Wednesday, October 11th 1854 ~ Basle, Switzerland

Hotel du Laurage ~ I talked with some Frenchmen in the cars yesterday who gave me some very valuable information in relation to the charges on foreigners at the hotels. I found out from them that our bills were always higher than those of the natives, and obtained a list of charges for this section of country. I called on my bankers here last evening and obtained a little of the root of all evil. The post office is nearly opposite the hotel and no better are to be found. Of course we are very much disappointed for we have not heard since leaving London from home. We are now in Switzerland. Basle is just within the line. It is quite an uninteresting place, large but not possessing anything remarkable. The houses are very much in the same style as all those we have seen since leaving England, but occasionally we see one with a distinctive Swiss character. The day has been spent in making arrangements for a journey by carriage and looking out for a “return witurier.” That is a carriage which belongs to the part of country to which we want to go and which will therefore be lower in price than if we took a Basle carriage which would have to return here. We dined at five “à la carte” (by bill of fare) in private. After dinner bought a map and chose our course through Switzerland.