At Avalon--Public Promenades--Number of Beggars--Villages and Country Houses more numerous in Vine than in Corn Countries-Farming in this District--Land Tax and Customs of Descent--Dijon--A large and handsome City--Its Public Buildings--Company in the Diligence increased by the Arrival of two French Officers--Their Political Opinions--Advantage of the Diligence--Arrival at Dole--Battle near Auxonne--Genlis--Poligny--Vin d'Arbois--Woods but without Birds--Moray--English Breakfast--Resemblance to North Wales--Magnificent View of the Lake of Geneva--Excellent Roads made by Buonaparte--Visit to Ferney--Description of Geneva--View from its Cathedral--Its Manufactures--Population--Territory--Determination to visit the Alps; and not to go into Italy 100 CHAP. VII. Departure for Chamouny--Bonneville--Valley of Cluse--Cascade d'Arpennas--St. Martin--Extravagant Bill--Proceed on Mules--Their astonishing Safety--River Arve--Pont de Chèvres--Cascade of Chede--Extravagance of English Travellers very prejudicial--Lake of Chede--Servoy and its Mines--Visited by the Empress Maria Louisa--Glaciers des Bossons--Definition of Glacier--Of the Valley and Village of Chamouny--Guides--Politics of the Savoyards--State of Taxation--Ascent of Montanvert--Magnificent and awful Spectacle of the Mer de Glace--Height of various Mountains, compared with Mont Blanc--Simile from Pope--Return to Chamouny--Larch and Fir mixed on these vast Mountains--Their Productions--The Valley continually threatened with Avalanches 119 CHAP. VIII. Leave Chamouny--Delightful Situation of Valorsine--Festival there--Of the Savoyard Peasants--Anecdote from M. de Saussure--Country difficult to travel through--Trient--Magnificent View from the Fourcle--The French not so much disliked in the Valais as their Cruelty deserved--Castle of la Rathia--Martigny--Unsuccessful Attempt of two English Gentlemen to ascend Mont Blanc--Less adventurous, we did not ascend Mount St. Bernard--Cascade of the Pisse Vache--Number of Idiots and Goitrous Persons in the Valais--Opinion of Mr. Coxe on the Subject--Opinion of M. de Saussure--St. Maurice--Its strong Position--Roman Bridge and Antiquities--Passports demanded here--Different Colour of the Rhone here and at Geneva. 139 CHAP. IX.