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Preparing for Publication,
(Forming a Companion to the letterpress, about to appear
in Constable's Miscellany,)
In Five Parts, each containing ten beautifully coloured Plates,
Price One Guinea, in Demy Folio,
Two feet long by Nineteen inches broad, being considerably
more than double the size of the original Work,
ILLUSTRATIONS
OF
AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY,
IN CLUI) ING
REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL INSECTS,
FOREST TREES, AND FRUITS OF AMERICA,
Drawn, Etched, and Coloured under the superintendence of
CAPTAIN THOMAS BROWN, F. L. S. M. W. S. &c.
*, * This will form one of the most elegant works hither-
to published in this country, and will be unprecedented for
its cheapness, not exceeding, even including the Letterpress,
one-sixth part of the original cost. The illustrations will
comprise, not only the whole of the Birds given by ALEx-
ANDER WILson and CHARLEs LUCIAN BUoNAPARTE, in
many instances larger, and in none less, than in the original
works, but will also contain various newly-discovered species,
including numerous representations of Insects, Fruits, and
Forest Trees of America.
CONSTABLE'S MISCELLANY,
\ olumes LXVIII. LXIX. LXX. and LXXI. will contain
THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY.
OF ALEXANDER WILSON,
AND CHARLES LUCHAN BONAPARTE,
WITH NOTES AND ADDITIONs,
By ROBERT JAMESON, Esq.
Regius Professor of Natural History in the University of
Edinburgh, &c. &c.
In Four Volumes.
Price 3s. 6d. each Volume,—Fine Paper, 58. –Royal
Paper, 6s.
*, * This Edition of the above highly interesting works
will contain the whole literary contents of twelve volumes,
quarto, and will still farther be increased in value by mu-
merous Additions and Improvements, by Professor Jameson.
The original and only editions have rarely been sold in this
country under forty guineas; and are, consequently, of much
less frequency than their merits deserve. The proprietors of
Constable's Miscellany therefore trust, that, by putting such
important and valuable Works, without curtailment, and in
an improved state, within the reach of every person, they are
performing an essential service, not merely to the student of
natural history, but to the general reader.
A new Life of WILson will be added.
Edinburgh : Printed for ConstABLE and Co.; and HURST,
CHANCE, and Co. London.
SWITZERLAND,
THE SOUTH OF FRANCE,
ANT
THE PYRENEES.
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ºriginalmºst strºublicatiºns)
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– ºn the various preservents
- - - -
LITERATURE.SCIENCE.8-THE ARTs.
vol. LXVI.
switzerland. France-and-Tº-Pºrt-s-Vol-1-
---------------
EDINBURGH:
PRINTED FOR CONSTABLE & Cº ºn Blºt-II-
AND Eurº-CTLANCE -Cº-on-Don.
1831.








i
SWITZERLAN
THE SOUTH OF ...
FRANCE, AND THE PYRENEES,
M. DCCC.. XXX.
. . . .
* * * * *
BY H. D. INGLIS,
AUTHoR of “solitARY w A LKs TH Roug H MANY LAND's,”
“s PAIN IN 1830," “IRE LAND IN 1834,” &c. &c.
IN TWO VOLU M ES.
V () I., . [.
L ON D O N :
PRINTED FOR WHIT TAKER & Co.
AVE M ARIA LAN E.
1835.
CONTENTS.
P A C E
INTRod U ction
CHAPTER I.
THE TOWN AND CANTON OF BASIL, AND THE CANTON
OF ARGOVIE,
Arrival in Basil—General aspect of the Town and its
Inhabitants—The Dress of the Women—The Bridge
of the Rhine—The Cathedral, and the View from its
Terrace—An Historical Anecdote—Productions and
Constitution of the Canton, and the Domestic Econo-
my of the Inhabitants—Journey from Basil to Zurich
—Baden—Strange Law respecting Dancing—A Wed-
ding Party—The Village of Dieteken, and its free-
dom from bigotry—Arrival at Zurich
CHAPTER II.
THE TOWN, LAKE, AND CANTON OF ZURICH.
The Pilgrims of Einsiedeln—Extraordinary Industry of
the Inhabitants of Zurich in the Cultivation of the
Soil, and Proofs of it—Zurich Society and Amuse-
xiii
19
vi
CONTENTS.
P AGF.
ments—General aspect of the Town, its Edifices, &c.
—Zurich as a Residence, Price of Provisions, &c.—
The Lake and its Scenery—An Evening Prospect—
Swiss Music—Constitution of the Canton, and Do-
mestic Economy of the Inhabitants—Excursions to
the Neighbourhood—The Grieffen-See
CHAPTER III.
THE TOWN, LAKE, AND CANTON OF zou G.
Walk to Zoug—More Proofs of the extraordinary In-
dustry of the Zurichers—An Anecdote that may teach
humility—The Town of Zoug—Its Inhabitants and
Environs—A hint to Phrenologists—Prices of Pro-
visions at Zoug—Expenses of the Government, and
Constitution of the Canton—Return to Horgen
CHAPTER IV.
EINSIEDELN.
i)
Journey through the Canton of Schwytz to Einsiedeln
—A Rencontre—The Abbey, Church, and Village of
Einsiedeln—Concourse of Pilgrims—Dresses—Cus-
toms—Procession—The Fair—Particulars respect-
ing the Convent—The Miraculous Image—The Ado-
rations paid to it—Bull of Pope Leo VIII—The
Revenues of the Abbey, and their various sources—
—Credulity of the People—Effects of the Pilgrimage
upon the Agriculture of the Catholic Cantons in
Switzerland—Journey from Einsiedeln to Glarus—
Rapperschwyl Bridge—Beggars, and Swiss Indepen-
dence—The Mountains of Glarus º º e
3]
45
CONTENTS, vii
CHAPTER V.
THE CANTON OF GLARUS.
PAGE
The Valley of Glarus—The Town—Character of Swiss
Inns—Anecdote—SingularLaws in the Canton—Law
respecting Inheritance—Laws respecting Education
—Poor Laws—Protestant and Catholic Clergy—Sa-
laries of Clergy and Schoolmasters—Revenues of the
Canton — Taxes and Expenditure — Extraordinary
Laws respecting Marriage—Prices of Provisions in
Glarus—Journey up the Linthall—Character of the
upper part of Glarus—Details respecting Schabzieger
Cheese–Condition of the Inhabitants of the Valley
of the Linth—Pantenbrugge—Scenery at the Head
of Glarus—Return to Glarus—Excursion to Klont-
hall—and Journey to Wesen tº te º ... 64
CHAPTER VI.
CANTON OF ST GALL–THE GRISONS.
The Wallensee—Journey to St Gall—Pilgrims—St
Gall and its Manufactures—Peculiar Laws of St
Gall—Cheapness of Property—Voyage from Wesen
to Wallenstadt—Character of the Lake, and Accident
by the way—Arrival at Chur—Chur and its neigh-
bourhood—The Bishoprick—State of the Inhabit-
ants, Merchants, Lawyers, Physicians—Journey from
Chur to the Ensadine, across Mount Albula—An
Anecdote—Details respecting Grison Liberty, and
the National Character of the Grisons—Revenues
and Expenditure of the Canton º te * 76
wiii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII.
COUNTRY OF THE GRISONS,
PAGE
Bergun—Scene in a Village Inn–Traits of Character
—Grison Enjoyments—The Passage of Mount Al-
bula—Valley of Albula, Ascent, and Scene of Ex-
traordinary Sublimity—Descent towards the Enga-
dine—Charming Prospect—Visit to a Mountain
Dairy, and Details—Arrival in the Ober Engadine 98
CHAPTER VIII.
COUNTRY OF THE GRISONS-THE OBER AND UNTER
ENGADINE,
The Valley of the Ober Engadine, and the River Inn—
Character of the Valley, and Rural Economy—Gri-
son Villages and Houses—Fernetz—Suss—Grison
Women—State of the Inhabitants of the Engadine—
Inns and Shops—Intelligence of many of the Natives
—Domestic Economy of the Inhabitants of the two
Engadines—Winter in the Engadine, and Grison
Society—Privileges Peculiar to the Villages—Con-
tentment of the Natives—Scenery of the Unter En-
gadine—Guarda—Character of the Valley of the
Unter Engadine, and its Productions—Fettam, and
its Professor—Details respecting the Grison Youth,
and their search after Fortune—Education in the
Engadine—The Clergy—Journey to the Foot of the
Valley * * tº e . . * 102
CONTENTS. ix
CHAPTER IX.
FHE COUNTRY OF THE GRISONS-THE WALLEY OF THE
UPPER. R.H.I.N.E.
PAGE
Return to Chur, through the Engadines—Instance of
Gross Imposition—The Baths of Pfeffers—State of
Society in Chur—Reunions and Balls—Statistical
Details—Journey up the Rheinwald by the Sources
of the Rhine—Character of the Valley of the Upper
Rhine—Charming Scenery—Ilanz—Grison Imposi-
tion—Examples of Dishonesty—Road to Dissentis
—Picture of Idleness—Domestic Economy of the In-
habitants of the Valley of the Upper Rhine—Wages
of Labour—Dissentis • e - e. & 123
CHAPTER X.
THE GRISONS.
The Scenery of the Lower and the Upper Rhine com-
pared—Dissentis, and the Valley of Tavetch—Life in
the remote Alpine Valleys—Passage of the Moun-
tains—Ciamut—The Rhine near its Sources—Ob-
servations upon the Sources of Rivers, amd Descrip-
tion of the Sources of the Rhine—Mountain Pros-
pects—The Lake of the Oberalp, and Sources of the
Reuss—A dangerous Bog—Descent into the Canton
of Uri–The Valley of Ursern e º . 143
CHAPTER XI.
THE CANTON OF URI-THE WALLEY OF THE REUSS.
Andermatt, and the Valley of Ursern—Rural Economy
-Descent of the Valley of the Reuss–The Devil's
X CONTENTS,
PAGE
Bridge—Neglected state of Agriculture, and the causes
of it—Scenery of the Valley—Altorf, and its con-
nexion with William Tell—Fluelen, and the Lake of
Uri–An Evening on the Lake—Tell's Chapel—
Character of the Lake of Uri–Comparison between
the Lakes of Switzerland and Swiss Scenery, with
the Scenery of the Scotch and English Lakes . 15
5
CHAPTER XII.
THE CANTON, LAKE, AND CITY OF LUCERNE.
The Lake of the Four Cantons—Historic Recollections
Brunnen—Schwytz—Visit to the Valley of Lauertz,
and the Site of Goldau—The Fall of the Rossberg—
Some Details and Reflexions—Return to Brunnen,
and Voyage to Lucerne—Gersaw and its History—
The Rigi—Lucerne—The Situation and Environs of
Lucerne—Markets, and Prices of Provisions—Bridges
—Public Seminaries—State of Morals—The Monu-
ment in Commemoration of the Swiss Guards—
Churches and Relics—Promenades—State of the
Canton—Attempt to ascend Mount Pilate tº 169
CHAPTER XIII.
BERNE.
Journey from Lucerne to Berne—The Zempeacher Zee
—Appearance of Berne—Preparations for opening
the Diet—Arrival of the Deputies—The Platform of
the Cathedral, and View of the Oberland Bernois—
The Markets, and Prices of Provisions—Berne as a
Residence—Sunday in Berne—St Christophe-The
Tirage Federal—Crime and Punishment—Anecdote
CONTENTS. xi
PAGE
—The Opening of the Diet—Honours rendered to
Ladies—Details respecting the Opening Ceremonies—
Public Opinion and Political Party in Switzerland 189
CHAPTER XIV.
BERNE–ST PETER’s ISLE—HOFWYL.
Reasons for preferring Berne as a Residence—Society
of Berne—Public Establishments—Excursion to the
Lake of Bienne and Rousseau's Isle—Aarberg—The
Lake—Character of St Peter's Isle—Reflexions—
Return to Berne—Excursion to Hofwyl—Details
respecting the Establishment—Canton of Berne 208
CHAPTER XV.
THE OBER LAND BERNOIS,
Journey from Berne to Interlaken—Thun and its Lake
—Unterseen, and the Plain of Interlaken—Inns and
Boarding Houses—Interlaken as a Residence—Sce-
nery—Mutability of Fashion—Journey by the Wen-
gern Alp and the Sheideck–Lauterbrunnen and its
Valley—The Stubbach–Cheese-making—Mountain
Scenery—The Jungfrau—The Silver Horns—The
Wetterhorn—Mount Eiger—Details respecting the
Ascent of the Jungfrau—Night Views—Mountain
Legend—Effects of a Glacier—Descent towards Grin-
delwald . * * d & * * 224
xii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE OBERLAND BERNOIS-THE CANTONS OF FRIBOURG
AND WAUI),
ºf PAGE
The Glaciers of Grindelwald—Excursion on the Mer de
Glace, and Details respecting the Death of M. Mou-
ron—State of the Inhabitants of the Valley of Grin-
delwald, and strange Laws and Usages peculiar to it
—Return to Interlaken—Escape of a Schoolmaster
—Valley of the Black Leutchen–Visit to the Lake
of Brientz—The Giesbach—The Evils of Imagination
—Brientz—A Moon-light Sail, and Return to In-
terlaken—Journey from Interlaken to Vevay, by the
Semmenthall—Spietz—Wimmis—Character of the
Semmenthall—Saanenland, Gruyére, and Gruyére
Cheese—Descent to the Lake of Geneva–Vevay 24()
CHAPTER XVII.
THE LAKE, CITY, AND CANTON of GENEVA.
Lake Leman and its Phenomena—Visit to Chillon—
Clarens—Rousseau—Byron—Enchanting Scenery—
Lausanne—Lausanne as a Residence—John Kemble
—Gibbon's Library—Geneva-Manners and Morals
of the Genevese—the City and Canton–Voltaire 260
APPENDIX.
Description of the Slide of Alpnach . ſº * 277
INTRODUCTION.
THERE is something so curious in the spectacle
of a Federative Republic, situated in the midst of
the great European powers, that a few words, ex-
planatory of its origin and constitution, seem al-
most a necessary introduction to the perusal of
any book treating of Switzerland. -
The basis of that Federative Republic, which
was secured to the twenty-two Cantons of Swit-
zerland by the peace of 1815, was laid so early as
the beginning of the 14th century; for it was at
that epoch, that the small territories of Uri, Schwytz
and Unterwald, bound themselves in a holy league,
to shake off the fetters imposed upon them by their
Austrian masters; and the attempt of this pet-
ty confederacy having proved successful, it was
A
xiv. INTRODUCTION.
strengthened, before the middle of the 14th cen-
tury, by the accession of Lucerne, Zurich, Glarus,
Zoug and Berne. The basis of this ancient league
was a love of independence; and the separate
states were bound together by no other general
laws, than by that simple treaty of alliance, whose
foundation, strength and object, consisted in the
love of freedom. Gradually, as success in arms
more and more assured the liberties of the Con-
federates, they sought to consolidate the league,
by the enactment of wise laws among themselves,
and to strengthen it, by an alliance with neigh-
bouring states. Accordingly, St Gall, Bienne, the
Grisons, the Valais, Geneva, Neufchatel, part of
Basil, and Appenzell, became the allies of the
Confederated States, though not at first forming
a part of the league.
Many reverses were experienced by the Con-
federated States during the centuries that follow-
ed, in defence of the principle that had first united
them ; and there is certainly not exhibited in the
history of any other people so unconquerable a
love of liberty, as that which has continued to
animate the Swiss during a period of four centu-
ries—shown in success and in adversity; nor for-
gotten even at those epochs, when security had be-
gotten repose, and when the spoils of war had
spread the entanglements of luxury.
wº-
YNTRODUCTION. XY
Although at first the ancient league showed
some jealousy in admitting other states to a parti-
cipation in all its privileges, this narrow policy
speedily yielded to more enlarged views. Fri-
bourg and Soleure were admitted among the Con-
federates "soon after the important victory gain-
ed at Morat over the renowned Duke of Burgun-
dy, in the reign of Louis XI, ; and, about twenty
years later, Basil, Shaffhausen and Appenzell,
strengthened the league, by their accession to it.
After some ages of peace, the Swiss Confede-
racy became endangered, not by ambition of fo-
reign foes, but by the designs of some of its most
powerful citizens; and the league would probably
have offered another example of the fate of republics,
if the French Revolution, so fertile both in good
and evil, had not led to its partial conservation.
Napoleon, in 1808, promulgated his act of me-
diation; which, although failing to establish the
Swiss Confederacy upon a secure basis of liberty
and union, yet had the effect of preserving it from
the designs of the ambitious. A feeble attempt
to establish an oligarchy in some of the cantons,
and an aristocracy in others, was made at the
time when the last struggle between France and
the rest of Europe spread a feeling of uncertain-
ty throughout the Continent, and when Swit-
zerland was inundated with foreign troops. But
xvi * INTRODUCTION.
public opinion opposed the design; and the fall
of Napoleon soon after, led to the general set-
tlement of the affairs of Europe, and to the act of
confederacy, framed in 1814, and ratified by the
Congress at Vienna, by which all the conquests
of France were restored to Switzerland, with the
exception of the valleys of Chiavenna, Bormio,
and the Waltelline; and this federal act was sanc-
tioned by the oaths of the Swiss deputies, assem-
bled at Zurich on 7th August 1815.
The following are the principal points embraced
by the federal act :—The Cantons, forming the
Swiss Confederacy, are declared to be united, for
the defence of their liberties and independence,
against the attempts of foreign enemies, and for
the maintenance of internal concord—their re-
spective territories and constitutions are recipro-
cally guaranteed, and declared inviolable—and
they are bound respectively to furnish certain con-
tingents in troops and money, according to a scale
of their population and riches. The military chest,
and the funds arising from the entry of foreign
merchandise, are placed under the direction of cer-
tain Commissioners named by the Diet; and, in
case of danger, any individual Canton may demand
assistance from the neighbouring Cantons. The
Cantons of Zurich, Berne, Fribourg, Basil, and
Geneva only, are permitted to have a permanent
INTRODUCTION. xvii
military force; and that force is so small, that the
liberties of Switzerland are certainly not endanger-
ed by a standing army. The whole force amounts
but to 728 men. In the other Cantons, there is
a small militia in which the citizens serve. The
great Diet of Switzerland is composed of depu- x
ties from the twenty-two States, every Canton pos-
sessing one voice through its principal representa-
tive, which he gives according to the instructions
he has received, and upon his personal responsi-
bility. To the Diet, which assembles every year,
belongs the right of declaring war and peace;
and of concluding foreign alliances, of naming
ambassadors, and of providing generally for the
safety of the league against foreign and domestic
enemies. In important matters, such as a ques-
tion of peace or war, three-fourths of the Cantoms
must sanction the proposal; but in ordinary mat-
ters, a plurality suffices. The Presidency of the
Cantons is shared by the Cantons of Zurich,
Berne, and Lucerne, who alternately enjoy the dis-
tinction. The Cantons are sovereign and inde-
pendent of each other, and are each governed
by constitutions peculiar to themselves; but, al-
though they have the power of individually form-
ing treaties with neighbouring foreign states, these
must be in accordance with the federal act, and not
inconsistent with the privileges of other Cantons.
xviii INTRODUCTION.
The principle of free trade between the Cantons
is fully provided for; and the only other article
necessary to be mentioned is, that the existence
of the convents, of ecclesiastical rights, and the
security of church-property, are guaranteed. Such
are the heads of the Act of Confederacy, which was
accompanied by another act, signed by the Pleni-
potentiaries of Great Britain, France, Austria,
Russia, Prussia and Portugal, by which the Fede-
rative Republic of Switzerland is expressly ac-
knowledged, and its territory guaranteed.
SWITZERLAND,
THE
souTHERN PROVINCEs of FRANCE,
AND
THE PYRENEES.
CHAPTER I.
THE TOWN AND CANTON OF BASIL, AND THE
CANTON OF ARGOVIE,
Arrival in Basil–General aspect of the Town and its
Inhabitants—The Dress of the Women—The Bridge
of the Rhine—The Cathedral, and the View from its
Terrace—An Historical Anecdote—Productions and
Constitution of the Canton, and the Domestic Economy
of the Inhabitants—Journey from Basil to Zurich—
Baden–Strange Law respecting Dancing—A Wed-
ding Party—The Village of Dieteken, and its freedom
jrom bigotry—Arrival at Zurich. w
I walkED into Basil amid torrents of rain; the
streets were almost entirely deserted; and, being
Sunday morning, the shops were closed. Every
thing, in short, wore a cheerless aspect; but the
consciousness that I was in Switzerland—the no-
wel appearance of every thing around—the glimp-
ses which, at sudden openings, I occasionally
caught of the majestic Rhine rolling its vast vo-

