262 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 
place one may go to the Hospice of St. Bernard in 
ten hours. I would have been glad to have seen so 
famous a place, but as to scenery it is decidedly in- 
ferior to much I had already seen. One may go to 
Chamouni in nine hours, getting the superb view of 
Mont Blane from the summit of Col de Balme on the 
way. Thinking it impossible to walk farther, I hired 
a mule, and a person with him, and went up to the top 
of Col de Balme (five hours), passing the vale and 
glacier of Trient. Reached the summit at four 
o'clock; enjoyed a fine view of Mont Blane and its 
attendant peaks from top to bottom, or rather at top 
and bottom, for there was a belt of cloud about the 
middle, —a most superb and complete view, Mer de 
Glace and all. 
Quite satisfied without going to Chamouni, so re- 
turned to Martigny at eight Pp. M.; another good day’s 
work, particularly as I walked both up and down the 
worst part of the road, being merciful to the beast. 
On my descent obtained a splendid view of the Bern- 
ese Alps. Much amused at looking over the register 
at the hotel, where the travelers expressed their opin- 
ions of the different hotels on the road, praising some, 
and speaking of others in terms of great reprobation; 
good plan. I think if the proprietor of the hotel at 
Sion (a very dirty hotel) could read all that is writ- 
ten in his own book he would burn it. . . . Lay down 
and slept till midnight. 
Thursday, took diligence at one o’clock A. M. for 
Villeneuve ; saw the falls of the Sallanches by moon- 
light; arrived at Villeneuve at half past seven, just 
after the morning steamboat had left for Geneva ; 
am confident we were delayed on purpose, to induce 
us to go on in the diligence instead of the next boat. 
