8 MY FIRST VISIT TO THE ENGADINE. 



I found when I returned to the Krone that night that my 

 fellow-travellers were quite ready for an excursion the next 

 day, so that it only depended upon the weather. I rose 

 early the next morning, and on looking out found to my 

 delight it was perfectly fine. I then turned out the Depres- 

 saria larva from the Laserpitiurriy wrote a description of it, 

 and packed up two or three in a small box to send by the 

 post to England to be figured. I then wrote one or two 

 letters, and it being now 7 o'clock I was just going out to 

 see if any of my friends were passing, when Dr. Staudinger 

 called to say that they were just off" to the Val da Fain. I 

 told him I was not ready to start just then, but would meet 

 him in the Val da Fain before the day was far advanced. I 

 then went over to the Krone and made the necessary arange- 

 ments with the landlord ; we were to have a vehicle to go to 

 the summit of the Bernina Pass and back again. Having 

 completed the arrangement we had then to discuss our 

 breakfasts, and make all necessary preparations, and at nine 

 o'clock we started off" up the valley. The day was really 

 delicious, perfectly cloudless, all the lower peaks with a 

 sprinkling of snow, and the true snow peaks of the 

 Bernina range standing out magnificently against the deep 

 blue sky ; the chaffinch (the only song-bird we heard there) 

 warbled to us as we passed him, and our road when opposite 

 the Morteratsch glacier rose rapidly in a series of zigzags. 

 Thinking that by the time my fellow-travellers had been to 

 the Bernina Pass, they would be tolerably hungry before 

 they arrived back at Pontresina, I stopped our driver when 

 opposite the Bernina Inn, and ordered a dinner there to be 

 ready against their return. (I may here mention incidentally, 

 in case any one wishes to know what accommodation the 

 Bernina Inn affords, that both my fellow-travellers agreed it 

 was by far the best dinner that they got in the Engadine ; 

 and this fully confirmed the experience we had had in Italy, 



