In another hour and a quarter Faido is reached. The descent to
Faido from the summit of the pass is much greater than the ascent
from Fusio, for Faido is not more than 2300 feet above the sea,
whereas, as I have said, Fusio is over 4200 feet. The descent from
the top of the pass to Faido is about 5300 feet, while to Fusio it
is only 3400. The reader, therefore, will see that he had better
go from Fusio to Faido, and not vice versa, unless he is a good
walker.
From Faido we returned home. We looked at nothing between the top
of the St. Gothard Pass and Boulogne, nor did we again begin to
take any interest in life till we saw the science-ridden, art-
ridden, culture-ridden, afternoon-tea-ridden cliffs of Old England
rise upon the horizon.
APPENDIX A--Wednesbury Cocking (See p. 55)
I know nothing of the date of this remarkable ballad, or the source
from which it comes. I have heard one who should know say, that
when he was a boy at Shrewsbury school it was done into Greek
hexameters, the lines (with a various reading in them):
"The colliers and nailers left work,
And all to old Scroggins' went jogging;"
being translated:
[Greek text]
I have been at some pains to find out more about this translation,
but have failed to do so. The ballad itself is as follows:
At Wednesbury there was a cocking,
A match between Newton and Scroggins;
The colliers and nailers left work,
And all to old Spittle's went jogging.
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