Como
Wednesday Novr 3rd 1847
My dear Henry
Here we are again once more in dear, beautiful Italy – looking just as it did in those happy days of Varese, whose distant blue mountains I had a glimpse of today, as we were on our voyage here. We have had a most prosperous journey ever since we left England, in every respect, particularly the weather – & have passed safely thro’ the dangers of the Sonderbund, which you so much apprehended for us, & those of the mountain Passes. [illegible deletion] I hope you received my two Letters from Ostend & Freiburg, & Amandier <1> a long one from Frankfort. From Freiburg we went through the Höllenthal, which is very beautiful, with magnificent woods of Spruce firs, & slept at a very poor little place in the Black Forest, called Bonndorf, where they could only give us two rooms – they were clean however – & in spite of the situation, we had no remarkable or terrific adventure. The next day we got on to Schaffhausen, with which I was enchanted, never having seen it before – the view fm the little Pavilion under the Falls <2> is awfully fine. We were obliged to remain there the whole of the following day, owing to Palmer’s <3> illness – & I took that opportunity of making a sketch of the Falls; [illegible deletion] They are exactly opposite Weber’s Hotel – which has only been established 2 or 3 years – & if you go there again, I recommend it to you. We next proceeded to Zurich, where we found matters looking warlike. A few days before, the Town had been in a state of revolution – the Catholic party wanted to possess themselves of the Arsenal, wh is on the Place before the Hotel, in order to prevent their countrymen from marching against the little Cantons – but the other party were too strong for them to make the attempt, & it all ended, not in smoke, for not a gun was fired, but in noise. Next morning however the Landlord came up, looking much agitated, to say that the order was just arrived from Berne for the troops to march against the Sonderbund, <4> positively – that war might break out any day – that the Austrian & other foreign ministers had ordered their horses for instant departure, (why?) & that he begged me to be off without delay. We accordingly set out, & all that day met Soldiers everywhere along the lake, (who had been already ordered to the frontiers of Schwyz, in readiness for the attack;) at Rafferschwyl where we stopt 2 hours to dine & bait the horses, we saw 2 companies exercising – the light infantry marched afterwards into the old castle, with their band playing – which had a picturesque effect – but anything less warlike looking, I never saw – & everything on the road denoted perfect peace – It seems hostilities have been again put off, sine die. <5> We slept at Wesen, a wretched little inn on the Lake of Wallenstadt, & crossed the lake next day, to Ragatz – a place I have often heard you mention. The inn is rather a fine building, but miserably comfortless, as the people had given up expecting travellers for some time.
We arrived early enough to go & see the Baths of Pfeffers <6> – which I will tell you about another time, otherwise I shall be too late for the Post – We got here yesterday, & are obliged to stay all today, as Ernestine <7> has caught a troublesome cold – She is better however this afternoon, & I hope to get to Milan early tomorrow, & find letters from some of you there – Since I left England I have only received one from you at Frankfort – & one from Val <8> at Schaffhausen, dated Milan 15th Octr & stating that they were detained 6 days at Varenna by Ld Mt E’s <9> illness – but he was better, & they expected to embark on the 25th
Love to Constance <10> & Amandier – I hope Ela <11> is better – Charlie <12> sends loves in abundance –
Yr affte Sister
Caroline –
Notes:
1. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
2. Rhine Falls, over 150 metres wide with water falling over 20 metres, considered to be one of Europe’s most spectacular falls with its scale and setting.
3. Mrs Palmer, servant.
4. ‘Separate league’, which in 1845 had become an armed confederation on the Catholic side in the Swiss religious quarrels of the time. It sought to defend the religious rights in each Canton.
5. Indefinately.
6. Canton St Gall.
7. Ernestine Emma Horatia Edgcumbe (1843-1925), WHFT’s niece.
8. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.
9. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
10. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
11. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
12. Charles Earnest Edgcumbe (1838–1915), JP, WHFT’s nephew.