1834 July Tuesday 29th

No kiss Very fine morning - F71° at 8 breakfast at 8 1/2 - off in caleche taking both the servants at 9 3/4 - fine drive - the valley of Chambery enclosed by fine Salève-like but wooded mountains very fine - the Deut de Nivolet a bare hoary limestone head a striking object in its own right -

enter Aix at 11:10 - at the roadside near Gressy at 11:38 walked down a little way to the corn and rape oil mill in whose premises is the famous cascade - very little water - the limestone rock left bare so that we could well see the holes into which it is water worn - 10th June, 1813 there was merely a plank over the whole (14 feet deep) in which Madame la baronne de Broc was lost - now there is a good step ladder over it with a rail on each side, and no danger at all - merely a cottage near the roadside where we alighted and a swarm of children tormenting us with who should shew us to the cascade - the cliffs down which the waterfalls into a sort of basin below the mill very pretty now - must be very much so, and fine when the water is in abundant foaming and gushing in on all sides -

off from Gressy at 12 and at Port Puer on the lake der Bourget in 22 minutes – a boat just putting with a Lyons tradesman and his wife and child and bonne, so that we were embarked and off at 12:25 - in 36 minutes halfway and landed at Hautecombe at 1:53 - Lake 4 lieues by 1 - 466 feet deep about the middle over against St Innocent which belongs or did formerly to the Marquis de St Innocent the fisherman of all the towns on the lake take it of government at for 500 francs a year paid quarterly - 2 trout caught the other day weighing 25lbs each, were 5 francs a lb! The dead to be buried at Hautecombe are embarked at a village above St Innocent, at Brison a village of 26 houses - the lake shut in East and West by high calcerous, hoary, wooded mountains in the style of Annecy, and north by the castle topped conical mountain of Châtillon, and south by the distant snow-striped mountains of Montmélian and Dauphiné – Hautecombe about 2/3 up the lake on the west is a fine large building - on the same side seeming about midway between there and Aix is the vaunted dent du chat - the wind a little against in going but the water very smooth - Ann rather frightened but behaved very well - the water was smooth has glass both ways particularly in return - on landing wanted to buy some fish for one of the boats - Lavaret's (salmo Lavaratus, Linneus) weighing 1lb each asked 4 francs a piece and would only come down to 3/75 so did not buy any - the boatman said they would sell them at 3 each at Aix -

many strangers at the convent - 10 white monks of Saint Bernard or Benoit - went immediately to the church several people there – a monk explaining - found him very civil - the church will be done in November - all the sculpture done in pierre de Syssel (the quarry in France) part of the territory of Savoy said the monk and which looked so exactly as if it had been white-washed that we thought it was till convinced to the contrary - the fine fresco - painting - the church and Palace done by Vacca of Turin comma the sculpture very good by Caracciatori of Carrara - went into his atelier - said there were 60 ateliers in Carrara - they there had a good deal of sculpture there ready done - the natural size whole length figure 3000 francs each - the church very handsome -

the palace merely a good house but remarkable for its fine fresco plafonds by Vacca the view from one of the windows over the lake to the south very fine - beautiful lake the last five generations of the House of Savoy (excluding the Last King Charles Felix buys a special desire) buried in the Superga at Turin - about 25 of this house buried at Hautcombe - saw the little Chapel of St Andre with its modern thin octagonal second brick tower, to serve as a sort of pharos to the lake - the wind of this tower painted beautifully by the German artist of Berne in Switzerland - about 2 years ago some political letters or papers found in his possession that he was threatened with prison and went to Lyons having his brother behind him to fulfil his engagements as an artist - but the matter is now likely to be settled, and the artist to return to Berne he has still 3 windows to paint for the chapel –

at 4:35 went to the house of the concierge du palace and begged the favour of being to take our luncheon there- all the other people dined sur l’herbes - off to the Fountain at 4 1/4 and there in 7 minutes dragging Ann after me, though they said we should be 20 minutes in going - hardly any water - too little to shew the intermittent nature of the spring - but glad to have gone on account of the view of the head off the lake - by the canal from there to the Rhone said we could go to Lyon in three days - walked some little distance beyond the fountain and sauntered back in 1/4 hour - the Lyons people had waited 1/2 hour for us - re embarked and off at 4:47 - cooler - merely a nice breath of air - the beautiful blue lake so smooth as glass

landed at Port Puer at 5:49 single house merely an auberge, and little landing place - paid 3 per person for a voyage and off again in our caleche (the man had taken his horses and dined at Aix) for Aix at 5:58 alighted at the Chateau at 6:13 just in time - the forebed of the carriage was broken that another instead and the horses and fore wheels would have left us in the lurch - saw the handsome new salle de danse joined onto the chateau- and the library one wall of which is left in its old state to show the larger uncemented stones of the Roman temple of Diana - the adjoining building now converted into a Theatre was the temple - we went behind and underneath the scenes and saw the old Roman style of building - then not knowing what to do with ourselves turned into the court of the house of les demoiselles de Vernay, lent to several families - walked in the nice garden - should be very well there and living from a traiteur -

at last thought of the booksellers shop in the place - amused there looking at prince and books - bought two different Aix guides – off from Aix at 7 3/4 and home at 9 1/4 - dined at 9:50 - very fine day and evening F 73° at 11:00 pm

