AST. 58.] TO R. W. CHURCH. 591 



how she felt in flesh, bones, and spirit after that, nor 

 her surprise to find next morning that she was " alive, 

 and alive like to be," nor her keen delight in Matter- 

 horn, Monte Rosa, and surroundings, and the profu- 

 sion of alpine flowers. Sunday and Monday on 

 Riff el most enjoyable. Tuesday, Mrs. G., thinking 

 facile descensus inapplicable to such a steep path, in- 

 sisted upon walking down to Zermatt, which she did ; 

 a long rest at Zermatt, with pleasant English friends, 

 and a dinner enabled us to go Jn char to St. Nicolaus 

 to sleep, taking a small thunder-shower in the way. 



Wednesday, " we still live," and go on horses, 

 through two showers, to Visp again, and then carriage 

 to Sierre and rail down to Hotel Byron, to get charm- 

 ing view and sleep. 



Thursday, all fresh comparatively, and go in a 

 chaise to Chillon, and then back to our pleasant quar- 

 ters in Hotel de la Metropole, Geneva. Here we 

 rest, see friends, and do botany till Tuesday last. 



TO B. W. CHURCH. 



LONDON, August 22, 1869. 



. . . With all my endeavors I could not get off a 

 note to 3^011 by yesterday's (Saturday's) post, and so 

 shall be late in announcing to you our prosperous re- 

 turn to England. We left Paris on Thursday, reached 

 Amiens in time to visit the cathedral, a most striking- 

 specimen of fullest-flowered Gothic, saw it again on 

 Friday morning, and, after a smooth crossing, got to 

 London before sunset. Yesterday I had to go to the 

 banker's, to Kew, and to see our Harvard men at 

 Putney. 1 I must now needs be with them on their 

 trial day ; and then, tell me frankly if it would per- 



1 Boat-race between Harvard and Oxford. 



