Part 3

On leaving Alt-Ötting, we for the first time this year saw cherry-trees in blossom, and on the sides of the road there was abundance of the pretty blue gentian. The next station, and the last in Bavaria, was Marktl. From thence we drove on to Braunau, already a wide and very rapid river. The black and yellow striped posts on the wooden bridge announced to us the dominion of Austria; and on entering the town, we drove to the custom-house, where, however, the officers gave us no trouble, for a letter from Prince Esterhazy, with which Sir Humphry was furnished, seemed to act as a talisman, producing instantaneous civility, with bows and titles innumerable. The next _poste_ was Altheim, where we found that every thing was to be paid for in Austrian money, which at first promised to be no slight trouble, though we soon found it was an easy matter to reduce it, six Bavarian kreuzers, or six florins, being equal to five Austrian ones. It was our intention to have reached Haag this evening, but having a very long and steep hill to cross, the night overtook us at Ried, a little village, where we were obliged to put up with the accommodations of a miserable inn, with bad coffee and wretched beds, much to the discomfiture of Sir Humphry.

_22nd._ We left Ried at about nine, and drove through a fine forest of lofty pines to Haag, and from thence to Lambach. Wood seems so abundant in this country, that not only the inferior houses are wholly built of it, but even the fences between the fields are formed of rough deal planks. Lambach is a small insignificant town on the Traun, which river we here saw for the first time: its water is beautifully clear, and of a bluish-green colour. From Lambach we turned off to Vöcklabrück, along the banks of the Agger, another clear mountain stream, winding very prettily through a flat valley of the same name. On our approach to this little place we beheld the lofty Alps, which form the shores of the Traun Lake, at a short distance off; and Sir Humphry rejoiced that he had at length arrived where he might enjoy his favourite amusement of fishing, which, but for a thunderstorm, he would this very evening have indulged in, at the expence of the poor fish in the little river Vöckla.

_23rd._ Early this morning, Sir Humphry begged me in his name to visit Count E----, who lives at a short distance from Vöcklabrück, and is proprietor of the fishing right in the Agger and Vöckla, and request his permission for him to fish in these streams; this the Count very graciously granted, and Sir Humphry accordingly mounted a pony, and rode down to the Vöckla, where, however, during the morning, he caught but little fish. The afternoon was spent in the same pursuit, and we closed the evening as usual with reading some of Dryden's poems and the "Arabian Nights."

_24th._ In the morning Sir Humphry begged me to procure a one-horse chaise for him, in which, with his servant, he was driven to the Kammer Lake, about ten miles off. I, in the meanwhile, strolled about the environs, not finding anything interesting in the town; but my walk did not prove very agreeable, the weather being so misty that I could gain no view of the neighbouring Alps, and I was very glad to see Sir Humphry return in the afternoon, bringing with him a few fish, which were dressed for his dinner. In the evening we read Prior's "Alma," but not being pleased with it we soon changed it for Pope's "Essay on Man."

_25th._ We quitted Vöcklabrück at about ten in the morning, not at all to my sorrow; and after a beautiful drive through fine fir woods and lanes, where the hedges were already quite green, we arrived at Gmünden, and beheld a scene which surpasses in magnificence any thing I have ever yet seen. On one side of the hill down which we drove was a wood of tall beeches, the leaves just bursting from the bud; on the lower side, meadows of the most beautiful green sloped down to the town of Gmünden, which seemed to rise out of the bosom of the lake of the same name, or, as it is more generally called, the Traun Lake. Alps, whose summits were hidden in the clouds, and on whose rocky heights nothing was seen but the dark black pine, form the banks of this large reservoir of water, in some places descending with precipitous and almost perpendicular steepness into the clear lake, whilst in others they are lost in fine meadows and orchards, with neat wooden cottages peeping through the trees; and on an island in the lake we saw a large chateau and church, which are joined to the main land by a long wooden bridge. The best inn at Gmünden, the Ship, is close upon the edge of the water, and commands a magnificent view over the whole extent of the lake, and every window being provided with a little cushion, one may enjoy the scene leaning on the window-sill for hours, without any detriment to one's elbows. Gmünden itself is a pretty clean little town at the north end of the lake, exactly on the spot where it empties itself into the river Traun with an impetuous rush, thus dividing the town into two distinct parts, connected by a strong wooden bridge built on piles. On the shores of the lake are many beautiful small villages, now and then seen through the half green trees, and at about six miles from Gmünden, apparently at the end of the lake, is the town of Traunkirchen, almost lost in distance and haziness. The water of the lake is beautifully clear, and of a deep blue-green colour. After reading to Sir Humphry in the evening, I spent an hour gazing out upon the lake and its alpine shores, partially illuminated by the moon; the more distant snowy summits seemed like detached clouds, resting as it were upon the dark and gloomy masses beneath, which threw their long broad shadows over the silvery bosom of the lake; while every here and there on the surrounding shores, a few twinkling lights, seen between the trees, marked the situation of a village or country house.