1834 July Monday 28th

No kiss Fine morning F70° at 10:00 a.m. breakfast at 10:22 11 1/4 –

had ordered and waited for calêche - so old looking and dirty, would not have it, Anne and I went out on foot - peeped into the cathedral - the interior undergoing repair - not either very large or handsome building, and the interior painted in fresco imitation of gothic ornament - very bad taste - the deep blue roof with gold stars and fresco groining looked well enough –

then to a booksellers in the Place St Leger – fortunately stumbled upon the best, Puthod, above an hour there bought several works - particularly the first 5 nos at 3/. (15 more to come) off vùes de la Savoy … suivres d’un précis historique and discriptif published here by Courtois at Albert Lithographes - gave my address and desired the other nos to be sent to me aux soins de Messers Lafitte , Paris - whom I would direct to pay for them - the female person in the shop very civil - gave us directions what to see - sent her servant with us to la poste for a carriage - little charabanc 6/. a day, should only be 3/. for this afternoon - but the mâitre de poste asked 6/. for this afternoon and 18/. a day for a calêche and pair - at last bargained for the latter to take me to Aix and the charabanc for 22/. - saw the rooms - smelt strongly of new papering and plastering and beds at 3/. and noisy, bustling pace - very glad we were not there, and quite contented with La parfait union

from 2:10 to 4 walked to Les Charmettes at where Rousseau and Mme de Warens lived, and some time there - nothing about nonsense in the Livre de Estrangers, so declined writing even our names - went one way and returned another - we were near 1/2 hour going from La Poste – fine view of the town in returning - nice, clean, well-built, good looking town, not very large - in going had bought 18 good greengages for a sol –

came home for 1/2 hour for Ann to have her cold fowl, and off in the charabanc at 4 1/2 - passed through the little village of Aisse, and the paper manufactory au bout du monde at 5:10 - one of the workmen shewed us the cascade (50 to 100 yards at the back of the building) - not much water now, but still very picturesque and pretty - the water of the Doria falls from a fine cleft in the high limestone rock -on each side are little springs gushing from the rock which springs man said are cold in summer and heated in winter - the strata of the rock are here at the cascade and more particularly a little lower down and turning up along little river Aisse (now all but dry which falls into the Doria at the mill in time to swell the stream and turn the wheel) very singular - look exactly like a wall of stones about a foot long and six inches in the bed - and this stratification extends to some little way down the Doria -

the man shewed us, too, the process of paper making and we bought nice soft papier gris (at sol per lb) 64 sheets for 1 franc - the man said times were much better, le commerce allait beaucaisse mieux de temps des Français - now he, whose work begins at midnight for 11 hours every night, and always in water has 44 francs a month about 30 sols day, the wages of the best workmen - and the others had all them from 34 up to 44 a month - the woman had 12 sols a day - but they have each a room in the building that I suppose they live rent-free - the paper that sold du temps de Napoleon for 40/. and was no sooner made than sold, now hangs on hand and sells for 18/. or 20/. - asked if the King had been at Chambery yes! at the paper manufactory- I said he was très bon -bon enfant- no! said the man the manufactory had always given him something but he had never given anything in return - things could not go on in this way - an hour at the cascade and in the manufactory -

returned another way by Alby, but had unluckily left at home Mme Puthod’s paper so forgot to go St Saturnin en passant - the cocher, however, stopt, at the great nursery garden and we stood an hour there and ordered a collection of roses to take back with us! Thought this would be a nice place to send to little John to- spoke to the man about it - he seemed to have no objection - will see him again and have more information as to terms - the boy should be aged 14 - these people have an establishment at Lyon and Grenoble and Turin - are chiefly famous for roses dahlias and ----------- of which they have every variety - the young man makes excursions to the mountains - has a herbary of above 6000 plants - to go there and see this at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday - drove around the place, and promenade de Verny, and home at 8 1/4 - dinner at 8 1/2 - very fine day F71 1/2° at 11 1/4 p.m. - too much dinner - very hot - asleep in my chair after Eugenie left me till near 11 -

1834 July Sunday 27th

Very fine morning F 68 1/2 at 7:00 AM – sat writing with her in her room till 11 and not at all with her last night - reading ready at 7:00 this morning and looking at maps till 7 3/4 - breakfast at 7 ¾ - prayers (ourselves and George) from 8:50 to 9 ½ - Ann and I off in a little charabanc at 9:57 - very pretty drive along the lake shallow and reedy along the margin, and at the Duing or Douin at 11, a small village – little auberge and a few cottages and the chateau - at the foot of the mountain de Déré - agreed with cocher to take us to the head of the lake for 2 francs more ( 7 + 2 = 9 francs) –

there in 25 minutes at 11 1/2 - a sort of little port - a house and two or three stables and coal depot and flat-bottomed carriage boats to take to Annecy the coal (like anthracite) from the mountain d’Entreverne a little to the south of the head of the lake - and wood, and one of the boats was laden with a yellowish friable clay earth – 1/4 hour here walking about - the lake from Douin narrower and more confined, and prettier - the hoary green speckled, calcerous mountains very fine - back at Douin in 25 minutes at 12 1/4 - stopt 1/2 hour at the little auberge (belonging to the people who kept it) for Ann to eat her cold chicken - the woman had lived in service at the Chateau and volunteered going with us to see it - called a Chateauvieux built on a little premontory that seemed almost or quite too close the lake when seen from the other end of the lake - which was before the revolution of 1791 the property the Marquis de Sales whose son the present marquis is now anxious to buy it but the present proprietor M Berthé, who married a Genevese and spends his winters at Geneva, asked 100,000 francs and the Marquis only bids 90,000 francs the house and all about it, nice little gardens and terraces, are all mal entretenue- but nothing is done now that M and Mme Berthé have lost their only child a boy of six years old - before his death they kept a person here and the Chateau was full of people - among them many English - the chateau took us 40 minutes –

