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I enquired for Herr Mayr. I was kindly received above my expectations or deserts and given lodging for the night. His lovely spouse showed me round the garden and everywhere. Nowhere this year have I met with a richer fruit harvest as in Arbon and its neighbourhood. I was never in Arbon before this, though I had passed by it on land and on the lake. From a distance it makes a favourable prospect, but close at hand it is a poverty-stricken little lakeside town. There is not much to see except the buildings of Herr Mayr and a few others, though Arbon has an advantageous position, built on a peninsula, and has a charming view over the Bodensee and the Swabian shore. To all appearances Arbon was more impressive in times gone by, perhaps ruined by war, fires or other strokes of misfortune, and never properly rebuilt. A pity, for it has an excellent situation.

I was treated very kindly by Herr Mayr, as if I were a gentleman. A few other respected civil men were invited to supper, I thought it was a favour to me. The evening passed uncommonly pleasantly for me in congenial conversation. But, as usual, people like myself, unfortunately, have very little to say about matters of learning, and what I have so far succeeded in grasping of such things never comes into my head when in the company of my betters. I am bewildered and confused and bashfulness still clings about me. But as soon as I am somewhat animated, then I am quite the military man, I can be so full of enthusiasm that I chatter long and loud about hardships, drill, skirmishes, battles and so forth.

That reminds me, that once when I was drinking I wanted to show the company the basic points of the Prussian arms drill, in my enthusiasm I caught up a great carving-knife, that was lying on the table, and made with it as if I had a gun in my hands. I slapped my right hand on the gun - I met with the sharp edge and gave myself a mighty wound between my thumb and forefinger, and only became aware of it when the blood flowed onto the table and my "gun" was all clotted with blood. I laid the fatal gun down very gently, wrapped my hand in my handkerchief and was rather ashamed of myself. But nobody noticed. It happened at night, by candlelight, and luckily I was sitting somewhat in shadow, otherwise I should have had to bear teasing and laughter along with the injury. Since then I have refrained from drilling with a sharp butcher's knife.

In the morning after breakfast I set out again for Konstanz. The weather was wettish and the roads dirty. I had hardly gone a short distance from Arbon - among whole forests of fruit trees - some heavily loaded with pears, so that close to me large branches were breaking under the weight and drooping down, which is something rare in this otherwise fruitless autumn. In fine bright weather it is hugely pleasurable to stroll on foot down by the lake, through forests and avenues all of fruit trees, and fertile fields, where the whole earth seems a garden. Everywhere down there is the most fertile land, more than any other spot in the whole of Helvetia.

I would have been glad to stroll down by the lake, all alone, observing everything and giving my thoughts free rein, if only the heavens had been more favourable towards me. But I had to hurry to get out of the rain quickly. Some people coming away from the market at Roschach overtook me, for I was felt compelled, in spite of the rain, to stop at every loaded tree, or at least walk slowly, giving way to my astonishment, that it should come to pass, in the same climate, under the same portion of the sky, at the same altitude, and with the same tending, yet in one place all should be bare and empty, and in another most of the trees should be laden with fruit - whether it was from the kind of fruit, the soil or certain winds which blow more strongly in one place than another - but learned scientists may find that out. I joined myself to the company of those making their way to Konstanz, and hurried along as fast as they.

Among others a stout tanner kept by me. He said he would go with me as far as Scherzingen. But now my observations came to an end. The fellow led me by footpaths through woods and over cultivated fields, so that my shoes were every moment sticking fast in the mire. And all the while he gossiped till I was half sick from it, firstly about his business in Roschach, about the

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