_26th._ On awaking this morning, I fancied myself on the sea shore, for the first sound I heard was the surge of the waters of the lake, which had been agitated into light waves by a fresh morning breeze. On going to my window the scene formed a striking contrast to that of yesterday evening; the darkness and deep silence of night had disappeared; not a cloud was to be seen, and the brilliant beams of the young sun shone upon numberless boats, flitting with their white sails over the glittering waves; whilst in the street beneath stood motley groups of peasants lounging about, or awaiting the arrival of some boat from the other shore of the lake. Sir Humphry rose early, and immediately after breakfast we went out to the bridge over the Traun, he to fish, whilst I sketched; and staid the whole morning beneath the bridge, on one of the piers close to the rushing stream. The view from this spot is far more extensive than that from the inn windows, as from hence you see quite to the opposite end of the lake, and can discover beyond the promontory, on which stands the town of Traunkirchen, the houses and spires of Ebensee, as white specks against the distant grey mountain; and from hence also are seen to great advantage, far beyond the mountains of the lake, the distant snow-clad summits of the Schneeberg and other of the Styrian Alps. On my return home I found Sir Humphry already there, and that he had caught some fine trout, which proved excellent. In the evening we had a violent storm, and I read Green's poem on the Spleen, which Sir Humphry does not admire.

_27th._ This morning proved rainy, and Sir Humphry was in despair, as he had ordered a small carriage, intending to go and see the Falls of the Traun, about ten miles down the river; it cleared up, however, about eleven o'clock, and turning out very fine, we set off, Sir Humphry armed with all his fishing-tackle, and I with my sketch-book. After a fine drive along the top of the precipitous and highly picturesque banks of the Traun, passing by many smaller falls and rapids, we reached the inn near the great fall, the roar of which is heard at a considerable distance. A little below the cataract a lofty wooden bridge is thrown over the Traun, and from beneath it one beholds a truly sublime scene. The greater part of the river here precipitates itself from a height of nearly fifty feet, in one immense mass of foam over the impeding rocks, which are of considerable breadth. Thick clouds of mist are continually rising from the boiling pool, and the spectator standing within a few feet of the descending river is completely wetted in an instant. In the centre of the river stands a large rock, from which three smaller falls throw themselves into the greater pool; and again, higher up on the right is another large cascade, where the water falls in a perpendicular sheet between two rocks, which serve as a support to a small wooden house that has been erected over the fall. Below the bridge the whole river is one white stream of foam, with dark black rocks here and there jutting out of it. The banks are formed of lofty rocks (chiefly pudding-stone,) and are topped with woods of dark black pine. Boats descending the river avoid the danger of this cataract by means of a small canal, which has been cut through the right bank of the river in a sloping direction from the fall, and again joins the river at some distance below it. This canal is immediately filled with water by raising a sluice gate close to the fall, and the boat keeping near the shore is very easily guided into it, and descends quickly and safely. Sir Humphry finding the fish would not bite, we returned home, after spending a short hour in this sublime and romantic spot. The drive back to Gmünden is finer than the drive to the Falls, the river presenting more beautiful openings and turnings, and the lake gradually rising into view.

In the evening Sir Humphry determined not to remain at the baths of Ischl, about twenty miles distant, as he had intended doing, but to proceed to Laybach, three hundred miles off, as he thought the snipe-shooting, which he much wished to enjoy, would not yet be over there.

_28th._ We left Gmünden at eight, crossing over the lake in a large boat. The view of Gmünden from the lake is beautiful, and with its gently sloping green hills and woods in the back ground, and its neat white houses, rising as it were out of the water, forms a strong contrast with the rugged mountains which surround the lake on every other side. Whilst crossing over, the scene continually changes, the Alps presenting themselves from different sides; and on turning the promontory on which Traunkirchen is situated, we entered as it were upon another small lake, and discovered the town of Ebensee, about three miles off, quite at the end of it. The Traun here flows into the lake, and often brings with it a considerable quantity of wood, which is collected by a long _cordon_, formed of the trunks of fir-trees joined together, and drawn across the end of the lake. Ebensee has very large salt-works, which afford employment to the greater number of its inhabitants. Post-horses were here again put to the carriage, and we drove on along the banks of the Traun through most enchanting scenery to Ischl, and from hence to Aussee, over a very steep mountain, on the sides of which I found, whilst walking up it, many of our prettiest garden flowers, cyclamens, anemones, &c. &c. After ascending for an hour and a half, we entered Styria, passing the boundary of Upper Austria, and came to the snow, through which we pursued our way for half an hour more, when we found ourselves on the top of the pass, between 4000 and 5000 feet above the level of the sea, environed by Alps clad in deep and for the most part eternal snow. Our road down was cut through the snow, which was much deeper on this side than on the other. Aussee is a little town, beautifully situated at the bottom of a valley, surrounded on all sides by gigantic rocks; it also has, like Ebensee, extensive saltworks, the salt for which is furnished from the salt-mines in the adjacent mountains.

