Travel Talk
' Middle Europe '
3'—The Swiss
Rhone Eric ASHBY , D.Sc.
Today's talk is by the well-known traveller Dr. Eric Ashby , who is a lecturer in Botany at Bristol Umversitv and will be remembered by many of his listeners if only because he brought a rattle-snake to the microphone when he gave a talk last year on ' The Maize
Farmer of the Middle West .
His talk this afternoon about the Swiss Rhone will include mention of the largest of the Swiss Lakes, the Lake ot
Geneva to us, Lacus Lucanus to the Romans, over 200 square miles of transparent blue water that thrilled
Byron Voltaire , Rousseau, and Dumas, and is beloved by wild swans.
Then Dr. Ashby will conclude his talk with mention of a place as world-famous-the Hospice on the summit of Greater St. Bernard, founded by St. Bernard of Meuthon in the eleventh century and occupied by twelve monks, who, helped by the magnificent dogs that have been called after him. go to the rescue of travellers in distress. Since 1923 St. Bernard has been the Patron Saint of mountaineers.