20 BASIL,
lume of water parallel with the street, and sweep-
ing the gardens of the citizens—left no room for
repining at the unfavourable circumstances under
which I made my entrance into the Swiss repub-
lic: an excellent breakfast too, at the hotel de
Cigogne, where I tasted good bread for the first
time since leaving England, still farther recon-
ciled me to a wet day, and a Swiss Sunday. But
soon after mid-day the sun broke out, and in a
moment the aspect of every thing was changed.
The morning service, too, being ended, the streets
were filled with the devout Basilois hastening from
church to dinner, which, throughout almost every
part of Switzerland, is served precisely at half past
12. Let this piece of information be a caution
to the traveller who wishes to enjoy his dinner,
not to breakfast late, or indulge too freely in the
luxuries of a Swiss Fruhstuck or dejeune, be-
cause every one is not able to adopt the maxim
laid down by a certain French gastronome, which
says, “Breakfast as if you were not to dine ; and
dine as if you had not breakfasted.”
Basil, although well built, charmingly situat-
ed, and containing many fine edifices, is not one
of the most interesting of the Swiss towns: it is
too near France to exhibit a true picture of a
Swiss town, either in its external aspect, or in
the manners of the inhabitants. Yet, to the tra-
veller who arrives in this part of Switzerland by
way of France, there is much both to admire and
to interest. Descending into the street from the
hotel, with the intention of finding my way to
the cathedral, I was forcibly struck with the su-
periority of the Swiss women over the French,
BASILe 21
2’
both in features and in dress. I would say in
form, too; but this would scarcely be just, be-
cause the French female peasantry dress in such
wretched taste, that it is possible many a perfect
form may be disfigured by the imperfections of
its covering; and let us charitably suppose that
such is the fact. The coiffure of the women of
Basil pleased me. In place of tying a handker-
chief close round the head, as is the almost inva-
riable custom in the French provinces, or of cover-
ing the hair with tinsel ornaments, as is usual on
the German frontier, the Swiss, at least the Basi-
lois, adopt the simple mode of fixing a bow of
broad black riband a little forward from the crown
of the head, allowing the two vandyked ends to
fall halfway down the forehead. This does not
disfigure a pretty face, and sets off a plain one.
I did not find the taste of the Basilois so conspi-
cuous in every thing else. Although the rain had
ceased, they still carried their umbrellas unfurled,
to dry them ; and these exhibited more than all
the colours of the rainbow. The favourite co-
lours were bright red, yellow, and pink; nor did
the ladies of Basil show more taste in colours,
than the women in humbler ranks. Their para-
sols exhibited quite as gaudy an array, and, being
silk, the colours were even brighter.
In walking through the streets of Basil, I
found that scarcely one was without its fountain,
which jetted the clearest water, in three or four
streams, into a large oval stone basin, full to the
brim; this, if it does not actually diffuse cool-
ness, is at least associated with it, and is, at all
events, refreshing to the eye. In place of making.

22 BASIL,
my way to the cathedral, I found myself upon the
bridge—a level wooden bridge supported by stone
abutments, which crosses the Rhine, and leads
into the territory of Baden. I found this a charm-
ing promenade : the streets being wet, the inha-
bitants had resorted to it in preference. I had
thus the advantage of seeing, at the same time, the
prospect up and down the river, and the inhabi-
tants of Basil in their Sunday clothes. The river
flows with such rapidity, and with so much force
beneath the bridge, that one almost trembles for
its security. -
I had the pleasure in the afternoon, of partak-
ing of the hospitalities of — , to whom I car-
ried a letter of introduction, and whose magnifi-
cent mansion is situated upon an eminence com-
manding a charming view of the Rhine, and the
adjacent country. This gentleman possesses one
of the finest collection of pictures in Switzer-
land. I found among them choice works of
Guido, Rubens, Andrea-del-Sarto, Carlo Dolce,
Wouwermans, Ruysdael, Cuyp, Berghem, Rem-
brandt, and many others. I would strongly ad-
vise the traveller to visit this gallery: he will
find, in the two pictures of Ruysdael alone, ample
compensation for his time. -
A little before sunset, I found my way to the
neighbourhood of the cathedral, where a terrace
planted with chestnut-trees overhangs the Rhine,
which flows about two hundred feet below. Here
I enjoyed a charming prospect, not altogether
of a Swiss landscape, but in which were mingled
some of the features of Swiss scenery. A delight-
ful little plain, covered with thickets and small






BASIL. 23
country-houses, extended from the opposite bank
of the river to the foot of the hills which stretch
through the territory of Baden. These formed a
fine back-ground, chequered as they were by sun-
shine and shade. Up and down the Rhine, the
gardens of the citizens, full of choice shrubs and
flowers, sloped down to the river-side; while on
one bank, the picturesque buildings of Little Basil,
and on the other the superb edifices of the rich
merchants, extended as far as the eye could follow
the curve of the river. Switzerland seemed still
to lie beyond ; for, as the sun continued to sink,
it suddenly disappeared behind a lofty range of
mountains which bounded the horizon, and which
form an appendage to the Jura.
In returning to the hotel, I again passed and
repassed the bridge; and, observing upon the
stone tower above the archway, facing the Baden
side, a figure with the tongue thrust out of the
mouth, I naturally inquired the origin of so sin-
gular a fancy. The cause is this:—The Rhine
divides the city into Great and Little Basil; and
in former times, these towns were not always in
harmony with each other. It happened that Lit-
tle Basil, which was not able to cope with Great
Basil in open warfare, laid a scheme, by which
Great Basil was to be entered by stealth, and sur-
prised during the night; but the scheme being
in some way discovered, and the attempt frus-
trated, the inhabitants of Great Basil caused a
ăgure to be placed above the archway which looks
over to Little Basil, with the tongue thrust out
of the mouth, in derision of so contemptible an
enemy. I have been told, that the inhabitants of

24 BASIL, -
Little Basil would gladly have this insolent tongue
removed ; but the inhabitants of Great Basil still
enjoy the jest, and insist upon keeping the tongue
where it is. -
The environs of Basil are very pleasing. How
can they be otherwise, with the Rhine for a neigh-
bour? Charming country-houses are every where
scattered about; and well laid out gardens mingle
with fine meadows, fertile fields, and abundance
of wood.
The public edifices of Basil are not extremely
interesting. The Cathedral, built of a reddish
stone, which has the appearance of brick, contains
nothing within it worthy of notice, excepting the
tomb of Erasmus; and the Hotel de Ville is the
only other building of any importance. Basil has
always maintained an honourable place in the re-
public of letters, which is sufficiently attested by
the names of Euler, Bernouilli, Holbein, and
others; and the University of Basil is the only
one in Switzerland. Exertions have lately been
made to give to the University a higher rank in
science and literature; and, as the first and best
preparatory step, several men of talent and erudi-
tion have been called to fill the vacant chairs.
The library of the University contains nearly
30,000 volumes (including the library of Eras-
mus), besides a number of valuable manuscripts,
and pictures of Holbein. There are also pre-
served in it an immense number of Roman me-
dals, and a considerable assortment of other anti-
quities and natural curiosities, none of which, how-
ever, seemed to me to possess very high interest.
- Basil is quite a commercial city; and its situa-

BASIL, 25
tion, between France, Germany, and Switzerland,
is very favourable to commercial enterprise. The
manufactures of Basil are chiefly of silk and
ribands, and these occupy upwards of 3000 hands.
There are also some manufactories of excellent
paper in Basil. The Canton of Basil contains
about 12 square geographical miles, and about
49,000 inhabitants, professing the Protestant re-
ligion, with the exception of between 5 and 6000.
Like all the other Swiss Cantons, the occupa-
tions of the inabitants vary with the nature of the
country in which they live. In the mountainous
parts, which, however, form the smallest part of
the Canton, they are employed in the feeding of
cattle, and in the preparation of cheese; while
in those parts skirting the Rhine, wine, grain,
and fruit are cultivated.
The Great Council of the Canton consists of
150 members, and exercises the sovereign power.
This Great Council elects two smaller Councils,
composed of its own members;–one of 25, which
executes the laws—and the other of 12 members,
which exercises the judicatory power. In Basil,
no families possess any exclusive privileges, all
the citizens enjoying equally political rights. The
clergy of the Reformed Church are all upon an
equality; and the affairs of the Church are ma-
maged by a General Assembly of its members, as-
sisted by some of the laity, who, as magistrates,
have a right to a seat. - *
Throughout the Cantons of Basil and Argovie,
farming out land is unknown, with the exception
of gardens near the large towns. The properties
of those who are considered respectable Swiss


26 BASIL,
peasants (for all proprietors who are not noble
are called º run from 10 up to 40, or at
most 50 acres; and good land is considered to
yield 10 per cent. profit. Many of the peasants
have amassed considerable fortunes; but acces-
sion of fortune is never made apparent in their
mode of living. From 100l. to 300l. per annum
is the usual range of expenditure for persons
living, as we should say, in easy circumstances;
and I learned from authority that admits of no
doubt, that not a single individual in all Switzer-
land spends 1000l. per annum. Transference of
land is not usual in the Cantons of Basil or Ar-
govie; but when it is brought to the market,
36,000 square feet of good land will bring about
50l. Sterling. All land pays one-tenth part of the
produce to government in name of taxes.
I left Basil for Zurich soon after sunrise. The
road for at least ten miles lies along the south
bank of the Rhine, and passes through a country
rich in grain, and thickly studded with cherry,
apple, and walnut-trees; the north bank of the
Rhine, exposed to the sun, being covered with
vineyards. I stopped to breakfast at a small inn
by the river-side; and while breakfast was pre-
paring, I walked into the churchyard close by,
where I found not only the usual crosses, and
the complement of fresh flowers, but also a small
wooden vessel upon each grave, half full of water,
which, upon inquiry, I found to be holy water—
sadly adulterated, I fear, by the heavy rain that
had fallen the night before.
Before reaching Brugge, a small town lying
about two leagues from Baden, where I intended



ARGOVIE. 27
passing the night, I caught the first distant view of
the snow-clad Alps of Glarus, distinguishable from
clouds only by their greater whiteness. From
Brugge, the road lies all the way by the side
of the Limmat, which runs a short and rapid
course from the Lake of Zurich to the Rhine.
The country through which I passed was truly
charming ; picturesque villages climbed up every
declivity; white churches, with tapering green
spires, topped every height. The course of the
river was through a succession of little plains,
among which it coquetted from one side to the
other; and these, rich in grain or herbage, were
bounded by charming slopes, bearing vines be-
low, and clothed with wood above. About six
o'clock I walked into Baden, where, at the sign
of the Lion, I found an excellent supper in pre-
jaration for a wedding-party, which had come
from Zurich to make merry at Baden;–and there
was a good reason for this—Dancing is not per-
mitted in the Canton of Zurich, unless by spe-
cial permission of the government; and this is
almost always refused. In order that the pleasure
of a dance may be enjoyed without incurring
the penalties, a certain number of persons must
subscribe a paper declaratory of their intention.
This is handed to the Council; and if the con-
servators of public morals in the Canton of Zu-
rich think the dance may be allowed, and the re-
public preserved in purity notwithstanding, per-
mission is accorded. But I kearned from the
very best authority, that a refusal is generally the
result. The marriage-party at Baden, however,
free from the restraints of Zurich, seemed to en-




28 ARGOVIE.
joy their privileges; and while they continued their
festivities, I walked to the summit of a neighbour-
ing hill, crowned by a ruined chateau, and then
wandered till supper-time among the adjacent
heights, through some charming paths, where I
gathered columbine ; periwinkle, white, blue, and
purple; thyme; sweetbrier; mint; and sweetwilliam
—all growing wild.
A pleasant and lively party at supper was an
agreeable finish to the evening. The bridegroom
gallantly replaced upon the head of his bride the
garland of white flowers, which had been laid
aside previous to the dance; and I could not help
remarking, that, in the behaviour and bearing of
the bride, there was certainly less embarras, than
would have been shown by an English girl upon a
like occasion. In saying this, I do not mean it
as a compliment to the English ; it is a mere fact,
and may be taken either way; for modesty or affec-
tation might produce the like result.
The Baden of which I am speaking, I need
scarcely say, is not the Baden-Baden frequented
by the English; but the Swiss Baden is also a
watering-place, and much frequented by the in-
habitants of Basil, Zurich, and other places in
the north of Switzerland. The baths are situated
at a very short distance from the town, upon the
bank of the Limmat; and a number of pleasant
cottages, for the use of strangers, are scattered up-
on the neighbouring heights. The waters are sul-
phurous, and are much recommended in rheuma-
tism. I was told, that, at the Hotel du Statdorf,
there are sometimes as many as seventy or eighty
persons assembled at dinner; and as dancing is



ARGOVIE. 23.
permitted in the Canton of Argovie, there are
balls once a week. I should think Swiss Baden
a pleasant place to spend a week or two in, with
an agreeable party.
The Canton of Argovie, in which Baden is si-
tuated, is one of the most fruitful of the Cantons;
and this is the only one in which more grain is
grown than is consumed within it. Argovie, now
one of the federative body, belonged formerly to
Berne, Zurich and Baden, and has only been in-
dependent since the year 1798. The population
of this canton is equally divided between Catho-
lics and Protestants; and from this arises the law,
by which its supreme council must consist of mem-
bers of both religions in equal numbers.
With the bright morning sun for my compa-
mion, I left Baden for Zurich. I breakfasted at
Dieteken, a little village about two leagues dis-
tant, where I had great pleasure in hearing of the
excellent feeling that exists between the Protestant
and Catholic inhabitants, and the absence of bi-
gotry and prejudice by which both are distinguish-
ed. One church serves both for the worship of
God. The Catholic of Dieteken does not feel
that his prayer will be less acceptable, because
the prayer of a heretic rises from the same shrine ;
nor does the Protestant fear the displeasure of
God, because he offers his devotions in a temple
consecrated to the Romish faith. Would that all
Catholic priests were like the priest of Dieteken,
and that all Protestants were tolerant as those
who worship in the same temple with his flock
I reached Zurich before mid-day, and, intend-
ing to remain a week or ten days in the neigh-
B
30 ARGOVIE.
bourhood, I immediately made my way towards
the lake, in the hope of finding some agreeable
place to reside in. Never was search more for-
tunate; for in a charming house, situated close
to the lake, and surrounded by the most beautiful
scenery, I found precisely what I desired; and,
as some guide for future travallers, I may men-
tion, that I there put myself en pension, at the
rate of three francs and a half, or about three
shillings per day; and for this I had breakfast,
dinner and supper, a charming apartment, and the
use of a boat. While resident here, I enjoyed
ample opportunities of observation; and in the
next chapter I purpose speaking at some length
of the city, the lake, the canton, and the people
of Zurich.
31
CHAPTER II.
THE TOWN, LAKE, AND CANTON OF ZURICH.
The Pilgrims of Einsiedeln—Extraordinary Industry of
the Inhabitants of Zurich in the Cultivation of the Soil,
and Proofs of it—Zurich Society and Amusements—
General aspect of the Town, its Edifices, &c.—Zurich
as a Residence, Price of Provisions, &c.— The Lake,
and its Scenery—An Evening Prospect—Swiss Music
— Constitution of the Canton, and Domestic Economy
of the Inhabitants—Earcursions to the Neighbourhood-
The Grieffen-See. -
BEFoRE entering upon my new residence, I re-
turned to the town, to make some little prepa-
rations; and here a spectacle awaited me, which
quickly put to flight the pleasant images that had
dwelt in my mind since breakfasting at Dieteken
—the village of concord, light, and charity. The
quay at Zurich was crowded with a host of mi-
serable-looking beings, whose dress and aspect at
once distinguished them from the inhabitants of
the canton. They were mostly women; their hats
were of bright yellow straw; their garments, a
union of rags; a scrip, with seemingly scanty pro-
vision, hung over the shoulder of each; and in

the hand of each was a rosary. Several boats
32 ZURICH.
were preparing to receive them; and they were
soon, to the number of at least a hundred, dis-
posed in the different boats, and were immediate-
ly rowed down the lake. These were pilgrims—
poor, misguided, deceived pilgrims—who were on
their way to the Church of our Lady at Einsie-
deln, in the Canton of Schwytz, to pay their ado-
rations to a miraculous image of the Virgin, and
to receive absolution. They had, many of them,
come from distant parts of France, Germany, and
even Belgium. They had left home and friends,
and what to them were doubtless comforts, to
journey upon foot some hundreds of miles, and
to spend upon this pilgrimage the savings of years.
Those have a heavy account to answer, who have
aided the delusion of these miserable devotees.
I shall speak farther of Einsiedeln when I have
visited it. -> . .
In walking any where in the neighbourhood
of Zurich—in looking to the right or to the left
—one is struck with the extraordinary industry
of the inhabitants; and if we learn that a pro-
prietor here has a return of 10 per cent., we are
inclined to say, “he deserves it.” I speak at
present of country labour, though I believe that,
in every kind of trade also, the people of Zurich
are remarkable for their assiduity; but in the in-
dustry they show in the cultivation of their land,
I may safely say they are unrivalled. When I
used to open my casement between four and
five in the morning, to look out upon the lake
and the distant Alps, I saw the labourer in the
fields; and when I returned from an evening
walk, long after sun-set, as late, perhaps, as half-
ZURICH, 33
past eight, there was the labourer, mowing his
grass, or tying up his vines. But there are other
and better evidences of the industry of the Zu-
richers, than merely seeing them late and early at
work. It is impossible to look at a field, a gar-
den, a hedging, scarcely even a tree, a flower,
or a vegetable, without perceiving proofs of the
extreme care and industry that are bestowed upon
the cultivation of the soil. If, for example, a
path leads through, or by the side of a field of
grain, the corn is not, as in England, permitted
to hang over the path, exposed to be pulled or
trodden down by every passer-by ; it is every where
bounded by a fence; stakes are placed at intervals
of about a yard; and, about two and four feet
from the ground, boughs of trees are passed lon-
gitudinally along. If you look into a field to-
wards evening, when there are large beds of cauli-
flower or cabbage, you will find that every single
plant has been watered. In the gardens, which,
around Zurich, are extremely large, the most
punctilious care is evinced in every production that
grows. The vegetables are planted with seem-
ingly mathematical accuracy; not a single weed
is to be seen, nor a single stone. Plants are not
earthed up, as with us, but are planted in a small
hollow, into each of which a little manure is put,
and each plant is watered daily. Where seeds
are sown, the earth directly above is broken into
the finest powder. Every shrub, every flower, is
tied to a stake; and where there is wall-fruit, a
trellice is erected against the wall, to which the
boughs are fastened; and there is not a single
twig that has not its appropriate resting-place,
34 2URICH,

