e Gratz, (Austria) October 16. Sunday
morning.
My dearest Frances, In the summer I rushed into Africa
as if Heat had no solvent power. Now in the Autumn I have
with equal recklessness winded the North. As if cold
could not Kill. Yesterday morning at 6 o' clock we took
our leave of Trieste as it sat smiling in per under
perpetual sunshine on the shore of the Mediterranean
protected by large mountain bancs on ^against^ the North Winds
We ascended by zig-zag line as you do at

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many hundred feet through villas and ^passing^ gardens
of grapes, oranges figs and olives — then — higher up as we
lost sight of the corn blue sea until we mounted the
Julian Alps which are covered only with stunted
shrubs and grass sustaining only a few flocks and
herds. I think we ascended to a height of two or
three thousand feet. Then we meandered through
plains and vallies plunging often through tunnels
of great length until we found a ravine whose
tunnels one flood ^ for ^ ^bore^ in a Northerly direction, and
thence ^we^ gradually ^ we ^ descended all day long through
a beautiful rich and romantic country — reminding
one perpetually of the slopes of the Allegeny mountains.
We passed through Laybach a beautiful old
town of summer resort, in a valley of the Alps and
brought up here at 9 o clock at night we
at Gratz a large and ^an^ elegant little city situated
in the Mühn river a branch I suppose of the Danube.
for I suppose for my map talks ^but^ little, and that little in
German, and I have no guide book. I have an opportunity
here to see the sit[ e ] s of and points of this
ill constituted empire. What I see agreeably surprises
me in its orders of cultivation and wealth and
intellectual development and taste. There is always a

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neat white ^stone^ church, on every hill. The people are
peasants, but they are comfortable, clean and live in
substantial dwellings. Dahlias and all other flowers
of the season embellish every cottage ground.