"Ouchy, near Lausanne, June 27. 1816.
"I am thus far (kept by stress of weather) on my way back to
Diodati (near Geneva) from a voyage in my boat round the Lake; and
I enclose you a sprig of _Gibbons acacia_ and some rose-leaves from
his garden, which, with part of his house, I have just seen. You
will find honourable mention, in his Life, made of this 'acacia,'
when he walked out on the night of concluding his history. The
garden and _summer-house_, where he composed, are neglected, and
the last utterly decayed; but they still show it as his 'cabinet,'
and seem perfectly aware of his memory.
"My route, through Flanders, and by the Rhine, to Switzerland, was
all I expected, and more.
"I have traversed all Rousseau's ground with the Heloise before me,
and am struck to a degree that I cannot express with the force and
accuracy of his descriptions and the beauty of their reality.
Meillerie, Clarens, and Vevay, and the Château de Chillon, are
places of which I shall say little, because all I could say must
fall short of the impressions they stamp.
"Three days ago, we were most nearly wrecked in a squall off
Meillerie, and driven to shore. I ran no risk, being so near the
rocks, and a good swimmer; but our party were wet, and incommoded a
good deal. The wind was strong enough to blow down some trees, as
we found at landing: however, all is righted and right, and we are
thus far on our return.
"Dr. Polidori is not here, but at Diodati, left behind in hospital
with a sprained ankle, which he acquired in tumbling from a
wall--he can't jump.
"I shall be glad to hear you are well, and have received for me
certain helms and swords, sent from Waterloo, which I rode over
with pain and pleasure.
"I have finished a third canto of Childe Harold (consisting of one
hundred and seventeen stanzas), longer than either of the two
former, and in some parts, it may be, better; but of course on that
I cannot determine. I shall send it by the first safe-looking
opportunity. Ever," &c.
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