RT, 28.] JOURNAL. 261 
the scenery much more picturesque than I expected, but 
was most interested in the people and their little vil- 
lages ; women mowing, reaping, and doing every sort of 
the hardest labor; all awfully afflicted with goitre, 
scarce a person wholly free from it; actually saw one 
woman with a goitre not quite as large as her own head 
certainly, but about the size of that of the child she held 
in her arms, apparently a year old; saw one cretin. 
Stopped a few moments at the principal auberge in 
the village of Viesch; found the priest with two of his 
parishioners playing a game of cards together. A 
stranger being a curiosity in that region, one person 
accosted me very politely, and took me up the valley 
a little way to see the glacier and mountains. Reached 
Brieg utterly worn out, but got a good supper and 
d; this being just where the famous Simplon road 
commences the ascent of the mountains, there are 
many travelers and a good hotel, though dear. 
Rose Tuesday morning at four ovelock: my feet 
and legs very stiff and sore; thought of going up 
the Simplon road into the sricanbaitina to see some of 
the galleries and bridges and get fine views, but the 
morning was cloudy and I did not like to lose the 
time ; started off down the valley, but got on slowly 
and very painfully ; however, walked as far as Leuk, 
I believe about twenty-four miles, and there hired a 
char, which took me on to Sion, the capital of the 
canton, about twenty-two miles further, where I slept. 
Wednesday, rose at four, and feeling pretty stout, 
I started off at five on foot, and though certainly in 
very far from the best condition for walking, went on 
to Martigny to breakfast, which place I endhod at half 
past ten, twenty-four miles according to the guide- 
book, but the latter part was very painful. From this 
