24

THE STORY OF MONT BLANC.

a pound of bread in long sticks, and then, as usual,gathered the rest of our breakfast from the vineyards,always thinking of Rabelais , where he says, “Forhere it is to be remarked, that it is a celestial food toeat for breakfast hot fresh cakes with grapes, espe-cially the frail clusters, the muscadines, &c.” Passingthrough Viverone and Popolo, we bought some ches-nuts for lunch at Cavaglia, where it was market-day.On leaving Cavaglia the country assumed a differentappearance, being very level, with no vines, and verylittle foliage generally, and extraordinarily long,straight roads, with little stones at the sides. Thepeople were making hay and drying Indian corn allthe way along, and we went and sat with some ofthese, and had some wine. We began to flag verymuch as we got near Vercella, and the last two milescould scarcely get along, having walked with ourknapsacks in a broiling sun more than eleven leagues.We were so worn and dirty, that at the first inn theyrefused to receive us, on which we went over to theAlbergo dei tre Re, where everything was so verydirty that it was comically remarkable. The roomswere filthy, but the ceilings all painted with gaudyfrescos, and the waiter a small person, like a panto-mime imp. We went to bed at seven, and fell asleepdirectly.

Thursday, 4 th .—The imp awoke us at five o’clock,