off again at 1:25 back at Annecy at 2:53 - few light drops of rain at 2 1/4 for about 10 minutes - very good road all the way, shaded with walnut trees – walked about Annecy - good and largish town - most of the streets arcaded as is common in Italy - went into the two principal churches, not handsome but full a lot of people - walked up to the castle - a barrack, so not allowed to enter the court without permission which not worthwhile to ask for - large pile of building - looking not very ancient perhaps about 12 or 13th century - off from the hotel de Genève (the only one to go to) Annecy at 3:33 – rain not heavy at 4:25 for about 20 minutes –

at Alby at 5:10 Alby beautiful! Situated at the edge of the plateau above the deep stream but at the foot of a cluster of green, wooded hills- glimpse of the old castle tower farish to the left - little church and town. and deep bedded stream, and handsome white stone bridge (one high arch) over it and ascend the hill by fine new road cut out of the rock - very fine, and beautiful, and picturesque there - well cultivated well wooded fine country - and fine mountain drive all the way from Annecy - still the white Salève-like steppy mountains, but more wooded - neat farm houses scattered though rather thinly all around - the Savoy valley is less populous than the Swiss –

Albens at 6, neat little town - here we get into the great high road from Geneva to Chambery which we left at St Julien - still the same fine, cultivated, wooded, rich, beautiful country and excellent road as before but rather wider – rained all today (as yesterday) almost everywhere lined with trees - willows, lombardy poplars (the tall, pyramidal) great many walnuts, and a few elms and apple trees -

at Aix at 7:25 - 1200 strangers – not a bed to be had - that maître de poste recommended my going to the post at Chambery – the commis we had from there to go about with us - said La parfait union was the best hotel - he went with us to see baths, the bains’ remains discovered about three years ago, in the garden of Mme Perrier, and the Roman arch near the pension of Mme Charpentier - this last house 10/. a day included board and lodging per person at 5/. for servants - chez Madame Perrier, and at La poste 7/. a day plus 3/5 for servants - tasted the water at the source - slightly sulphurous - not near so strong as at Harrogate - a very abundant spring - the swimming bath struck me as very small - not more than five or six yards square - what they called l’Enfer (the men's vapour bath) was hot and suffocating enough to deserve its name Ann could not even put her head into it - the thermes or bains romanes are very well worth seeing - perhaps the most perfect to be seen anywhere except at Rome - they say, there would be much more found if the garden was more searched into - the water, goits-corridors supported by 1 row of round and 1 of square pillars supplying communicating with the large square proscenium, are very perfect as are many of the square vapour tubes ( like fine brick) communicating with the vapour bath above - the Roman arch was never much ornamented and the ornaments there were all much worn and obliterated –

off from Aix at 8 grieved over being in the dark, but it could not be helped - alighted at La parfait union in the quiet streets little square en face de la cathedrale at Chambery at 10 - then at 11 - fine day in spite of the slight showers at 2 1/4 and 4:25 pm F 71 at 12:55 tonight -

1834 July Saturday 26th

Much entertained by Anna Choma interview tonight which prompted me to get another daily post up. Did rather like her evidence AL of wearing/giving blue as signifying interest in the ladies. Perhaps this shade could be the modern day signifier? (Makes a change from the lavender ribbons of the nineties -showing my age again)

Q 6:50 11 ½

her bed stock’s creaked so that the people in the adjoining room being up, I put Miss W[alker]s bedding on the floor and we had a good long kiss about three quarters hour with her- packing - breakfast at 9 to after 10 - dressed -

Anne and I out at 11:40 - went to Dérogis bought Bardon’s antique costumes of the Greeks etc two volumes quarto Bailey's histoire de l’astronomie 4 volumes quarto all for 35/. and the Dusseldorf Gallery (fine old engravings) 30/. and the maps to Anacharsis 5/. and for Ann, Michelet’s abridgment of modern history (seems very good) 1 volume broché duodecimo printed at Bruxelles 4/. then little panorama of the lake 2/. and coloured print of Swiss costumes 8/. -

back at the hotel at 12 1/4 - as the carriage came to the door and off at 12:20 from the hotel des Berges - told the master of the house I was very well satisfied - then to the bank (Hentsch’s) sent up for the money for £50 two circulars exchange 25/ 25, and sat in the carriage while it was brought - got 32 napoleons the rest in silver having still Mount Blanc in my head - delayed 20 minutes - then took up the parcel of books and off from chez Dèsrogis at 12 3/4 - pass through the goodish Ville of Carouge till 1816 belonging to Savoy and capital of the district of the same name – given by the holy alliance to Geneva – at the nice enough little ville of St Julie, now capital of Carouge , at 1:40 and showed my passport to the Sardinian carabinieres who immediately and very civilly let us pass at 2:42 at Frabe said the Postillion and at Feigère according to the Douaniers and the map - the douaniers very civil - said they were obliged to examine something, but would not look into the carriage and only just peeped into one of the Imperials while we changed horses, and we were off in 12 minutes -

