590 
river ; but the mountain-pastures are the 
principal resource of the inhabitants, and 
large quantities of cheese, similar to the 
Gruyere, are made for exportation. ~ 
BOURG ST. MAURICE. 
The road from Moutiers to the Bourg 
St. Maurice being very bad for a car- 
riage, it was past pine o’clock when we 
arrived at our inn in the latter place, 
though we left Moutiers at half-past 
two: the distance is about sixteen miles. 
We had heard a good character of our 
host and his inn, and were not disap- 
pointed; he wasa respectablelooking man, 
mach like a substantial Etiglish farmer. 
Though we were now on the extreme 
confines of the cultivated world, imme- 
diately under the central range of the 
Alps, the accommodations were much 
better than in many of the more fertile 
parts of Savoy. Bourg St. Matirice be- 
ing the last market-town in the Taren- 
taise, on the road to Piedmont, all per- 
sons who cross the Little St. Bernard must 
sleep here, and start from hence early in 
the morning. 
Nothing can be more dreary and de- 
solate than the general appearance of the 
country in the upper part of the valley 
of the Isere, beyond Bourg St. Maurice 
to Mont Iseran, where the valley termi- 
nates. Black and frowning mountains, 
with a few firs on their lower slopes, and 
their bases covered with bare stones, 
brought. down by eboulements, and 
here and there a few scattered babita- 
tions, and a marsh along the bottom of 
the valley, offer no allurement to the 
traveller, to visit the source of the Isere. 
BATHS OF BRIDA. : 
On the first evening of our arrival at 
Moutiers, we proceeded to the newly-es- 
tablished baths at Brida, in the valley of 
the Upper Doron, where we resided se- 
veral weeks, making excursions to dif- 
ferent objects in the vicinity. The baths 
are situated among the most remarkable 
niountains in the Grecian Alps, anc the 
accommodation provided at the boarding 
houses for visitors, made this village a 
convenient station. The excursion to 
Bourg’ St. Maurice, above described, 
was made on our return to Moutiers. 
From Moutiers to Brida the road is 
narrow and dangerous, being carried 
along the’ side of a precipice, at a great 
height above the river, and unprotected 
by any parapet-wall or fence. 
Wealighted at the hotel where we had 
been recommended: here we dismissed 
the voiturier, who had brought us from 
Aix, and whom we had ordered to fol- 
low us from Moutiers, expecting to re- 
Bakewell’s Travels in the Tarentaise, &c. 
turn the next day, but we were so much 
struck with the singular appearance of the 
valley, that we determined to remain 
here some time, and examine a country 
hitherto undescribed. 
Five or six houses are already fitted 
up for the reception of company, and 
others are building, as the baths are 
rapidly rising in reputation. 
The house at Which we were, had 
been the summer residence of a large 
Janded proprietor, a range of new lodg- 
ing-rooms being added to it for the 
company; the charge for each person 
was four francs and a half per day for 
apattments, dinner, supper, and wine. 
A sepirate charge was made for eofice. 
These terms may be considered mode- 
rate, as almost every article of con- 
sumption, even the bread; was brought 
each day from Moutiers. ‘The table 
was as well supplied with beef, yeal, 
poultry, and ham, as this part of Savoy 
could furnish; we had also a desert, 
and plenty of strawberries and ice from 
the mountains; the wine was better 
than at the public table at Aix, 
As these waters were as yet but 
little known out of the dominions of the 
king of Sardinia, the company at Brida 
consisted almost entirely of Piedmontes, 
and natives of Savoy, among whom were 
several of the nobility from Chamberry 
and a number of the clergy. We were, 
excepting one gentleman, the first Eng- 
lish who had visited these baths, and 
we found the company, both at our own 
hotel and the neighbouring houses, dis- 
posed to shew us all the civilities that 
lay in their power to make our residence 
agreeable. ; 
The unfortunate situation of Piedmont, 
prevented any political conversation at 
the public ta¥le, but in private they 
spoke freely; and here, as well as in 
other parts of Savoy, there is but one 
‘feeling, which is that of indignation, at 
being transferred to their old rulers, 
without any stipulation for their liber- 
ties, contrary to the universal wish of 
the whole nation. 
The season for visiting the baths of 
Brida commences about the middle of 
June, and terminates near the end of 
September. 
MOUNTAIN VILLAGES. 
There are several mountain villages 
at a great elevation on each side of the 
valley. As nearly as I could estimate 
by the eye, some of these villages were 
from 2000 to nearly 3000 feet above the 
river, and therefore from 4 to 5000 feet 
above the level of the sea; few villages 
7 
