The Swiss
people are frugal and inexpensive in their own habits, I believe, plain
and simple, and careless of ornament; but they seem to reckon on other
people's spending a great deal of money for gewgaws. We bought some of
their wooden trumpery, and likewise a watch for U----. . . . . Next to
watches, jewelry, and wood-carving, I should say that cigars were one of
the principal articles of commerce in Geneva. Cigar-shops present
themselves at every step or two, and at a reasonable rate, there being no
duties, I believe, on imported goods. There was no examination of our
trunks on arrival, nor any questions asked on that score.
VILLENEUVE.
Hotel de Byron, June 12th.--Yesterday afternoon we left Geneva by a
steamer, starting from the quay at only a short distance from our hotel.
The forenoon had been showery; but the suit now came out very pleasantly,
although there were still clouds and mist enough to give infinite variety
to the mountain scenery. At the commencement of our voyage the scenery
of the lake was not incomparably superior to that of other lakes on which
I have sailed, as Lake Windermere, for instance, or Loch Lomond, or our
own Lake Champlain.
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