TEN YEARS' ALPINE TRAVEL (1774-84) 159 



common chronology gives the world, and asked me what I thought 

 about it. I told him that my observations of mountains had led me 

 to look on the world as somewhat older. " Ah," he answered with 

 an air of triumph, " my seal had already told me so, because the other 

 day I had the patience to count the blows while reflecting on the 

 world's age, and I found it was four years older than it is set down 

 in this almanac." ' [Voyages, 1782 ] 



From Cevio de Saussure took the road through the deep trench 

 of the lower Val Maggia to Locarno, thus missing by a mile or two 

 one of the most exquisite spots in the Italian Alps, Bignasco. 

 This village, a cluster of a few houses, is situated at the junction 

 of the two glens that unite to form the main Val Maggia. One of 

 the happiest of my Alpine memories is of a day spent there in 

 1864, when there was no regular inn, but guests were received, as 

 in de Saussure's time, in a private house that stands between the 

 two torrents. From its upper windows the eyes look up the 

 long vista of Val Bavona over a foreground of trellised vineyards, 

 through receding distances of granite cliffs and forested bluffs, to 

 the snows of the Basodino. At one's feet arched bridges span two 

 amazingly clear and blue torrents, linking banks draped in chestnut 

 and birch groves and carpeted with bushes of Alpine rhododen- 

 dron, here growing among the vines and far below its usual level. 



On an earlier passage of the Gries de Saussure had descended 

 past Domo d'Ossola to Lago Maggiore. He pronounces what most 

 travellers who do not aim at singularity in taste will consider a 

 just verdict on the Isola Bella. The formal garden, he admits, has 

 gone out of fashion, yet even those who prefer, as a rule, nature less 

 lavishly adorned may, he suggests, here make an exception. He 

 confesses to have found singular pleasure in wandering round the 

 shady laurel groves and statued terraces of oranges and lemons, 

 and enjoying the exquisite views of the lake and mountains 

 that open on all sides of Count Borromeo's superb fantasy. 



From Locarno de Saussure took the road of the St. Gotthard 

 through Bellinzona. 1 At Airolo, the village at the southern foot 

 of the pass, he on two occasions made some stay. On his second 

 visit (1783) he was sorry not to find the crystal-hunter who had 



1 On the Grimsel-Griea road there was no lack of inns : on the St. Gotthard, 

 those at Bellinzona, Airolo, and Andermatt are noted as good ; at Dazio Grande, 

 Giornico, Goschrncn, r.,ncl Fliielen there was passable accommodation. 



