HORACE BROOKS, of New York to Geo. Harrington, September 14, 1868

Mr. Wm. F. Nisbet and others to Mr. Harrington.

Dear Sir: The recent outrageous treatment of myself and some of my countrymen by certain guides of Martigny, in the canton of Valais, is the cause of my addressing to you these lines. I am impelled by several reasons, viz., in the hope that the guilty may be punished for the outrages I shall detail as having witnessed, that guides or other servants, finding that punishment may follow their evil doings, (if travelers choose to exert themselves to that end,) may be restrained by a wholesome fear; that the cantonal authorities, becoming aware that bad men are employed, will see to it that their districts shall not suffer in reputation by reason of their continuance, or by the future appointment of other than good and honest men. Particularly would I do this in the interest of future travelers, especially those from my own country. From a long experience in travel I am led to believe that they oftener submit and bow down to the outrages and indignities of guides and other servitors than travelers of any other nation. This may be the result partly from a mistaken spirit of generosity and good nature; partly from their failure or inability to comprehend the line between the traveler’s rights and the servitor’s legitimate latitude; partly from their having little or no acquaintance with the language, laws, customs, and topography of the country in which they may be traveling; partly from the fear of troubles, delay, and expense which an appeal to the authorities may cause them. Yet all this bears the proof of a profound indifference for the comfort and welfare of those travelers of their own or other lands who shall come after them. Every traveler owes his mite to the great society of travelers. In writing you these lines and asking your efforts in this case I am but acting upon my conviction of what every traveler owes to the concourse of travelers who annually pilgrim age to this charming land. Asking your kind forbearance for these first lines, I will now detail to you the facts in the case.

On Tuesday morning, September 10, a party of Americans, Mr. and Mrs. H. Brooks and daughter, a young English gentleman, Mr. Fowler, and myself, were at the Hotel Clerc at Martingny, all bound for Chamouny via the Tête Noire. One of the ladies being unwell, they at first concluded to remain until her recovery. I therefore joined with Mr. Fowler and engaged two animals and one guide, which were soon before the door of the hotel. The others now concluded to go, and gave the landlord of the Clerc a verbal order for three horses or animals, and a guide, which were brought in about half an hour. We then started in company. Before getting out of the town I noticed that three men accompanied the party, and on inquiry, discovered that two guides were going with the three animals last ordered by Mr. Brooks’s family. Calling their attention to this, they said that they wanted but one guide, and Mr. B. so told them, and ordered one to return. He refused, and took from his pocket a paper, on which was written two guides and three horses. I suppose this is a sort of voucher by which he could claim payment on our arrival at Chamouny. Whether it was given him by the hotel proprietor or by the chief guide I do not know, but I presume the latter. As he refused to return as long as this paper called for two guides, I told him I would return and have it altered. This I did, the party proceeding. At my arrival at the hotel the landlord immediately altered the number to one guide. I then mounted, and at some little distance from the hotel overtook the refractory guide talking with a man (who I have since supposed the chief guide) who, from his gestures and speech, I supposed to be giving him orders. He (the guide) asked to see the paper, and refused to return it to me. I left it with him and passed on, overtaking the party about two, miles up the road. In a few minutes this guide came up with us and demanded that all the animals ridden by Mr. B.’s family should go back to Martigny, or that he should be taken along to Chamouny. We told him that we did not know him at all; had ordered three horses and one guide, and that the party of three wanted but one guide, and the party of five wanted but two. This man now flew into a passion, seized the bridle of the horse which Mr. B. rode and attempted to turn the animal back. I struck at him twice from my horse with a bundle of canes, but did not hit him, as he sank down behind the horse. He then seized a stone but did not fire, but seizing the bridle of the horse which Mr. B. rode, attempted to turn him, and in so doing backed the animal into a deep and dangerous hole, carrying Mr. B. down with him. The hole was so narrow that the horse was completely wedged in, his back level with the ground on either side, his hoofs not touching the bottom, but his weight suspended by his sides. Mr. B. was yet upon his back, his right leg tightly wedged in between the horse and the stones. It was some five minutes before he was taken off, and only after the stones had been dug away. Pickaxes and shovels had to be used, and it was twenty minutes before the horse was taken out by means of ropes passed under him. Mr. B. is an old gentleman, and it was an accident that his leg was not broken. It now rained hard. Yet after all this, the fact also that it was 12 o’clock and a long journey before us, this guide, Jean Rouiller, yet insisted on taking the three animals back. The other guide who had come with the three horses, Pierre Etienne, seemed to second Jean in his efforts, and shook his fist furiously at me because I refused to give back to Jean the papers which he had before seized from me. It was evident that Jean would insist on going along to Chamouny or on taking the three horses back. Just then came along an English pedestrian of the Alpine Club, who advised us to get rid of this Jean by paying him twelve francs, the full price of a guide from Martigny to Chaniouny. He refused to let the horse go, and perhaps he was right, after the tumble he had had in the ditch. I gave up my horse to Mr. B. and jointly walked and rode with my English Mend. During this scene some twenty natives gathered about, and it was evident that they looked upon the affair as a great outrage. Both of the guides are bad men; they show it upon every feature. My own guide was quiet and a good fellow, but from fear kept silent. Fear and interest I believe compel the better guides and the landlords of the hotels to acquiesce in the continuance of bad men as guides. Think of your guide mounting your horse while you are walking! This both of the guides did at a later hour of the day.

