Spiers: Memoranda of an autumn tour in 1836

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CONT. AUG. 21. SUN.

2 days therefore in one. But no, general observations can be inserted at the end of our voyage. And first our boat was a long one having two cabins, the best of which was in the bow contrary to our fashion. The deck reached over the whole the crew consisted of 4 or 5 & we wended our way by means of 1 or 2 horses & occasionally a sail. Our company consisted of the aforesaid 5. Mrs Tennant whose two daughters were plain tho' pleasant & whose two sons were educating at Frankfurt; - a French gent who proved a good companion - a German who took the trouble of carving at dinner & of assisting in the fun & wit which there prevailed, & lastly & much to our delight the chasseur vert who was our companion in the diligence from Luxembourg. The young German student also, but the folds of his blouse which his mother had so carefully put in plaits for him that we thought them fastened, were now loosened & out of order. Many others there were of the other cabin of peasants & small tradesmen perhaps.

Having plenty of time I did not cut my journal quite as short as I should otherwise have done & on counting over to this spot the pages I have at this moment 50 is the number: more than it ought to be. Sometimes I wrote in the cabin but principally on deck for the motion was entirely imperceptible and vastly superior in comfort is this style of boat to the shaking, grease smelling steam packets.

Altho the banks of the river vary but little in appearance yet they are everywhere beautiful. There is seldom much valley except just the bed of the river; & the hills on each side are high and well shaped & of all colors. Sometimes covered to their summit with vines, at others with wood, corn, brown rock with but little verdure. Other valleys are constantly opening into it, pouring in their little tributary streams. And when to this is added 109 villages, towns & castles along its banks & up its steep sides, it may well be conceived

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