At the German (national) theatre which is a fair sized one, I saw a tragedy performed called Der Wald bey Herman-stadt (the Forest near Hermanstadt),[122] It was an interesting piece taken from a feudal legend.  The part of Elisene was performed by Mlle Vohs, a very good actress.  I missed very much one thing in Munich, and that is the want of cafes like those in France and Italy, which have so brilliant an appearance.  They make coffee here at the inns; and there are two or three dull places up one pair of stairs, where they play at billiards, and make as indifferent coffee as is made in England.  The hour of dining at Munich is in general one o’clock.  A slice of ham or sausage with beer form the gouter, usually taken at five or six o’clock; and at nine follows a supper as solid as the dinner.  The Germans are not loungers as the French and Italians, who, for the most part, spend all their spare time in coffee-houses.  When I mentioned to a Bavarian that I could find no cafes in Munich resembling those in France and Italy, he said with emphasis! Gott bewahre (God forbid)!  I could not help thinking he was in the right; for those splendid cafes are very seducing to young people and tend to encourage a life of idleness and to keep them from their studies.  The lower bourgeoisie and Stubenmaedchen (maidservants) wear a singular head dress.  It is made of stuff worked with silver or gold and resembles two horns sticking out one at each ear.  This head dress must be costly.  This class of women wear also on fete days gold crosses, collars and earrings.

The Bavarians seem a frank, honest set of people, tho’ sometimes a little rough, in their exterior deportment.  The character of Otto of Wittelsbach, in the tragedy of that name, gives the best idea of the Bavarian character.

I have made acquaintance here with a Mr F-----, an Austrian gentleman, and
two Polish gentlemen, the one an officer and the other a medical man.  They
are brothers and had both served in the French army.  We have agreed to
travel to Vienna together on board of the raft which starts every week from
Munich to Vienna.  This raft brings to every day between twelve o’clock and
two near some town or village on the banks of the river, in order to allow
the passengers to dine, and anchors every evening at seven o’clock near
some town or village to sup and sleep.  You have only to tell the
Flossmeister, or Master of the Raft, at what inn you mean to put up, or
if you have no preference, he will recommend you one; and at five the next
morning he goes his rounds to the different inns to collect his passengers,
and at six gets under weigh.

VIENNA, 2nd August.