CHAP. XXVII.FROM LAUSANNE TO STRASBURG.
After leaving Lausanne, we arrived at Maudon about noon, where we dined with an English party that came in soon after ourselves. We afterwards proceeded to Payerne, where we rested for the night. At this place, a small, but short down-bed was placed loosely over the coverlet, so that one slept both under a bed, and over a bed; this is not uncommon in various parts of the continent; but however comfortable the custom may be in winter, it was by no means agreeable at midsummer.
On the following morning, after leaving Payerne, we passed through the ancient town of Avenche, and the neat one of Morat, close to a lake of the same name. We stopped to dine at the village of Gummingen, situated on the banks of the Sarine, over which, there is a covered wooden bridge, and which is distant about four leagues from Berne. From hence we ascended a steep hill, from the top of which, the town and lake of Neuchatel are visible. At half after six in the evening, we arrived at Berne, where, finding the principal inn full, we were obliged to put up witha secondary one; however we were well accommodated.
We employed the following morning in examining this interesting city: we promenaded the ramparts, and the fine public walk near to the cathedral, which is greatly admired for its commanding view. This was once the only public walk which the town possessed, but a new one said to surpass it in magnificence, has been formed along a high bank on the side of the Aar, which looks proudly upon the city and country, with the Glaciers in their vicinity.
Berne is built with much regularity and some magnificence; the houses are chiefly of white free-stone, and uniform in their height and appearance; in the principal streets, piazzas are erected on each side, over foot-paths elevated some height above the carriage road, through the centre of which, runs a small and rapid stream led off from the Aar, which gives a refreshing coolness to this part of the town, and, at the same time, promotes its cleanliness.
The public buildings are particularly fine, especially the cathedral, churches, and the arsenal.
My friend was much amused with the costume of the Bernoise females, and in particular the peasantry from the country, who came to supply the markets; their head-dress was very peculiar,and they wore curious black cloth petticoats, so short as not to reach the knee, with white stockings. The ladies and towns-women, however, have adopted the greater length of petticoat.
On Wednesday, the 1st of August, we set off in a carriage, termed a berlin, for Basle, distant eighteen leagues, paying as many francs each for our places, and in company with a French gentleman, and a Bernoise woman, in the dress of her canton. We arrived at Soleure for dinner, which is an agreeable little town on the banks of the Aar; the houses are particularly neat and clean, and at the same time built with considerable taste. We visited the catholic cathedral, which is a remarkably neat modern structure.
The country between Soleure and Basle is very hilly, and regarded as beautiful beyond description. We slept at a village five leagues from Basle, at which place we arrived about noon on the following day.
We took up our residence at the Three Kings, situated on the banks of the Rhine, over which majestic river, the windows of our apartment projected. This town, except in point of situation, is very inferior to Berne.
After dinner, we crossed the river by a wooden bridge to Little Basle, with a view of inquiring into the possibility of getting down the Rhine byboat; for we found there were no passage boats, as we had been led to expect. We were informed that a boat was loading, which would probably set off in a day or two days’ time; but, upon consideration, were induced to prefer accompanying the French gentleman with whom we had travelled from Berne, and who was proceeding by diligence on the following morning.
We remarked a custom peculiar to this place, which, however, has, I believe, been noticed by several travellers, that of keeping the clock one hour in advance of the regular time. The following explanation of the origin of this custom has been given. The magistrates having received information of a plan to make a sudden attack on the city at one o’clock on the morning, ordered the town-clock to be put forward an hour. The enemy, hearing it strike two, considered that their design had been discovered, and abandoned the attempt. In commemoration of the event, it has ever since been kept an hour in advance.
We left Basle for Strasburg, at eight o’clock in the morning of the 3rd of August, and entered France at the little town of St. Louis, where our baggage underwent the strictest examination which we had yet experienced, in consequence of the extensive illicit introduction of Swiss manufactures, and particularly cambrics, into France.A merchant, who was in our company, informed us, that when once travelling in a carriage of his own, the officers threatened to break it to pieces, unless he declared in what part the illicit goods, which they were convinced he had with him, were concealed, stating that they had information of its having been constructed for that express purpose; they were only prevented from putting their threats into execution, by his declaring, that as it contained nothing contraband, he would certainly compel them to make good the damage.
We dined at Mulhausen, famous for its fine printed cambrics, silks, and calicoes, and where we were amused, as well as benefited, by the economy of one of our French companions, who proposed, as it was an early hour for dinner, that we should take only apetit dinér, and which would be charged half-price: we assented to his proposal, and certainly had as good and full a dinner as we could wish, consisting of soup, entré, rôti, vegetables, a dessert, andun demi-bottaile du vin.
We reached Colmar about seven o’clock, where we rested three hours, after which we travelled all night, arriving at Strasburg at four o’clock in the morning, and taking up our quarters at the Maison Rouge. After dinner we walked to a bridge of pontoons over the Rhine, about a league distantfrom the city, which we crossed, to the gates of the small town of Kehl; on our way back, we found the bar of a bridge over one of the tributary streams to the Rhine closed; our passage was thus obstructed, but we got over it without difficulty, an offence for which we only escaped arrest by pleading, as strangers, our ignorance of the regulation. On our arrival at Strasburg, also, we were but just in time to enter before the gates were shut; had we been a little later, we must inevitably have been excluded for the night.
On the next day, Sunday, we visited the noble Gothic cathedral, which possesses the highest and finest steeple in the world, the summit being five hundred and seventy-four feet from the ground. This we ascended, and I had the temerity to mount some feet higher than my companions, which procured me a severe lecture; I had no small difficulty to convince them that the sense of touch, on which I depended, was less likely to deceive than the eye, when the dizzy height would make the
“⸺brain turn, and the deficient sightTopple down headlong.”
“⸺brain turn, and the deficient sightTopple down headlong.”
“⸺brain turn, and the deficient sightTopple down headlong.”
“⸺brain turn, and the deficient sight
Topple down headlong.”
This cathedral is remarkable for the numerous allegorical figures about it, intended to expose the licentious and crafty characters of the Monks of former times. We had the works of the renowned clock, once one of the wonders of Europe, laidopen to us, and which describes the various revolutions of the heavenly bodies.
On our return, we found a military parade in theplacewhere our hotel stood, the band of which played a variety of fine airs.
On inquiring respecting conveyances down the Rhine, they informed us, that the Coche d’Eau, which only goes once a week, had unfortunately set out the morning of our arrival; and as the diligence goes but twice a week (on Mondays and Thursdays) we lost no time in securing our places for the morrow, as far as Spire, being led to hope that we should find water conveyance, from that place to Mayence.
We might indeed have gone down the river in a trading boat, numbers of which are frequently going from, or passing by Strasburg; but the accommodations are not to be depended upon, and there was some uncertainty in their arrival and departure.
In the evening, after securing our places, we walked into the public gardens, from whence a balloon was sent off, and which was constructed in the shape of a wine cask, with a Bacchus astride it. This was succeeded by a display of fire-works, with music and dancing.