Wednesday, October 18th 1854 ~ Lungern

Hotel du Lion d’Or. ~ The fine weather lasted but a single day. This morning it rained quite hard again. We breakfasted early at Lucerne, packed our trunks and forwarded them by poste to Berne and at nine o’clock we took a boat with two rowers for Fahr. It is only a trip of two hours and a half and our boat was covered by an awning which kept off the rain nicely. At Fahr we took a carriage for Lungern, through Sarnen, Sachseln and over the mountain called the Kaiser Stuhl. The road conducts along the borders of the little lakes Sarnen and Lung, which lie cradled among high hills and much above the level of Lake Lucerne. It is a highly picturesque road. The hills above it and among which it winds are as high as to be (many of them) covered with snow. The Swiss valleys along it are beautiful. In them we saw more of the real Swiss cottages than we have seen elsewhere, with their covered balconies, one above the other. We arrived here at four o’clock and find our hotel very comfortable. Lungern is a peasants’ village, surrounded on all sides but one by hills and here the carriage road ceases. Two men followed our carriage for some distance, to be engaged for tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 17th 1854 ~ Lucerne

View from Mt. Rigi (Photo: P.R. Lloyd)

Hotel du Cygne ~ I awoke at four o’clock this morning and sprang out of bed with delight at the sight of the moonbeams on the floor; the stars were out and not a cloud in the sky. I could not get asleep again and at five the porter knocked at my door and announced the hour, with the cheering words “il fait bien tempis monsieur.” [“it’s about time sir.”] To us who had waited so long for this sound, that we might see one of the finest views of Switzerland, it was welcome indeed. At six o’clock, we were on our way to “Weggis”, in the little “beautean a vapiur,” from thence to ascend the Rigi. The morning was charming; the tops of the mountains were covered with freshly fallen snow, which was silvered by the rising beams of the sun. The mists of the Lake curled up from the water and hung in the fleecy clouds below the mountain summits, dyed by the sun in rainbow hues. The lake is very narrow and makes very picturesque windings between its high and verdant banks. I shall never forget this scene, the rainbow mist, the shadows of the clouds on lake and mountain, the verdure below and the snow above! One hours steaming brought us to Weggis, where we breakfasted and took horses for the ascent of the mountain. Each horse accompanied by a man to lead him. The path up was conducted along the side of the mountain and gave splendid views of the lake and adjoining mountains at every step. The soil was very fine and vegetation abounded, but as we advanced, it gradually became less fourishing until at the summit we rode through snow six inches deep. The Rigi is only 5600 feet high and therefore never takes snow in the summer. Still the change of temperature is very marked between it and the valley. Below we had summer weather (too warm for overcoats), above they were greatly needed. The view from the Rigi-kulen was magnificent beyond description. Looking Southward a mass of snow covered peaks met our gaze, rising into the air like waves of some polar sea charmed by the cold while in full careen. Among them our guides pointed out the Jung Frau, the Silberhorn, the Bright-horn, the Monk etc., some of the highest mountains in Europe. Looking north a great extent of level country is visible extending as far as the Lake of Zurich, whose waters we saw a shining surface set in green. There is a good hotel on the top of the Rigi, when we took a lunch of petit pains and butter with hot milk punch, a beverage our landlord had never heard of before. We rested there an hour, had a polka in the drawing room and then took up our winding way downwards. We often see clouds below us. The lake of Zug lies on the opposite side of the Rigi from Lake Lucerne, and from the summit both are distinctly seen [louing?] either base. There are half a dozen smaller lakes quite near and within sight. From here a steamer is scarcely seen on Lake Lucerne just at our feet. It is but a mooring spot on the waters and looks like a duck on a mill pond. The ascent of the Rigi requires about two hours and the decent about the same time. We got back to Weggis at four o’clock and there took a row boat back to Lucerne propelled by two strong men. We past in skirting the shore several small islands on one of which was a little chapel dedicated to the patron saint of row boats. A man has been perfectly haunting us this afternoon to allow him to travel with us as a servant and will not take no for an answer, but we do not want him. One great nuisance in traveling on the Continent is to have to wade the importunities of guides, servants, couriers etc. that one does not want…and such importunities!

Monday, October 16th 1854 ~ Lucerne

Lucerne, Switzerland.

Hotel du Cygne ~ The morning opened gloomily enough with rain and cloud, but at noon it cleared up a little, the wind changed and dispersed the lower clouds, so that we obtained a fine view of Mount Pilatus and Rigi, their summits covered with a snowy mantle. Mt. Pilatus is the higher of the two, but is not often ascended. It is almost a perpendicular rock, in the crevices of which the snow contrasts beautifully with the dark stone of the more exposed parts. One of the finest points of view from mountain tops in all Switzerland is that on the top of the Rigi. Oh for the sun once more to enable us to enjoy it! This afternoon we all took a row upon the lake. We dined at five and ~ half and drank John’s health and happiness for it is his birthday. During our walks we meet rough wooden crosses very often, set up by the side of the public roads, in passing which the peasants cross themselves with much apparent feeling. It seems to me very proper thus to remind men during their daily avocations of the employments of Eternity.

Sunday, October 15th 1854, Lucerne, Switzerland

Lake Lucerne from Mt. Rigi (photo: J. Selby, cc).

