Thursday, 1 August 1861
To Martigny.
Off in a carriage & 2 by 4.45. At 6.15 Gignod. Great pass=scenes but not very beautiful. Walked ― the precipices boring me. 7.43 Etrouble. 8.10 St. Oyen ―― 9.10 St. Remy,1 where I got mules at once, & was off at 9.33. Pull up ugly base pass ― half up at 10.35. At 11, the last house in Italy, wh. I regret. ― 11.20 rest & brandy & snow. 11.50 at the Hospice. ― A grand scene, & I wish I had time to draw it, but to do so involved staying all night. A lot of loud & vulgar folk at dinner ― apparently actors from Aôsta theatre. “Did” the Monastery rapidly: the Superior talked to me from a staircase outside ― evidently in no happy mood concerning all monasteries, & this particularly. Off ― 12.55 ― Fuss with luggage ― but we got to St. Pierre at 3.55. Absurd & odious Gendarme about Passports & luggage. Got 2 cars, & was finally off at 4.45.Same very grand Swiss Valley bits are in the downward pass, but it is long & tedious, & trying to the bones & nerves. At 5.15 Liddes. ― 6 Orsieres. At 6.25 reached the half-way village. At 6.45 Branchier.2 At 7 the tunnel in the rock. Then much very bad new road, & at Martigny by 8.15 just in time for daylight. The Post inn, very clean & comfortable.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]