In Zurich it is all work and no play; there are
no amusements of any kind, nor probably do the
inhabitants feel the want of them. There is no
theatre, there are no public concerts; balls, in a
canton where leave to dance must be asked, are
out of the question. There is a good deal of vi-
siting indeed among the inhabitants; but it con-
sists either in dinner-parties, to which relations
only are invited, and which take place at stated
times in each other's houses, or in soireés, the
amusement of which consists in tea and talk for
the ladies, tobacco and talk for the gentlemen; for
upon no occasion do the ladies and gentlemen
mingle together. I attended one reunion of gen-
tlemen, but I never attended a second. The out-
door amusements of the inhabitants are scarcely
more captivating or more refined. About a quar-
ter of a mile from the house in which I had taken
my pension, a celebrated traiteur lived; a fine
promenade and garden skirted the lake, and there
the inhabitants occasionally repaired in the even-
ing to enjoy themselves. This enjoyment consist-
ed in seating themselves upon benches, and eating,
drinking, and smoking. On Ascension day, a
jour de fête, several hundreds were assembled,
and all seemingly for the same purpose. Some
had hot suppers, some cold; but the business of
the evening was eating. How differently would
such an evening have been spent in France 1
The great object of the Zurichers is to get mo-
mey; and, when they have got it, their great am-
bition is to build a country-house. It is to these
two passions that the Lake of Zurich is so much
indebted for its beauty, for none of the other

ZURICH, 35

Swiss lakes can boast of so great a number of
charming country-houses upon their banks. The
society of Zurich used, in former times, to be di-
vided into three grades:—lst, the magistracy or
councillors; 2nd, those of the learned professions,
and men of education ; and, 3d, the merchants,
among which last class there were of course many
distinctions; but at present, riches have got the
ascendency, and distinction in wealth is the chief
distinction of rank known in Zurich. Litera-
ture, however, has kept its place in Zurich ; and
in no where perhaps in Europe is the study of
the classics more general than in this city. The
French and English languages now also form part
of a good education. The language spoken in
Zurich is an abominable patois; but good Ger-
man is every where understood, and spoken upon
occasions. If, for example, a stranger should ap-
pear in society, every one speaks German; but
the moment he retires, patois is again resorted to.
There are in Zurich two newspapers published;
one appearing weekly, the other twice a week;
and there is also a monthly literary journal.
The general aspect of Zurich is more interest-
ing than its public edifices, though these are not
to be altogether passed over. The situation of
the town at the foot of the lake, and the two ri-
vers that flow through it, cannot fail to give to
Zurich much of the picturesque; and, although
the streets are but indifferently built, the suburbs
abound in handsome houses and charming gar-
dens. The inhabitants pique themselves upon
the beauty of their promenades, and with some
reason. One, called the walk of Gesner, is a fre-
36 ZURICH.
quent resort of the upper classes; but there needs
no other promenade than the roads which skirt the
lake.
Among other places pointed out to strangers
as worthy of notice, I visited the arsenal, where
one may receive a lesson of humility, in attempt-
ing to weild the swords, and to carry the armour,
borne by the warriors of other days. I of course
handled the bow said to be the bow of William
Tell; and the identical arrow that pierced the
apple is also shown. I cannot conceive of what
materials the sinews of that distinguished patriot
were made ; for the degenerate men of our time
are obliged to use a machine, with the power of
the lever, to draw the cord even half way to the
point at which the arrow is discharged. There
is a vast collection of ancient armour preserved,
and modern equipments for more than all the
able-bodied men in the canton. -
The city library I found a spacious airy build-
ing, containing about 70,000 volumes, well ar-
ranged, and in excellent condition. Here, one
may see pictures of all the Burgomasters that ever
swayed the rod of office. Here, also, is a marble
bust of Lavater, the most ingenious of philoso-
phers; and here is a bas-relief of a great part of
Switzerland, by which, if one were allowed time
to study it, the traveller might be saved the ex-
pense of either guides or road-books. I saw no
other edifice worthy of mentioning, excepting the
tower of Wellenberg, which is situated in the
middle of the river Limmat, where it flows out of
the lake. No place could have been better con-
trived for a prison than this. It is now used as
ZU RICH. 37
the prison for capital felons, and in former times
enclosed within its walls, the Count Hans de
Habsbourg, the Count of Rapperschwyl, and many
other important state-prisoners.
It would not be fair to pass entirely over the
claims of the people of Zurich to public spirit and
benevolence. There are various institutions for
the cure of moral and physical evil, and for the
culture of intellect. There is an academy in which
theology, and various other branches of philoso-
phy, are taught; another academy where students
are prepared for entering into the former ; an in-
stitution for the medical sciences and for surgery;
another for the education of merchants; an insti-
tution for the instruction of the deaf and dumb,
and for the blind, the model of which was consi-
dered so excellent, that Napoleon formed that of
Paris upon it; an academy of artists; an acade-
my of music ; a society called the Swiss Society
of Public Utility; and many schools for instruc-
tion in languages, and for the education of the
poor. This is a fine catalogue; but the number
of persons composing these societies is small, and
several of them scarcely exist but in name. The
funds necessary for their maintenance does not
therefore trench greatly upon the riches of the
merchants of Zurich, though in some of these
institutions, particularly in that for the care and
instruction of the blind, they feel so much pride,
that there would be no difficulty in obtaining
double the sum required for its maintenance.
To those who are desirous of selecting an agree-
able and cheap residence, I dare not recommend
Zurich. Agreeable it is indeed in one sense—ſ.

38 ZURICH.
mean, as regards the beauty of the neighbourhood;
but a winter's residence could not be otherwise
than triste, in a city where amusement is con-
founded with crime, and where men and women
have no intercourse in society; and as for the
expense of living, if house-rent were out of the
question, one might live cheap enough at Zurich,
or in its neighbourhood. Beef usually sells a-
bout 8d. per lib.; mutton about 2%d., and veal
a penny higher. Fowls average about 1s. 6d.
per pair. Butter, when I was at Zurich, sold
at 7d. per lib., and eggs at two dozen for 10d. ;
but these are articles, the price of which varies
with the season. Fish sold at no less than 10d.
per lib.; but this must be far above the aver-
age price, as certain fisheries were at that season
forbidden. As for fruit and vegetables, both are
abundant and cheap, with the exception of as-
paragus, which is brought all the way from Basil.
But the reasonable price at which most of the
necessaries of life may be obtained at Zurich, is
more than neutralized by the high rent of houses.
They are, in fact, scarcely to be had at all; and,
if some proprietor of a maison de campaigne
should be tempted, by his belief in English al-
chemy, to let his house to a stranger, he will ask
at least three times the sum that would com-
mand the same accommodation in England. For
a small house, pleasantly situated, containing five
or six rooms, and without any garden, L.80 ster-
ling will be asked; and the proprietor will not
abate a florin of his demand.
It is the Lake that must ever be the chief
pride of Zurich, and the attraction to strangers;


ZURICH, 39
and, living as I did, close to its margin, I had
ample opportunities of appreciating its beauty,
and of visiting the many charming sites that lie
along its shores. The Lake of Zurich is the
Winandermere of Switzerland; its character is
beauty—beauty of the very highest order, but
mingled with the picturesque; and although the
banks of the lake never approach the sublime,
yet the snow and cloud-capt Alps of Glarus
and Uri rise above them, and form a back
ground such as Switzerland alone can offer. I
cannot do better than slightly sketch the Lake
from the window at which I am now sitting. It
stretches out before me in a fine curve of about
fourteen miles. A moment ago it was entirely
still, touched only by some light airs that here
and there crept over its surface. Now a slight
breath of wind has fanned it into a ripple; and
the boats, scattered up and down, have raised
their little sails, and may be seen gently gliding
past the trees. The opposite bank, all the way
along, slopes gently from the water; and the
Lake not being more than a mile or two broad,
I can distinctly see every enclosure, and can
distinguish the vineyards, the gardens, the mea-
dows, and the corn-fields from each other. The
whole of the slope is thickly studded with white
cottages and country-houses; and I can count
four churches with reddish-coloured tapering spires,
half way up the slope, the villages straggling down
to the water's edge. Behind this slope, and se-
parated from it by a narrow valley, rise the heights
of Albis, about 800 or 1000 feet above the Lake,
rocky, and wooded to the summit. Below my


40 ZURICH.
window, a beautiful plain about two miles square,
stretches back from the Lake, scattered with fruit-
trees, and broken into gardens and meadows, in
which the hay harvest is begun; and behind this
plain, and along the lake-side, orchards, vine-
yards, almond-tree groves, cottages and villages,
are all touched with gold, for the sum is migh
setting ; and there is a charming tranquillity over
all the landscape. I cannot see the foot of the
lake from my window, else I would describe the
effect of the city of Zurich rising out of the
water; but I see what is far more magnificent,
but far beyond my powers of description. I see
the mountains of Glarus and Uri rising above all.
It is something if a writer know the limits of his
strength. To this praise I lay claim, for I leave
the Alps to their silence and solitude.
Scarcely a day passed while I resided by the
lake-side, upon which one or more boats were
not seen filled with pilgrims on their way to
Einsiedeln. A monotonous muttering of prayer
came over the water, according ill with the smil-
ing scenery around, and the glorious sunshine
that lighted them on their way, and in strange
and disagreeable contrast with the Swiss echo-
song, which had just arisen from a boat freight-
ed with light hearts, and with the notes of a sweet
pipe floating from the opposite shore. Boats
laden with pilgrims passed from, as well as to,
Einsiedeln; but the laugh and the jest, instead
of the prayer, were heard among them ; for they
had bowed at the shrine of our Lady, and had
no more occasion for prayer .
The Swiss music of this part of Switzerland

ZURICH. 41
is not entitled to much commendation. I had
several opportunities of hearing what were con-
sidered the choicest airs; but they appeared to me
to be monotonous; nor were they executed in
the best taste. Probably, as I get farther into
the country, I may find reason to speak in higher
terms of Swiss music.
The history of the city of Zurich possesses
some interest. After having had the honour to
be intrusted with the direction of the interests
of the Swiss Confederation, it allied itself with
Austria, and was besieged by its former allies;
but, subsequently, it made its peace with the
Confederates, and was restored to its former rank,
and afterwards justified fully the confidence placed
in it, by the courage its citizens displayed in the
wars in which the Confederation was engaged
against Burgundy, Austria, and the French. In
the history of the Reformation, too, Zurich is
distinguished ; for, about the same period at
which Luther promulgated his doctrines in Ger-
many, Zwingli stood up the champion of the
Reformation at Zurich, which soon became the
centre of the new doctrines in Switzerland.
The canton stands the first in the Confedera-
tion; and, along with Lucerne and Berne, it en-
joys the honour of being invested with the presi-
dency every fifth year. The inhabitants, with but
trifling exceptions, profess the Protestant religion;
and, to their general character for industry and
moderation, I need add nothing to the proofs I
have already given. None of the Swiss Can-
tons is so little under the yoke of superstition
as Zurich. The produce of the soil is not the
42 ZURICH,
only source of the prosperity of this canton; there.
are extensive manufactories of cotton-stuffs, mus-
lins, silks and cloths, occupying upwards of
50,000 hands. In this canton, as in Basil, good.
land returns 10 per cent, ; and transference of
property is rare. Large estates are sometimes in
the market, but small properties almost never,
because every one possessing a few acres of land,
hopes some day or other to build a house upon
his property. As in Basil, too, a tenth of the
produce is claimed by the government; and there
is, besides, a trifling tax for the support of the
militia. In this canton, as well as in some others
in Switzerland, every individual is obliged by
law to insure his house—a law in which there
appears to be much wisdom. The sum paid for
insurance is extremely trifling, being only one
two-thousandth part (10s.) upon 1000l. 2.
The Great Council of Zurich consists of 212
members, of whom 82 are elected in the first in-
stance, the remaining 180 being elected by the
Council itself. The Executive and Judicatory
Councils are the same both in numbers and in
powers, as in the Canton of Basil. The re-
gulation of the church is also similar to that of
Basil. t
While residing on the banks of the lake, I
made many delightful excursions both by land and
water. It is impossible to walk in any direc-
tion, without catching images of beauty at every
glance, or to make a few strokes with your oars
from shore, without the most ravishing view be-
ing laid open. On every part of the neighbour-
ing heights, too, upon either side of the lake,


ZUFICH. 43
the most charming prospect is enjoyed,—none
more charming than that from the ruins of the
Castle of Marmeck, formerly a favourite rendez-
vous of the Troubadours, at the epoch when
Roger Marmes was its possessor. Little more
than the walls are now left to recall those images
of romance; but Roger Marmes and his com-
panions must have enjoyed rare pleasure, listen-
ing to the war and love-songs of their days, and
at the same time looking from the windows of
the chateau upon a scene so lovely as that which
lies at its feet; nor could they have much to
complain of, if they had no other wine to drink
than that produced upon the east bank of the lake.
It is very pale, but with a slight vermilion tint,
pleasant in flavour, and not wanting in strength.
For the wine which I drunk, and which was eight
years old, I paid twelve sous. When speaking
of the lake, I omitted to say, that the colour
of its waters corresponds well with the character
of the surrounding scenery. The dark hue of the
water of some lakes, is in perfect unison with the
sublime images that lie around; but the clear
blue of the Lake of Zurich harmonizes perfectly
with the gay character of the landscape. The
reason is obvious; depth is a source of subli-
mity, as well as height, and their union is na-
tural. The Lake of Zurich, for several hundred
yards from its banks, is seldom more than from
six to twelve feet deep. It teems with fish,
which, owing to the extreme clearness of the
water, are seen in all their number and variety.
It used to amuse me much, when breakfasting
close to the lake, as I did every morning, to see
44 ZURICH.
the fishes disputing possession of the crumbs I
threw to them.
To the Grieffen-See, one of those small lakes
which lie a little out of the usual road, I made
an excursion from Zurich. It is about two
leagues and a half distant. The walk to it af.
forded many beautiful views over the Lake of
Zurich, and lay through a highly fertile and pic-
turesque country. The character of this lake also
is beauty. The banks are a succession of knolls,
every where highly cultivated, and prettily diver-
sified. The lover of eels will find his taste gra-
tified at the small auberge in the village of Mur.
So high a reputation do the eels of the Grieffen-
See enjoy, and so well is this reputation sup-
ported by the aubergeste of Mur, that the gas-
ironomes of Zurich occasionally dedicate a day
to the Grieffen-See and its eels. Like every
thing cooked within the Canton of Zurich, to
me they tasted more of mace than any thing else.
Whatever one eats at Zurich has this flavour;
because soup and meat, and fish and vegetables,
and preserved fruit, are all prepared with quanti-
ties of it.


45
CHAPTER III.
THE TOWN, LAKE, AND CANTON OF ZOUG.
Walk to Zoug—More Proofs of the extraordinary In-
dustry of the Zurichers—An Anecdote that may teach
humility—The Town of Zoug— Its Inhabitants and
Environs—A hint to Phrenologists—Prices of Pro-
visions at Zoug—Ea'penses of the Government, and
Constitution of the Canton—Return to Horgen.
BEFoRE leaving Zurich, I devoted a few days to
an excursion to Zoug. There are two roads from
Zurich to Zoug; one following the margin of the
lake for about ten miles, to a little town called
Horgen, from which a tolerable road leads to
Zoug; the other crossing the heights of Albis,
which run parallel with the lake. I chose the
latter route, purposing to return by the other.
I crossed the lake about 5 o'clock, on as fine a
May morning as ever dawned upon the moun-
tains of Switzerland; and at so early an hour as
this, I found the Zurich militia on their march
from the town to a field at some little distance,
where a review was to take place. They ap-
peared to be well-sized, good looking men, and
were neatly dressed in white trowsers, and short
C
46 ZO U G.
blue coats, with black facings. In walking through
the fine fertile valley that lies beneath the heights
of Albis, I found new proofs of the extraordinary
industry of the inhabitants of this canton, in the
cultivation of their land. I observed a field of
lettuce, containing at least an acre, in which every
individual plant was tied round the top, to prevent
it running to waste, and to preserve it for use.
Peas, too, which are not planted in rows, but
in little clumps about a foot distant from each o-
ther, were bound to the stake that supported
each clump, by three, four, or five thongs, ac-
cording to the height of the plants, which in many
cases rose to seven and eight feet. In the agri-
culture of this canton, particularly in the culti-
vation of gardens, there is one thing I must not
omit to mention, as being particularly unpleasant
to a stranger. The produce of the byres is col-
lected, and employed in daily libations to the soil;
and in the distance to which it is carried, an-
other proof of industry is seen; but this prac-
tice, however beneficially it may act upon vege-
tation, acts most unpleasantly upon the olfactory
nerves of one who expects, in walking through
a garden, to be regaled by the sweet perfume of
flowers.
Many charming glimpses are caught of the
Lake of Zurich, in ascending to the Auberge
of Albis, which stands about 1000 feet above the
lake, and about 2300 above the sea, and where
an excellent breakfast may be had—and ought to
be enjoyed—after a morning walk of two leagues
and a half. In descending the other side, a
beautiful mountain-lake is discovered to the right,



ZOUG. 47
glistening through the firs; and the lake of Zoug
is seen gleaming in the distance. -
In walking towards Zoug, a little circumstance
occurred that helps to illustrate the difficulty of
pronouncing a foreign language correctly, and may
suggest a doubt, whether our proficiency in this ac-
complishment be so great as we suppose it to be.
The road separated into two, diverging at an acute
angle; and being totally at a loss which to pur-
sue, I addressed myself to three young persons
who were standing near, pronouncing the word
Zoug, and pointing to the two roads; but, though
one would imagine there could be little variety
in the pronunciation of a word consisting only
of three or four letters, and although I pronoun-
ced it in every possible way, Zoug, Zug with the
w short, and Zug with the w long, I could not
make myself understood ; at length, an old man
who was looking out of his window, hearing that
Something unusual was going forward, came to
our assistance; and, by writing the word with a
pencil, he at once understood me; and then all
the four exclaimed in a tone of surprise, “Zoug ſ”
as if they would have said, “How should any one
suppose that he meant Zoug P " and yet, to my
ear, there was scarcely any difference between
their pronunciation of the word and mine.
The road, for at least a league before reaching
Zoug, passes through orchards of apple-trees, be-
neath which, an abundant hay-crop was gathered
into heaps, and pleasantly perfumed the air; and
about 12, I reached the Hotel de Cerf, More
than one traveller has remarked the desolate aspect
of the town of Zoug, and has inferred, from the


48 ZOUG.

deserted appearance of the streets, a want of in-
dustry and activity in the inhabitants; and to ac-
count for this, we are told that Zoug is a Catho-
lic canton. As for the deserted appearance of
the streets, it must be recollected that there is
no trade in Zoug, and that the inhabitants are all
agriculturists. Most of them are therefore in the
fields; and those who are not, have the good
sense to keep within doors in bad weather, which
it happened to be when I visited this town, and
which it may very probably have been when other
travellers made the observation. With respect to
the industry of the people of Zoug being affected
by their religion, I hesitate as yet to give any
opinion, until I have had an opportunity of con-
trasting the state of the other Catholic and Pro-
testant cantons. I shall only observe here, that
I saw no want of industry in the cultivation of
the soil around Zoug; and that, in Catholic Nor-
mandy, reproach might be gleaned for some Pro-
testant districts in England.
I like the situation of Zoug, lying beneath the
hill so prettily variegated with forest and fruit-
trees, and the lake washing the houses. The
banks of the lake are in general soft; every where
cultivated, and plentifully wooded; but on the
side of Lucerne, Mount Rigi looks down upon it;
and Mount Pilate, although at some distance from
the lake, seems to rise from the water-edge. Zoug
is the highest of the Swiss lakes; for it lies no
less than 1300 feet above the level of the sea.
The churches of the town of Zoug are the ob-
jects most deserving the notice of the traveller.