excellent road along the foot of the Salève, the high singular calcerous white steppy mountain we looked upon from our windows at the hotel de Berges - the Salève very fine - the Mount de Sion a French lower mountain and all green and cultivated joins the end of it and closes the ampitheatrical valley of Geneva - from the Mount de Sion very fine views of the town Hahe - out to 3:35 began the descent of Mount de Sion and turn left round the foot of the Salève, and fine view down into Savoy - everywhere shut in in the distance by high mountains - white calcerous - the hoary rugged tops of many of them white as if streaked or covered with snow - very picturesque drive -

at Cruiselles at 4:10 picturesque village at the bottom of the valley - no post horses kept here (we left the direct road too Aix and Chambery (right) just out of Saint Julien) but luckily the diligence had arrived a little while before and without stopping to bait the horses properly we were off with them in 18 minutes, driving 3 and letting the 4th follow - we could not have stopt comfortably at the auberge at Cruiselle's - from Cruiselles the white rocky mountains rather approach one and firmly back the green wooded and cultivated hills - very picturesque beautiful drive - narrow though good road - at 5:25 after crossing the little river Fier (probably in winter a large stream) over the new wooden bridge of la Caille, stopt a few minutes at the little village of la Caille to water the horses - fine white rugged mountains seemed at a little distance en face - at 5:50 to 6:00 and afterwards the fine white rugged mountains magnificent - finally standing out like mountain headlands at sea – 6:10 find beautiful magnificent descent up the hill strewed plain, and fine views of Annecy situated at the foot of Mount St Catherine qui fait partie de la chaîne des Bauges but the lake not in sight, but the Lake hid

- at 6:47 view (near) of the nice town of Annecy with its 3 or 4 churches and fine larger castle - at 6:47 first view of the picturesque little finally mountain-locked lake - at the hotel de Genève at Annecy at 7 - walked 1/4 hour along the handsome poplar and platinus shaded Ave along the shallow reedy top of the lake - finely surrounded by mountains -

dinner at 7:05 to 8 1/2 - the public salle le manger but nobody there at first and only two guests at last - man and girl (harp and she singing) came to us at dinner - sat writing in Ann’s room while she got into bed and fell asleep at 9 3/4 and wrote of yesterday and today till 11 - very fine day F 68° at 11:05 pm

1834 July Friday 25th

6 50/60 1 1/2

not with her at all last night -

Fine morning F 72° at 8 - reading Itiniere des Chamourni (Mount Blanc) - inking over accounts - breakfast at 9 3/4 - wrote out to the 4th instant and the 21st ditto and 1st 12 lines of the 22nd ditto and tell 11 1/2 - then finished dressing -

Ann and I out at 12 , and took George - at and in the theatre at 12 1/4 after a good deal of squeezing through the crowd at the door though the doors were only opened at 12 - took George, meaning to leave him to keep our places, but no doing that and no getting out again - lucky enough to get in front at the top of the pit with the staircase down to the first through the middle of the boxes to lean against - the house crowded by 12 1/2 - the concert did not begin till 2:10 - the Rossini Overture to William Tell - the 1st part over at t 1/3 - and the 2nd part lasted from 3:40 to 4:47 - the instrumental music good - the singing indifferent except Madame Drouet who sang well her husband’s composition to his flute - is very good and still better Druet’s flute solo - much in Der Freyschutz with variations - is playing very fine - tones beautiful and execution perfect - this worth the whole concert - though there had been a good solo on the clarinet - waited till the house was almost cleared (in 5 or 6 minutes)

and at the museum Rath at 5 - so called beyond founded by Rath Leutineut General in the Russian service, born at Geneva 16 March 1766 and died there 14th December 1819 - begged sisters to leave (at their death) something to the state, so they built this building done 8 years ago (handsome) for the things that their brother had given and for those given by others - not more than 3 or 4 old pictures but some good modern ones - the statuary consists merely of the street of Paris casts -

at 5 1/4 a shower which detained till 5 1/2 - Ann hungry and thirsty and obliged to take her to a cafe for bun and lemonade

- home at 6 - wrote out the whole of Tuesday except the first 6 lines, and the whole of Wednesday and yesterday - very fine day till the shower at 5 1/4 PM for about 1/4 hour - a few drops afterwards otherwise fine evening - F 71° at midnight - Mademoiselle Rath’s house close to the museum - a largish good looking building - she inhabits the 1st , and lets the 2nde etc the 2nde (ten pièces and servants rooms above - no coach-house or stables) 1200 francs a year unfurnished.

Presume most of you knew the Rossini thanks to a certain cowboy, but the other flute piece I reckon is probably by Jean-Louis Tulou which she critiques but I can’t find a recording of it.