It seems neither age, nor sex, nor any consideration whatever can deter these villains from outrages. Here was an old gentleman, feeble in body, attacked with palsy two weeks before, showing when he mounted the annimal at the hotel that he was weak. Here were two ladies, his only attendants; and yet these guides took no account of his condition. I am strongly inclined to the belief that they were emboldened by orders from their chief; and in confirmation of this belief, as well as for the purpose of further testimony, I inclose a letter received here by Mr. Brooks two days since, on his arrival, from the proprietor of the Hotel Clerc, at Chaniouny. This letter has been written of his own free will, as neither myself nor any of the party have seen or had any communication with him, or any one at Martigny, since our departure from there. It is quite evident that the natives who witnessed the scene have made it the talk of the town. At first I felt inclined to hold the hotel keeper responsible, as it was through him and from him that we all received horses and guides, and it was he who, later, altered the voucher from two to one guide. But I can conceive his difficult position as one among several hotel keepers, with their rivalries and jealousies, wishing to be upon the right side of the guides, who can be of service by their patronage. The whole system of guides from Martigny to Chomouny seems to be entirely in the interest of the guides. A traveler is actually forced by them to a stoppage of one and a half hour at the half-way house on the Tête Noire. This we had to submit to, notwithstanding all our previous delay and the lateness of the hour. It was 10 o’clock at night when we arrived at Chaniouny. Mr. B. became so weary that he was obliged to stop and remain at an inn on the wayside. At Chaniouny, I am told, the guides receive three francs per person for every one they take to any hotel. This is paid by the proprietor, and is probably one cause of the toleration of such villains. Then they walk their animals the whole distance at a pace far slower than an ordinary pedestrian walks, and become ugly and sulky if one urges his horse faster, or insists upon their so doing. Furthermore, no French guide from Chamouny is allowed to pilot travelers over the mountain on their (the guide’s) return, so that a traveler pays both ways, or, in other words, pays for two days for his guides and horses when he uses them but one, and this over a route where the back travel is equal to the forward travel. Yet as a traveler I do not, nor do I believe others, object to paying any reasonable tariff prices, but only to a forced imposition such as I have related. At Chamouny, before settling with the guides, I stated the facts to the proprietor of the Hotel Royal de l’Union, who advised me to appeal to the United States consul at Geneve. Yesterday, in company with Mr. Brooks. I called upon him, and it is at his suggestion that I address myself to you as the highest and proper authority. If my deposition is needed I shall be glad to make it, but, as I shall most probably be in Berne in the course of a week or so, I will do myself the honor to call upon you, and if needful will then give you any further information in my power. In the mean time I place the matter in your hands, trusting that every effort will be made to bring this outrage to such an issue as shall be a warning to ail the guides of Martigny, and a prevention of like outrages in the future.

I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

W. F. NISBET, &c., &c.

We, the undersigned, parties mentioned within, have heard this letter, and hereby confirm with our signatures all the facts and statements therein contained, and urgently trust success will attend any efforts to punish the offenders.