136 MEMOIR OF ALFRED SMEE. [Chap. XII. 



From Zurich, May 13th, 1876, he writes :— 



We have been to Brussels, from thence to Frankfort, thence to 

 Passan, from Passau to Lintz down the Danube, and then from Lintz 

 to Vienna by the Danube. 



We then went to Ansteller, from thence to Salzthal across to Inn- 

 spruck, by the most wonderful road that you could imagine. 



It was a single line which ran through gorges over mountains by bad 

 curves, by terrible inclines, across mouiii.tain torrents, altogether a remark- 

 able ride through mountains, for hour after hour, till the eye became 

 weary. Acres of lovely violets covered the ground. Masses of marsh 

 marigolds lit up the fields ; the lovely gentians gladdened the eyes ; and 

 literally acres of violets or I'ather pansies, yeUow and tricoloured, formed a 

 natural flower garden gorgeous to behold. The skirts of the woods were 

 Nature's own landscape-gardening, with curved lines of woods and shrubs 

 on the sward of emerald green grass mixed with flowers. Then the moun- 

 tains were snow-covered and cloud-capped, and different views were 

 opened out at every turn of the road. 



Every now and then an eagle or huge hawk traversed the valleys. 



Any traveller must go right through, for the accommodation is queer, 

 as you may judge when I teU you that we took our meals at a restaurant 

 at a station, and slept in a cottage. 



I sent the boy (his grandson) a letter. Tell your mother how he liked 

 it, and she can tell me when she writes. 



I suppose your husband will be off before this arrives ; if not, give my 

 love, and tell him I wish him a happy and prosperous voyage. 



The weather has been very bad — cold, dark, and cloudy ; in fact we 

 have not seen the sun for fourteen days. 



The Tyrol Pass was not altogether free from danger. We saw a 

 railroad carnage which had been smashed to atoms in a mountain torrent 

 below, and we did not go more than three to ten miles an hour. We could 

 not go over the Madler Pass or up the Bngadine, because there was so 

 much snow ; in fact some patches of snow were lying at below 3000 feet. 



The snow mixed with the black pines and bright green foliage was 

 very striking. We shall move from here to Lucerne ; thence to Vevey ; 

 thence to Lyons, Toulouse, Nantes, and home : altogether 3000 miles. 

 Kiss the boy and girl. 



In another letter he writes thus : — 



I wrote a letter to the dear boy (his grandson) which I thought would 

 do for the dear girl — ^that is, you also ; but I have not heard how your 

 little daughter progresses. 



We have had an extraordinary journey : we went down the Danube 

 from Passau to Lintz, from Lintz to Vienna, which I much enjoyed. It 

 was so bitterly cold that we were compelled to keep in the cabin, where 

 the views were as good as out of doors. 



We then crossed the Tyrol by a new route to Innspruck, the worst 

 travellers' route which ever was seen. The way lay south of Salzbui'g. 



Then he speaks of the flowers he saw, which have been already 

 alluded to in the former letter, and continues : — 