1834 July Thursday 24th

Q 7 3/4 11 long good kiss last night Very fine morning F 73° at 9:00 AM - breakfast at 9 1/4 to 10 1/4 - dressed

- had M Desrogis to pack the fine Mount Blanc cristal - then sat reading Chamouni Itineraire - ascent of Mount Blanc -

took Eugenie and George and Ann and I at the concert of the Helvetic victory of musee at the cathedral ( walked) at 1 20/60 - full - obliged to be in the North side aisle and could scarcely see the orchestra - a lady held out her hand to me from the outside of the autre seats - had not the least recollection of … Miss Merrienne now our queen’s reader at £100 per annum çidevent governess to the Rickett’s , at Dr Belcombe's - the performance began at 2 20/60 (advertised for 2) - the first part lasted an hour - then in half hour the second part began and it was over at 4 40/60 - said to be 300 performers - instrumental performance good - but the music (though a fine messe said to be composed for the occasion and hymns etc) worth not much to me and the singing very indifferent - our oratorios from Handel, Mozart, etc infinitely finer and better got up - waited till the crowd had gone out - and we ourselves were out at 4 50/60 - bought tickets for the concert tomorrow to be given in the Theatre -

went to M Gaudin, and scratched out Hawkins’ address and gave that of Messers Hammersley etc Bankers, London to whose care I desired the model to be sent - M Gaudin said it might perhaps be sent off in January - said he had an English gentleman about ordering a model for the same dimensions as mine - looking at prints at the shop opposite the toporama - and bought their map of the Tyrol to be mounted -

home at 6 - dinner at 7 - reading about Mount Blanc very fine day - F72° at 11:00 PM - Ann in bed at 10:50 - a few minutes with her in bed but said I could not give her a good kiss so left her

1834 July Wednesday 23rd

Q

8 10/60

11 20/60

long kiss at twice last night and with her for an hour and a half Miss W[alker]and I between copied my letters to Pi-[Mariana] – filled the ends of my paper to M-Mariana saying I should be in Paris on or about the 15th August and begging her to write to Rue de St Victor – too uncertain to give her any other direction – concluded with the assurance that I was quite incapable of neglect or forgetfulness towards her – very affectionate kind letter – added a few lines under the seal to my aunt to tell her to write to rue St Victor that I was uncertain whether to go to the mountains for a few days or more or not – all depended on the weather but I would write again in a few days- should be in Paris by the 15th of next month – at 10 35/60 sent Eugenie with George to put my letter into the post in time for to day’s mail – to my aunt at Shibden to Mrs Lawton Claremont House, Leamington Warwickshire Angleterre - Ann also sent her letter to her sister – vide yesterday

breakfast at 10 40/60 to 11 10/60 – then finished dressing – very fine morning F73° at 9 3/4 a.m. – took George and Ann and I out at 12 20/60 – a few minutes at Bante’s and bought earrings for Marian? Then at Briquet’s opposite the Post office choosing prints etc to the amount of 143 francs till 3 25/60 – then to the toporama and ordered the model of Switzerland as partially agreed upon before with M Gaudin to be 1500/. – he thinks the carriage and duty to London will not be more than 100 francs! – then speaking of the Tyrol I wished to have the whole of it added and he agreed to do this for 100 francs additional – that the model before 6 feet x 5 feet French will be now 7 feet x 5 feet French – He gave me this address ‘ L’Gaudin topographe Rue du Grand Mezet no. 251 a Geneve’ and I gave him my address at Shibden desiring him to write his name on the back of his letter to announce the sending of the model that if I was not at home it might be opened and properly attended to – desired the model the model to be addressed to me aux soins de Mr Hawkins 26 Dover St London – from 4 to 6 25/60 looking over minerals and lastly books chez Desrogis, rue du Rhone no. 479, nearly opposite Bante’s – saw at Briquet’s that one should go to Audin Quai des Augustins no. 25 à Paris for the Promenade du voyageur en Europe par Richard 4 vols duedecimo – dinner 6 1/2 to 8 – then read a little in Itiniere de Chamourni bought this morning article Mont Blanc - planning what to do next and looking at maps – will go to Grenoble and thence back to Chamourni to ascend Mt Blanc? very fine day – F70° now at 10 35/60 p.m. went to her bed for thirty five minutes -

1834 July Tuesday 22nd (part two)

1834 Tuesday July 22nd (part one)

Correspondence day for Anne Lister.

she came for an hour and half to me this morning quietly talking – Fine morning F70 1/2° at 8 3/4 a.m. from there the mountains wear out into rounded, beautiful, green, wooded hills and extensive valleys – very good road – stop 3 or 4 minutes at 1:43 to water the horses – at 2:50 stopt at Amenas to shew passport the Douauniers very civil – would not take money – explained the trick the postillion Chaumantois from Geneva had played me in demanding money for them on the 3rd instant and they were vexed and frowned to do what they could with him – thunder and forked lightning and then in passing through the nice little town of ………at 3:20 – at 3:50 stopt at Hentsch’s bank – sent up to them and they brought me down the money for two £25 circulars – alighted at the hotel des Bergues at 4 – full – only a double bedded room at 2nde and a little apartment on 3me – took the latter (salon and 1 double-bedded room) at 16/. a day – the 2 servants above at 2/. a day for both – siding –