The principal church is St Michael, which stands
zoug. 49
upon an eminence situated about a quarter of
a mile from the town. The cemetery, which lies
around the church, was covered with millions of
pinks and white lilies when I visited it, in rather
odd contrast with the multitude of bright gilt
crosses, one of which stands at the head of every
grave. At the side of the cemetery is a Golgo-
tha, where are thousands of skulls piled upon one
another, each with a label bearing the name of the
owner. What a field this for the Phrenologist
and with such advantages, what a blaze of light
would be thrown upon the science, by the esta-
blishment of a Phrenological society at Zougl
The interior of St Michael is handsome and
showy, covered with gilding, and containing ima-
ges and pictures without number, but none of
them beyond price. In the church of the Capuchins,
however, and in St Oswald's, there are two good
pictures, one of them said to be by Annibal Car-
racci. In the latter of these churches the treasury
is displayed to the curious : it contains innumer-
able images, crosses, salvers and candlesticks of
silver, sufficiently testifying the devotion of the
worthy Catholics by whom these were bequeath-
ed.
In the appearance of the inhabitants of Zoug,
I observed nothing very different from the appear-
ance of the Zurichers, excepting that the women
were better looking, but worse dressed. In the
town of Zoug, meat sells about 3d. per lib., fish
about 5d., butter about 7d., and a pair of fowls
about 1s. 6d. In the proper seasons, woodcock
and other kinds of game are plentiful; and veget-
ables and fruit are at all times remarkably cheap.
50 ZOUG.
In the Canton of Zoug, which is the smallest
in the Confederation, there are scarcely any manu-
factories. The cultivation of fruits, from which
cider, and a species of kirchwasser are made, both
of which are exported in considerable quantities,
employs a number of the inhabitants; and the
breeding of cattle is also pretty extensively fol-
lowed. Wine does not succeed well in this can-
ton. The constitution of Zoug is purely demo-
cratic—the people at large electing the Lands-
gemeinden, or Council, which consists of 54
members. There is no tax of any kind in the
Canton of Zoug. The whole expenses of the
State, amounting to about L. 160 sterling, are
defrayed from the general Swiss fund, drawn from
the entry of foreign merchandise, and from a mo-
nopoly in salt, which is farmed by government, and
which brings about L.80 a year. The councillors
in this canton are paid for their services, at the
rate which can be afforded by the commune that
sends them. The sum paid by the town of Zoug
to its representatives, is four louis d'or each per
annum; and besides this, every councillor enter-
ing Zoug to attend a council, which takes place
about once a month, receives about 9d. English.
This is all that some of the councillors receive,
for several of the communes are not able to afford
any thing to their representatives.
The respectable inhabitants of the canton are
not in love with democracy; and the same may
be said of most of the other democratic cantons.
Law, in Zoug, is merely ancient usage; and as
this requires intellect and knowledge to apply it, it
is scarcely to be supposed, that the representatives
ZOUG. 5 I
of so ignorant a body as the majority of the whole
inhabitants must be, every one of whom has a
voice, should be capable of applying ancient usage
with any probability of doing justice. Several
highly respectable individuals in Zoug have, ac-
cordingly, told me, that they would gladly ex-
change democracy for a species of government,
which, though less free in name, is better cal-
culated to ensure the rights of those who live
under it.
I now left Zoug for Horgen, a little town charm-
ingly situated on the Lake of Zurich, lying on the
road from Zurich to Einsiedeln, to which I in-
tended going next day. I reached Horgen at
nightfall, and just in time to have escaped a severe
thunder-storm, which in a moment changed the
face of the lake, shrouded the mountains, and
lighted up the firmament.
CHAPTER IV.
EINSIEDELN.
Journey through the Canton of Schwytz to Einsiedeln—
A Rencontre— The Abbey, Church, and Village of Ein-
siedeln—Concourse of Pilgrims— Dresses—Customs—
Procession — The Fair – Particulars respecting the
Convent—The Miraculous Image— The Adorations
paid to it—Bull of Pope Leo VHII— The Revenues
of the Abbey, and their various sources—Credulity of
the People—Effects of the Pilgrimage upon the Agri-
culture of the Catholic Cantons of Switzerland—Jour-
ney from Einsiedeln to Glarus–Rapperschwyl Bridge
– Beggars, and Swiss Independence—The Mountains
of Glarus.
THE morning being ushered in with rain, I did
not leave Horgen for Einsiedeln till after breakfast.
In the course of a sixteen miles walk from Hor-
gen to Einsiedeln, one cannot complain of same-
ness in the scenery. There are, first, five or six
miles of continued garden and orchard, enlivened,
every few hundred yards, by meat houses and vil-
lage-churches; then the ground rises, and the road
passes through fine fir-woods, checquered with o-
ther forest-trees; and for some miles before reach-
ing Einsiedeln, the country is altogether pasture-
land, with patches of trees of hardy growth here
EINSIED ELN. 53
and there, while naked rocks, the crevices filled
with snow, are seen jutting behind the nearer ele-
vations that bound the prospect.
A trifling circumstance occurred on the road,
from which the traveller in Switzerland may glean
a little advice. A tremendous storm having over-
taken me, I took refuge in an auberge by the
road-side; and almost at the same moment, a tra-
veller seated in a caleche with one horse drove up.
“I have reason to envy you, sir," said I, “tra-
velling at ease in your caleche, and sheltered from
the storm.” “Ma foi,” replied he, “you have
little cause to envy me. I engaged a caleche with
one horse in place of two, by way of saving six
francs a day, and I have been obliged to walk al-
most all the way, and yet pay for a carriage.”
The burden must be very light indeed, if one ex-
pects, with a single horse, to perform a journey
among the Swiss mountains. -
The first view of Einsiedeln is striking; for
one scarcely expects, in the midst of a desolate
plain, situated almost three thousand feet above
the level of the Mediterranean, to see the magni-
ficent towers of a church, flanked by a range of
building that, both in splendour and extent, would
do honour to a capital city. The church and con-
vent of Einsiedeln are larger than the town, which
straggles down from the gates of the former like
a mere appendage to them. And if the traveller
be struck with the appearance of Einsiedeln be-
fore he enters it, he will be tenfold more sur-
prised when he walks up the one street that leads
to the Abbey. In place of the deserted aspect
generally presented by a remote country town,
54 EINSIEDELN,
Einsiedeln presents the appearance of a great fair,
and the most novel, perhaps, in its general fea-
tures, of any that is to be seen in Europe. I
found the street and the square in front of the
church, crowded with pilgrims; and they being
of all countries, the most picturesque effect was
produced by the different dresses in which they
appeared. There might be seen the costume of
almost every canton in Switzerland, as well as
that of nearly every one of the kingdoms border-
ing upon it—Bavaria, Baden, the Tyrol, Alsace,
Swabia—besides many more distant countries.
The head-dresses of the women, in particular, of.
fered the greatest and most singular variety;-
some with the ancient bodkin, shaped like a dart,
passing through the hair, the head in the form of
a diamond, and studded with glittering stones; o-
thers, with a coiffure made of plaited and stiffened
lace, and placed upon the head upright, like a cock's
comb, or a large fan. Some might be seen with
a broad circular piece of straw, placed flat upon
the head, with flowers tastefully disposed in the
centre; and many with the hair merely plaited, an
infinity of beads and other ornaments interwoven
in it. Almost all the old women carried staffs,
-and most of the young, red umbrellas. It needed
but a slight glance at the scene before me, to
undeceive me in one respect. It was not of the
miserably poor only that the pilgrims consisted ;
there were many of the middling classes, nay, even
some of the upper ranks; and after the religious
services of the day were concluded, I observed not
a few leave the scene of humiliation in their own
carriages. It was evident also, from the number



#
EINSIEDELN. 55
of purchases made by the pilgrims, that with many
of them money was not scarce. In the place in
front of the church, booths are erected on every
side, with shops full of a gaudy display of trin-
kets, rosaries, books, crucifixes, prints of Saints,
popes, and martyrs, images of the Virgin, and
other emblems of the Roman Catholic faith.
Some few of the shops provided for the wants of
the body, as well as for the longings of the spirit;
for they exhibited to the weary pilgrim an array
of various kinds of cakes, cheeses, dried tongues,
and even household bread. Nor was the prover-
bial thirst of a pilgrim unremembered—wine, le-
monade, and pure water, ministered to his neces-
sity. But I must do the pilgrim the justice to ad-
mit, that I saw a hundred crucifixes bought for
one morsel of bread, or drop of wine. Almost
every one carried a small wooden box, into which
the trinkets, or sacred remembrancers, were de-
posited.
Having satisfied myself as to the general aspect
of Einsiedeln, I repaired to the Abbey, which
consists of what are called the convent and the
ehurch. The convent is of the Benedictine order;
and when I visited it, there were fifty-four re-
sident friars. The whole is upon a scale of great
magnificence. The eating-room is more like a
salle à manger for Louis XIV, than for the
Benedicts of Einsiedeln. The sleeping-rooms of
the brethren are comfortable, and simply fitted up,
with two chairs, a straw mattress on a bedstead,
and the incitements to devotion usually found in
those places which are dedicated to religion. I
saw no provision against the rigours of winter,

56 EINSIEDELN,
which must be scarcely endurable without some
defence, in a spot which lies little less than 3000
feet above the level of the sea. I observed, upon
the door of each room the engraving of a saint—
no doubt the favourite saint of the inmate. It
was a cold day when I visited the convent, al-
though in the month of May; and I could not
help thinking, as I heard the wind howling along
the corridors, that if I were to choose a retreat
from the vanities of the world, it should be where
the severity of climate made no part of the pe-
nance. In one of the cloisters, I observed an en-
graving of Oliver Cromwell—a strange enough
object for the devotion of a monk.
The church, which occupies the centre of the
convent, I have no intention of describing. To
do this in detail would exhaust my powers, and
the patience of the reader. It is, however, one
of the most gorgeous churches I ever entered—
rich in gilding, and painting, and marble, and de-
coration of every description: there is not a foot
of either walls or roof without some kind of
adornment. But the great attraction of the
church—that which has made the fortune of Ein-
siedeln, by drawing the devout to it from almost
every corner of Europe—is the Holy Chapel, con-
taining the miraculous image of the Virgin. The
chapel is of black and gray marble, and stands
within the church ; and in a niche in this chapel,
erected for the purpose, is deposited the sacred
image; and at all hours of the day, from the
earliest dawn till deep twilight, hundreds may at
all times be seen prostrated before the iron gate,
through which the devotee may catch a glimpse
of the object of his pilgrimage.
EINSIÉDELN. 57
· But there is more of the miraculous in the his-
tory of the Abbey of Einsiedeln, than the image
which, in the middle ages, is believed to have
worked miracles. The church is declared to have
been consecrated by God himself, as witness the
following copy of the bull of Pope Leo VIII.
* Nous, Leon, Evêque, serviteur des serviteurs
de Dieu, faisons savoir à tous les fidèles de la
sainte eglise de Dieu, présens et à la venir, que
notre venérable frère l'Evêque de Constance,
nommé Conrad, nous a intimé en présence de
notre très cher fils Otton, Empereur, d'Adelaide,
sa chère epouse, et de plusieurs autres princes,
qu'étant appelé en un lieu dans son territoire,
nommée Cellule dé Meinrad. l'an de l'incarna-
tion de notre Seigneur 948, il y était allé pour y
consacrer le 14 Septembre, une chapellé à l'hon-
neur de la très sainte, et toujours Vierge Marie ;
mais que s'étant levé selon sa coutume, environ à
minuit pour prier Dieu, il avait, avec quelques
frêres religieux de se même lieu, ouit un chant très
doux, et qu'ayant voulu remarquer diligemment ce
que c'était, il avait réconnu véritablement, que les
anges avaient tenu le même chant et orare en la
consécration de la même chapelle pour laquelle il
était venu, que les Evêques ont coutume d'ob-
server en la dedicace des eglises, et que le lende-
main matin, toutes les choses necessaires à l'ac-
tion ayant été apprètées, et lui retardant toujours
et différant jusqu'environ midi, les gens impatiens
d'attendre, entrerent dans la chapelle, et le priè-
rent de commencer l'office, qu'il avait promis de
faire, et comme il resistait, et exposait la vision
qu'il vº# vue, ils le reprirent assez aigrement,
58 EINSIEDELN.
jusqu'à ce qu’enfin ils entendirent par trois fois,
une voix claire, qui desait : * Cesse, mon frère,
elle est divinement consacrée;’ alors tout Épou-
vantés, connoissant que la chose était passee com-
me il l'avait dit, ils y donnerent leur approbation,
assurant depuis ce temps-la avec toute certitude,
que cette chapelle était consaerée du Ciel.” Who
can be surprised, that the credulous and ignorant
should need little incitement to make a pilgrim-
age to Einsiedeln f
I thought it fortunate, that in the afternoon
of the same day upon which I arrived at Einsie-
deln, a procession of the pilgrims took place,
Preceded by banners, and the other emblems of
the Romish church, and by all the inmates of the
Abbey, among whom appeared two friars of the
order of Capuchins, with hair-shirts and sandals,
were seen all the pilgrims then congregated at
Einsiedeln. The men walked first two and two,
the women followed; and, when I say that I
counted 8220, it will not be considered any ex-
aggeration if I assert, that the line of procession,
if drawn out, would have occupied nearly a mile.
There was something certainly imposing in the
spectacle; though to many, feelings of contempt,
perhaps even of disgust, might have been engen-
dered by it. For my own part, pitying, as I do,
the ignorance and credulity that could lead to a
spectacle like this, I find in it no cause of mirth
or disgust. I have no reason to doubt, that the
devotion which appeared in the deportment of by
far the greater number of the pilgrims, was un-
feignedly sincere; and although I am far from
believing that penance and pilgrimage are, in


EINSIEDELN. 59
themselves, acts of devotion pleasing in the eye
of God, yet I believe that the Deity cannot look
with aversion upon any homage that is rendered
in sincerity. After the procession had made a
considerable circuit, it entered the church, where
a discourse was preached by one of the Capuchins,
who seemed to possess great fluency of expression;
and, what is still higher praise, a power of per-
suasiveness that was seen in the sobs and tears
of his auditory. -
The number of pilgrims who resort to Einsie-
deln is not upon the decrease. In 1817, there
were 114,000; in 1821, 114,000; in 1822,
132,000; in 1824, 150,000; in 1825, 162,000;
in 1828, 176,000. What do the Reformation
Societies say to this?
Several times during the day and the evening
I entered the church, and always found it crowd-
ed, the hum of prayer rising from every niche
where the image of a Saint reposed; and next
morning, when I looked from my chamber-win-
dow at half-past three, the square was already
filled with the devout, hastening to their early
orisons. Several of them, in passing the foun-
tain which stands before the Abbey, and which
has fourteen jets-d'eaux, drank of every one of
them ; because, believing that Jesus Christ drank
at one of the fourteen, the pilgrim, not knowing
which of them has been thus sanctified, drinks
of them all. - -
I was happy to learn that the religieux of the
Abbey possessed the good opinion of the people
of Einsiedeln and its neighbourhood, and that
they merited it, from their extensive charities,.



60 EINSEEDELN.
and from the other acts of kindness which they
perform. There is scarcely any evil without some
attendant good, scarcely any folly that benefits
nobody; and, when I saw the hundreds that be-
set the door of a little chapel into which they
were admitted at short intervals one by one, to
purchase masses for the repose of the dead, it was
pleasant to think, that the money meant for the
dead was destined for the use of those who had
more need of it. The revenues of the Abbey
cannot be otherwise than enormous; for, inde-
pendently of the sums paid for masses, besides
many other contributions never forgotten by the
devout, they receive a large accession from the
benedictions bestowed upon rosaries, crosses and
images. Thousands and tens of thousands of
these are bought by the pilgrims, and are carried
to the Abbé, who, for the kiss bestowed upon
each, receives one, two, or more francs, accord-
ing to the means of the possessor. There is
another thing to be considered in estimating the
revenues of Einsiedeln; many of the poorer pil-
grims are the bearers of the offerings of others.
Those who would willingly benefit by the virtues
of the sacred image at Einsiedelm, but whose tem-
poral concerns interfere with the duties of a pil-
grimage, seek out some poor pilgrim whose earth-
ly kingdom is less, and whose piety is greater,
than theirs; and to him the duties of a represen-
tative are confided. Two or three florins are ge-
nerally given for his prayers, and other sums for
the purchase of masses for the souls of friends;
all of which, let us charitably hope, find their way.
into the channel intended for them. In after-

EINSIEDELN, 6 F.
wards travelling through another part of Switzer-
land, I heard of a woman resident in the neigh-
bourhood, whose reputation for sanctity was so
great, that she had obtained the lucrative ap-
pointment of representative aupres de la Sainte
Vierge at Einsiedeln, for all the wealthy people
in the commune, and that she made four pilgrim-
ages every year to the sacred shrine upon their
account. It would be better for the Catholic can-
tons of Switzerland, if this representative system
were more common ; for, when we learn that a
hundred and fifty or sixty thousand persons make
a pilgrimage to Einsiedeln yearly, two-thirds of
whom at least are understood to be from the Ca-
tholic cantons of Switzerland, we find an addi-
tional reason why these cantons are behind the
Protestant cantons in cultivation—a fact of which
I have now no reason to doubt. Few pilgrims
spend less time than a week at Einsiedeln, and
even from the neighbouring cantons another week
is required for the journey; and although many
have money to spare for the expenses of a pil-
grimage, while the expenses of some of the poor
are provided for, by far the greater number are
neither so rich as to render the expense a thing of
no importance, nor so poor as to make their jour-
ney depend upon the piety of others. These, al-
most all engaged in agriculture, must amount to
60,000 or 70,000 persons, the expense of whose
journey, purchases, masses and largesses, and the
waste of whose time, must all be charged against
the cultivation of their land. Nothing can be
more absurd than to suppose that there is any
thing in the Catholic religion itself disposing its
D


62. EENSIEDELN;
professors to indolence. The Catholic is, no.
doubt, just as industrious as his Protestant neigh-
bour; but the number of holidays which his reli-
gion enjoins or countenances, and in Switzerland,
this pilgrimage to Einsiedeln, neutralize that in-
dustry, however great it may be. The difference,
therefore, perceivable in Switzerland between the
state of the Catholic and the Protestant cantons,
is not chargeable against the spirit of the Catho-
lic religion, but merely against the injunctions of
the church.
I left Einsiedeln, at an early hour, for the Can-
ton of Glarus; and, as I found the road rapidly
descending, felt no regret at leaving the sharp wind
then blowing over the snow-hills, for a more con-
genial climate. After a walk of about three hours, I
reached Lachen, situated charmingly at the foot of
the richly variegated hills that rise above the up-
per Lake of Zurich, and at no great distance from
the bridge which crosses the lake to Rapperschwyl.
After having breakfasted, I hired a small vehicle
to conduct me by the bridge to Rapperschwyl.
The bridge and the town are both worth a visit,
especially the former, which, as far as I know, is
the largest bridge in Europe. It is no less than
4800 feet long, and the breadth is sufficient to
allow a carriage to pass along. It is certainly a
very useful and praiseworthy work, and is said to
have cost the town of Rapperschwyl upwards of
300,000 francs. The town itself is pretty; but,
in Switzerland, situation is every thing; and many
an attractive little Swiss town, were it transplanted
into the fens of Lincoln, would lose all its charm
by the change.
The road, on leaving Lachen for Glarus, is in-

EINSIEDELN. 63
teresting, winding among the picturesque hills
that extend between the Alps of Glarus and the
Lake of Zurich. Here I found the houses built
entirely of wood; the roofs tiled, with beams laid
across, and stones of immense size laid upon the
roof, at about a foot distant from each other, as a
security against the blasts of wind that sweep
with great violence through the valleys. It was
in this walk, too, that I was first beset by beggars,
in the shape of children, who left off their play
to assume the whining tone of practised mendi-
cants, and to request half a batzen for a multi-
tude of prayers in reversion. I could not but
feel surprised that republican independence could
stoop to this. I do not speak of the children,
but of their parents, Swiss peasants, who were
often standing by, and who encouraged their
children to ask the alms which they did not
stand in need of.
It was in travelling between Basil and Zurich,
that I first saw in the distance the snowy moun-
tains of Switzerland; and now I found myself al-
most at their feet. The day was misty—clouds.
rolled upon the mountain-sides—now they shroud-
ed one point, and now they revealed another—
now a snowy peak rose above the dense vapours,
and now a sudden gust of wind laid bare the
dark precipice and the belt of gloomy firs from
which it rose. It was with this prospect before
me that I entered the valley of the Canton of
Glarus. - *
64
CHAPTER V.
THE CANTON OF GLARUS.
The Valley of Glarus—The Town—Character of Swiss
Inns—Anecdote—Singular Laws in the Canton—Law
respecting Inheritance—Laws respecting Education-
Poor Laws — Protestant and Catholic Clergy—Sala-
ries of Clergy and Schoolmasters—Revenues of the Can-
ton–Tawes and Expenditure—Eartraordinary Laws
respecting Marriage—Prices of Provisions in Glarus
—Journey up the Linthall—Character of the upper part
of Glarus—Details respecting Schabzieger Cheese–
Condition of the Inhabitants of the Valley of the Linth
—Pantenbrugge—Scenery at the Head of Glarus–
Return to Glarus–Excursion to Klonthall—and Jour-
ney to Wesen.
GLARUs is one of the most singular of the Swiss
cantons, both from its geographical position, and
from the singularity of some of its laws and usages.
It consists but of one long narrow valley, into
which there is but one road, and of two small
lateral valleys, to neither of which there is any
entrance, but by the principal valley. At the en-
trance to the canton, the valley is not above a mile
broad; and, as one proceeds onward, it seems as
if the journey would soon be terminated by the
2

