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He admits also that he had hoped that his diary for 1768-69 "would be printed in St. Gallen by pious cousins of both sexes at their expense. This foolish deed never came to pass." He also recalls that "several pieces which in my then crazily pious frame of mind did not appear to me sufficiently edifying, for example all love-songs and other songs, were unmercifully condemned to the fire, and whatever little escaped this auto-da-fé was of excellent service to my wife, instead of a clout, to wipe the table or the backsides of our young offspring."

1st Jan. Bräker is behindhand with his diary again, but resolves to catch up with it during the New Year holiday, encouraged by the publication of his autobiography [the edition in book form of 1789]. He welcomes the new year and trusts in his "good genius". [Chronik, p 382]

12th Jan. He notes that this date is the new year according to the new calendar, but that the Protestant canton of Appenzell is still using the old Julian calendar, so that heavy rain has disrupted the sleigh-rides which form part of their festivities. Bräker notes the paradox that the more conservative Catholics have accepted the new calendar more readily than those who have undertaken improvements in religion, who are obstinately against it. Bräker gives up diary-writing again till the end of the year. [Chronik, p 382]

15th Mar. Bräker writes to Dr. Ebel, referring to some questions about the Toggenburg. Johann Gottfried Ebel (1764-1830) was a young doctor from Frankfurt am Main, who travelled in Bräker's homeland in 1790 while writing a guidebook. He stayed with Füssli for two years and visited Bräker several times. Bräker tells him that Pastor Abraham Lutz of Lichtensteig and Pastor Imhof are also writing about their region. He promises to reply to Ebel's questionnaire within a fortnight. He asks Ebel to remember him to Füssli, who is about to bring out the second part of Bräker's writings, and other acquaintances in Zürich. [Chronik, p 382]. [The projected books by Lutz and Imhof never appeared; Ebel's did and has been quoted in the Introduction.]

28th Mar. Bräker writes to Ebel again, answering his questions, but asks him to excuse his incomplete answers, though he had asked for help from other people who were better informed than himself. [Chronik, p 383]

Some time during the spring Bräker begins an extension to his house for his son and daughter-in-law. [Chronik, p 383]

20th June Bräker has a midday meal at the house of Daniel Girtanner in St. Gallen, recorded in Girtanner's diary. Their friendship lasted to the end of Bräker's life. [Chronik, p 383] [This may not, however, be the first time that they had met.]

Summer (no exact date) Füssli visits Bräker, they go together to Herisau.

"Herr Councillor Füssli will pardon me for naming him. This summer for the second time he paid me the always undeserved honour of a visit, with his amiable spouse and daughters. A day of bliss that I will never forget. Our journey was on foot over that pleasant height towards Schwellbrunn, on a hot sultry summer's day, while the womenfolk took the main road in the valley on horseback. What rapture for me when my noble travelling companion climbed as lightly as a deer by the steep footpaths up the hill, dripping with sweat, and took delight in the beautiful prospects.

A hundred times have I refreshed myself with these wonderful prospects. But this time it was pleasure redoubled because I shared it with my dear companion. I did not know how to express how worthy of respect it seems to me, when educated, rich and well-born people of this earth, born in the cities, yet find such a taste for God's beautiful Nature, and condescend in this way to their simpler and poorer brethren, as if they were their equals. In such a case was I now. [...] It

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