Some account of a botanical tour in the mountains of Auvergne and Switzerland / by David Ross.

  • David Ross
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some account of a botanical tour in the mountains of Auvergne and Switzerland / by David Ross. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Being now aloue, as at first, my friend and I began to think of looking liomeward without delay ; but as we had sent to Zurich from Geneva our superfluous luggage, we were necessitated to turn aside and claim it. This done, and now very considerably encumbered, we set our faces northward, taking Basle by the way, where we halted for a night to examine and overhaul our plants. We then made for Baden-Baden, that great and fashionable resort, where you see nothing but equipages driving to and fro in all directions, where there is a continual succession of arbours and alleys green, which furnish fine cool retreats from the mid-day sun, and all the manifestations of the wealth which the influx of tourists pours into the place. Here we stayed one night, and departed next morning for Heidelberg. We spent a few hours in the old city, visited the castle, and saw all the relics of antiquity, as coats of mail, visors, swords, battle-axes, spears, and antique matchlocks. From the bulwarks of the castle the view of the Neckar and the surrounding country is most magnificent. After having satisfied our curiosity with sight-seeing in this famous seat of learning, we proceeded next to Mannheim, where we did not halt, but set ofi immediately for Mayence, where we took quarters for the night. After tea we were liighly delighted with the conversation of an English gentleman, who having had from his earliest days an irresistible pro- pensity for travelling, and also the means for gratifying that propensity, kept us to a late hour recounting his adventures among the Tartars, Turks, and, in short, all the nations of the world. His stores of information respecting men and manners seemed to be perfectly inexhaustible. We proposed next to get a sight of the agates of Oberstein. We therefore took the rail for that place by way of Biuger- briick and Kreutznach, and walked a considerable way, getting over the grouhd as fast as possible, that we might be back in time for the return train. On calling on the lapidary of the place, we found the quarries were at a great distance, so that we abandoned the idea of visiting them. We saw, however, a few at his house in the rough state, and to keep up the memento of the place, purchased some very fine polished ones. All which being ended, we j)ut mettle to our heels, and reached the terminus in time for
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