Hotel du Cygne ~ Last evening Lizzie and myself took a row boat and made a little excursion on the Lake, I rowing, but the boat was heavy and the clouds too low to enable us to see anything of the mountains. Coming back we met a party of washerwomen, rowing themselves and their linen [Lumenards] and singing so merrily that it was quite delightful. A little steamer that makes the trip over the Lake and back lies just under our windows. The day has been cloudy and rainy part of the time. We however got a little sight of the top of the Rigi for the first time. There is no English chapel here, or rather none open at present, so after watching the peasants pass the hotel on their way to church, we followed them there (the cathedral is quite near us). The dress of the female peasants was a striped skirt reaching a little below the knee, a short white apron, basque looking like a boys jacket open in front, disclosing what old fashioned people call a stomacher of black velvet and tinsel, worn with a white under handkerchief pleated. The hair generally long, braided, and hanging down the back with ribbons on the ends. We had in the cathedral some quite fine orchestral music, or rather fine music with orchestral accompaniment. European cathedrals are never provided with fixed seats, but each person, on entering, calls for a chair which is provided upon the payment of a small fee. They are used more for kneeling on than for sitting, the back of the chair being as arranged as to make a very good desk or shelf for a prayer book. All these peasants looked very picturesquely kneeling with their faces to the Alter. After church we took a walk into the country choosing a road, running along the border of the Lake, but on the hill side. We walked several miles enjoying the beautiful scenery. On the road we past an old watch tower in ruins, and were drown by a sudden shower under the forties of a large and very dirty cottage. We could not persuade ourselves to enter its hallowed precincts, and after a time were forced to walk home with umbrellas up. Ours is not the first house and we regret having come to it. It is comfortable but small, has no table d’hote, so that we are obliged to dine in private. Today we had nothing but chicken and for dessert ‘compot’ of peaches. This afternoon read the church service at home. The Switzerhof is the name of the best house; this is the first class of course but not as good.

Monday, September 11, 1854 ~ At sea

A Sea ~ We had a severe gale in the night, which kept Captain Knowles up until daylight, our great ship was tossed about like a bubble and I confess I had no idea of a blow at sea until I heard the roar of the wind through the rigging last night. I went on deck at nine o’clock, and then it was so dark I could not see my own hand before my face, and the wind was so high that I couldn’t stand on the deck without holding on to some stationary object – it was from the Westward and we ran before it under double reefed topsails. All the cabin passengers slept in their clothes last night. As the storm was commencing a poor fellow, one of the steerage passengers, was dropt into his watery tomb, he died at five in the afternoon, and about eight the body was sewed up in its bedclothes and thus consigned to the sea. He was a Catholic and had friends on board who would have no service performed. We in the cabin did not hear of the death until all was over. This morning the wind blew hard, but the waves were not particularly high, owing to its having changed in the night. This morning we ran 70 miles along side of a large ship, bound for Liverpool, our relative positions in that run only changing a quarter of a mile. She is still this evening as near us as ever. Professor Treadwell and the Captain have been marking her progress by the compass. Captain Knowles informs us that he never knew such close sailing before. Our cabin is veneered on all sides beautifully, but when there is much motion it is really hard to make one’s self heard there, the creaking of the wood is so great. In a palace this cabin would make a perfect gem of a boudoir, but here it seems to us decidedly out of place. The walls are veneered throughout with mahogany inlaid with (white) satin wood, and the ceiling is handsomely gilded. It is painful to contemplate the possibility of its becoming in a few years the resort of a merry whalemans crew. To what base uses do we come at last! Mrs. Treadwell, and other ladies of the passengers are laying about the cabin floor again on mattresses, reading etc., the rough weather makes them feel a little inclined to be sick again. And how miserably they look!

Friday, September 8th 1854 ~ At sea

Pickled limes - an old-time New England treat.

At sea ~ Alice was taken again with cramps about ten o’clock last evening. Mary sat up with her nearly all night. She slept but two hours. Dr Gallup was very much frightened by Alice’s symptoms, and entirely lost his presence of mind, so that we were absolutely forced to expel him from her state room, he disturbed her so much by his agitation. Nature proved a good physician, administered a good nights rest and today she is much better. The weather is rainy and rather cold, thermometer at 58 to 60. We are at last on the banks, we reached them yesterday, and are now leaving Newfoundland on the west. We seem at last fairly clear of the new world and bound in earnest for the old. All indications are in favor of a long passage. We passed twelve vessels yesterday and signalized one, which should report us at home. Most of these however were fishing craft. Mary and the Captain, Professor Treadwell and myself had a game of whist this evening. We occasionally get up a supper just before retiring. Sometimes I ransack the pantry, sometimes the Dr. gets out the ginger preserves, or anchovies, bread butter etc. Pickled limes.

Monday, September 4th 1854 ~ At sea

At sea ~ The Captain came down to breakfast this morning in fine spirits, his good honest features beaming with pleasure for the wind is fair! And we are running due East. We were much frightened last evening by the cry “man overboard” but it was scarcely an instant before he caught a rope and was safely drawn up. He fell from a loft, struck off by the flapping of a sail. We had a squall at dinner time that carried away a spar.