Journal of a Tour in the Years 1828-1829, through Styria, Carniola, and Italy, whilst Accompanying the Late Sir Humphry Davy — John Shaqi
Journal of a Tour in the Years 1828-1829, through Styria, Carniola, and Italy, whilst Accompanying the Late Sir Humphry DavyTobin, J. J.
History
Journal of a Tour in the Years 1828-1829, through Styria, Carniola, and Italy, whilst Accompanying the Late Sir Humphry Davy
Tobin, J. J.
Davy, Humphry, Sir, 1778-1829; Europe -- Description and travel
Between Rothenmann and Gaishorn, at which latter village we passed
the night, we saw a peat moor, a very rare thing in this country. I
think I shall never forget the evening we spent here, in one of the
most miserable dirty little village inns in Europe. When we drove up
to the door we heard within the sound of loud and merry music, and the
noise of a number of people dancing and clapping their hands; this
all of a sudden ceased, and out rushed a whole troop of peasants of
both sexes to see the strangers. The master of the inn, a young man,
led us up a tumble-down staircase to the first and only story, where
we found three rooms in no very inviting state: the walls were dirty,
bare, and ragged; the beds almost as bad; the furniture looked as if it
had been standing there for a hundred years, and every thing smelt of
tobacco-smoke. Sir Humphry could scarcely make up his mind to remain in
such a place, yet it was too late to attempt to proceed, as he did not
like to travel after dark; so I was obliged to do my best, and arrange
our accommodation for the night, I being the only one who could make
myself understood, and this with no small difficulty, the people here
speaking the most wretched Austrian dialect. When I had at last got
dinner served, or rather supper, which we had luckily brought with
us, and had ordered chickens to be killed to take with us to-morrow,
got out sheets to be aired, &c. &c., none of which orders I could get
attended to with any regularity, as every body was running off to the
dance, which in the meanwhile had recommenced with as much noise as
before, I attempted to read the "Arabian Nights" to Sir Humphry, but
he found it impossible to hear, and was obliged soon to retire to his
bed. Before I followed his example I went to take a peep at the dance,
and asked the host what all this rout was about? He told me it was the
conclusion of a wedding fête which had been celebrated the day before,
and his house having been engaged for the purpose, he could not put an
end to their merriment. The dance which these peasants were enjoying,
the national dance of Styria, was a slow waltz, not devoid of grace,
with various tours performed by four couple, and which were always
preceded by a loud clapping of hands and stamping with the feet. Had we
arrived yesterday we should have seen the fête in its glory, and all
the guests in their gay and motley apparel, which would have been an
entertaining sight, but the bride and bridegroom not being present this
day, their friends were footing it merrily in their every-day dress.
Having partaken of some of the remains of the wedding cakes, I retired
to bed, but not to sleep, the party continuing their revels and noise
till a very late hour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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