monly vivid, were prodigious. Heart's-ease, wild ranunculus, anemones, and a beautiful purple flower that smelt like the cowslip, also a blue flower that was very striking, and wild gooseberries, and barbery bushes were in abundance. The ascent, which continues for five miles, is steep and rather rugged, but quite safe. For fifty yards they have built a covered way, to avoid a part where the avalanches were particularly dangerous. We passed some fine cascades, but the scenes were not pleasing, and less curious than those of the Col di Tendè. The plain at the top is five miles, across, and the lake is formed from the torrents, from the heights still above it. On passing a stream near the top, you enter Savoy, where is an inn, and half a mile further is a convent, where strangers are frequently lodged. The road was tolerable, though we passed through some snow. On descending the mountain we found it so steep that my uncle got into a chair that had come with us from Novalesse, in case of our wanting

it, and I also went in a chair for a mile, as my horse was rough; but they are so used to the road that they never stumble. Near Lanslebourg the scene improves, and would be pretty were the wood any other than miserable fir trees. At Lanslebourg we had our carriages put together again, and after staying two hours, we set out and travelled by the side of a river through a valley: you make a prodigious detour to avoid the mountains. This afternoon was the sixth or seventh spring we had seen, but on the whole the passage of the Mont Cenis disappointed me. Passing a cascade and some woods, we slept at Modane, which not being a post-house, we were obliged to creep the horses all night.

Tuesday. Our journey was beautiful to the greatest degree. The valley was rich, and the scenes much varied,-torrents, cascades, woods, lawns, rocks, and picturesque villages followed each other. We particularly admired the view near St. Michael, and still more at Aijnebelli, where

we dined in the best inn we had seen since leaving Nice. From thence to Montmelean. We this day admired the charming country we passed through, though we were shocked at the very great deformity of the inhabitants of these valleys; their squat figures, flat faces, and immense goîtres made them dreadful objects, and too frequently we saw amongst them many that were quite idiots.

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The next day we arrived at Chamberry, and found my sister and Charlotte there, to my great joy. We left them at eleven o'clock the following morning, and, travelling all day, arrived at Geneva just in time before the gates were shut, and found rooms ready at the Balance. the morning of the 26th, M. Tremblay came to breakfast, afterwards M. du Pan, and M. de Salgar; the two first dined with us. After dinner we went to M. Turretin's. Madame Turretin was the daughter of a French refugee family, settled in England, of the name of Villette, and has two sons in the British army. We saw

Lady Emily Kerr's (now Lady Emily Macleod) picture in the house, done by Romney.

We went to the play at five o'clock, in the French resident's box, with Miss Macdonald. The play was a most dismal tragedy, Gabrielle de Vergy; the subject too horrid to represent on a public stage, and made more so by the violence of Mdlle. de Sainval's acting, who we saw perform the part of Gabrielle de Vergy. We were told that she was esteemed the best actress on the French stage, but that she was banished from Paris for some impertinence to the Queen of France, either having refused to perform at her time, or in some particular part. The provinces reap the advantage, and she goes from place to place filling every theatre. Her stay at Geneva was to be a fortnight, and she was to have twenty guineas a night. We did not like her. It was impossible to forget Mrs. Siddons, whose enchanting manner made every part so interesting. Mdlle. de Sainval is naturally vulgar and unpleasing. Perhaps we

liked her the less for being unused to French tragedy.

28th May. I went with M. du Pau in his cabriolet to see several campagnes on the north side of the lake, and by the Rhône. I admired his own, and those of MM. Constance and Galletin, and also one in a pleasing situation belonging to M. Fabri, where the style of the family reminded me of England. Madame Fabri seemed to be entirely occupied in the education of four very pretty girls, M. du Pau showed me his clair de lune decoupures, a mixture of painting and cutting out, which had a good effect. We called at the inn at Secheron, where we saw Lord and Lady Bulkeley just arrived, having broke down on their journey, and travelled all night. We were told that Lady Maynard and the Duke of Bedford were there. Lord Maynard was gone to Plombières. Soon after we got home, my sister and Mrs. M. arrived, having slept at Frangy. Somerville, who was at a sort of

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