CHAP. XII.] LETTERS FROM ABROAD. 137 



From Innspruck we took a drive up the Bremer and crossed the 

 Lake Constance, and came to Zurich. From Zurich we came to Lucerne. 

 From Lucerne we went up the railway to the Rigi : there was so much 

 snow that we could not get to the top, but only one-third the way up. 



The mountains about here are covered deeply with snow. Pilatus is 

 snow a long way down. All the mountains up the lake are well covered, 

 which makes the views intensely beautiful. We went up the lake to 

 Fluelen, and have returned to table d'hote. The lake never looked so 

 lovely, and, what is best of all, we are not troubled with numerous tourists. 

 We are still like the premature swallows. I enjoy my rest excessively; 

 and as I have nothing to do, not even to settle accounts or railway 

 tickets, it is a thorough rest to me, which I feel I want.* We have been 

 at least 1600 miles in fourteen days, which is more than 110 miles a day. 



I hope the tall boy (the gardener) does his work in the garden, for soon 

 all the succulent plants must take a promenade. Write to me to Hotel de 

 France, Bordeaux. I have seen a glorious sunset over Pilatus, also a sun- 

 rise. We have had a fish in the lakes of Zurich and Lucerne, without 

 being troubled with any weight of fish to carry afterwards. With best 

 love to boy and girl. 



During this visit my father visited Clermont in France, and 

 was interested with the geological formation of that place. One 

 of the mountains at Clermont is an extinct volcano, and from 

 there he brought home a Eoman coin. This Koman coin was 

 " found," he writes, " in digging the foundation of an observatory 

 on the top of the Domo, about 5000 feet high, the centre of a 

 huge series of extinct volcanoes at Clermont, in the centre of 

 France." My brother has kindly allowed me to take a woodcut 

 of the coin, which is here given. 



FIG. GA. Roman Coin found at Clermont. 



On the 17th of August he wrote the following letter to the 

 < Times ' on " A Homicidal Kiver." 



The river Lea was as famous for its annual deaths half a century 

 ago as it is now. For several summers 1 resided on its banks, and on 



* When they came to sundry towns, it should be observed he had to 

 attend to weighty matters of business ; but, although he was travelling at the 

 rate of 110 miles a day, even this was a rest compared to his mental work in 

 London. 



