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passage from the upper to the lower part
of the lake, on the western side, in conjunction
with another castle or fort, situated
on an eminence on the opposite side of the
road. This is now nearly demolished, except
an hexagonal tower in the same style
of architecture as Coningsberg Castle in
Yorkshire. The eminence on which it
stands is flat at the summit, and is cultivated
as a vineyard or garden.
About a mile from Chateau Duing, at
the entrance of one of the mountain valleys,
is a large ancient castle with four
round towers and out-works, which also
belongs to Mr. Berthet; it is called Chateau
D’Herie, and is close to a small village of
the same name. This resembles some of
our Norman baronial castles ; the gates,
portcullis, and walls are entire: there are
port holes for arquebuses near the gates,
apparently of a later d a te : the windows
have never been glazed. Nothing is known
of the history of this castle ; some of the
furniture still remains. In the great hall
there are benches for the dining tables,
which are divided into separate seats, with
carved backs and elbows, like the prebend’s
stalls in our cathedrals. On the
other side of the lake, immediately opposite
Chateau Duing, is situated the large village
or bourg of Talloires, containing upwards
of 1000 inhabitants. North of the villao:e,
and on the banks of the lake, are the remains
of a large Benedictine priory, founded
about the ninth centurv. It was sold and
partly demolished when Savoy became a
department of France.
Talloires is placed in a kind of amphitheatre
formed by the rocks, which here
recede about a mile from the border of the
lake. The ground which slopes down from
the village to the water is covered with
vines, and the higher ground between Talloires
and the rocks is divided into corn
fields richly intermingled with wood. On
one of the rocks above the village are the
remains of a chapel and hermitage, formerly
appertaining to the priory, and to
which there are still religious processions
from Talloires on certain festivals. The
ascent up to the chapel along a winding
road cut out of the rock is extremely
beautiful, and reminded me of the scenery
round Matlock. There is a fine waterfall
p.