. 28.] JOURNAL, 261 



the scenery much more picturesque than I expected, but 

 was most interested in the people and their little vil- 

 lages ; women mowing, reaping, and doing every sort of 

 the hardest labor ; all awfully afflicted with goitre, 

 scarce a person wholly free from it ; actually saw one 

 woman with a goitre not quite as large as her own head 

 certainly, but about the size of that of the child she held 

 in her arms, apparently a year old ; saw one cretin. 

 Stopped a few moments at the principal auberge in 

 the village of Viesch ; found the priest with two of his 

 parishioners playing a game of cards together. A 

 stranger being a curiosity in that region, one person 

 accosted me very politely, and took me up the valley 

 a little way to see the glacier and mountains. Reached 

 Brieg utterly worn out, but got a good supper and 

 bed ; this being just where the famous Simplon road 

 commences the ascent of the mountains, there are 

 many travelers and a good hotel, though dear. 



Rose Tuesday morning at four o'clock ; my feet 

 and legs very stiff and sore ; thought of going up 

 the Simplon road into the mountains to see some of 

 the galleries and bridges and get fine views, but the 

 morning was cloudy and I did not like to lose the 

 time ; started off down the valley, but got on slowly 

 and very painfully ; however, walked as far as Leuk, 

 I believe about twenty-four miles, and there hired a 

 char, which took me on to Sion, the capital of the 

 canton, about twenty-two miles further, where I slept. 



Wednesday, rose at four, and feeling pretty stout, 

 I started off at five on foot, and though certainly in 

 very far from the best condition for walking, went on 

 to Martigny to breakfast, which place I reached at half 

 past ten, twenty-four miles according to the guide- 

 book, but the latter part was very painful. From this 



