Thursday, October 12th 1854 ~ Kreutzstrasse, Switzerland

Hotel du Lion d’Or ~ The morning opened with fog rain and mud, but as we had arranged with a “witurier” to carry us on to Lucerne we started from Basle this morning at nine o’clock. Our carriage is very comfortable and roomy one, and our driver a person who speaks French seems quite honest and obliging. We have of course the entire carriage to ourselves. It rained pretty steadily all the morning and the country under those auspices did not seem particularly interesting. At half past two o’clock we dined at Buklen and at three were again “en route.” From there our drive was delightful; the clouds broke away just enough to enable us to see something of the road, but still resting on the tops of the highest hills, and occasionally forming rainbows of all colors. Just before reaching Olten the road conducts over a chain of hills, from which in fine weather a good view is obtained of the Alps, and then crosses the Aar at Aarburg. We are now à moitié chemin [halfway] to Lucerne. Our driver owns his carriage and horse, and seems to be a person quite well off. We should not forget that we are now again on republican soil, where every man is equal.