e
to-day, with a bank of white clouds, which obscured none of their
features, but seemed to nestle on the snow along their summits, the
effect is altogether so sublime as to defy either pen or pencil to
describe it. It was not without a sense of bitter mortification that we
felt ourselves compelled to flee, as it were, from objects so enticing,
of which our parting glances showed us that we had not seen half the
beauties, and which we were destined, in all human probability, never
to behold again.

We reached Hirschberg about noon, and found it to be both a larger and
a more bustling place than any which, in the course of our rambles, we
had yet visited. An old wall, with towers at intervals, though in
ruins, encircles it, and it can boast of several churches, and a still
greater number of spires. The streets are narrow, and the houses lofty,
as is the case in almost all places which are or have been fortified;
and the population appears to be dense. But our stay in it was too
brief to permit our making any minute inquiries into their mode of
employing themselves, though we could perceive, from the clumsy
buildings which here and there over-hung the river, that there was some
sort of a manufactory in the town.

We made, at once, for the post office, an establishment very different,
in all respects, from that at Gabel, where functionaries, in the
Prussian uniform, received us with great civility, and gave us the
information of which we stood in need. It was by no means so
satisfactory as we had been led to anticipate; indeed, we found on
calculating the amount, that our seats in the diligence, as far as
Hernhut, would sweep away the whole of our disposable stock, with the
exception, I think, of a dollar and a half. Now, as the diligences
never hurry themselves in Germany, any more than other people, twenty
hours would be required to perform the journey to Hernhut, during which
we could not very conveniently fast; and after all, when Hernhut was
gained, we should still be forty long English miles from home. What was
to be done? We looked at one another ruefully enough for a moment, then
burst into a hearty laugh, and adjourning to an inn hard by, ordered
dinner. We ate it with excellent appetites, though our only beverage
was beer, and made up our minds to work our way on foot, while, like
prudent people, we regulated our style of living according to the
standard of our finances.

There was seated in the room of the h