, and landed at Merligen, and performed the remaining seven miles on foot – we had no guide or attendant, and the path led us thro’ the most romantic woods looking down upon the lake from a great height – It was very delightful; till towards evening we came to a mauvais pas ² which frightened Amandier ³ very much. Having surmounted this difficulty, we were not long in arriving at the end of the lake where we took a char as usual for Unterseen. We were this evening favoured with a most splendid cloudless sunset on the Jungfrau & the two Eigers – The next day we went to Grindlewald but were spoiled by bad weather, & returned to Unterseen the day following. On the 20^th the fine weather returning we had a charming drive along the south bank of the lake of Thun and up the Kanderthal to Kandersteg: intending to ascend to the summit of the Gemmi the next day & look down upon the baths of Leuk. But the weather again proving faithless we returned disappointed to Thun seeing however in our way the Oschinen Thal, a little alpine lake. We then returned to Berne –

On the morning of the 24^th we left Berne, dined at Morat, & slept at Payerne: the next day thro’ Moudon to Vevay. On the 26^th we came to Geneva in a steamboat. Next day we set off on our expedition to Chamouny which proved so successful, owing to the incomparable beauty of the weather, that it was the crowning ornament of our tour in the Alps – I believe Constance ⁴ has described it in her letter to Horatia. ⁵ The day after tomorrow we return to Vevay, where we have left our carriages, and then mean to go over the Simplon to the Italian Lakes where we hope to find Caroline. ⁶

In the end of September we think of embarking at Genoa on board the Henri IV or the Sully (steamers) for Naples – I don’t know whether that part of our scheme is destined to be accomplished – If it is, we shall probably go on to Palermo. We have parted with M^rs Jones,⁷ she has entered the service of Miss Yorke, who was very à propos in want of a maid. She was so strange in her manner as to seem half out of her mind. She left me discontented that I would not pay her expense back to England, which I said appeared to me quite preposterous as she was not going back, but on the contrary entering into Miss Yorke’s service. We have bought for our amusement M^r Bulwer’s England & the English. ⁸ It looks amusing – I was pleased with Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra ⁹ – I see Parl^t is at last up, and dismissed with a compliment for having done so much – Ministers seem to have had it all their own way at last, and not to have wanted any more votes. So I think I was much better in the mountain air last month than I could have been in the H. of Commons –

Write to me Poste Restante, Varese,

Your Aff^te Son
Henry

Lady Elisabeth Feilding
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
Angleterre