Thursday August 15th, 1872

The butterflies here are large and most beautiful in colours. Rose early had eggs, coffee, rolls, butter and very nice honey. Our Hotel is on the side of the hill 400 feet above the Lakes, very quiet, two beds in each room very narrow and not at all the place for a honey moon to be spent, only room for one in a bed. Very clean but plain, with a balcony the width of both bed rooms, (the flooring boards were 38 inches wide) commanding a most extensive view of the Savoy Mountains, the town of Vevay, population 7887, a great portion of the Lake of Geneva, Castle Chillon, and most extensive vineyards, 32 Villages, Dent du Midi 10,350 feet above the level of the sea, Mount Velan 12,352 feet, top of which is always covered with snow; the Sugar Loaf with many others.

We went by rail to Evionnaz 20 miles, passing the river Rhone, Mount Velan can be seen from here very plain; in the year 563 the town that stood on this spot was destroyed with a mud stream from Dent du Midi, near the village La Barma ½ mile from the station is the beautiful fall of the Sallenche known as the Pissevache it is a large body of water rushing out of the mountain, and looks like thousands of serpents springing out. The day was very fine and the sight magnificent, I plan to go up to it. There is a pension close by where we bought our Alpines and several articles made from the stones from the mountain., also wooden knives and forks carved, for which they are noted; the daughter knew a little English so we had an hours amusement, she promised to have one ear bored to hang an English threepenny piece in.

We went 1 ¼ mile along the road (that was made by Napoleon 1st) to see The Gorge du Trient, two rocks rent asunder, with a stream of water in places 40 feet deep, which comes from Mont de Midi and flows into the Rhone which is one of the great suppliers to the Lake of Geneva. The entrance is very imposing and wonderful the rocks 420 high, the sunshine never penetrates into the gully, you can go between the two rocks for ½ mile on a wooden gallery, although the Gorge is nine miles long it is a wonderful sight, and must be seen to form any idea. On the opposite side of the road is Hotel des Gorges du Trient a large building, you may have mules and Guides here for Chamouny. 

The people are busy making their third crop of hay, and if they are good Farmers can get four good crops each year, they take it into wooden houses, and the corn they house which they are busy at now. 

We returned to our hotel after spending a very pleasant day, and seeing such sights we may never again see weather fine, health good, and company pleasant, much amused with the people and the money, had dinner at 5 walked about the hill after, at 10 went to bed.