A LADY'S TOUR IN EUROPE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 60

A LADY'S TOUR IN EUROPE.

A coi-respondent — a reader of mir page, but not a lady notwithstanding — sends me the following interesting notes bjr a lady at present doing a tour of the Old World :

Since "writing 'to you last I have had the ambition of my life fulfilled, — I have been to Switzerland. I must tell you all about it, so 1 much has happened since I wrote you last. The convention I told 3 r ou of was an immense success. Ob, how clever some a.

of those American women are, such splen- . did business-like qualities ; men are astonished and charmed with their methodical and business-like habits. Everything passed off successfully- — not a hitch. ,Well, after the convention I decided to go to Paris and Switzerland, spending a couple of days in London previous to starting.' The weather was good, and all promised well for a splendid trip. Miss , who accompanied me, is very nice and companionable. We started on Saturday morning at 9.30, and went by train to Newhaven, thence by steamer to Dieppe ; had an excellent passage, and arrived about 4 p.m.But oh, what noise anil confusion. Our train was late in starting, and we had not much time to get anything to eat. My; thirst was intense and the heat also. We could not get served in the cafe, it was too crowded. We managed to get a drink of cider ; fancy me drinking cider — but suck was my thirst I would have" taken anything. I rushed across the rails to a cafe just as the train was starting. Miss • opened a door on the other side, and I jusfc managed to get in, with a five centime roll T which we divided. That was all we had until 9 p.m. When we arrived in Paris ife was the 14th July ; the city was en fete in celebration of their independence. The illuminations - were magnificent, so artistic, and the colouring beautiful. Everything passed off quietly, although it. was saitl there would be some rioting. To our disgust on arrival we found that six of our party had to share one room. We were afraid to go out at that hour of the "nights to look for another lodging, and our .limited! knowledge of French made us chary of bargaining. Our food was good, and the room airy, and we made the best of it. ' I am not enamoured of Paris, and tlie people I like the less the more I know of them. We British are tolerated, certainly not likedV The Ffxhibition is most, interesting, the courts and- buildings most artistic. You could not conceive the beauty of the buildings, the variety of charming courts, the architecture so varied. Really it was amazing, and at night when lighted up it looked a veritable fairy land. Not that lam familiar with such a place, but as one would imagine it. There were an 'abnormal number of deaths from heat, which registered from 97 to 104 degrees in the shade. Quite a number of our party were ]aid up. Fortunately myself and companion escaped — • possibly by taking very light food and little ol' it. Never in all mv life did I feel anything like the thirst.' We stayed a week, and at the end of that time we were morethan glad to get away. ' /- "Paris is not the nicest place to live in during this busy time. There were 20 cases of sunstroke there in the beginning of the week. There were no conveniences for writing, the place was so full. Every available place was taken up in sleeping accommodation, and I felt quite tired out with the heat. One day we went up the Ssine. to St. -Cloud, and visited the beautiful gardens, upon which not so long jago there stood the palace of^ a king. ,It was destroyed at the time of the Commune. We then walked through pine woods to Sevres, where we JweVe favoured by getting into a manufactory and seeing the "works. Chinaware we saw in the Exposition, and now saw them making some. It was positively wonderful. We did 'not care to go with the whole party, because it looked too> much like a flock of sheep. It also gave me the opportunity to air my little- French, which I found most useful ; indeed, wo could not have got on as we did without it. 1 could make anyone understand "without much difficulty, but Avhen they talked quickly I could not well follow them. Then, the coinage, *so very puzzling to most of our party, was simple to me, and I had no difficulty in understanding it. Fortunately I was able- to be of use to others in. this matter, which is always a source of satisfaction. We started off for Switzerland on Saturday morning, a journey of 14 hours by rail, and never so 1 long as I live shall I forget that dreadful journey — the heat, the dust, the thirst, and the discomfort. We passed through three different countries — France, Germany, and Switzerland — and were subjected to some annoyance.over baggage. - We arrived at our destination at about 9 p.m., tired, hungry, thirsty, and thoroughly "worn out with our varied experiences and* we called it — pleasure ! On leaving the train we stepped on. to a boat for the Chalets, which were about a, mile and a-half up the lake. Words fail me to describe the picture that burst upon., our tired eyes. Compensation? Yes, abundant. Lucerne, with, her hundreds- of lights reflected in the lovely lake, made a picture we shall remember as long as our senses remain. Lovely Lucerne! After landing at the pier we received a welcoma from those in charge and visitors, just, like a "home coming. We were shown to a beautiful clean room, with a fine view.