Ann and I out at 5 to 6 – at Bante’s – bought brooch for M-Marian or Mrs Sutherland? dinner at 6:20 to 8 1/2 – Got at the bank a letter from my aunt dated 27 June 3 pages and ends – she had a better day and a worse – Mr Sunderland very attentive – on the whole good account – she writes on the 27th to Ann and on the 28th p.3 and ends and 2 lines under the seal to me ‘I may [k]now I am quite well, except for the never-ceasing pain’ – all going on well – my father will and has ordered a little carriage to go about in – very sorry for Marian – got at the Post restante letterfrom my aunt Shibden dated 9th instant 3 pages and ends all to me – my father ‘tolerable, but very feeble, he does not appear to gain strength at all -he walks out a little every day, generally to the top of the bank, and in the course of the day 2 or 3 times a little in the garden – as to myself sometimes I have a very poorly day, and then better – Mr Sunderland is very attentive, and upon the whole, I think I am much the same as when you went’ – very awkward about me – begs me not to hasten our return on her account – hopes there will be no occasion for me to be at home before the end of August as Marian will not got to Market Weighton until she can leave my father with more satisfaction – she had a letter that day (9th instant) from Mariana to make inquires after me – said it was 5 weeks since she heard from me – had been very ill – did not know of my being abroad – my aunt begs me to write to Mariana immediately – ‘William Milne died rather suddenly during his mother’s absence in London’ – has received parcel for me Bibliotheca Hiberiana – George Robinson had been at Shibden and paid £50 promising the rest the following week – Mr Parker will deliver the notice to quit himself – has sent the one to John Pearson – the Staups purchase papers will not be ready before the end of August – Trades unions over – ministers very cautious and likely to keep in some time longer – all going well at home – Mr Freeman wishes to see me on my return – Thomas Greenwood knows of a gentleman who wishes to ‘purchase Northgate house and a little of the land’ –

Letter at the Poste Restante 1 1/2 page from Lady Gordon dated Salzburgh 10 July – Henry Devereux (her nephew) ‘seems rather épris with you’ (I must have met him at Miss Berry’s) writes her that I am gone touring to Geneva for a month – she fancies this means Chamonix ‘perhaps Mont Blance etc etc’ – wants me to join her at Munich where she will remain for 7 or 8 weeks – country beautiful – walks long and fine views –they have seen the Hallein salt mines – will be in England in October – fidgety to be very long and far from her mother – ‘What a sensation Charlotte Street seems to have produced in the world!’ – to write to Lady Gordon Post restante à Munich – they go to the Cerf d’or – I ought to go to Munich if only to see the Egina marbles

1834 July Monday 21st

Monday 21 July 1834

7 25

1 5/60

Not with her last night but went to her quietly for quarter hour this morning Rain all last night and this morning – an end of ascending Mt Blanc – packed - breakfast at 9 – F68° at 8 1/2 a.m. Off from the hotel de Londres, Chamouni, at 12 1/2 in a return charabanc, 2 horses -at Les Ouches at 1 1/2 – at Servoz at 2 1/2 –

40 minutes chez M Deschamps – he at Chamouni – saw only his brother – bought a small specimum of the newly discovered fer oxidule cristallisé 6/. francs the cavern very bad to get to – now exhausted – at the top of the mountain of Pormenaz, just above Servoz – a nice largish specimum at 50/. a magnificent one at 300/. – an English gentleman had bid 260/. wanting it for a present to the Jardin des plantes – there is none of this mineral there – several other very fine specimums of different minerals – the best mineral shop I have seen –

Off from Servoz at 3 1/4 – passed the turn left to St Gervais at 4 10/60 – At the Bellevue at Sallanche at 5 1/4 – Eugenie very well – dinner at 6 1/4 – and off at 7 1/2 in spite of the rain – never in my life saw such a fidget in a carriage she was in all postures and places till at last she luckily fell asleep for about an hour she had had too much roussillon wine which made her feverish without being tipsy – at La couronne, Bournville, at 11 3/4 – had to call the people up – Rain on 1st leaving Sallanche, and latterly – very heavy shower with thunder and lightning at Sallancge at 6 1/2 and the rain had fallen in torrents about the same hour yesterday evening – F70° at 12 3/4 tonight five minutes with her quietly –

1834 July Wednesday 9th (part two)

pass through the little village of Livrogne, and 20 minutes after (at 2 8/60) stop at Arvier to bait the mules, at a worse looking auberge than the one we had passed at Livrògne – annoyed at this – however Ann ate her cold fowl and lay down as usual and we managed very tolerably –

the English lady and gentleman; the people told us as we passed were at the auberge at Livrogne, all the villages and little towns have very narrow streets (channels in the middle) 9 to 11 feet wide, the overhanging roofs very nearly meeting at the top, as at Dolina near Courmayer

Off from Arvier at 3 22/60 – 1st view of Aoste, in the distance, from the top of the hill at 4 3/4- then lost till near arrival – Ann and I walke from 5 to 53/4 – at the Ecu de valaios (kept by the master of l’Ange at Courmayer at 6 1/4 -

1834 July Wednesday 9th (part one)

5 1/4

10 20/60

Not with her at all last night but saw her into bed – rain about 5 a.m. George told me – so determined to go to Aoste instead of crossing the col de Ferret – F 64° at 6 35/60- threatening more rain –

off at 7 1/2 from Courmayeur hotel de l’Angel – good rooms and beds, but all the servants not yet come (the season only just commencing) so could get nothing – George a mile off – and determined to breakfast at Près St Didier – For information respecting the Vaudois valley our host had told us we should consult Captain Bonnetti d’aoste, a native of these valleys – we had had a bottle of vin d’asti rouge (first time we saw the red) excellent far to superior to the bottle of white we had even here – could not spare us another bottle of the red – said he had but one left of that quality –

at Près St Didier in an hour at 8 1/2 – large hotel but not very clean and tidy – the season had hardly begun – good bread and milk – Ann ate some of our cold fowl – Près St Didier beautifully situated at the bottom of deep green valley – went to the old baths, close to the source, - 20 baths- old wooden erection – 1/2 way between these and the hotel, new baths, 3 finished – called the Pavilions§ – very pretty – the baths wooden tubs as in the old establishment – the building has already cost 18,000 francs – emplacement for 16 months baths in progress – the whole to cost 42000 francs – the princes (2 of the king’s sons) expected tomorrow or next day – water chalybeat here – sulphurous at Courmayer – Left Ann lying down for 1/2 hour while I saw the baths – off from Près St Didier at 10 5/60

