Thursday, October 19th 1854 ~ Meiringen

Postcard of Meiringen, Switzerland, ca. 1900.

Hotel du Sauvage ~ We breakfasted as usual this morning on mutton chops, cream, honey, bread, butter, etc. It was rainy but the clouds were broken and at all heights, as that we could sometimes see the tops of the hills which surrounded the little vale, in which the cottages of Lungern are scattered. Mountain rills come tumbling down the hillsides with a rushing sound. It partially cleared off at noon and we started then for Meyringen over the Brunig pass. The ladies each had a horse and a man to lead him while I brought up the train on foot. Our baggage was carried over the mountain with us on the shoulders of a fine looking Swiss. It weighed seventy pounds! Our party looked picturesque enough winding up the narrow path, in single file (large trees on either side) accompanied by their guides carrying long staves. At short intervals the men sang Tyrolean songs, which the echo returned seven fold. The view from the highest point of the pass must be very pretty but as we saw it (in the rain) it was not remarkably so. We arrived at Meyringen at four o’clock, and found a marriage feast in progress at the hotel. We were the only travelers in the house and were invited to join in the festivities. The young couple had been married at two o’clock and even now dancing with their guests, one hundred and fifty or two hundred in number, to the music of an orchestra of five pieces. The dresses were very peculiar; the man wearing very short tailed frock coats and the women in short skirts, velvet vests, without sleeves, displaying a long shirt sleeve (white). We found that they were the sons and daughters of Swiss farmers living in the neighborhood. They were having a real merry time; we joined the company and after a few moments I asked mine host to introduce me to one of the fair dames and was soon engaged in the mazes of the polka and schottische with a native of the land in which they originated. I was unable to say a word to my partner for she could speak no French, and I could speak no German. At eight o’clock dinner was served; the company were seated around three long tables. At the head of the middle one the bride and groom were placed under a canopy made of green leaves. He was a fine looking fellow speaking French, German and English. The bride fine looking but not pretty. Seats were allotted us at their left hands. Near them were the respective families and the Lutheran clergyman who tied the knot. He was a jolly looking German with a cigar in his mouth. The dinner was a very good but a plain one consisting of soup, several courses of meats, dessert and wine of the country. After it had been discussed the clergy man made a congratulatory address, ending with the song (joined in by all) “Sie Leben Hoch.” This was followed by some toasts and then young men went out of the room and returned with little presents (mostly articles of dress) which they presented to their respective favorites of the other sex. They were given with many jokes, holdings of mock auctions over them etc. After this everyone made some present to the bride or groom in the same gay style. Generally articles of household use, and in several instances money. One of these was an apple with gold pieces stuck in it. There were several baskets of chinaware etc. etc. It was a scene of great festivity without ceremony or restraint and we enjoyed it vastly. After dinner the company assembled again in the ball room where they danced until two in the morning. Very beautiful chessmen of carved wood are made here, but there are so many custom houses still before us that I do not dare to purchase.

Tuesday, September 5th 1854 ~ At sea

At sea ~ The wind is again light and poor Captain Knowles sees but a small chance of returning to the bosom of his family for a long while to come, it seems to make him quite blue. He says Lizzie reminds him so much of his wife but the only point of resemblance I can make out is that they are both very short. All the ladies aboard are quite in love with the Captain, with his manly face and gentlemanly bearing. I believe by the way it is quite the style at present to take a tender interest in any captain under whom one crosses the Atlantic (at least for the fair sex). Captain Knowles has some easily seen faults. His habits of command make him peremptory and overbearing toward inferiors and all those over whom he has any kind of authority. We had a polka on deck last evening to the music of the Doctor’s flute. This morning we passed a Hamburg bark, bound West, and were almost near enough to speak her, not quite, but as we signalized, we are in hopes of being reported on her arrival in America. We exchanged longitudes with her. The thermometer stands at 64 today and has ranged from 62 to 70 thus far on the voyage. We have now been out nine and a half days and have only made about seven hundred miles of our course. We breakfast at eight bells, dine at four bells and take tea at four bells. The table is a little dizzy feeling consequent upon holding onto your chair, balancing your plate etc., to say nothing of seeing the movable sack of glasses swinging over one’s head, all this is slightly unpleasant and will always remain so to me. At Breakfast we have coffee and tea, white bread, rye bread, boiled rye, ship and soda biscuit, beef steak, broiled salmon, pickled salmon, etc. At Dinner fish, roast duck, potted pigeons, meat pie, roast beef, stewed tomatoes, green corn, potatoes in all forms, Carolina potatoes, rice, plum pudding, squash pie, gooseberry pie, watermelon, cantaloupe, prunes, figs, nuts and raisins. This was today's dinner and is a fair specimen of all. We have for tea, bread as at breakfast, herrings, cold tongue, smoked beef, stewed prunes, preserved ginger, and Mrs. Venton’s best cake, all provisions either in the ice house or in exhausted-air cases and it is wonderful how fresh everything tastes even the cake seems as if just baked.