n in with any Bavarian
authority since I left Rome, and that, while at Rome, I had no intention of
going thro' Bavaria; that at Milan the Austrian authorities had _vise_ my
passport for Vienna and that I should only pass thro' Munich, without
making a longer stay than one week. He acquiesced in my argument, but
inserted my explanation on the passport. At half a quarter of a mile beyond
Mittenwald I met the raft just about to get under weigh at eleven o'clock
a.m. This raft is about as long as the length of a thirty-six gun frigate,
and formed of spars fastened together; on this is a platform about one and
a half feet high. The Isar begins its course close to Mittenwald, and the
place on which the raft stood, previous to departure, was very shallow; but
water was quickly let in from sluices to float the raft, and off we set
with a cargo of peasants, male and female, and merchandise bound for
Munich. As the river Isar rushes between immense mountains, and forms a
continual descent until the plains of Bavaria open to view, you may
conceive with what rapidity we went. We encountered several falls of water
of two, three, four and sometimes five feet which we had to _shoot_, which
no boat could possibly do without being upset. The lower part of the raft
was frequently under water in making these _shoots_ and we were obliged to
hold on fast to our seats to prevent being jerked off. Nothing can be more
romantic and picturesque than this journey, and there is something aweful
in _shooting_ these falls; these rafts are, however, so solidly constructed
that there is no danger whatever. They can neither sink nor upset. We
arrived and halted the evening at Toelz, a large village or town on the
right bank of the Isar. What gives to Toelz a remarkably singular appearance
is, that on a height at a short distance from the town, and hanging
abruptly over the river, you perceive several figures in wood, larger than
the life, which figures form groups, representing the whole history of the
passion of Jesus Christ. At a short distance, if you are not prepared for
this, you suppose that they are real men, and that a procession or
execution is going forward. On landing I immediately ascended this hill in
order to observe this curiosity, and there I beheld the following groups,
first: Christ in the midst of his disciples preaching; secondly: the
disciples asleep in a cave, and Christ watching and praying; next was Judas
betraying Christ to the so