Spiers: Memoranda of an autumn tour in 1836

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CONT. AUG. 26. FRI.

of some fishermen whom we had seen also from above. They use a suspending net which allows them plenty of time for smoking, but their success would not allow them much cash for the purchase of tobacco I think. Some fine salmon I understand are sometimes caught here.

While writing in our chamber which faced the river, we were agreeably surprised by the notes of a French horn below us, and delighted still more when the same notes, repeated from the other side of the water sank away into a delicious "dying fall" in the distance. And when a blast loud & strong succeeded by a deep bass note followed the effort was beautifully ludicrous. For half an hour was this echoing amusement followed up & every window of the well tenanted hotel gave forth the exclamations of applauding delight. Of course the false notes as well as others were faithfully echoed, much to the discomfiture of the player & to our mirth. - The spirit of music once roused was not soon to be allayed and while I softly hummed a Tyrolean air I was glad to hear myself accompanied by someone in the chamber beneath. I dropped into the second and this debt was followed by several songs from each of us & a lady who I apprehended was his wife which tho' not sufficiently loud to awake the echo - yet gave us a romantic evening which all enjoyed. And beautifully the large harvest moon shone over all, giving us the bold peak on which stands the dark ruin of the Katzenellnbogen its villages below & further down the river whose broad stream rippled gently in front of us, on a high rock was perched the Ruin of Thurmberg. Midnight found us unwilling to exchange our stargazing occupation for the more wholesome one of rest, and our diary was still getting sadly in arrear, but we hoped soon to arrive at some

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