[Beckenried—Thursday, 8 September 1859]
Thursday 8th How Swiss-like and pretty and clean Beckenried is. So like a retired Lucerne with the lake stretching out just at our feet. Such a clear summer like morning as we had to start on our way to Lungern. The Statue of Arnold of Winkelried was standing, still holding the spears as of old in the quiet town of Stansstadt. It was a holiday and all the people had left their work and in their gay dresses lined the road-side on their way to meet their friends. We reached Lungern—a wild rough place enough about noon-day. The little inn was crowded with hungry travellers, mostly preparing to cross the Brünig Pass. Having been instilled with a proper respect for the Swiss passes I expected to find the Brünig a little difficult. Jamie walked and he said it was comparatively speaking very easy but I reposed in a chaise à porteurs borne by capital Swiss men who gave us a nice specimen of “Yoddling”. The way was wonderfully beautiful overlooking the incomparable beauties of the Hasli Valley with the noble precipices opposite to us from which innumerable waterfalls drooped their watery veils. Long before sun-set we descended to Meyringen a pastoral village with a comfortable inn and from our chamber window we saw the sun-light die away over the snowy Wetter-horn and the water-falls sang to us in the night.
