| Description | [Diary Transcription]
155
1830
August Tuesday 24
5 50/..
8 20/..
our whole party with Monsieur Frisell and Monsieur le vicomte de Calvimont St Martial (from near Bordeaux)
off at 7 1/4 to Gavarnie where after seeing the grotte at Gèdre arrived at 11 1/4 — saw the cirque
and cascade and back to the Inn at Gavarnie about 2 1/2 — all had something to eat and were off home at 3 10/.. —
I walked back with them about 20 minutes and got back again at 3 50/.. — had told Lady Stuart not to expect me
back till Saturday to dinner She gave me fifteen francs that she thought I should want shook hands and
was really kind had left me the remains of their provisions and wine she gave me her black
velvet beret yesterday and two little leather drinking cups one for me and one for Charles —
on taking leave of the party and finding myself alone with my guide in this lonely village of the Pyrenees,
felt ce que c’est que la solitude [what is like to be alone] — lay down and slept from 4 to 5 3/4 — then wrote pencil notes of
the day and sat down to my little dinner of potatoes sauté au beurre, and cheese and bread and milk at 6 1/4 —
tasted the women’s rum, and a liqueur called pucelle d’Orleans to take with me my brandy bottle
having been forgotten — I have the brêche de Roland before me for tomorrow the night at Gollis
in worse than a grange, and Thursday Mont Perdu si je peux [if I can] — Courage! enjoyed my dinner —
very fine day — Fahrenheit 61°. in my bedroom here at 7 50/.. p.m. —
[margin text:] Friday 17 September 1830.
Wednesday 25
5 10/..
00
Fahrenheit 58°. at 5 3/4 a.m. and fine morning — a hurried breakfast and off at 6 1/4 to the brêche de Roland —
rode 1 25/.. hour almost to the foot of the corniche — sun came out at 7 3/4 — at the brêche (having had
2 rests of 25 minutes and 1/2 hour and having waited 1/2 hour while the steps were cut in the glacier)
at 12 1/2 — off from here at 12 40/.. — 50 rest and sleep for my guides at 50 minutes from Gollis
(in fact to pass away the time that we might not arrive so much too soon) and arrived there at
3 50/.. — lay down in the cabane at 7 —
Thursday 26
00
8
roused up at 3 and off by candle light at 3 20/.. a.m. at the summit of Mont Perdu at
8 — there 1/2 hour, and back again at Gollis or at least at the fountain close to the cabane at 11 20/..
very fine day — sun shining for the last 1 1/2 hour or more — sitting on the stone I sat on yesterday
evening, glad to have finished my ascent to the Mont Perdu instead of having it to begin —
Feel a good deal fatigued had a little motion and washed queer in the
stream — on returning to the cabane, took a little hot water — not inclined to breakfast on
bread and cheese, so had nothing — lay down on the ground near the cabane, but the sun so hot,
could not bear it — would not venture to try the cabane, so having no chance sleeping,
off at 12 35/.. having sent Etienne our contrabandier back by the brêche de Roland
desiring him to meet us tomorrow with the horse at Bouchero — 1 35/.. hour in scrambling
down into the Gorge d’Ortessa — at Torla at 7 1/4 — very fine day — sun so hot in the
bottom of the gorge and valley de Broto felt it just under my left ear, and found it had almost scorched
the skin off — in bed as fast as I could at 8 — had the table close to my bedside, and supping
as well as I could — they brought me goat’s milk — it was no sooner down than up again — then called for
wine — did not much relish the ordinaire rouge — then had an enormous bottle vin de Carignan,
like a rich Cordial — a little of this with water, and about 1 1/2 lb. or 2 lb.? (a large plate — 3 large bouches,
was all I could take
156
1830
August Friday 27
5 1/2
10 40/..
had slept soundly and felt quite refreshed — arranging my things greased my shoes with the oil of the lamp, or poor things they seemed as if they would hardly last
me home — A good washing of my person — still thirsty no wonder after my thirst last night — I had been
obliged to rinse my mouth, and drink a little at every stream we came to — at 9 the captain of
Engineers came to examine my papers — breakfasted on grapes and bread and wine and water as last night — they
brought me an excellent little cup of chocolate, but I feared its being too rich, and gave it to Charles —
went out to see the lions at 10 10/.. for 3/4 hour with the master of the house my noble host ‘Jean Batisto de Vieux
Receveur de Douane à Torla en Arragone’ according to the address he gave me — Off from
Torla at 1 10/.. at which hour Fahrenheit 74°. at Bouchero at 4 10/.. — off again at 4 55/.. and at Gavarnie at
9 5/.. very fine day — Fahrenheit 72°. at 8 1/2 and 73°. at 10 a.m. and 74°. at 1 10/.. p.m. always in the shade —
Saturday 28
6 35/..
1 50/..
Breakfast at 8 20/.. to 9 — then saw the church and off from Gavarnie at 9 40/.. — by the Coumelie to the
chapelle de Héas at 2 35/.. having stopt about 1/2 hour at a grange by the way for milk and bread —
off from the chapelle de Héas at 3 40/.. and home at St Sauveur at 7 37/.. having lost my bag from the pummel
of my saddle, sent Charles back for it (Luckily he got it from a Spaniard who had picked it up and meant to
keep it) and walked from the bridge pont d’Artigue just out off gèdre from 6 25/.. i.e. in 1 12/.. hour — All glad to see me
dressed — Changed everything for I was dripping wet with heat — dinner at 8 3/4 — Monsieur Frisell and
Monsieur de Calvimont came and staid till after 10 or till near 11 — Lady Stuart and I sat up talking till 1 —
told her the sort of place Gollis was and all about it Saying I did not mean to say much about it to
people in general for it was not quite a lady’s expedition very fine day — Fahrenheit 68°. at
1 10/.. tonight —
Sunday 29
9 1/2
2 35/..
x
V
A cross this morning thinking of π [Mariana] breakfast at 10 1/2 — Monsieur Fabas the medecin came and staid about 1/2 hour —
sat talking till 1 — then Lady Stuart read prayers and 1 of Miss Bowdler’s sermons in her room, and myself and servants
George and Cameron admitted 1st. time — Charles, my guide, brought the horse at 2 — about 4 walked with Lady
Stuart to leave her card on Madame de Calvimont, and then we walked to Luz the children taking turns
to ride my horse, then when the rest returned, I mounted for a little exercise, and rode back to Luz
and up to the old ruined chateau of St Marie — a mere shell remaining of a square tower and a round ditto —
within there is now a garden of which I had thought it useless to bring the key with me from Luz as it
is said to be nothing worth seeing — good view from the rock on which the old ruin stands — home
in about an hour at 6 40/.. — dressed — dinner at 7 5/.. — Monsieur and Madame de Villeneuve and Monsieur Frisell
came to tea and staid till 10 1/2 — Madame de Villeneuve had been at the top of the pic du midi (de Bigorre)
had set off at 10 at night to see the sun rise and strongly recommended my doing the same — they go tomorrow
and Monsieur Frisell on Wednesday — Lady Stuart and I sat talking till 1 1/2 then came to my room, and wrote the notes of today —
Talking of Vere Henry Yorke and the other parson and owned I was for the former thought it would
have been a match if he had tried again then telling different odd stories Mrs Steeles Bever
ley stories of naked women with candles in their anuses walking round the dinner table etc.
very fine day — Fahrenheit 69°. at 10 1/2 a.m. and 68°. now at 1 40/.. —
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