Clerc to Mr. Brooks, September 10, 1867

Mr. Clerc, proprietor of the hotel, to Mr. Brooks.

Sir: I regret to hear that you had trouble with the guides this morning, after your departure from Martigny, and that they behaved very rudely to you. These are incidents that ought not to be passed over in silence; and to prevent their repetition I advise you, for the good of travelers, to make a serious complaint to your minister, and request him to present the case to the Swiss federal council, our supreme authority. A remonstrance of your minister will give much more importance to your complaint. Moreover, if you will make a complaint to me in writing, I will send it to the Valais authorities and have the guilty guide severely reprimanded.

I insist on your doing this, for, if what I hear is true, their conduct is scandalous. The chief guides ought to be responsible for the extortion on travelers by their subordinates. It was the chief who gave the order to the guide Jean Rouiller, on the way, to take back the mules or make you pay for them. He has superseded his authority in every way, and I advise you to be particularly hard on him in your complaint.

I will do all I can to assist you on this occasion, but the complaint must come from the traveler.

Accept, sir, my respectful consideration.