§consisting of one bedroom 3 dressing rooms, nice salon, gallery at the back and in front, and portico of 2 square pillars and side ones- 2 minutes distant from the Inn –

At Morgex (pronounced Morgé) little narrow street town at 11, and at Villard at 11 40/60 – peeped into old church 1 large undivided space – no aisles boarded floor, and gilded altar- at 11 55/60 at the turn in the road, just out of town (5 or 10 minutes out of Villard) from which remarkably fine view of Mt Blanc – the top quite découvert – had been on the watch ever since leaving Près St Didier and had often see bits of the top, but never the whole together as now – clouds still floating across and hiding the middle of the mountain – Ann walked 50 minutes – a lady and gentleman said to be English passed us just before remounting our mules at 12 1/2 – at 1 passable good bridge over the Doria, and from here for about 100 yards length or more nice new road about 15 feet wide, at the other end of which people busy filling up with green branches of fir the charpente of a triumphal arch for the princes to pass under – it had really a very good effect –

several pieces of new road afterwards cut out of the rock – very fine – the rapid white Doria deep below – at 1 1/2 the road winds and we lose our full view of Mt Blanc – I had had a clear full view if him unimpeded by clouds for 2 or 3 minutes – all below the perpetual snow (about in a line with the base of the above diagram) seemed one enormous mass of yellowish -hoary rock hérissé et aenellé with points of rock almost like the minarets of a gothic church – everything ab out this king of European mountains interest me – at 1 40/60 neat white convent and church and old castle-house and a few cottages on the hill (left) other side of the river – (St Nicolas probably) –

1834 July Tuesday 8th (part two)

AL contradicting the guide again, and the heat of the trip has AW running for the bottle...

PS happy Anne Lister Birthday Weekend all

Before arriving at the chalet, a glacier (left) supported high on its mass of moraine – another glacier like it, but larger, below the lake, looking like a lower range of mountain – these glaciers bring down enormous pieces of rock, and form a sort of chaos – would not pass here in bad weather – one might easily be écrasé by the falling stones and rocks – the sides whitish – thinly strewed here and there with larch on the sides of the glacier – the mountains très sauvages and escarpées –

rested 10 minutes at 11 5/60 – Ann had not sleep enough last night – nervous and wanting dinner and to go to bed - opposite where we sat down to rest, the high rock, on the other side of the stream (the Doire or Doria) very white – David said his uncle ‘Jacques Balmat dit du Mt Blanc’ had told it was from this white rock the valley was called allée blanche – N.B. this white rock is not in l’ allée blanche but in the val Veni – Ann walked an hour longer (too nervous and frightened to ride along the narrow track amid the rocks and precipices) till we nearly reached the bottom of the valley – very hot riding along the bottom and the flies very troublesome to our mules –

the Doria passes under the glacier de Brenoa, turns right, and falls into the Doria of the valley de Ferret just below the little town of Entrèves, in the vallée d’ Entreves, and passes Courmayer, Aosta etc etc we had a considerable montée towards the glacier – It was by this that Mrs and Miss Campbell descended from the Col du Géant – we were opposite their zig zag track at one – alight to look out at the glacier in general –

then walked down to the bridge remounted our mules – passed the baths, 2 nice, white, new-looking houses at a little distance (left) and alighted à l’Ange the great hotel at Courmayer at 2 8/60 – very fine all the our way – 10 minute shower and hour after on arrival – dinner at 5 1/4 in an hour –

Miss Walker had previously lain down and had a fresh bottle of vin d’asti then walked to the village of Dolen, as pronounced, Dolina on the map – beautifully situated singular village consisting principally of one very narrow overhanging shabby street – the wood houses with projecting stories and roofs meeting within about 2 feet at the top – the street (channel in the middle) about nine feet wide – very antique looking – tolerably good church –

Courmayer very beautifully situated in deep basin with 2 valleys opening into it at each end – viz Val Veni et de Ferret et vallée de la Thuile leading to the Little St Bernard and the bend of the valley towards Aoste – and 2 recesses one on each side that of Dolina, green, rich and beautiful. and that the village of Saxe, through which you go to les trou des Romains (ancient mines) ‘pour en extraire une galène à petits grains, tenant argent, dans une gaugne de Spath Caleaire’ vide Itineraire des vallées autour du Mt Blanc 229/324

while out this evening went to the other Inn L’union – large good looking building – seems a good Inn, but much smaller and inferior to where we are – would take us in at the pension price of those who to stay and bathe and draw the waters ie 6/. a day for ourselves and 4 francs a day for George – our landlord at the Angel could not do this if only stayed one or 2 nights – though his prices are the same for the bathers – he can make up 160 beds – has 3 or 4 houses taken in the little town – the hotel itself is a large good building round a largeish quadrangular court, and built entry for the accommodation of those who come on account of the waters – very fine day – F64° now at 9 20/60 p.m. Ann in bed at 8 3/4 -

1834 July Tuesday 8th (part one)

They get up early and AL drives AW to drink again. There is a throwaway comment about the accommodation that had me thinking about how high maintenance my wife is. Anyone who can identify the mountain that AL misidentifies gets kudos as I can't find a Mont Cramont referenced anywhere.

