Saturday August 24th, 1872

Saturday Aug 24th started from here at 9 got to Vevay, left at 20 past 11 for Lausanne, we staid here two hours, this is the Capital of the Canton de Vaud, the population is 26,520, with 14 or 15 good Hotels, a great deal of building now in progress, it is situated on the terraced slopes of Mont Jorat, the Cathedral on one side, and its Castle on the other, it is connected by a handsome bridge, the Grand Pont erected 1839-1844, many of the houses are very fine, the Cathedral erected  1235-1275 and consecrated by Gregory 10th. We walked up the wooden steps (covered with a rough covering of wood) from the street, to get to it, from here is a most beautiful view of the City, Lake, and neighbourhood the streets are very steep and irregular. 

In 1536 a disputation took place in this Church in which Calvin, Farel and Viret, participated, and resulted in a separation of the Canton de Vaud from the Romish Church, and the suppression of the supremacy of Savoy, the interior of this protestant Church is 350 long, 151 wide, height of Tower 162 feet, The Blind Asylum (Asyle des Aveugles) is ½ mile from the town, was founded by Mr Haldimand, a wealthy and benevolent Englishman, he died in 1862.

The buildings and fountains near the market place are very handsome, there are many institutions and places of note here, but our stay was too short to gather any more information, we left here for Geneva at 2 Oclock, arriving at 4 went to Hotel de Metropole, this Hotel has 150 rooms with two beds in each, and 50 rooms, with four beds in each; it is one of the largest in the City and belongs to a Company. More than fifty persons were refused accommodation, we had Cooks tickets and had four very nice beds, and every attention, the gardens and Lake facing it, at the Table de Hote more than 200 Ladies and Gentlemen dined together this night at 5 Oclock, first class dinner. 

The room was painted gold and white, from 12 to 14 feet high, with 14 mirrors reaching from ceiling to floor, (there were over 25,000 persons came to Geneva this day by rail), after dinner we walked about the City, at 10 went in to Bed.