Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-11-13
Correspondence ofthe sentnel.l
TOUR IN SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY.
STRAsBURG, September 18th, 1856.


STRAsBURG, September 18th, 1856.
MY DEAR N:-Sometimes bad beginning
insures a good ending by making people
more careful and attentive to their own bust
ness. So hope it will be with US. We left
Geneva, as you know, on the morning of the
10th inst. The weather was fine, the COM
Pany pleasant and the motion of the steamer
delightful. TIE green hills and white villas
on one shore, and the soft mists like satin cur
tains Topped with silver that hung round the
other and seemed to shut out a world of
wondrous beauty, the summer sky with its
cloud-islands above US, land the blue lake with
its grave old associations beneath us, are beau
tiful pictures in my memory forever.
At Morges we took the cars and passed for
an hour or so over one of the finest and most
deliberately cultivated countries have ever
seen. When we arrived at Yverdon we found
that the steamer which was to bear US over
the beautiful lake of Neufchatel was not yet
in; we asked one of the Railroad officials
how long we should have to wait, and his
reply was, "At least one hour" Thereupon
we looked around to see how we should be-
stow ourselves for the longer half of sixty
minutes, but amusement, for a short time, is
not hard to find in pretty, rural place like
Yverdon. We took up our quarters in a
grand old grove about twenty yards from the
depot and for want of something else to do
fell to discussing the contents of our carpet
bag. The soldiers who had been called out
to assist in quelling the rebellion at Neufchat-
Ell were performing their evolutions just be-
hind the grove where we sat. Their gay uni
forms and bright weapons cleaning and
flashing through the green trees, the rattle Of
their carbines and sound Of their brazen mu-
sic was decidedly warlike. But it did not
make us forget that we were waiting for the
boat, and in less than half an hour from our
arrival we enquired of another official when
the boat was expected. "Why," said he,
opening his eyes like young moons, "the boat
is gone" We snatched our carpet-bag and
run; we opened, also, our eyes and looked.
There was the canal by which boats enter
the lake, there was the lake itself, in the dis
lance, but it looked as guiltless as if it had
never borne recreant steamboat on its gentle
bosom. This was nice state of affairs; what
was to be done? We had our tickets in our
pockets showing that we had paid our passage
from Geneva to Bale. Our baggage had gone
on to its destination. What should we dol
his was the question we asked several res
pectable looking gentlemen with yellow
bands around their hats, white tassels on their
arms and red stripes down their pantaloons,
who respectively rolled up their eyes, shrug-
ged their shoulders and replied "Js ne sais
pas" Finally, as we could not go to Bale
we went to hotel, where we told the land
lady our mishap and were comforted with the
information that it was thing of very com
mon occurrence, arising from the uncertainty
advised us to apply to the Maitre des Postes
who is expected, in these small towns, tc
know everything. This we did, and he, pool
man, not having slept any the night before
seemed sadly amazed and bewildered, bu
after looking up as if to invoke some grand
thought, and down as if he sought to solve
some profound probablem, he told us that W.
could 90 on that night at eleven O'Clock b,
the diligence. So after an excellent dinne
and long promenade on the lake shore, w
set out assured that we should be in Ball
during the afternoon of the next day. Blu
alas for human hopes. After four hours and
half of jumbling and jolting the diligence Sc
US down at the station house of the city o
Neufchatel, with the comfortable assurance
that we should recommence our journey a
five O'Clock. At first we were little annoyed
but finally we concluded that an hour and
half is but matter of moonshine in life time
so we disposed ourselves as best we could, Oh
the sofas of the station room, and went t.
sleep. I might have slept an hour, when
was awakened by the voice of the Docto
exclaiming, "Mrs. Bolton! we shall be lef
again." And sure enough, there was the dill
gence with the horses prancing, the drive
cracking his whip. the baggage on top. tn
passengers inside and everything ready fo
Bale. We jumped in right glad to be of
But 0, spirit Of patience, we were doomed Il
another disappointment. While we were con
graduating ourselves, the conductor looke'
at his tablets, then at US, then at his tablet
again, and his face said as plain as face coult
say, "you can't go with me, no how" In vail
we showed him our tickets and assured hin
that they were paid for. In vain we appeal
70 him on the score of our absent baggage
He only shook his head and said that mad
no difference to him, our names were not oil
has list and we could not go. Ruefully WI
descended from our comfortable corner in tn
, coach, and from our glowing hopes of gettinI
to Bale that day. The conductor told us
however, to see the director and perhaps b.
would arrange it for US to go on in the coacl
, which was to start at seven. Accordingl.
|, tie first thing we did was to find the bureau
and enquire for his mightiness the director
He was not up yet, but we were told by DO,
|, with crooked legs and great red eyes, tina
he would be in in an hour or two. Thi
, gave us good opportunity to see the city
which is very interesting at this time, on &C
count of the uprising of part of its people
, in favor of the King of Prussia. 1t was tn,
, early morning and the city slept by the sid,
of its fair lake, like hushed child on it
r mothers bosom. Few traces of the recent
) struggle marred its quiet loneliness. But a
7 we looked at the old Castle on which the
} banner of the free canton was waving, GU