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[Page 202]

occupied this season. The cows do not ascend to
"Naie" for a month to come. Here we left the mule
in charge of the German. This point is close to the foot
of the Naie rocks and of [indecipherable] & much higher than
"Avent" where we slept when we ascended Naie in
1815. It took me just another 1½ hour to get
to the highest point of Naie 5400 above the lake
and 6500 above the sea. Thermometer 54° at ¼ past
7 a.m. I reckoned this perch to be about a quarter
to 4 "swallow tails" and the path to be about
as steep, only generally with worse footing on
account of the numerous small fragments of hard
limestone of which these mountains are composed.
I had fancied that these were granite mountains
but there is nothing but hard limestone.
You remember the view, I daresay, better than
I did. It was most magnificent from the
Savoy Alps round by South to East, showing
the Dent du Midi, Diablerets, & St. Bernard
chains. From thence round the other quarters
it was more or less obscured by a brown hase
like our hot wind hase and not so good
a view as when we were at the top in 1815. There
was a good deal of snow in the clefts and on
the grass on the western slope of Naie pastures
but all quite soft and wet. The ground
bespangled with flowers, Gentians, Cowslips,
Anemones, Ranunculus, &ca, &ca, and the
alpine Rhododendron amonst the rocks was
just coming out. After dispatching a hearty
meal and a bottle of Yvonne wine

[Cross-hatched writing]

and Yverdon on the Lake of Neufchatel. The line is being extended
along the lake to the foot of the Simplon I think which is
to be tunnelled!! They have already commenced the work
at Villeneuve to proceed up the Valais. There is another
line in progress & parts of it opened connecting Neufchatel
Berne &ca with Basle and the Germans lines of of rail.
In a few years it will be quite easy to reach this in
24 or 26 hours from London! God bless you all.
I will write again (D.V.) soon.

Ever yours affecty.

Wm. Macarthur