GLARUS. 65
rocky and almost perpendicular mountains that
stretch across; but the valley winds round them;
and, after a most interesting journey of about four
hours, I reached the town of Glarus—the only
place in the canton deserving the name of a town.
Seeing the church-door open, I stepped within
the porch ; but there seemed to be nothing in it
particularly attractive : if I had known, however,
that here, as in the little village of Dieteken, the
same church serves for the devotions of both Pro-
testants and Catholics, it would have given rise to
feelings far more pleasing than any that could have
been awakened by the contemplation of the most
splendid monuments. The Protestants of Glarus,
being the richer and the more numerous, offered,
some time ago, to purchase from the Catholics
the right of using the church, thinking that it
might be more agreeable to the Catholics to erect,
with the purchase-money, a chapel of their own ;
but the Catholics said they were contented that
things should remain as they were ; and so they
have ever since. -
The town of Glarus is remarkable for nothing,
but its situation; unless I may be allowed to add,
for its very excellent inn, l'Aigle d'Or ; but, in-
deed, there is nothing to complain of in any of the
Swiss inns. They are all excellent, and all uncom-
monly clean—decidedly cleaner than those of any
other of the European countries, not even except-
ing England. In afterwards travelling through
the Canton of St Gall, I breakfasted at a country
inn, where not only the floor, but the walls, which
were also of wood, were scoured; and where the
tables, made of the walnut-tree, were so bright

66 GLARUS.
with rubbing, that I mistook the lustre upon them
for French polish. I have also almost always
found the utmost variety, and, in general, good
cookery in the Swiss bill of fare, with the excep-
tion of Zurich and its neighbourhood, where cer-
tain spices are used in too great abundance. At
the inn at Glarus, where one might scarcely expect
the handsomest entertainment, my dimner consist-
ed of soup, fish, and five dishes of meat, two
dishes of vegetables, and seven of a dessert. It
has often occurred to me, when dining at any
of the best-served tables in the inns of the Con-
tinent, how great must be the surprise of a foreign-
er, when, having asked for dinner in England for
the first time, a beef steak perhaps, and a few po-
tatoes, are placed upon the table. A Swiss gen-
tleman whom I met at Wesen informed me, that
the first evening he landed at Brighton, he asked
for supper; and a huge piece of cold beef being
soon after placed upon the table, he supposed that
the company at supper would consist of at least
twenty persons, for abroad he had been accustom-
ed to see little more of one dish served up than
sufficed for the company. In the expectation that
the company would arrive, he waited long; and
at length being told that the beef was intended for
no one but himself, he cut one thin slice, marvel-
ling much at the extraordinary appetites of Eng-
lishmen, and expecting six or eight as ponder-
ous dishes to follow. The sequel needs no telling.
I have mentioned, that the Canton of Glarus is
remarkable not only on account of its geogra-
phical position, but also for the peculiar laws
which are in force within it. A few details respect-


GE, ARUS, 67
ing these may not be unacceptable. One of the
most remarkable laws in that canton is, that only
a son or a daughter can inherit property. If a
man who has inherited his property from his fa-
ther, dies, leaving neither son nor daughter be-
hind him, his property reverts to government, and
cannot even be devised by testament, to any other
more distant relative. If he has purchased his pro-
perty, he has the right of disposing of it. This
law, by which the government becomes the holder
of large portions of land, has given rise to an-
other usage, of which no one can complain. Go-
vernment lets out this land to the poor, at the
rate of fifteen batchen, or 2s. 1d. for thirty-six
feet square. A very considerable portion of land
is held in this way, and is generally planted with
potatoes, or with the herb used in the manu-
facture of the well known Schabzieger cheese.
I heard no one complain of the law respecting
the inheritance of property; and the purpose to
which the property of government is applied, gives
universal satisfaction. • .
In the Canton of Glarus, there are one or more
schools in every commune, according to its popu-
lation. The schoolmasters are paid by government,
and receive each about 35l. per annum—a hand-
some provision in a country where every article
of sustenance is to be had at a very reasonable rate;
but the most important regulation connected with
these schools is, that the law does not leave edu-
cation to the choice of individuals. Parents are
obliged to send their children to school; nor can
this be called a hard law, since all instruction is
given gratis. Reading, writing, and arithmetic,

68 GLARUS.
are the branches of education taught in these
schools. In this canton, there are also schools in
each commune every Monday for religious in-
structions—one for Protestants, another for Ca-
tholics; and there is also a Sunday school in
every commune, meant for the instruction of those
whose avocations on other days of the week pre-
vent them from profiting by the daily schools. In
these Sunday schools, all the ordinary useful
branches of education are taught.
Although there are no poor laws in the Canton
of Glarus, there is something which closely re-
sembles them. Every Sunday there are voluntary
subscriptions for the poor, at least so they are call-
ed; but if any one, known to have the means of
giving, be observed not to give, he may be sum-
moned before the council upon the information
of two citizens, and be compelled to contribute.
Both the Protestant and Catholic clergy are paid
by government. The first Protestant minister re-
ceives 800 florins (about 64l.), which, with fees
upon marriages, &c. is swelled to about 80l. :
he has also a free house, well furnished; and what-
ever articles of furniture may happen to be de-
stroyed, injured, or worn out, they are renewed
by the government. It may perhaps be asked,
from what sources arise the funds which are em-
ployed in paying the clergymen, schoolmasters,
&c., and the ordinary expenditure of govern-
ment. To provide for all these, there are two
taxes; a tax upon the head, of four batzen (about
6d.), levied upon every one arrived at the age of
16; and another, a property-tax of two batzen
(3d.) upon every 1000 florins. The expense of
GLA RUS. 69
the government forms but a small charge upon
the revenue, the chief magistrate having only 20t.
a year. But every thing is upon a proportionate
scale in Glarus. A person possessing property to
the amount of 3000l. is considered very wealthy,
and there is not one individual in the canton worth
8000l. . - - ¥
The laws peculiar to this canton respecting
marriage, &c. are unusually strict, and somewhat
curious. Whatever may be the age of persons de-
sirous of marrying, they cannot accomplish their
wish without the consent of their respective pa-
rents. A man of fifty must still remain a bache-
lor, if his father of seventy-five should so deter-
mine. The absurdity of this law has given rise to
a laxity in morals, unknown in any other part of
Switzerland; and this, again, has produced an-
other, and a very wholesome law, which in part
neutralizes the absurdity of the other. If it should
so happen that a young woman becomes enceinte,
the person in fault is obliged to marry her; and
in case of a refusal, he is declared incapable of
being elected to a seat in the council; his evi-
dence is inadmissible in a court of justice; and,
in short, he is deprived of civil rights. It is quite
consistent with all this, that, if the marriage takes
place, which, with such penalties in case of non-
compliance, is almost always the case, the female
should be received into society, and that no stain
should be supposed to attach to her. All laws
whose tendency is to defeat, and not merely to re-
gulate the laws of nature, must fail in their object;
and accordingly, other laws equally, or still more
absurd, are required to regulate the evils that arise.
70 GLARUS.
All these laws, and all the law in this canton,
stand upon ancient usage; and every new judg-
ment is recorded, as well as the facts upon which
it has proceeded.
When I visited Glarus, the following were the
prices of different articles. Beef and weal, 3d. per
lib.; mutton, lïd. ; Chamois, 2d.; fish, 6d. ; a
heath-cock about 2s. 4d. ; butter, 4%d.; cheese,
34d.; bread, four batz. (6d.) for 5 lib. A house
with seven or eight rooms, stable and good gar-
den, may be had for 7l. or 8l. per annum. A
common female servant receives 4!. wages, a good
cook twice as much ; so that in Glarus, a house
and a cook are at par. A labourer receives about
10}d. and his breakfast.
Having collected all the information I could
respecting the peculiar customs of this canton, I
prepared for a journey to the head of the valley,
where the canton is hemmed in by the mountains
which separate it from the Grisons. It was a
cloudy morning when I walked out of Glarus,
taking the right bank of the Linth, which flowed
beneath in an impetuous but very limpid stream.
Heat, that in other countries dries up the rivers,
in Switzerland swells them—those at least which
rise in the High Alps. This fact the traveller
without a guide should bear in mind; because,
if he supposes, from a long course of hot, d
weather, that he will find streams fordable, he will
often discover his error. This observation has no
particular reference to the river Linth; but, as it
occurred to me at present, I thought it best not
to omit it.
The valley of the Linth I found fertile in beau-
G1, ARUS. 7}
ty, and full of population. It is environed, in-
deed, by images of grandeur and sublimity; but
the high mountains being veiled in the mists of
the morning, nothing could at first be seen be-
yond the immediate boundaries, which were sim-
ply picturesque. The proximity to the region of
snow was seen, however, in the diminished ferti-
Hity of the soil, and the scanty assortment of gar-
den productions. From Glarus to the little ham-
let of Linthal, three leagues distant, the valley
seldom assumes a greater breadth than two miles.
I passed through no fewer than six villages; and
the sides of the hills were thickly dotted with
the chalets of the cow and goat herds, whose flocks
were grazing on the mountains. I did not see a
blade of corn. The pasture-land was only diver-
sified by small fields of thyme, and other odorife-
rous plants for the bees, the honey of Glarus being
much esteemed; by patches of potatoes near the
cottages; and by little enclosures, where the plant
used in the manufacture of cheese was cultivated.
I noticed that, among the little appendages of
every house, one small building was appropriated
for the reception of withered leaves, which form
the basis of the manure used in the valley, and
which are also used exclusively for litter.
At Linthal, the last village in the canton, is
one of the principal manufactories of the Schab-
zieger cheese, well known and highly esteemed in
many parts of Europe. I of course visited it.
The peasants, who feed their cows in the moun-
tains, bring down the curd in sacks, each con-
taining about 200 lib., and for which they receive
thirty-six francs French. The herb (klé) which
72 GLARUS.
gives it the green colour, and its peculiar flavour,
having been previously dried and crushed to pow-
der, about 6 lib. of it is put into the mill, along
with 200 lib. of the curd ; and after being turned
for about two hours and a half, the mixture is
ready to be put into shapes, where it is kept until
it dries sufficiently to be ready for use. When
sold wholesale, it fetches about 3%d. per lib. This
is considered a very lucrative trade; and the rich-
est people in the canton are cheese-manufacturers.
It is a common belief in England, that Schab-
zieger cheese is made from goats' milk; but this
is quite a mistake. The foundation of this cheese
is in no respect different from that of the English
cheeses; its peculiar character is owing merely
to its conjunction with the herb, and to its being
kept till it is fit for grating.
Notwithstanding the existence of something
akin to poor-laws, I saw many signs of poverty
among the persons who were labouring in the
fields, or in the little gardens. They were gene-
rally without shoes or stockings, and were other-
wise but ill protected against the cold blasts of
the mountains. A Swiss mountaineer, or even a
goatherd, may be very picturesque in a landscape,
or may even be introduced into fiction with effect;
but it is a sorry occupation to sit from morning
until night, with a scanty flock of goats, and with-
out shoes or stockings, among the rocks of the
Glarus mountains, where, even in summer, bitter
blasts occasionally sweep the hill-sides, and where
the warmest sun is often obscured by showers of
snow and sleet, that in the lower valleys descend
like summer dews.

**
GLARus. 73
There are many gradations in riches among the
peasants of Glarus; from one goat or one cow,
up to fifty or sixty. The possessor of twenty, or
twenty-five cows, is considered to be in very easy
circumstances, and yet the value of his whole pro-
perty does not amount, in Glarus, to more than
160l.; for the usual price of a cow is about 7l.
or 8l. at most. But, with six cows, a peasant is
not in poor circumstances; and, even with a single
cow and a little potato land, he is not numbered
among the poor. Six or seven goats are also
looked upon as a tolerable independence; and a
man owning three goats is not a pauper.
Linthal is only a few straggling houses, but
there is a prospect of this remote place rising into
some importance; for, at the foot of the Stackel-
berg, a mineral water has lately been discovered,
which has already obtained some celebrity; and a
handsome hotel and baths are now erecting for the
use of strangers. This would be a charming re-
treat during the month of June for the disciples
of Isaac Walton. I never saw a stream more
like a good trouting stream, than the Linth; it
is neither too deep nor too shallow ; there is little
or no wood upon its banks; it is neither too lazy
nor too rapid; and, every now and then, it forms
those delightful eddies which so pleasantly animate
the hopes of the angler: And let not the tho-
rough angler despise me utterly if I add, that I
never tasted more delicious trout than those which
had been drawn out of the Linth. -
Beyond Linthal there is no village up the val-
ley to Pantenbrugge, which is the ne plus ultra.
I left Linthal for this bridge after breakfast, and


74 GE, ARUS.
soon entered upon the narrow defile, which is alſ
that remains of the canton of Glarus. Every step
the scenery became more and more striking—the
rocks more precipitous—the cascades, great and
small, more frequent—the stream of the Linth
more impetuous—and the mountains behind more
gigantic ; the glaciers of the Rozen Piz rising
above them all. The road, or rather path, con-
tinued gradually to ascend, till I found it pow-
dered with the snow that had fallen during the
past night; and, after a most interesting walk of
about two leagues, I reached the Pantenbrucke.
I was fully repaid for my labour. One arch is
thrown over the Linth, from rock to rock, and,
at the depth of 196 feet below, the river bursts
from its mountain-gorge to seek a wider channel.
The scenery around is of the wildest description.
Terrific precipices rise on every side, and the
resting-places of the eternal snows are beyond.
From Pantenbrugge a mountain-path leads into
the Grisons; but when I visited this part of Swit-
zerland, the season was not far enough advanced
to render this path practicable; and, besides, I
purposed reaching the Grisons by a more cir-
cuitous route. It rained torrents as I returned
to Glarus, where I spent the night; and, next
morning, I left it to visit Klonthal, a small Alpine
valley of the canton. Mist and sunshine main-
tained a charming conflict all the way; they were
conquerors alternately. One moment it seemed
as if the sunshine were vanquished beyond reco-
very; the next, a bright gleam would flash athwart
the mists, and drive them from their strongholds;
and then, when light appeared to be triumphant,
GE, A RUS. 75
dark vapours again rolled upward from nobody
knows where, and triumphed in their turn. It is
a very interesting walk to the Klonthal, chiefly
because the result is unlooked for ; for who could
expect, after following the course of an impetuous
stream upward, suddenly to enter upon a little pa-
radise P A desolate Alpine valley one might look
for, or a dark mountain tarn ; but not a smiling
vale, surrounding a fine gentle lake, imaging, in
its tranquil breast, green meadows and quiet cot-
tages; and yet this sweet valley is close to the
regions of snow; for on all sides rise the summits
of Glarnisch and its compeers. The same even-
ing, I left Glarus for Wesen.
I have nothing more to add respecting Glarus,
excepting that the constitution of the canton is
democratic ; and that, although there are in the
canton seven times as many Protestants as Ca-
tholics, the council is composed of equal numbers
of both. -
76
CHAPTER VI.
CANTON OF ST GALL–THE GRISONS •
The Wallensee—Journey to St Gall—Pilgrims—St Gall
and its Manufactures—Peculiar Laws of St Gall—
Cheapness of Property— Voyage from Wesen to Wal-
lenstadt—Character of the Lake, and Accident by the
way—Arrival at Chur–Chur and its neighbourhood—
The Bishoprick—State of the Inhabitants, Merchants,
Lawyers, Physicians—Journey from Chur to the En-
sadine, across Mount Albula—An Anecdote—Details
respecting Grison Liberty, and the National Charac-
ter of the Grisons—Revenues and Expenditure of the
Canton.
THE little town of Wesen lies at the head of
the Wallenstadt Lake; and, from the windows
of the inn (l'Epée), there is a truly charming
prospect. The Wallenstadt is not one of the
very celebrated among the Swiss lakes; and yet
it seems to me deserving of a very respectable
place. It has not, indeed, the sublimity of Uri,
nor the majesty of Geneva, nor the beauty of
Zurich; but it has charms of its own. There is
a quiet seclusion about its shores, that partly a-
tones for the absence of glaciers, and which, to
many, may be more pleasing than the prospect
of gardens and maisons de campaigne. I shall


ST GALL. 77
return to Wesen and its lake, after making an ex-
cursion to St Gall.
This little journey occupied me three days, one
of which I spent at St Gall. Between Wesen
and St Gall I found all the inns full of pilgrims ;
and, by the by, these pilgrimages sufficiently ae-
count for the extraordinary number of inns to be
found in most parts of Switzerland. At the inn
where I breakfasted, upwards of sixty arrived and
departed during the hour that I remained. Some
few looked as if they could have very well afford-
ed a dejeune à la fourchette, or, at all events,
a comfortable cup of coffee, for the morning was
cold and wet ; but they all breakfasted alike upon
a morsel of coarse bread (which most of them
produced from a wallet), and half a bottle of sour
wine. I presume a certain moderation in eating
is considered indispensable towards the success of
the pilgrimage. -
The country between Wesen and St Gall I
did not find very interesting; its character is
scarcely Swiss ; and, excepting in the neighbour-
hood of Lichtensteg, a pretty clean town, there
is nothing very striking anywhere. Nor did I
find much to captivate me at St Gall, though, to
the manufacturer, this town will be the most in-
teresting in Switzerland; for it is there that the
most extensive manufactories of muslim are carried
on. I heard great complaints of the state of
trade;—the Italians had not bought as usual.
Several establishments had ceased working, and
many hundreds were out of employment; so that
trade may go amiss even in countries where there.
is no national debt, and where there are annual
E
78 ST GALL,
parliaments and universal suffrage. But St Gall
is distinguished for more than its muslins; it is
the place where, on dit, the only manuscript of
Cicero's works, de Legibus and de Finibus,
was found; and where, also, the Nibelungenlied
is preserved among the manuscripts, in which the
libraries of this town are rich.
The origin of St Gall is the same as that
which still ensures the prosperity of Einsiedeln—
superstition. St Gall has since raised its pros-
perity upon a nobler basis, but, as it would ap-
pear, one less enduring; for while, in St Gall, the
results of industry and ingenuity have proved un-
certain, in Einsiedeln the fruits of credulity and
ignorance have been unfailing and abundant.
The inhabitants of St Gall had better restore
the Abbey of Benedictines, and raise a splendid
tomb above the ashes of their Patron Saint.
The Canton of St Gall resembles, in some
of its laws, the Canton of Glarus, particularly in
that respecting the consent of parents to the
marriage of their children; but, in St Gall, there
is a pleasant way of getting over the difficulty:
the case is laid before the council, which deli-
berates upon the refusal of consent ; and if the
councillors consider it to be “frivolous and vexa-
tious,” they advise the parents to let the young
people have their own way; and so the affair is
adjusted. In St Gall, this occurs very frequent-
ly. The council (for the present year at least)
do not happen to be of the school of Malthus;
and both living and house-rent being reasonable
in this canton, “the prudential principle " oper-
ates but feebly. The price of houses is indeed
ST. G.A.T.L. 79
incredibly low, especially country-houses ; one
was pointed out to me, charmingly situated, about
three miles from the town, which had lately been
sold for little more than 1000l. It contained
twenty-two rooms—had every kind of outbuilding,
besides eleven acres of land. -
Having returned to Wesen, I engaged a boat
to carry me down the lake to Wallenstadt. I
left Wesen at five in the afternoon, allowing four
hours for the passage of the lake. I had en-
gaged the smallest boat I could find, and only
one rower; because, having some knowledge of
the oar myself, I thus ensured a pleasure and
a profit at the same time. For an hour or two,
all went well, and we made good progress; but
when we had accomplished about half our voyage,
my oar snapped in two, and we were thus left in
rather an awkward predicament; because, with
only one oar, it was more probable that I should
breakfast, than sup at Wallenstadt. My labour
being no longer needed, I had nothing to do but
to enjoy the prospect, around me. I was nearly
opposite to the village of Quinten, the situation
of which is, in the highest degree picturesque ;
for the rocks in its neighbourhood dip perpen-
dicularly into the water; and above them, at a
height of at least 1200 feet, might be seen nu-
merous herds of cattle and goats, browsing upon
a beautifully green herbage, spotted with the
chalets of the shepherds; while various cascades,
although not great enough to produce much effect
upon the landscape, yet sweetly harmonized with
the other gentle sounds of eventide. , My com-
panion tugged,hard with his one oar, and I oc-

