Monday August 19th, 1872

Monday Aug 19th had breakfast at 5 started from Vevay at 9 past 6 by Rail to St Maurice where we had to change carriages. A very ancient town took its name from St Maurice the commandant of the Theban Legion he suffered martyrdom here in 202, near the Chapelle de Verolliaz, 6000 Soldiers of the Theban Legion once suffered martydom on the spot where this Chapelle stands.

The Abbey is the oldest on this side of the Alps; on the side of the mountain opposite the Station is perched the hermitage of Notre-Dame-du-Lex more than 500 feet up, to which is a narrow footpath has been hewn in the Rock.

The women here have very peculiar hats with bands of ribbon round with edging of silver or gold lace, many of them handed down from three or four generations and only worn on fete days, they look very remarkable.

Taking our seats in the train we soon arrived at Martigney 30 miles from Vevay, we went to the Hotel de Clere finest Hotel in Martigny, engaged a carriage with a grey horse and mule, started at ¼ past 10 in the morning for Mont St Bernard. In ¾ of a mile came to Martigny le Bourg it was market day the pigs are like Donkeys very poor with remarkably long ears, the granaries and dwelling houses are built in one, very rude and rough looking, and the street was narrow, the dress of the men is very strange looking.

½ mile we crossed the river Dranse 3 ¾ miles farther is Bovernier a dirty looking place, enormous blocks of rock impede the course of the Dranse here, the road is narrow and the precipices to look down are fearful – 400 and 500 feet deep, nothing to protect the road. Went through a tunnel 200 feet long hewn out of the solid rock made by Napoleon 1st, in 1 ½ miles we came to Sembrancher a very odd looking village, on the hill are the ruins of a castle said to have accommodated Emporor Sigismund and 800 Nobles, at the SW Mont Catogne 6510 feet high.

4 ½ miles and we reached Orsieres a large village, there is a very ancient Tower. The streets are very rough and pebbled, very dirty and heaps of manure in between the houses. A little way on, and the channel of the Dranse is so deep you can scarcely see it, the view between here and Liddes is most picturesque in the background is the snowy pyramid of Mont Velan, and cultivated fields like patchwork, no hedges but wheat, barley, grass, rye, vines etc. on the slopes down to the Dranse, the different colours look very pretty.

5 ¾ miles farther and we reached Liddes, a considerable village, two hotels, middling accommodation, very steep narrow streets, but very dirty the horse and mule was taken out of the carriage and two fresh mules put in, the water is plentiful here, like at Vevay and most of the other towns we have been through large stone troughs twelve to fourteen feet long, and the women mostly wash without soap at these troughs in the street some of which are divided where they swill the clothes.

3 ¾ miles we reach St Pierre Mont Soux (we passed Cheval Blanc and Croix two little places) the Church was built in 1010 with a roman mile stone in the wall of the Churchyard, this is the most dirty village I ever saw the manure heaps are close to the front entrance, and under their windows. In the main street, beyond St Pierre we crossed a bridge over a deep Gorge, near it is a beautiful waterfall, this celebrated part of the Alps by Napoleon 1st was began May 16th 1800 and occupied for days, from St Pierre to the Hospice of St Bernard the part which tried Napoleon and his army most when they crossed the Alps. 

The guns was put in the trunks of trees and dragged up by the Soldiers for which Napoleon allowed them 1200 franc’s for each cannon, the artillery carriages were taken to pieces and packed on Mules and the ammunition, also at the Hospice each Soldier partook of the hospitality of the Brethren. The Forest of St Pierre is very large. 

3 ¾ miles more and we got to Cantine de Proz, a solitary Inn, a shed I should call it: the carriage road terminates here (Mont Blanc, the monarch of European Mountains 15,781 feet high and Mont Rosa 15,217 seen from here with their snowy heads) at the foot of the Mountain and in 20 minutes we had the two mules out of the carriage and saddled. Mrs T mounted one and Mrs M the other, Mr M and myself walked, so off we started with an old Gentlemen on another mule, and a young friend walking crossed the pastures of Plan de Proz in 20 minutes, and ascended the wild Defile de Marengo in 1 ¼ hours we came to the two stone huts.

