July 15th, 1873. Fine.

We left the city of Geneva and travelled to the station of Bellegarde in France, arriving there at half past five. We rested briefly while waiting for the customs inspection to be completed, then departed. At seven o'clock the mountains on either side fell back and level land opened before us. By now it was growing dark, and night fell before we arrived at Lyons. We stayed at the Grand Hotel de Lyon.

July 16th.

Lyons is renowned for silk-weaving. The city stands at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône. All the streets are paved with flagstones, and there are many spacious gardens. Trees are planted everywhere, as luxuriant as any forest, and their leafy shade provided relief from the summer heat. In the early evening the people of the city take leisurely strolls beneath the trees. When night falls, gas-lamps are lit and glitter like stars.

Sericulture began in Europe during Roman times. Mulberry trees do not survive in cold climates but thrive in the warm southern parts of Europe. As a result, all the countries which had such southerly regions subsequently developed sericulture. It was the silk yarn of Italy and France, however, which achieved the highest reputation. In the 1550s, when civil strife in Italy drove people from their homes, Francis I of France took advantage of the situation to acquire the secrets of silk-weaving by inviting master weavers from the Italian city of Genoa to come to France.