80 ST GALL.
casionally relieved him. It fell dark, however,
when we yet wanted a league of Wallenstadt; but
there was nothing to regret, as I watched the
shadows gradually creep over the hills, till deep
night covered the landscape, and the dark still sur-
face of the lake was gemmed with the thousand
stars of heaven. -
It was about midnight when we reached Wal-
lenstadt, where I found myself engaged in a warm
dispute with the boatman respecting the broken
oar, which he insisted I should pay for; and al-
though I well knew that the oar had borne about
it the infirmity that had come to so untoward
a crisis, yet, as the crisis had arrived, and ter-
minated fatally, while the oar was under my care,
I consented to pay the half of what was demand-
ed -
Whatever may be the merits of the Wallen-
stadt Lake, in point of natural beauty, it will
yield to no other in point of utility; for it is
by this lake that all the commerce between
Zurich and Italy is carried on—a transit that
would otherwise be extremely circuitous. The
Wallensee is famous for its excellent fish; and
as some wonderful tale is generally current a-
bout every lake, I must not omit to say, that it
never freezes. - -
My anxiety to get into the country of the
Grisons increasing as I approached it, I only
remained at Wallenstadt to breakfast, and for once
deviated from my pedestrian habits, by closing
with the offer of a voiturier to take me to Chur,
the Grison metropolis, in five hours. The con-
struction of the voiture was such, that, even if
THE GRISONS, 81
the weather had been favourable, I should have
been punished for my effeminacy by the limited
prospect; but it was a consolation to see the
country enveloped in so dense a mist, that no-
thing was lost by my manner of travelling. At
Mayenfield, I again found the Rhine, which I
had left at Basil; and the fog allowing me to see
dimly the opposite bank, I could discover that,
although not the majestic river which sweeps the
territory of Baden, the Rhine is, even at May-
enfield, a fine, large, and beautiful stream.
About a league before reaching Chur, the mist
cleared away, and a heavy rain succeeded. The
lower country, and halfway up the mountains, were
now visible; and I therefore forsook the voiture,
and walked to Chur, which I soon discovered
lying in a deep hollow among the mountains, with
several valleys diverging from it, each of them
traversed by a river; and in about half an hour I
was received at the Auberge of Daniel Denz,
with that amenity for which innkeepers, all over
the world, are distinguished.
Chur is a very small place, to be the metropolis
of so large a district as the country of the Grisons.
Less than three hours suffice for seeing all that is
worthy of notice in it. If you walk ten minutes
in a straight line in any direction, you will leave
the town behind you. Almost every house in
Chur has its garden, and every garden its clump
of vines, from which they make a very weak but
pleasant wine. In accordance with the Grison
character, of which I shall speak more fully by
and by, there is not an inch of ground in any
garden, or in the neighbourhood of Chur, that
82 THE GR1sons.
is not made subservient to utility; and this nes
cessarily produces an appearance of greater fertility
than might be expected from the climate, and the
elevated position of the country. -
The Catholic church at Chur, and the resi-
dence, or palace, as it is called, of the Bishop, oc-
cupy the most elevated part of the town ; but
even from the highest pinnacle of his church, this
ecclesiastic cannot see the bounds of his diocess.
It is the greatest in Switzerland—extending not
only over the greater part of the country of the
Grisons, and of the Canton of St Gall, but even
embracing, in its paternal arms, parts of Suabia,
the Tyrol, and the northern parts of Italy; and it
was but recently that the head of the Church of
Rome, finding it advisable to provide for some of
its deserving sons, took off three slices from the
benefice of Chur—namely, the Cantons of Uri,
Schwytz, and Underwalden, which, till then, had
been comprised within the limits of this bishop-
ric. It is somewhat curious that so much power
should be possessed by the Catholic bishop of a
Protestant canton—for such the country of the
Grisons is always considered—two-thirds, at least,
of the inhabitants professing the reformed religion.
In walking through the streets of the little town
of Chur, one is surprised to find so much bustle
and animation as are every where visible, so dif-
ferent from the silence and repose and inertness
that distinguish most small provincial towns: But
this is easily accounted for, when we recollect that
the manufactures of St Gall, Glarus and Zurich,
are sent to Italy through this town, and by the
Splugen; and it is here that the transit of mer-



THE GRISONS. 83
chandise is undertaken. No fewer than 100,000
quintals pass yearly ; and several persons engaged
in the transport of this merchandise have realized
considerable fortunes, and are indeed considered
to be the wealthiest persons in the canton. This
trade is supposed to occupy at least one-third of
the inhabitants, as innkeepers, waggoners, por-
ters, horse-proprietors, and the other subordi-
nate trades, such as blacksmiths, wheel-wrights,
ropemakers, &c.: the rest of the inhabitants are
shopkeepers, small land-owners, and professional
men—the last the poorest; for law in this neigh-
bourhood is much superseded by arbitration; and
the fees of the medical gentlemen are so low, that
nothing but an epidemic can afford the least hope
of a competency: their usual fee, from respect-
able people, is one franc per visit. Living, how-
ever, is not expensive: meat costs about 5d. ;
butter 8d.; and wine, vegetables and fruit, at least
a third dearer than at Zurich.
Chur lies on the outskirts of the Grisons; and
a residence there can give the traveller little infor-
mation as to the country, or the people who inha-
bit it: it is the remoter and central valleys he
must visit. These are, the Upper and Lower
Engadine, the Albula, and the valley of the Up-
per Rhine; and accordingly, after resting one day
at Chur, I left it to visit the Engadine. There
is no road from Chur to the Engadine, excepting
very high and difficult mountain-passes, practicable
only for a pedestrian; so that, had I been a Russian
prince, I must have been contented to travel as I
did on foot.
The road from Chur conducted me, through a
84 THE GRISON S.
finely wooded and hilly country, to the little town
of Lenz, where I arrived about mid-day, just in
time to partake an indifferent dinner with the
proprietor of a forge situated three or four leagues
farther on. There, a little incident happened
worthy of relating. Several peasants of the lower
order were regaling themselves in another room ;
and the news having circulated among them, that
a stranger, who had come through France, was then
in the house, I was interrupted, in the midst of
my repast, by the entrance of an old sturdy pea-
sant, who expressed his extraordinary good for-
tune in having met me; because, as I had come
from France, I could probably give him some
intelligence respecting his son at Toulouse. This
reminds me of a fact, that to my certain know-
ledge occurred in Scotland, and upon which the
reader may implicitly rely. A gentleman in the
neighbourhood of Banff, travelling to the metro-
polis in his own carriage, offered the spare corner
to a worthy corporation-man of that burgh, who
happened to have some business in the South;
and, early one morning, the travellers reached E-
dinburgh, entering by the west end of Princes'
Street. It so happened, that a cat, returning from
a nocturnal ramble, was walking leisurely along
the pavement; and the untravelled inhabitant of
the northern burgh, to whom every dog and cat
within his own town were familiar, struck with the
beauty of this early wanderer, awoke his companion
from a sound sleep with this interrogatory, “What
a bonny catty fa’s catty's that P”
The individual with whom I dined offered me
a seat in his cart (for the roads in this part do not
THE GRISON S. 85
admit of vehicles with springs) as far as his road
and mine lay together ; and I accepted the offer, for
the sake of benefiting by his conversation, for he
seemed both intelligent and communicative. The
information I received in this and other quarters,
during my residence among the Grisons, respect-
ing the political constitution of the country, I shall
record in this place ; for, between Lenz and Ber-
gun, where I passed the night, nothing occurred to
swell my personal narrative.
I have never travelled in any country where
the people talk so much about liberty, as in the
country of the Grisons—above all, in the Enga-
dine. “This, " said a peasant to me at a little
village in the Ober Engadine, where I shall by
and by conduct the reader, “this is the only repub-
lic in the world, and we are the only free peo-
ple I’’ and I have no doubt he spoke as he believed.
“Touch the very smallest of our rights, " said
another in the village of Pont, “ and revolt would
instantly follow.” If the rights vaunted by these
people did really exist, their determination to pre-
serve them might be easily accounted for. The
Engadine is shut out from the rest of the world
by high and almost impassable mountains. The
defile of the Finstermuntz, on the side of the
Tyrol, might be defended by a handful of resolute
men; and if a single rock were blown up in the
pass from Chur by Mount Albula, the only ves-
tige of a road would be swept away; and the only
entrance to the country would then be by the tre-
mendous chasm below, and up a cataract of two
or three hundred feet. But the liberty so much
spoken of by the Grisons, and of which they are
86 THE GRISONS.
so proud, has no existence. When we say that
the country of the Grisons is a republic, that no
distinction of rank is ostensibly recognised, and
that every individual has a voice in the election of
representatives, we enumerate all its pretensions to
the enjoyment of perfect political liberty; but
much more than this is wanted, before a country
can be said even to approach such a state of po-
litical liberty as is compatible with the existence
of any organized government; and in all beyond
what I have enumerated, the Grison republic is
deficient. That first and greatest safeguard of the
rights of a free people, the liberty of the press, is
unknown. Nothing is published that is not pre-
viously read by the public authorities, and approv-
ed; and so far off are the Grisons from trial by
jury, that the courts of law hear and determine
with closed doors. So far, indeed, is this princi-
ple carried, that the council, or representative body
of the canton, holds its deliberations in secret.
There are some things, indeed, of a public nature,
with which the Grisons have much reason to be
pleased, though these by no means result from
their form of government, but from the smallness
of the state. I allude, particularly, to the absence
of taxation. There is no imposition or tax of any
kind. The expense of the government, &c. is de-
frayed by the dues charged upon the transit of
merchandise through the canton; so that the Gri-
sons themselves pay nothing for the maintenance
of their State. This is doubtless very agreeable; but
those who cannot congratulate themselves upon
such a state of things, have fortunately an equi-

valent,
THE GRISONS. '87
But the Grisons are not only proud of being a
republic, but of being in themselves a federative
republic; for the country is divided into no fewer
than thirty jurisdictions, each, in many import-
ant respects, independent not only of the others,
but even of the Supreme Council. In each of
these thirty jurisdictions, there is a power of life
and death in criminal cases, and this power is so-
vereign and without appeal. The common law is
different in each jurisdiction. Every one has its
own peculiar laws and its own usages; and by
these, the questions arising within their bound-
aries must be determined. From these, indeed,
there is a court of appeal at Chur, the judges of
which must necessarily be presumed to have a suf-
ficient knowledge of the laws peculiar to every one
of the thirty jurisdictions. It is almost needless
to say, that all this works ill, and that this feder-
ative republic is not only deficient in the very es-
sentials of liberty, but is also wanting in some of
those advantages that are to be found in states
where there are no pretensions to it. It is but
right to say, that I met with one or two indivi-
duals, and but one or two, who had the courage or
the candour to admit that the Grison government
was not perfect; and that it would be better to
live under more assured laws, even if a king were
the fountain of justice. I was informed, that the
insecurity of the law, and the imperfect adminis-
tration of justice within the jurisdictions, had led
many to resort to arbitration; but from this also
there is an appeal to Chur; so that the greatest
advantage of arbitration does not exist.
Before resuming my narrative, let me add, that
'88 .THE GRISONS.
the revenues of the Grisons amount to 150,000
francs (6000l.), and that the whole expense of
the government, salaries of public officers, pay of
militia, maintenance of public buildings, roads
and bridges, and allowance to the councillors,
who receive six francs per day during their sit-
tings, amount to about two-thirds of this sum.
The surplus has been employed, for some years
past, in paying off a small public debt; and when
I travelled through the country, I found every one
alive to the important question, what government
meant to do with the surplus revenue (2000l.), at
the redemption of the debt—a period to which
the Grison politicians looked forward with impa-
tience and anxiety, as one well calculated to try
the fidelity of their representatives. I trust the
reader will excuse these minute details, respecting
a people whose public debt is on the eve of re-
demption, by the annual surplus revenue of
2000/.
89
CHAPTER VII.
COUNTRY OF THE GRISONS.
Bergun—Scene in a Village Inn–Traits of Character
— Grison Enjoyments—The Passage of Mount Al-
bula— Valley of Albula, Ascent, and Scene of Ex-
traordinary Sublimity—Descent towards the Engadine
— Charming Prospect— Visit to a Mountain Dairy,
and Details—Arrival in the Ober Engadine. 2
FROM the little town of Lenz, where I had dined,
the road gradually ascended, and, about two
leagues from Bergun, which I had fixed upon as
my night's quarters, I was left to pursue my jour-
ney on foot. It was almost quite dark before I
reached Bergun, and with some difficulty I disco-
vered the auberge, which was filled with the vil-
lagers discussing their evening allowance of wine,
and congratulating themselves upon the excellence
of their privileges. Among these there was one
portly old gentleman, whom I at first mistook for
the aubergiste, and who welcomed me in toler-
able English; but who afterwards informed me,
that he was one of the many sons of these valleys
who leave their paternal homes in early youth in
quest of fortune. This old gentleman had found
it. He had travelled, during twenty years, in the
90 THE GRISONS,
capacity of a valet, through all the countries of
Europe; and having scraped together the savings
of his services, he had at last opened a confec-
tioner's shop in Bayonne, where, in ten years
more, he acquired sufficient means to enable him
to return to his native valley, there to spend the
remainder of his days. Even there, however, it
was not inactivity that he sought. The Grisons
are never inactive, nor ever regardless of their pe-
cuniary interests. He had opened a shop at Ber-
gun, and retained a share in that at Bayonne, and
seemed to be one of the most influential persons
in his native village. It is not at all unusual to
find persons in the remote villages of the Gri-
sons proprietors of shops in more than one dis-
tant city.
I found myself fortunate in meeting this per-
son, because I was now arrived where the Roman
dialect only is spoken; and although the auberge
at Bergun could furnish but little to tempt the
epicure, the culinary skill of the ci-devant valet
supplied a hundred deficiencies. He said he
knew the English were accustomed to live well at
home, and begged I would permit him to pre-
pare supper, to which I need scarcely say I con-
sented; and the result was, an omelet and some
fried trout, both quite good enough to have pro-
voked an appetite that needed a provocative.
The scene in this inn afforded a fair specimen
of Grison enjoyment. Fourteen villagers were
seated at a long table, each with his cap on,
which each no doubt fancied the cap of liberty,
A small wooden plate, with some bread and
cheese, and a small bottle of wine, stood before
THE GRISON S. 91
each. The conversation was emergetic and grave;
its theme was politics—the politics, not of the
world—not of Europe—not even of Switzerland—
but of their own canton. One, seemingly the
most respectable of the group, perceiving that I
listened to the conversation, and suspecting that
I was unacquainted with the language in which
it was carried on, commanded silence, and ad-
dressing me in French, told me, that I had here
a specimen of the manner in which the Grisons
spent their evenings. “When the labour of the
day is ended,” said he, “we assemble here—we
order our chopin of wine, and discourse upon the
rivileges we enjoy. You have no liberty in Eng-
}. to compare with ours; ” and yet, the man
who was the eulogist of liberty, was himself the
village tyrant:-so the person who spoke English
informed me. Greater boldness, and a somewhat
stronger intellect, perhaps, had raised him above
his fellow-villagers, and destroyed, as it must ever
do, that phantom equality, which is incompatible
with the nature of man.
I received a piece of information from this
person at Bergun, which may be worth men-
tioning. Two individuals in this remote Gri-
son village have money in the British funds;
one 1000l., another somewhat less. This fact
might furnish a commentary for some of our par-
liamentary economists.
. From Bergun to the valley of the Ober Enga-
dine, the only passage is across Mount Albula.
Several of the interior passes in Switzerland are
higher, and more difficult than any of those better
kilown passes which lead into Italy: the pass of


92 THE GRISONS.
Mount Albula is one of these. A series of geo-
metrical observations was made at Chur about
a year ago, by which, the elevation of the moun-
tains, villages and roads, throughout the country
of the Grisons, was ascertained; and from the
inspection of these results, I found that the Pass
of Mount Albula attains the height of 7648 feet;
exceeding, by exactly one hundred feet, the high-
est point of the Pass of Mount St Bernard. The
other celebrated passes into Italy are considerably
lower; the Hospice of St Gothard is situated
6390 feet above the level of the sea; the pas-
sage of the Simplon is 6174 feet; and that of
the Splugen (an interior pass) is somewhat higher
than St Gothard. But before I enter upon my
morning's journey across Mount Albula, let me
not forget to mention, that having promised to
breakfast with my new Grison friend, I found him
waiting my arrival on the steps of his door, be-
fore 6 o'clock. The breakfast was rather an ex-
traordinary one; for, with the exception of fish and
eggs, it consisted entirely of pastry. He had in-
formed me the night before, that he intended giv-
ing me a specimen of the articles by which he
had made his fortune at Bayonne; and I suspect,
from the variety of the repast, he must have oc-
cupied the whole night in its preparation. But I
repaid him for his labour, for I permitted him to
fill my pockets with the specimens of his art ;
and remarking, as I rose to take leave, some hesi-
tation in his manner, I recollected what I had
heard of Grison hospitality, and pressed ten batzen
upon his acceptance. - s
At seven o'clock I left Bergun, and immedi-
l
THE GRISONS. 93.
ately began to ascend. From Bergun to the first
interior valley, there is a road practicable for small
carts; for there some hamlets are scattered, and
there, too, lies an Alpine village. This road
mounts by the side of a torrent, skirting some little
fields of scanty produce, and soon enters a narrow
gorge, which affords room only for the torrent
and the narrow road that is excavated out of the
tremendous rock that towers above it. There is
here the cheapest road-maker in the world. The
mountain is the road-maker, and never relaxes in
its labours : it is of a crumbling nature, and, by
incessant contributions, it constantly fills up the
cavities which are formed by the rains. When
the road had wound round this rock, I found my-
self entering a tolerably extensive Alpine valley, on
all sides surrounded by the rocky peaks and snowy
summits of the Albula. Here, too, as at Bergun
—here too, as in the more fruitful valleys—man
had found a home, and felt that life was sweet.
There was his habitation—there the flocks, his
riches; and if there was no village-inn where the
Grisons might assemble to congratulate each other
upon their privileges, there was the little bridge
that spanned the torrent, or the fir-tree that lay
by the way-side.
This valley is about a league in length; and,
after having traversed it, the path—for it is no
longer a road, ascends a narrow defile among the
bald rocks that lie around the little Lake of Wis-
senstein. I found the ascent laborious ; but the
scenery around amply compensated the labour, for
it was of the most varied and striking character.
Fine girdles of dark fir spanned the waists of
F
94 THE GRISONS.
the rocks, whose gray and rugged heads rose in
vast amphitheatre. Below the firs, and among the
lower rocks, lay the freshest verdure, watered by
innumerable rills that were seen higher up in
white threads of foam among the rocks. Here
and there was a chalet—here and there a little
flock; but these became rarer. The path sur-
mounted the fir; and at a sudden turn, I found
myself on the borders of the little lake, and be-
side the chalet, where the traveller may find moun-
tain fare. This lake lies extremely high, and pos-
sesses the character of every lake found in such
elevations—a character, in something, perhaps,
slightly varying, but whose general features must
necessarily be alike. A few stunted firs were
scattered about the lower end, where the water
was shallow; but on all the other sides, it lay
still, and dark, and treeless, beneath the frightful
precipices that towered above.
The ascent from the lake is extremely rapid;
it remains in sight more than an hour, and is then
shut out by a ledge of the higher rocks that are
connected with the summits of the mountain.
And now, a scene opened before me, to whose
sublimity, I fear, I shall be able to render but im-
perfect justice. When I speak of this scene, I do
so with a perfect recollection of other scenes that
I have beheld in other parts of the Alps, in the
Pyrenees, in the Carpathian mountains, and in
Norway; and I feel that I may do perfect justice
to all of these, and yet assert the superiority of
this part of Mount Albula, in all that constitutes
that kind of sublimity which arises from the pre-
sence of desolation. The defile I had now en-