, . . After supper, a good night's rests prepared us for next day. At 9.30 wo started for Rigi, an hour and a-half's steam up the lake, thence by train almost to the top of Rigi. I was anxious to compare the mountains, and indeed all the views, with, those of the land of my adoption — beautiful New Zealand — and so looked round -with, interest. The ' character of the scenery is much the same as ours, certainly not finer than I got in New Zealand from the top of Ben Lomond. One thing about Swiss lakes is the beautiful colouri of the Avater, greenish blue, just lovely, and contrasts so well ■with the grey rocks rising from the edge. The people also, with their sturdy independence and honesty of character, one admires. Fancy all fruit or vegetable gardens in the country xmfenced. Many, people think that .the fruit grows wild, bufcit is because there are .no hedges, andpeople as a rule are not taken advantagY

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of. Well to return to Rigi. We were fortunate in "'getting' a very eSten&ive view, and after laying out our sandwiches, which we brought with us, and lor which we paid 50 centimes (sd), and a cup of delicious coffee, such as only Continental people kndw how to make, and which we obtained by arrangement with a farmer on the top oi the mountain for 20 centimes, we squatted on the grass and partook of our fere, "with a splendid panorama" before us, and irugal as.it was, no grand dinner was- ever relished so much by us.

We, who were good walkers, went to another point, where an entirely different was obtained. Suddenly our guide Jbegan to descend at tremendous speed. The ■reason was not obvious at bhe moment, (but in less than half an hour the mist had ■covered the valley and was fairly rushing towards us. and just as we reached shelter the storm broke. Oh, it was grand! The roar of the thunder and the echo in the mountains, the vivid flashing of the lightning, the closing in of the mist, followed by torrents of rain. It was quite a new experience to me. In half an hour the rain ■had stopped, the mist cleared away, and t;he sun was shining as brightly as ever. We then continued our walk to meet the train. We thought it' just. splendid to be in a storm in the Alps.

The following morning we started for •Pilatus, such a bold, grand mountain 7000fb high. The first part of the journey was to the top of the lake, then up the mountain by train. The grade there wds 35ft to 48it in the hundred. Some of our people were •much afraid, and so their enjoyment was spoiled. We had a magnificent view as we ascended Pilatus, even on the top of which the heat was intense. A view of Jungfrau, Matterhorn, Stauserhorn, etc., with a long range of smaller mountains, and the glaciers glistening in the brilliant sunshine, made a magnificent picture. After enjoying the "view and partaking of "cafe complet,'' we started down the mountains together. We kept the railway in view, and knew that a large party were coming on behind later on. Miss soid she would go anywhere with me, as she had so much confidence in me. The loneliness was splendid, and as we descended I coosd. and the mountains gave back the echo jusb like a human voice. Cowbells in the still air were heard a long distance off ; every bell a different tone, all combined making a weird kind of musical tune, which was charming. ( We got down to the railway station before any of our party, and arrived home at 9 o'clock, tired, but greatly delighted with our day's outing, the memory of which will always be a vivid picture in lny mind. On Wednesday we visited the country of William Tell, who did for Swiss what Scott has done for 'the Scotch, although in a different way. You know of the cruelty of Gessler, and Tell's shooting the apple off his boy's "head — how he escaped and afterwards shot Gess.ler. Well, his memory is fevered in very -many ways. If I could'only talk to you instead of write ! All this in writing seem? so tame, and my mind is so full of the most 'intensely vivid pictures. Every detail is so interesting that one cannot possiibly write it all down. It was really delightful on Thursday. We went to the bead of the lake, then through St. Gothard's tunnel. The tunnel is wonderful ; but I did not feel well, so did not enjoy that day so much as others, although ifc was supposed to be the most wonderful of all.

The Sw-ss people are mostly all proBoers ; their slruggle for liberty no doubt has made them sympathetic. .As you say, "we Trill not enter into a discussion over xhis. We both hold strong opinions which differ, and at any rate you would not like me to be simply a ditto of yourself. I think it is much nicer as it i«. On Friday we spent the day in Lucerne visiting the ansient parts of the town, going up the Gutch railway, where we had a delightful and extensive view. Miss would not come. She does not like what she considers going in dangerous places. Fortunately lam

without fear in this respect, and therefore can take -advantage of everything. After a most delightful tour we started for London, travelling by night, got into Paris the next morning, and arrived in London about 7 p.m. The return was not so fatiguing as the outward journey, and we had three gentlemen fellow travellers who were at our table both at Paris and Lucerne, and showed us every kindness and attention, doing much to make our journey a pleasant one. One of them, the manager of very large engineering works in London, was surprised to find us> take &o much interest in, and understand, things much out of the ordinary. He invited u& to visit his works, and having an afternoon to spare in London, we did so. and saw the whole process of manufacturing machinery, from the making of models to ths porTring of molten iron into the moulds. It serried to please him that I asked what he said were intelligent questions. To me it was one of our most pleasant afternoons, and I thought it very good of a busy man to devote so ■much time to us. Altogether I was away for three weeks, and shall always think of the period as a delightful time.