experience gained in four different visits to the country, in the course of which he left but a small portion of it unexplored. Notwithstanding this, he cannot speak of the Hand-book for Switzerland with less diffidence than he did of the volumes relating to Germany which have preceded it; and he must equally trust in the indulgence of his readers to excuse numerous inaccuracies which no doubt pervade it. He has, however, no hesitation in speaking of the merits of the second section of this volume, relating to Savoy and Piedmont, which has been prepared by a friend and fellow-traveller, most intimately acquainted with those countries, which he has explored in almost every direction, and on many different occasions. The routes contained in it possess great interest, from the want of other information respecting the country they traverse, from the extreme accuracy with which they are described, and from their being derived, not from books, but from personal knowledge. They will probably be the means of throwing open to English travellers a region little visited hitherto, but possessing, from its romantic beauties, the highest claim to attention. 1838. The present edition has been very carefully revised, and corrected as far as possible, down to the present time; some new routes have been added, and others have been re-written. |