_29th._ We quitted Aussee this morning, and drove on through Mitterndorf, Steinach, and Liezen, our road lying through beautiful Alpine country, sometimes hilly, and always at a great elevation. Between Liezen and Rothenmann we passed the first old feudal castle that we have seen in this part of Austria; it is called Wolkenstein, and is finely situated upon a hill, between rocks and woods. Most of these people have large _gôitres_, the cause of which it is perhaps difficult to ascertain with certainty. Sir Humphry seemed inclined to attribute their presence to the calcareous earths which the waters of these vallies may hold in solution. This opinion has been also supported by many scientific medical men; still Sir Humphry seemed to think there was reason in my observation, that it might rather be the effect of climate and damp; for in a mountainous country that is also full of streams, the inhabitants are always exposed to strong currents of damp and chilly air at one season, and to the extreme of heat in the summer months, when the rays of the sun are reflected from the rocky mountains, and, as it were, concentrated upon the lower vallies; for were it from the water, would it not, in an equal degree, affect the upper classes, which, I have observed in the neighbourhood where I have resided, is not the fact; for though they are subject to this disease, they are by no means so much so as the poorer inhabitants of the villages in the Odenwald, for instance; and the water of many of these parts has been proved to be more than usually free from earths and salts.

Between Rothenmann and Gaishorn, at which latter village we passed the night, we saw a peat moor, a very rare thing in this country. I think I shall never forget the evening we spent here, in one of the most miserable dirty little village inns in Europe. When we drove up to the door we heard within the sound of loud and merry music, and the noise of a number of people dancing and clapping their hands; this all of a sudden ceased, and out rushed a whole troop of peasants of both sexes to see the strangers. The master of the inn, a young man, led us up a tumble-down staircase to the first and only story, where we found three rooms in no very inviting state: the walls were dirty, bare, and ragged; the beds almost as bad; the furniture looked as if it had been standing there for a hundred years, and every thing smelt of tobacco-smoke. Sir Humphry could scarcely make up his mind to remain in such a place, yet it was too late to attempt to proceed, as he did not like to travel after dark; so I was obliged to do my best, and arrange our accommodation for the night, I being the only one who could make myself understood, and this with no small difficulty, the people here speaking the most wretched Austrian dialect. When I had at last got dinner served, or rather supper, which we had luckily brought with us, and had ordered chickens to be killed to take with us to-morrow, got out sheets to be aired, &c. &c., none of which orders I could get attended to with any regularity, as every body was running off to the dance, which in the meanwhile had recommenced with as much noise as before, I attempted to read the "Arabian Nights" to Sir Humphry, but he found it impossible to hear, and was obliged soon to retire to his bed. Before I followed his example I went to take a peep at the dance, and asked the host what all this rout was about? He told me it was the conclusion of a wedding fête which had been celebrated the day before, and his house having been engaged for the purpose, he could not put an end to their merriment. The dance which these peasants were enjoying, the national dance of Styria, was a slow waltz, not devoid of grace, with various tours performed by four couple, and which were always preceded by a loud clapping of hands and stamping with the feet. Had we arrived yesterday we should have seen the fête in its glory, and all the guests in their gay and motley apparel, which would have been an entertaining sight, but the bride and bridegroom not being present this day, their friends were footing it merrily in their every-day dress. Having partaken of some of the remains of the wedding cakes, I retired to bed, but not to sleep, the party continuing their revels and noise till a very late hour.

_30th._ We could not set off this morning till after nine, one of the bolts of the carriage wanting repair, which I was obliged to superintend, the workmen understanding nothing of the build of an English carriage. We then set out and drove on to Krapath, where our chickens proved very acceptable, the post-house offering nothing but stale brown, or rather black bread and sour wine. We passed to-day another old castle on the mountains, which latter, though still in some parts covered with snow, already begin to lose their rocky and alpine appearance, and have a more rounded form. The day was warm and very dusty. From Krapath we drove on to Judenburg, a considerable town on the top of a hill, but which we did not enter till long after sunset.

_May 1st._ From Judenburg we went on through Unzmarkt, to Neumarkt, in Carinthia; and from thence through some beautiful vallies to Friesach, a small town, where we passed the night at a very good inn. Upon the hill above the town, stand the remains of an extensive old castle, but we arrived too late to admit of my visiting it.

