Monday, August 5. Sta. Maria ad Nives.--Mass at 7½; at 9 we went to a high mass de requiem. They always sing one for every person who dies; and when the family can afford it, bread is given to the poor, as was done to-day. I stayed at home nearly, till one, then dinner at la Baronne's. Mr. Ambrose was not there, having had a fall yesterday, and taking rest for precaution. After dinner, looked over the Life of Napoleon in German; came home till I went to tea. The Count and Countess Kurtzrock and daughters came. The Countess promised to be an associate for England, and to spread it at Hamburg, where they live. Friday, August 6th.--Mass at 6. I started at 7.30 by a steamer for Mayence. We passed Coblentz (lat. _confluentia_), at the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine, at 1, and then dined (_table d'hôte_) on deck. We made agreeable acquaintance with two priests, M. Bandry, Chanoine of Cologne, and M. Steigmeier, a P.P. in the Black Forest. The first went off at Coblentz, the second spoke only Latin; both were highly interested for England. I was busy a good deal with reading German, with a dictionary. The weather was beautiful till about 6, when suddenly a terrible squall of wind, and thunder and lightning came on. The steamer was driven aground on a sand-bank, and seemed likely to capsize with the wind and waves. Terrible fright and crying among ladies and children. We seemed to think little of the rain and lightning which gleamed on every side {298} of us. It was very frightful; at least, it appeared so, and I saw what a warning was given here to be ready at a moment. No great preparation, I found, would be likely to be made in a time like that. It brought on me a palpitation which lasted till morning. We got off after ten minutes, as the storm blew over, and got to the Hôtel du Rhine at Mayence (Mainz) about 9. My greatest alarm since Messina.