THE GRISON.S.. 95
tered was from one to two miles broad, and three
or four in length; it was environed by the highest
summits of the mountain. These rose almost per-
pendicularly from the defile, in some places show-
ing precipices of two or three thousand feet; in
other places, presenting a front of towers and
pinnacles, and displaying enormous gaps, where
nothing but the torrent had entered, and vast
caves, where the eagle only had ever rested. A-
bove all, the highest peaks, powdered with snow,
but too ragged and pointed to allow it a resting-
place, jutted into the sky, leaving to the spectator
below a horizon as limited as the defile. But
all that I have yet spoken of, though of itself suf-
ficient to form a picture of great power, falls in-
finitely short of what yet remains to be described.
Within the whole of this bounded horizon, not
one blade of verdure was to be seen—not one of
those mountain-plants—those alpine flowers, that
often bloom on the borders of eternal winter, and
that, springing in the chasms of the baldest rocks,
lend, at times, the charm of gentleness and beauty
to the most savage scene. But here, desolation
had reared his throne, and ruin lay around it.
The whole extent of the defile was one mass of
enormous stones that lay piled upon each other;
it was as if two mountains of rock had here waged
war, and been shivered in the conflict. Do not
suppose, in figuring these scenes to yourself, that
rocks and stones lie scattered over the extent of
this defile. This would be but a very imperfect
conception of what it is. In many places, the
stones are piled upon each other to the height of
some hundred feet; and to what depth they may

96 THE GRISONS.
lie even on the track by which you pass, no one
can tell. This, however, I know, in ascending
higher than this defile, the river is seen to enter
it in several concentrated streams; and below the
defile, it is again seen to enter the lake I have
mentioned; and, in passing through the defile,
at some deep openings and gaps, you may hear
the distant rush of waters far below, indicating,
by the faintness of the sound, the great depth at
which they find a channel.
I have never been more strongly impressed by
any scene than by this. It realized, more than
any scene I have ever beheld, the conception of
chaos, “treeless, herbless, lifeless.” Not even
the fowl of the desert could here have found one
fruit of the wilderness, nor one gushing stream
whereat to slake his thirst. This curse of utter
sterility I myself experienced. The breakfast I
had made at Bergun was not well calculated for a
journey in a hot dry day across the mountains;
and in this defile, where not a breath of air could
enter, and where the sun shone down with great
power, a well of the desert would have been wel-
come. I found, however, a shelter from the sun's
rays; and it is only amid scenes like these, that
we are able to understand the force of the expres-
sion, “the shadow of a great rock in a weary
land.” -
When I had traversed this defile by a gradual
ascent, I entered upon the third and last division
of the pass. Here I found the stream, which, in
a succession of rapids and cataracts, comes from
the highest interior valley, where the snow is ac-
cumulated to a great depth. The ascent here is
THE GRISONS. 97
extremely rapid ; and the scenery, although it has
lost that character of utter desolation which pre-
sides lower down, yet retains much grandeur,
mingled with a few of those graces that are found
in Alpine scenery. Here and there I found a
scanty herbage, and innumerable beautiful mosses.
The ranunculus and the mountain-anemone
bloomed at my feet; and the rocks, ashamed of
their nakedness, were covered with the crimson
blossoms of the rhododendron.
About an hour and a half after leaving the
defile, the highest part of the pass is attained.
Here one is still in a valley, though its sides do
not rise more than a thousand feet above it. I
found a good deal of snow, and occasionally some
difficulty in passing it; but, after an hour's walk,
I began to descend, and a scene soon opened be-
low, very different from that which I have at-
tempted to describe. The southern interior val-
leys of Mount Albula are among the most esteem-
ed in all Switzerland for the pasture of cattle,
which are brought there even from some of the
remoter cantons. In the country of the Grisons,
every village has its mountain, or its part of a
mountain, to which the inhabitants have free ae-
cess for the grazing of their cattle ; and when
herds arrive from places beyond its liberty, they
are permitted to graze, upon payment of a certain
small portion of the produce of the dairy, to the
village enjoying the liberty of the mountain.
It was a beautiful sight to look down the
southern side of Mount Albula; the most charm-
ing verdure covered the slopes and the valleys,
and the flocks of a hundred hills seemed there to


98 THE GRISONS.
be congregated. The distant, and not unmusical,
chime of their thousand bells, mingled with the
faint lowing, came sweetly up the mountain; and
the beauty and interest of the scene was greatly
increased by the recollection of the lifeless and
desolate wilderness that I had newly quitted.
Scenes of grandeur and sublimity are indeed glo-
rious; and by them we are called from the little-
nesses of life, to a contemplation of the majesty
of that which is more enduring. Unutterable,
indeed, is the charm that holds us in the depth of
the silent valley, and among the dark and mighty
mountains; but still there is, in pictures of life
and happiness, in scenes of a more tranquil and
gentler kind, a language that speaks more univer-
sally to the human heart; and this I found in the
contrast between the desolate grandeur of the de-
file, and the green and life-like aspect of the
mountain-slopes. -
Less than an hour brought me among the cat-
tle, and another hour led me to their habitations.
For the double purpose of quenching my thirst,
and of seeing the interior of these mountain-dairies,
I left the track to visit one of them. One or two
large and fierce-looking dogs opposed my en-
trance; but a shepherd, who had doubtless his
own interest in view, smoothed the way, and con-
ducted me into the interior. In the outer part of
the chalet, there was room for upwards of three
hundred cattle; and the inner part consisted of
two rooms, one where the milk is kept, and the
other where the cheese is made. There is, be-
sides, a kind of loft where the men employed in
the dairy sleep. For every fifty cows, there is ge-

THE GRISONS. 99
nerally one man. They are each allowed about
16 florins per month, which, at the value of a
florin in that country, is about 29s. They are,
of course, allowed nourishment besides, which
consists of salted meat, bread, and as much cheese,
butter, and milk, as they please. The term of
their employment is usually about four months.
It is evident, therefore, that the occupation of a
shepherd of the Alps requires some knowledge.
It is not merely looking after the cattle, and lean-
ing upon his crook: he must know all the mys-
teries of the dairy, which are neither few nor
simple ; and, judging from the excellence of its
productions throughout the greater part of Swit-
zerland, these shepherds must be well versed in
their trade. I found those of Mount Albula civil,
communicative, and tolerably intelligent. They
seemed to feel considerable pride in showing me
their utensils, which indeed they well might; for
nothing could be cleaner, or in more excellent
order, than the utensils which contained the pro-
duce of the dairy, in all its varieties of milk,
cream, butter, and cheese. Every traveller has
spoken of the excellence of the milk he has drunk
among the Alps; and I must needs add my tes-
timony to that of others; though I must acknow-
ledge that I thought it inferior in richness to the
milk I have drunk in Norway, and, I may per-
haps add, in the Highlands of Scotland. It is
certainly no recommendation to the thirsty tra-
veller—at least it ought to be none—that milk is
rich. It is indeed a delicious, but scarcely a re-
freshing beverage; and if the traveller will take
my advice, he will follow my example, and drink
100 THE GRISONS.
the milk which has been already deprived of the
Cream.
After leaving the dairy, I went rapidly down
the mountain, and, passing through the region of
fir, I found myself, in about two hours, in the
lowest defile, from which I occasionally caught
glimpses of the valley below; and, about five in
the afternoon, I reached the village of Pont, in
the Ober or Upper Engadine. I need scarcely
add, that the descent into the Engadine is less,
by at least 2000 feet, than the ascent from Ber-
gun—the village of Pont lying at an elevation of
no less than 4800 feet above the level of the Me-
diterranean.
In the Engadine, the traveller is not directed
to the inn by the sign painted over the door, or
swung before it. There is nothing to distinguish
an inn from any other house. The villagers are
presumed to be acquainted with the road to it;
and as for strangers, the few that come are sup-
posed to be versant with the Roman, and con-
sequently able to ask the way to the auberge; but
as I did not possess this knowledge, I was some
time in discovering the house of repose ; but at
length, a certain air of bustle and importance
about a tolerably stout Grisonette of forty or up-
wards, who stood at the door of a large house,
raised a suspicion in my mind that this gentle-
woman might be the mistress of an inn; and in
this expectation I accosted her, and found that I
had judged correctly. She did not herself speak
anything but the Roman; but a person who lived
hard by was immediately found to act as an inter-
preter. This convenience a stranger may always

THE GRISONS. 101
have, in almost every part of the Engadine; for
so prone are the natives of these vallies to wander
in early life into foreign lands, that in every vil-
lage several are to be found who have returned
with the savings of their industry, and who are
able to speak more than one foreign tongue. In
this inn I got a tolerable supper of pastry, cheese,
bread, and milk. Each of the articles was indeed
excellent of its kind, especially the cheese, the
produce of the neighbouring mountain. It is the
same with cheese in Switzerland, as with wine in
France, Spain, and Italy. You meet, in little
districts, with cheese of an excellence and delicacy
in flavour peculiar to itself, differing in kind, per-
haps, but many degrees in quality, from other
cheese made in an adjoining valley. Perhaps it
may be difficult to assign a satisfactory reason for
this: it may lie in the skill of those who super-
intend the dairy—in the temperature of the spot
where the cheese is made—or in the difference in
pasture. This latter reason is the one assigned
by the natives; though they have never been able
to point out to me any specific difference in the
nature of the pasture on different mountains. The
cheese at Pont I found delicious : it was certain-
ly of the Gruyér kind; but, in richness and de-
licacy of flavour, it far surpassed it.
102
CHAPTER VIII.
countRY of THE GRISONs—THE OBER AND UNTER
- ENGADINE, - - -
. The Valley of the Ober Engadine, and the River Inn—
Character of the Valley, and Rural Economy— Gri-
son Villages and Houses—Fernetz—Suss— Grison
Women—State of the Inhabitants of the Engadine—
Inns and Shops—Intelligence of many of the Natives—
Domestic Economy of the Inhabitants of the two Enga-
dines—Winter in the Engadine, and Grison Society—
Privileges Peculiar to the Villages—Contentment of the
Natives—Scenery of the Unter Engadine— Guarda—
Character of the Valley of the Unter Engadine, and its
, Productions—Fettam, and its Professor—Details re-
specting the Grison Youth, and their search after For-
tune—Education in the Engadine — The Clergy—
Journey to the Foot of the Valley. - -
H LEFT Pont early next morning, to walk down
the valley. The Inn, which was destined to be
my companion throughout the Engadine, is here
but a trifling stream—perhaps ten yards across.
At Pont it is scarcely twenty miles from its source,
which is in the Glaciers of Bregaglia; but, like
many other things, which, in their beginnings, are
insignificant, but which, like itself, the commence-
ment of an eternity, are invested with a grandeur
THE GRISON S. 103
commensurate with their future destinies. This ri-
ver possessed an interest in my eyes, which I am
certain it could not have commanded, if its course
had been destined to terminate during my day's
walk. The water that flowed beside me had set
out on a longer journey than any other in Eu-
rope; for, after flowing through the Engadine,
the Tyrol, and Bavaria, a course of itself of four
hundred miles, it joins the Danube at Passau,
which, although a larger stream at that point, has
flowed a shorter distance, and, mingled with its
imperial waters, the Inn travels onward to the
Black Sea, watering the whole of Austria, circling
beneath the proud towers of its metropolis, tra-
versing the wide pastures and fields of Hungary,
washing the walls of Presburg and Pest, sweep-
ing past the heights of Belgrade, and setting li-
mits, as it flows towards Asia, to the power of
empires, and the ambition of those who govern
them. - *.
In the neighbourhood of Pont, the Ober En-
gadine is at least a league wide; but, in descend-
ing, it rapidly contracts. The mountains on ei-
ther side, although topped with snow, do not ap-
pear high, because the road, along which you tra-
vel, is itself not much below the region of snow.
I found the whole country under meadow, scarce-
ly any of which was yet ready for the scythe ; and,
at first, one cannot help feeling some surprise
at seeing so great a quantity of grass, apparently
so ill proportioned to the probable demand ; but
when we consider that the mountains are covered
with cattle, in which consist almost the whole
riches of the inhabitants, and that these must be
104 THE GRISONS.
provided for during a long winter of eight months,
our surprise is of course at an end. It is only in
the neighbourhood of the villages that grain is to
be found in any considerable quantity; and this
never exceeds the wants of the inhabitants. E-
very single house has its own patch of corn for its
own consumption; but upon the domestic and
rural economy of the two Engadines, I hope to
be able to speak more fully, when I have made
the tour of the country.
During my day's walk, I passed through many
large villages, the names of which I do not recol-
lect, but whose size appeared to me very dispro-
portionate to the extent of the valley in which I
found them. The great size of the houses, how-
ever, partly accounts for this. In no part of Eu-
rope have I seen the houses of the natives so
large, as I found them throughout the whole of
the Unter and Ober Engadine. But the villages
and houses of the Engadine merit a more particu-
lar description.
A village in every part of the Engadine is the
same. It consists of one street, longer or shorter
as may be, with some few and very short lateral
openings, scarcely deserving the name of streets.
In some part of the street, there is an open space,
with a fountain in the centre—plain, but not in-
elegant; and closely adjoining the village, though
seldom forming a part of it, is the village-church
—in size and architecture nearly resembling the
churches in the country parishes of Scotland. In
all this there is nothing remarkable; but in the
appearance of the houses which form the village,
the same cannot be said. The first thing one re-



THE GRISONS. 105
marks, is their extraordinary size. The walls
which enclose the dwelling of a substantial Gri-
son's house, would admit within them the largest
houses that are to be found in London, with some
few exceptions. Generally speaking, they cover
an area greater than that occupied by any two
houses in Portland Place; but I must of course
explain, that their height does not correspond
with their bulk in other respects. They never
exceed two stories; and the roof, which is covered
with square pieces of wood, laid on like slates, up-
on which trunks of fir-trees are placed transverse-
ly, falls back at a very obtuse angle. *
Astonished as we are, first, with the size of the
houses, we are next attracted by the decorations
of their exterior. Here the skill of the painter
has supplied the want of architectural labour; for,
upon the white plaster, we find painted, in lead
colour, the finest copies of Greek and Roman de-
signs. The door, or rather gate, has its painted
pillars—some Doric, some Corinthian—with their
shafts and capitals; and so well are they in gene-
ral painted, that it is difficult, until you approach
very near, to believe that they are any thing else
than the work of the sculptor. The gateway is
generally spanned by a fine arch, ornamented, as
these often are in architecture, by tasteful designs.
The windows have generally their pillars, and are
often surmounted by a well-conceived Greek pedi-
ment. Sometimes, indeed, every part of the walls
are painted in one uniform design, the whole front
and sides being set off with pillars and pilasters,
and a fine pediment; so that such a building, if
it stood single, might be mistaken, at a distance,


106 THE GRISONS.
for a Grecian temple. It is difficult to under-
stand how this custom and taste have arisen. The
painting is for the most part old, and in some
places has been renewed, but not with equal skill;
and upon the houses recently erected, nothing of
the kind has been attempted. These, however,
are but few, and form a very trifling exception,
when speaking of the appearance of the Engadine
villages. I cannot conceive any other origin of
so singular and so universal a practice, than that
some Grison architect, who had left his native
valleys, acquired in Italy a taste for the classic mo-
dels of that land, and, returning to his country,
exercised his profession, and, at the same time,
ed his recollection of the glorious things he had
seen, by adorning the buildings of his native vil-
lage. The taste might soon spread; and in the
six or eight villages of the Ober Engadine, a few
years only would be required to satisfy its de-
mands. In all that I have yet said, or may still
say, respecting the villages and houses of the En-
gadine, I speak with reference to both the Ober
and Unter Engadine, with the exception of the
painting upon the walls, which I think is confined
to the Ober Engadine; at all events, it does not
extend to more than one village in the lower val-
ley. Let me add to this description of the exte-
rior of the houses, that upon some part of the
wall, generally over the gate, is found an inscrip-
tion, sometimes in Roman, sometimes in Latin,
indicating the period at which the house was
built; setting forth the name of the builder; and
containing, besides, a recommendation of the
house and its inhabitants to the protection of God.


THE GRISONS. 107.
It remains to say a few words respecting the inte-
rior of the houses.
When you enter the gateway, you find your-
self in a spacious chamber with an earthen floor,
and which is indeed nothing else than an inner
court-yard roofed in. This shapeless unorma-
mented place is in strange contrast with the finely-
proportioned gateway by which you enter. This
chamber is used as a general storehouse. Ranged
on one side, you may see all the utensils required
in the dairy—churns, cheese-presses, and the innu-
merable dishes used for the reception of the milk
—all flat wooden dishes, as clean, to use a com-
mon expression, as hands can make them. On
another side, you see a good assemblage of agri-
cultural implements, together with ladders, saws,
and other tools used in wright-work. Several
spinning-wheels stand in one corner; a quantity
of skins are heaped in another; and one end is
always devoted to the fuel, and is heaped with
wood as high as the roof. From this large space
you enter the different chambers; the kitchen, the
eating-room, and other rooms, varying in number,
according to the size of the house and the neces-
sities of the family. The furniture of these rooms
is always abundant, substantial, and sometimes or-
namented with carved wood-work. At one pea-
Sant's house, somewhere in the Lower Engadine,
I remarked some chairs upon which foliage was so
well executed, as greatly to exceed any thing I
have seen from the workshop of a London uphol-
sterer. The sleeping-rooms are almost always a-
bove, and scarcely correspond in convenience with
the lower part of the house. Such are the habi-
tations of the Grisons of the Engadine.