We crossed the Dranse bridge Nudri when the old gentleman was taken ill, which is frequently the case with travellers, the mountain air brings on a faintness the guides got him off the mule and shook him (like an Englishman would shake a boy he caught stealing his apples) making him walk. Then two held him up while the other ran up to the Hospice brought down 6 men with a chair fixed in a frame put him in and carried him up to the Hospice gave him some Cognac, coffee &c. put him to bed and in the morning he was much better.

In 1 ¼ hours from the bridge Nudri we arrived at the Hospice of Great Mont St Bernard 8996 feet high (it is not a single mountain but a group) at ¼ past 9 at night it took us 11 hours, got the Ladies off the mules Mrs M was feeling very gidy and sick, we went into the large room where there was from 30 to 35 visitors mostly ladies, Mr M and Mrs T went to their bedroom, Mrs M had some warm coffee and got quite right; my head ached and I went to bed.

Mr and Mrs Morgan, Mrs T and the friend of the old Gentleman’s went down to the room and had what they liked to eat and drink, there was two pianos one was played by a young lady, and a young gentleman singing all in French, plenty of wine on the table, with vases of flowers on the mantle piece, and a large glass, a very large fire place, in the bedrooms were two beautiful beds clean and nice, eiderdown quilts, we had a good nights rest.

The bell of the Chapel began to toll for prayers at 4 o’clock in the morning, I got out of bed and saw the Sun rise and of all the sights I ever saw that surpassed them all, also the sight was strange to see the snow in the middle of August.

Mr M and myself went downstairs, saw the Dogs, walked round the Lake, that contain lots of fish especially trout, about 20 minutes walk and we were on the Italian Frontier, the mountains were blue with forget-me-nots so bright, more than 9000 feet above the sea, went back to the Hospice for the ladies, we all had a first rate breakfast, the kindness and attention of the Monks, and the man that waits at table are kind in the extreme.

Then all four of us started to walk to the flowers round the Lake on to the Italian Mountains, and picked some of the beautiful forget-me-nots, and lots of wild flowers, the scenery here is most wild and magnificent, in amongst such mountains and only a mule track, it is impossible to describe it or convey to the mind of any one the real grandeur or feeling of wonder as when seen. 

We then turned back to see the Chapel, which was gorgous and the dresses of the Priests that were officiating were very handsome, the Library is very good., the ground floor is used as stables, the next story kitchen and sleeping apartments for the poor travellers, with places for the dogs, next story for the Monks and gentlemen travellers, next story for the lady visitors, the house or building opposite called Hotel de St Louis they store the fuel and places for poor travellers, which always have a good breakfast or a meal before they leave to go on their journey.  

The Brethren are kind to all that pass that way, (which I fear never will be my lot again) also the Morgue or dead house, there were four bodies that were found on the mountains dead, in the house, and they keep without decomposition or change in the features for 12 months, there is also a stable for visitors mules, there are four buildings in all.

The dogs are noble animals and when sent out or taken out in search for travellers, they have a little keg of cognac tied round the neck and a blanket tied or strapped on their back, when if they find a traveller that is lost and alive, they make them have the Cognac and will unfasten the strap round the blanket for them to use, and then set up a howl for the Monk and his attendants to come, they are most sagacious animals.

The Monks are of the Augustine Order and consists of from 10 to 15 Monks, they go up there between the age of 18 to 20 and are old men at 34 to 35 and are obliged to go down to Martigny or some other place that is warmer, quite old men all honour to their self denial and devotion. 

There are 7 men as attendants and 11 dogs, their keen sense of smell enables them to track and discover travellers in peril from heavy falls of snow, from 16 to 20,000 travellers are accommodated at the Hospice annually. There is no charge made, you can give what you like, and stay as long as you like, if you wish to give anything you must go to the Chapel and put in the box, but much to the shame of the visitors, many go and partake of the hospitality and never give anything, the French especially. 

There are 20 horses daily employed in bringing fuel and provisions from Aosta 12 miles, during the months of July, August, and September, which are the only months they can travel this pass, the whole number of persons about the Hospice, Priests, Monks, and men are about 40.

Any traveller ought not to leave this place without giving as much or more than they would pay at their hotel, and feel a compassion for this devoted fraternity. In my opinion they committ a slow suicide. It is 30 miles from Martigny to the Hospice. I forgot to name when we were about a mile from the Hospice that Mrs M nearly fell from her mule and had she done so it was only 500 feet to the bottom of the precipiece, and a strong current of water, and nearly 9 oclock at night.