not pledge myself to have caught the name correctly; it was more
lonely than ever, very high, much more snow on the top than on the
previous day over the Col du Lautaret, the path scarcely
distinguishable, indeed quite lost in many places, very beautiful
but not so much so as the Col du Lautaret, and better on descending
towards Queyras than on ascending; from the summit of the pass the
view of the several Alpine chains about is very fine, but from the
entire absence of trees of any kind it is more rugged and barren
than I altogether liked; going down towards Queyras we found the
letters S.I.C. marked on a rock, evidently with the spike of an
alpine-stock,--we wondered whether they stood for St. John's
College.

We reached Queyras at about four very tired, for yesterday's work
was heavy, and refresh ourselves with a huge omelette and some good
Provence wine.

Reader, don't go into that auberge, carry up provision from
Briancon, or at any rate carry the means of eating it: they have
only two knives in the place, one for the landlord and one for the
landlady; these are clasp knives, and they carry them in their
pockets; I used the landlady's, my companion had the other; the room
was very like a cow-house--dark, wooden, and smelling strongly of
manure; outside I saw that one of the beams supporting a huge
projecting balcony that ran round the house was resting on a capital
of white marble--a Lombard capital that had evidently seen better
days, they could not tell us whence it came. Meat they have none,
so we gorge ourselves with omelette, and at half-past five trudge
on, for we have a long way to go yet, and no alternative but to
proceed.