4 1/4

10 10/60

No kiss very fine morning F58 1/2° at 5 1/2 – breakfast at 6 –

off from Motets pronounced Mot-tets) at 6 20/60 – steep ascent the track often high over the torrect or some precipice Ann frightened, nervous, and sickish – an avalanche on the glacier de Motets (as on the mer de glace) as we passed –

At the top of the Col de a Seigne at 7 53/60 – Mont Blanc (left) hid – the great object for passing the cole de la Seigne is that from it is the best view of Mt Blanc – we were unlucky – the view however was still very fine – Mt Velan (said Michel) – it is the largest mountain with long back and in front of us – (No! Michel must be very wrong – Mt Velan is to the east just above the great St Bernard – it must have been Mt Cramont I meant? – our guides were not very au fait at the mountains hereabouts) just below us (rather to the left) the Allée blanche, and the lac de combal at the farther end of which beings the Val Veni –

on our ascent, at at the top, daisies, michaelmas ditto, chamomile, forget-me-nots, gentianella, etc. the nearest most wooded and pointed (conical) seeming to close the valley straight before us is Mt Valesan – impossible – Michel must be wrong again – Mt Valesan is to the south of the little St Bernard – was this last named mountain rather the long-backed on, Mt Cramont? – wrote 5 minutes and began the descent (over snow) into the Allée blanche at 8 – rode over the 1st snow in 2 minutes – then walked over 2 others small and hard and slippery – At the Chalet of L’allée blanche at 9 – the berger had only been arrived about a week – stopt an hour for Ann to eat cold fowl and veal and take the remainder of her bottle of Contamine vin d’asti – she was nervous and not well this morning – must eat and drink well and be cheered up and then, as I tell her, she will do wonders –

making gruyère and sarrat (as pronounced) the latter all of cow’s milk – (did not the berger mean Sérac, ‘le fromage blanc et compact qu l’on tire du petit lait, que l’on comprime comprime dans des caisses rectangulaires, et auquel on donne dans le pays le nom de Sérac’ vide Nouvelle Itiniere des vallées autour du Mt Blanc 2nd edition, par JP and FJ Pictet, Genève, Abraham Cherbuliez, Paris, Thomas Ballimore, r de Seine St Germain 1829 214/324) I had a little warm whey and tasted the butter fresh from the churn –

merely a chalet – would be difficult for Ann to sleep here – Off again at 10 in 1/4 hour look down upon the lake – at it at 10 35/60 coast it in 10 minutes and enter the Val Veni at 10 50/60 immediately on passing the bridge over than artificial stone-work mound to confine the lake -

1834 July Monday 7th (part two)

So Ann swipes the last of the asti and gets a superior dinner. Sounds like she deserved it.

a splendid chalet – Ann and I had a small double bedded low room between cellar. cowhouse and hayloft and George slept in the next room a large sort of between kitchen lighted from the door opening in the upper and lower half with mud floor, and up to the roof – at the other end (next to us) another place where the guides slept and the kitchen they cooked and lived in –

the glacier de Motets very fine - just above us, and beyond so as to have good view – large and not very crevassé – dinner at 5 in 3/4 hour – cold milk and bread (instead of soup) did not touch that – boiled mutton good but done to rags and old potatoes full of eyes – Ann had had cold fowl (we brought it with us from Contamine) an hour before and lay down – she took the vin d’asti we had brought and I a little very weak brandy and water – both of us lay down immediately after dinner for 1 1/2 hour and slept

then got up and stood at the door talking to the people till 8, and I still later till 8 1/2 when had boiled milk and prepared for bed – the people, man and wife and 4 or 6 children and one little sick thing in arms at 6/. a month, belonging to somebody of Bourg Maurice – and the man’s brother – they had only been a week arrived and will go back in September – the pasturage belongs to the two brothers – was bought by their father – and David thinks may be about 1000 quatrons (1 quatron=312 toises carrés) at Charmouni - David has about 69 toises carrés for winter fodder for his cow) –

taxes very high here 12,000 francs of property pays 3000 francs of taxes to the government – a ‘cow worth about 60 francs or more according to her goodness – a good calf worth about 20/. –

Coll myrtle growing wild in the the fields about Contamine – gathered forgetme-nots-(about 1 1/2 to 2 inches high) at the top of col de bonhomme – daisies, large sort, or chamomile, growing there and gentianella frequent in the ascent – It is rhodendron ferrugineum that covers the hills and that the people burn as they do box-wood at the Pyrenees and quercus coccifera or kermes about Mount Pellier –

Ann has borne today very well – a little frightened at the last snow, thought her legs would have failed her, but got on following me and George, and hanging on David’s arm – Fromage de Gruyère 2/3 cow’s milk and 1/3 goat’s – all the wood here from Bourg Maurice – 4 francs per mule-load and the man 2/. and the mule 2/. – Two days about bringing it – i.e. one day going and 1 returning –

just before dinner the woman helped me to nail up my green cloth counterpane for a curtain to make dressing room so that I had privacy enough to prepare for my cousin come since morning no harm – very fine day – F 58° at 9 p.m.

SH:7/ML/E/17/0052