_2nd._ We left Friesach early, and went on to St. Veit, and from thence to Klagenfurth, the capital of Carinthia. Before us in the distance appeared another range of lofty snowy Alps, which form the boundary between this country and Carniola. Between St. Veit and Klagenfurth we met a post carriage, and the postilions insisted in spite of all remonstrance upon changing horses, alleging as a reason that we should find none at Klagenfurth. On driving to the post, which is a very fine hotel, we found upon enquiry that the postilions were in the right, and that they are permitted to change horses when they know that there are none at the next station. Klagenfurth appears to be a very respectable town, with broad and clean streets, and one or two fine open squares. We stopped here to dinner, and then went on to Kirschentheur, a small village lying at the foot of the Löbel, one of the chain of Alps which we had seen in the morning, and over which the high road from Carinthia to Carniola passes. We had not long left Klagenfurth when we again met with another carriage, and were stopped and deprived of our horses, which not a little irritated Sir Humphry, for we this time got instead of our three only two, and neither of these having a saddle, and our carriage being without a front dicky, the postilion was obliged to walk to the next station. Sir Humphry had hoped to have crossed the Löbel to-night, but on arriving at Kirschentheur, we found it was too late to think of it; and we therefore remained at the post-house, where we found ourselves tolerably comfortable.

_3rd._ Our preparations for departure this morning seemed to indicate a very laborious route, for the carriage was provided with six horses, two postilions, and two drags. We started at seven, and after a drive of half an hour arrived at the foot of the Löbel Alp, or, to speak more correctly, at the foot of a lesser mountain, which lies before the Alps, to the summit of which we ascended by an excellent road, in many places cut through the limestone rock. From the top, already at a considerable elevation, we looked down upon the road before us, which appeared like beautiful terraces built one above the other, and which lay so perpendicularly under our feet, that it seemed almost impossible to reach the lowest without imminent danger. The drags, however, were put on, and we all arrived safely upon the last terrace, which is formed of a noble and lofty stone arch, thrown across a very deep ravine. We then proceeded through a beautiful valley formed of magnificent rocks, crowned with woods of different descriptions, above which appeared the white fields of snow. We at last reached the base of the Löbel itself, and began the ascent of it, which occupied nearly four hours. The road, which is everywhere excellent, and is kept in very good order, winds upwards in a continual zig-zag till it reaches the summit, where an opening is hewn through the solid rock, from whence a most extensive and magnificent view presents itself to the eye of the traveller just arrived from below; one seems to look out upon a vast plain, but this plain is formed of the summits of lesser mountains, all beautifully wooded, whilst nearer on each side is a long chain of rocky Alps, whose crests are covered with snow, and the road in front is seen winding through a deep valley till it is lost in the woods.

Upon these Alps the varied progress of vegetation is distinctly marked; first appears the beech now just burst into leaf, reaching to a height of about 4000 feet; then follow the dark pine and fir, whose sombre tints contrast finely with the beautiful green of the lower woods; and again above these the lowly heath appears, bordering upon bare and rugged rocks, or upon fields of eternal snow.

On the road we met with very little snow, and this only near the summit of the pass; on arriving here our three extra horses were taken off, and locking both the hinder wheels, we began the descent; this is much steeper than the ascent from the other side, and from the top one sees terrace lying below terrace, till they reach the valley. We arrived safely at the bottom, having, however, with some difficulty avoided running over a drunken man, who was lying fast asleep in the middle of the road. We then drove on through the valley, always down hill, to Neumarkt, in Carniola, into which province we had entered on the summit of the Löbel; it is a small bourg, beautifully situated in a dell, and completely surrounded by mountains; it is the first station after leaving Kirschentheur, and we reached it at about two o'clock, so that we had occupied seven hours in the passage of the Löbel. After dining here we went on to Krainfurth, a pretty town, and of considerable size, on the river Save or Sau. The evening being fine, Sir Humphry went out to fish, but caught nothing.

_4th._ We left Krainfurth at eight, and arrived, after a pleasant but, as usual, silent drive, at Laybach about twelve, and have taken up our quarters at Detella's inn, which however is not the first, as the Savage, and the City of Trieste, are each of them better hotels, and are more pleasantly situated. Sir Humphry, however, chooses Detella's, in consequence, he says, of its being the house in which he was ten years ago, as well as in the year 1827, when he was seriously ill there, and received great attention from some of the innkeeper's family.

_5th.-17th._ Sir Humphry generally goes out shooting the whole day, and often brings home quails and landrails; but the snipes are rare. I seldom accompany him on these excursions, as he is not fond of a second gun, and I can be of no use, as he always takes a game-keeper with him besides his servant. After dinner he usually goes out fishing for an hour or two, and in the evening, after I have read to him, we generally play a game at _ecarté_.