Personal narrative of an excursion to the hospice of the Great St. Bernard / By R. Hibbert Taylor.

  • Taylor, R. Hibbert.
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Personal narrative of an excursion to the hospice of the Great St. Bernard / By R. Hibbert Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Infirmier, or nurse, who takes charge of the sick. These offices are held only for three years. The dress of the monks is of black cloth, reaching nearly to the ancle, and buttoned from top to bottom; and a black conical cap, surmounted by a tuft, is worn upon the head. The distinguishing badge of the order is a very narrow white band or scarf, which, by a slit, is passed round the neck, and the ends fastened before and behind in a girdle which encircles the waist. The whole costume is simple and becoming. At the conclusion of supper, the monks withdrew; for although we found them both kind and polite when their attentions were required, they do not take much trouble in entertaining their guests, but leave each one to do very much as he pleases. As there were no ladies present on this occasion, we did not adjourn to the drawing-room,—for the Hospice possesses an apart¬ ment which may be so designated,—containing a piano-forte, books, prints, pictures, and various objects of literature and art, which the bounty of travellers has supplied. I walked out to the door to ascertain how the desolate scenery looked in the grey evening light. One of the younger monks joined me, and proving ex¬ tremely communicative, I obtained from him many of the following details. He was accompanied by a very fine dog, which he commended as being ex¬ tremely sagacious. It was of a greyish black colour, and in size and figure resembled a Newfoundland of pure breed, being perhaps somewhat longer in body, and very strongly made in the forequarters. The head was large, with a good development of the reflective organs and benevolence, as phrenologists would say. The ears were rather long, and the chops large and pendulous like those of a pointer. I was struck with the sagacious and benevolent ex¬ pression of the animal’s countenance, and the sedate and solemn gravity of its demeanour, qualities which more or less distinguished all the specimens of the breed which I saw. Six dogs are kept at the Hospice, never more, and a supply when necessary is obtained from Martigny, where they are bred, and allowed to remain till of sufficient age to be trained for their peculiar duties. They are all large handsome looking animals, excellent feeders I was in¬ formed, extremely gentle, and evidently quite accustomed to the society of strangers. The dogs are never sent out in the snow by themselves, with food and other necessaries suspended to their necks, as we sometimes see them represented, but are always accompanied either by one of the brethren or a domestic. From November till May, a confidential servant, termed Le Marronier, ac¬ companied by dogs, and armed with a long staff to probe the snow drifts, makes an excursion every day along the route where most danger is appre¬ hended, in search of any who may require his aid ; and the same functionary precedes the travellers who are quitting the Hospice half way down the de¬ scent, when the state of the weather renders a guide desirable. On inquiring of my companion how he liked his present mode of life, he re¬ plied, that at first he found it rather melancholy work, but a residence of three years in the Hospice had reconciled him to it, and now he rather pre¬ ferred it. Some, he said, had resided as long as twenty-five years ; but many were obliged to leave, being unable to endure the severity of the climate. They spent their time, he further remarked, when not occupied in attending
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