108 THE GRISONS.
As I descended towards the Lower Engadine,
I found the country more agreeable. The Inn
flows in a deeper channel, the road generally keep-
ing near it. The mountains seem to be higher,
and the banks of the river, and the sides of moun-
tains, are better clothed with wood; and some
time early in the afternoon, I reached the village
of Zernetz, which is the first village of the Unter
Engadine. Here the Inn receives a tribute in the
waters of the Spal; and it is near this place that,
in 1635, the Duke de Rohan gained his import-
ant victories. But, finding nothing to detain me
in this place, I pushed on to Suss, the largest of
the Engadine villages, where I meant to pass the
night. Between Zernetz and Suss, the valley
might be spanned by a giant : During at least a
league, it is not a hundred yards across; there is
only the river, and the road, such as it is. .
w #. people of Suss had finished the toils of
the day, and were seated before their doors; and
at the fountains the young women were assem-
bled, washing the sallad that was to garnish the
supper-table. I am sorry I cannot say any thing
in favour of their personal appearance. Neither
in the Engadine, nor in any other part of the
tountry of the Glisons, have I seen one female
countenance that might justify the novelist in
speaking of a charming Grison. They are not
only not handsome, but they are positively ugly;
and, indeed, the same may be said of the Swiss
women generally, with some few exceptions in
Geneva and in Appenzell. . .
At the inn of Suss, I found an intelligent tra-
velling merchant, and migratory shopkeeper; an
2 - - -






THE GRISONS, 109
inhabitant, or at least a native of the village, who
owns a shop at Caen in Normandy, and who car-
ries on a trade between his own valleys and Italy,
supplying the inhabitants with those few articles
of foreign growth which habit has made necessary
even in the remotest corners. In no country in
Europe will be found so few poor as in the En-
adine. In the village of Suss, which contains a-
bout 600 inhabitants, there is not a single indivi-
dual who has not wherewithal to live comfortably
—not a single individual who is indebted to others
for one morsel that he eats. This is a fine state of
things, and may well render the inhabitants proud;
but, alas ! it is a state of things incompatible with
those many wants, and that division of labour,
which are inseparable from an opulent and a great
country. In this remote village there are many
rich; and some who would not be looked upon
as poor, even in England. I was informed, that
two peasants of Suss possessed, each, as much as
L.20,000 sterling ! - * :
The inns in the Engadine are ill supplied with
provisions: few strangers have need of them : they
are only frequented by the villagers, who resort there
to eat their morsel of cheese, as a seasoning to their
pint of wine. I generally could get good eggs, milk,
bread, butter, cheese, and sometimes a little fish. It
was in this inn that I heard the eulogium upon Gri-
son liberty, mentioned in another chapter. I found
here several individuals, whom, but for their undue
reverence for the shadow of libertyenjoyed by them,
I would have termed intelligent men. The habit so.
prevalent, of seeking fortunes in other countries,
and of returning to invest it in their own, has
G


110 THE GRISONS,
sprinkled these valleys with men of considerable
information and acquirements; and in this little
alehouse—for it was nothing better—in a remote
corner of the Grisons, a conversation was carried
on, far superior in tone to any that I have ever
heard in any of the commercial rooms in an Eng-
lish inn. I was somewhat surprised, upon being
conducted to my chamber, which was but a garret,
to find the pillow with an inner covering of blue
satin, and the pillow-case, as well as the coun-
terpane, set off with rich lace, at least mine inches
broad.
I had resolved to spend the following day in
this village, for being one of the largest and best
informed places I should meet with, and lying, be-
sides, about the centre of the valley which bears
the names of Ober and Unter Engadine, it seem-
ed to me a likely spot to obtain information respect-
ing the country and the people.
In the whole of the Engadine, the land belongs
to the peasantry, who, like the inhabitants of
every other place where this state of things exists,
vary greatly in the extent of their possessions. If
a peasant owns from eight to fifteen cows, and
land sufficient for their support, as well as for grow-
ing what is consumed in his own family, he is es-
teemed in good circumstances. He consumes what-
ever part of the produce of his dairy is needed at
home; and he sells the surplus, chiefly the cheese,
which he keeps till the arrival of the travelling
merchant, who buys it for exportation. Generally
speaking, an Engadine peasant lives entirely upon
the produce of his land; with the exception of the
few articles of foreign growth required in his fa-




THE GRISON S. I l H
mily, such as coffee, sugar, and wine. These he
finds at the house of the innkeeper, who, in the
Engadine, is always a retail-dealer in such articles;
for there is not a shop of any description in the
Unter Engadine, and only one or two in the Ober
Engadine. The peasant has his own cheese,
butter, milk, eggs; and kills a cow or a pig occa-
sionally, if he can afford this, keeping a part of it
fresh, selling a little to those who are not rich
enough to kill any of their stock, and salting the
rest for the use of his family.
There cannot be said to be any regular markets
throughout the Engadine, so that it is difficult to
say what is the value of the different articles of
subsistence. There is no occasion for markets, be-
cause it is nobody's interest either to sell or to
buy. Sometimes, however, meat is offered for
sale in small quantities; and sometimes an over-
abundant, or a scanty supply of the articles of the
dairy, tempts some to sell, and forces others to buy.
In these cases, meat sells at about 3d. per lib.,
butter about 8d., wine is at all times moderate in
price throughout the Engadine, and good in qua-
lity. Of course none is grown there; it is all im-
ported from the Vateline. In enumerating the ar-
ticles which the Grison of the Engadine is sup-
plied with from his own property, I omitted to
mention flax, which is grown, prepared, spun, and
woven, without ever leaving his house. He has
also his own wool, which is converted into a blue
coat, without passing through the hands of either
the dyer or the tailor : the latter vocation is in-
variably exercised by the females of the house.
Several Peº with whom I conversed at Suss,



I 12 THE GRISONS,

spoke in high terms of the happiness of the inha-
bitants. “How can we be otherwise than happy
and contented,” said they, “when we have ample
means of living, and are dependent upon nobody
for the least portion of that which contributes to
our ease?” This, I admitted, was much; and when
I hinted at the want of society, and the rigour of
a nine months' winter, they made light of the latter;
and immediately began to put me right in the view
I took of their society. They assured me, that in
the winter no place was gayer than the Enga-
dine. They said they had balls and parties every
week, at which they danced merrily and long,
drank freely of the good wine of the Vateline,
and ate of the excellent pastry for which the Gri-
sons have attained so high a reputation. They ad-
mitted that their winter was indeed long and ri-
gorous; but then, of what consequence was this,
with plenty of wood to be had for nothing? Such
is, in truth, the privilege enjoyed by the villages of
the Engadine. Every village has a certain moun-
tain limit, within which, all the wood is free, and
may be cut down and carried away by any one
who chooses to take that trouble. A privilege
like this, doubtless, smooths the severities of a ri-
gorous winter; and yet, when I heard these vil-
lagers of the innermost valley, in which the only
foreign luxuries are sugar and coffee, where even
wheat is cultivated with difficulty, and where li-
braries are unknown, speak in lofty terms of their
balls and parties, and the numerous agrémens of
their winter evenings, I could not but contrast, in
my own mind, a winter in London, and a winter



in the Engadine; and picture to myself the asto-
THE GRISONS. II 3
mishment of a villager of Suss, were it possible to
transport him from one of his fétes to the splen-
dours of an English ball-room. It is certain,
however, that I found every one contented; and
in the Engadine, nothing more need be desired.
It is not, indeed, in all cases, a proof that a peo-
ple enjoys the greatest possible happiness, merely
because we find them contented with their condi-
tion. Ignorance and superstition may make a peo-
ple contented with slavery. Of this we have, un-
fortunately, examples among the European na-
tions. Sloth, and a low state of moral feeling, may
render men contented with beggary and wretched-
ness, in a land the most favoured, where plenty
might reign, and luxury revel: But the Engadine
is not so situated; and in place of grieving, as the
patriot or the philanthrophist may, at the spectacle
of contentment, where contentment is indicative but
of degradation, this general contentment among
the Grisons of the Engadine, is not to be deplor-
ed, for there is neither ignorance nor superstition,
beggary nor wretchedness, among them; and the
Engadine is not a country where discontent could
produce any advantage to its inhabitants, because
nothing can change their condition. The country
is incapable of greater cultivation than it has
received. All has been done for it that industry
and an extreme love of gain can devise. Where-
ever an ear of rye will ripen, there it is to be
found. But in a country lying between three and
six thousand feet above the level of the sea (and
this applies to the bottom of the valley, not to the
mountain-sides, which are greatly more elevated),
industry wages an equal war against the elements.




II.4 THE GRISU) N.S.
Summer does not begin till June, and ends early
in September; and even during its continuance,
the diligently laboured fields are often laid waste
by a desolating storm of hail, or entirely swept
away by the resistless torrents that descend from
the mountains.
Having received all the information I could at
Suss, I left it very early in the morning to walk
through that part of the Unter Engadine which
I had not yet travelled, as far as the defile of Fin-
stermuntz. From this journey I anticipated great
pleasure; because, from the persons at Chur and
elsewhere, with whom I had conversed, and whose
trade had carried them through this valley, I un-
derstood that, in magnificent scenery, it might chal-
lenge a comparison with any other part of Swit-
zerland, and that, in some points, I should find it
eclipse even the most celebrated.
I never travelled along any road traversing a val-
ley so circuitous as that which runs through the
Lower Engadine ; but the nature of the country
renders it necessary. The wide and deep beds of
the tremendous torrents that in winter desolate this
valley, reach some thousand feet up the mountain-
sides; so that, to construct even the most imper-
fect road, it is necessary to carry it to an extreme
height above the river, otherwise it would be im-
possible to cross these beds of the torrents; and
even in those places where the road must of ne-
cessity cross them, the passage is most frightful,
and even dangerous. The narrowest part of the bed
is sought out, the road is led to it, and a few logs
of timber are thrown across, and covered with
earth; but the outermost logs have generally given
THE GRISONS, 115
way, the earth on each side of the ravine crum-
bling beneath the weight. I reached a most ter-
rific bridge of this kind before arriving at Guarda.
The bed of the torrent descended almost perpen-
dicularly, in the form of a wide tunnel, at least two
thousand feet to the river; and above, a fine ca-
taract poured from a great elevation, and thunder-
ed below the frail and crumbling pathway; and, by
the by, as I have mentioned a cataract, let me add,
that there are many cataracts both in the Engadine,
and in the upper valley of the Rhine, nameless
and unvisited, far greater both in volume and in
elevation, than any of those whose reputation at-
tracts to them yearly so large a concourse of
strangers. For my own part, I must confess, that
cataracts have no great charm for me, unless the
volume of water be so great as to produce the
emotion of sublimity. The lesser cataracts, or ra-
ther cascades, are pretty ingredients in a landscape;
but I would not go exprés to see any cataract less
than the fall of the Clyde, which I feel no hesi-
tation in preferring to the fall of the Rhine at
Shaffhausen.
At the little village of Guarda I stopped to
breakfast, after a very long and fatiguing walk.
This place, although marked on the large maps of
Switzerland as being situated upon the road, is
in fact at some distance from it. It stands between
the road and the river, upon a little isolated hill;
and opposite to it are the ruins of a castle, remark-
able only from their picturesque site. There was
nothing to detain me in the village of Guarda;
and after rest and refreshment I regained the road,

and proceeded down the valley. The general
I16 THE GRISONS:
character of the Unter Engadine is this :—The
Inn flows at the bottom of a deep rocky gorge,
sprinkled with fir and mountain-ash. The rocks
that dip into the water rise to the height of about
three or four hundred feet above it. Upon the
summit of these, there is generally a rugged plat-
form covered with stones and shrubs. Above this,
rises a second range of rocks. These are rich in the
boldest and most striking scenery. In some places
they rise from one to two thousand feet perpen-
dicularly; in other places, they are broken into
peaks, ravines and lesser precipices. Sometimes,
in looking far down, you may discover among the
rocks, scattered here and there, a few roods where
a crop of rye or barley is ripening by the rays of
a short summer reflected from the naked rocks that
surround it. Patches of grass, too, sprinkled with
a few cows or goats, are also seen peeping from
among the rocks. At the top of the second range
of rocks runs the road; and here, also, is the peo-
pled and cultivated part of the valley. Here the
mountains slope backward, leaving now and then
little plains of half a mile across, or undulat-
ing platforms of even greater width. These, and
the slopes of the mountains, are covered with grass,
and occasional fields of rye. In these also lie the
villages, around which the wants of the inhabitants
have forced a more varied product from the un-
willing soil. Small enclosures of wheat are seen.
Rye is more prevalent than grass. In the corner of
every field grows a little flax; and by the side of
every house there is an attempt at a garden, whose
stock is confined to a few potatoes, cabbage, and
lettuce. Afew gooseberry-bushes, too, are here and


THE GRISONS. 117
there to be seen ; but no fruit-tree of any kind is
visible. Above the peopled and cultivated slopes,
the mountains rise to the region of snow, and show,
throughout the whole valley on either side, a range
of snow-peaks and naked rocks. Such is the as-
pect of the Engadine.
The day upon which I walked through this part
of the Engadine, was intolerably hot. This, and
the fatiguing nature of the road, rendered my pro-
gress slow; and it was mid-day before I reached the
village of Fettam. Here I could find no auberge;
but a well-dressed boy, who was standing at the
door of a very respectable-looking house, and to
whom I addressed myself for information, told me,
that the house belonged to the professor; and, an-
xious to find a cool-resting place, as well as to know
who this professor at Fettam might be, I took the
liberty of entering, and introducing myself. I found
a white-haired old gentleman of fourscore years,
who received me with the greatest urbanity. He
was just going to dine, and urged me to partake
the meal with him, which I had no inclination to
refuse. Three youths sat down to dinner with us;
and the dinner, although not very varied, was abun-
dant and wholesome.
The old gentleman informed me, that he had liv-
ed in the village of Fettam ever since the revolu-
tion of 1789. He was a Frenchman; and, having
lost his all in that fearful season of strife and an-
archy, he had left his native land, and travelled in-
to the country of the Grisons, and into the valley
of the Engadine. In this village he found a home
in the house of the curé, on condition of his

teaching his children the French, Latin, and Ger.
118 THE GRISONS.
man languages. At forty, he was not too old to
enter into matrimonial engagements; and the good
minister being called from his duties in this world,
and having one daughter of 28 years old, she ac-
cepted her instructor, and for thirty years they
had lived happily together. But the old man was
now once more left alone. During all this while,
he had employed himself in the instruction of youth.
The richer peasants, who intended that one of their
family should seek his fortune inforeign countries,
sent him to live with the professor, there to ac-
quire the language of the people among whom
fortune was to be sought; and as he had grown
old, he had grown rich. He had still three
pupils; but he told me he could live without them;
though, having been so long accustomed to the
business of instruction, he found it necessary to
his happiness to continue his vocation.
This gentleman was well acquainted with the
people among whom he lived. How, indeed,
could he be otherwise, after forty years residence
among them? From him I obtained an import-
ant corroboration of what I had both heard and
seen respecting the condition and character of the
inhabitants of these valleys. He told me that
the people were proud of their freedom, and con-
tented with their condition. He explained to me,
that the reason why so many of the young men
left their country to seek fortune in other quarters,
was not owing to any dissatisfaction with home,
nor even to a vague desire of seeing the world,
but that this arose from a certain habit of think-
ing, which teaches every peasant of the Engadine,
from his earliest youth, to look with horror upon
THE GRISONS, 119
a state of dependence; and as every father cannot
leave to a numerous family a patrimony sufficient
to secure them all against dependence, one or two
sacrifice themselves to the general good: and so
sober and industrious is the general character of
the Grisons of these valleys, that the greater num-
ber of those who have left their home when youths,
return to it before their best years be over, and
before the death of friends and relatives has rob-
bed home of its greatest charm. For the most
part, these young men carry away with them from
300 to 500 francs. They direct their steps to
any of the great cities—to Paris, Marseilles, Lyons,
or Bourdeaux, and perhaps spend a hundred francs
upon their journey. Three or four hundred francs
are therefore left, one half of which, perhaps, they
offer to the master of any well-frequented café
or restaurant, as a fee to be taken as a garçon.
Activity and industry recommend them to the
master, civility to the customers, and saving ha-
bits soon produce a little store. A knowledge
of pastry, acquired at home, renders them useful;
and perhaps, after some time, this department is
confided to their care. At all events, in the course
of a few years, they generally open a confec-
tioner's shop, and in it acquire a sufficient sum
to carry back to their native valley, though not
yet sufficient to purchase repose. They then be-
come travelling merchants between their own coun-
try and those parts where they purchase foreign
articles for home-consumption; and it frequently
happens, too, that, even after their permanent set-
tlement at home, they retain a shop in some dis-
tant city, to which they pay an annual visit. In




120 THE GRISONS.
the absence of the proprietor, the business of the
shop is not intrusted to a stranger, but is always
conducted by some young man of the same val-
ley, or, perhaps, of the same village, who is for-
tunate enough to get at once into so excellent a
road to fortune, and who willingly pays some
hundred francs for the privilege. In time, he
purchases the proprietory, and becomes rich in
his turn.
Before leaving the house of my kind entertainer,
I questioned him respecting the state of education
in the Engadine. He told me there was no
want of it. Schools were every where to be had,
where reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught,
at the moderate charge of 30 sous (15d.) a
month—this being a charge every one in the En-
gadine can afford to pay. Every child goes to
school, and consequently there are very few who
are ignorant of the essential elements of know-
ledge. I omitted to inquire what salary the school-
masters receive ; but, judging from the scanty sa-
lary of the ministers, I should presume the remu-
neration must be small. These have not more
than L.25 per annum; and, like the ministers of
religion in every country, I understood that some
were deserving of more, and others of scarcely
what they had. The labours of a minister of re-
ligion, one would think, must be light and plea-
sant in a country like the Engadine, where there
is nothing to tempt the rich into the flowery paths
of vice, and where that worst enemy of morality,
poverty, is unknown. There is not one pauper
in the two Engadines; yet, even there, I have
ao doubt the pious minister would shake his head,


THE GRISONS, 121
and say, “I often find my mission thwarted, and
my lessons despised. It is true, I have neither
to contend against the sins that ensnare the rich
man, nor the temptations that drag on the poor;
but envies and jealousies, human failings and hu-
man passions, are found here, as elsewhere; and
in the Engadine even, a man may live ‘without
God in the world.” ”
About two o'clock I took leave of the professor,
and continued my journey. After passing through
Fettam, the road gradually approaches the river;
and during the remainder of the day, I skirted pre-
cipices, that, accustomed as I have been to moun-
tain-scenes, I could not help hurrying by, so fear-
ful was their depth, and so unprotected the path.
Most valleys open and expand as we descend; but
the Engadine forms an exception. The Ober En-
gadine is wider than the Unter Engadine; and the
upper part of the Unter Engadine is wider than
the lower part of it. I found the valley grow gra-
dually narrower as I proceeded. Sometimes it ex-
panded a little, and then I found a village, seve-
ral of which I passed during the afternoon. But
the plains became less and less frequent; and at
length, about a league and a half before reaching
Martinsbruck, there is room only for the river,
and a stripe of land 100 yards across by its side.
Upon this stripe, lying low, and sheltered from
the wind, I saw a promise of some good wheat,
and, scattered here and there, I noticed a few
cherry-trees—the only fruit-trees I had seen in the
Engadine. There, too, I found several of our
forest-trees, and an infinity of wild roses, besides
a number of shrubs that could not have flourished



122 THE GRISON'S.
in any other part of the valley. The difference in
elevation between Selva Rana, the highest inha-
bited part of the Upper Engadine, and Martins-
bruck, the lowest part of the Unter Engadine, is
nearly 3000 feet; which might well account for a
greater difference in the vegetable productions than
I have remarked. It was after sunset when I
reached the extreme point of the Engadine. Mar-
tinsbruck, where the Austrian arms, displayed over
the door of the customhouse hard by, led me to
look back upon the valley through which I had
passed with greater pleasure, and upon the boasts
even of Grison liberty with greater indulgence.
123
CHAPTER IX.
THE COUNTRY OF THE GRISONS-THE WALLEY OF
- THE UPPER REHINE.
Return to Chur, through the Engadines—Instance of
Gross Imposition— The Baths of Pfeffers—State of
Society in Chur—Reunions and Balls—Statistical
Details—Journey up the Rheinwald by the Sources of
the Rhine—Character of the Valley of the Upper
Rhine— Charming Scenery—Ilanz—Grison Imposi-
tion—Eacamples of Dishonesty—Itoad to Dissentis—
Picture of Idleness—Domestic Economy of the Inha.
bitants of the Valley of the Upper Rhine–Wages of
Labour— Dissentis.
I coulD not regain Chur by any other road than
that by which I had come from it; and, as it is
somewhat tedious to walk over the same ground
twice, I accepted the offer of a seat in a little
chariot, partly on springs, which was going with
some trifling merchandise to Suss, and early next
morning I was en route. I found it impossible,
however, with common prudence, to make much
use of the convenience I had bargained for. The
driver fell asleep every moment, and in roads
such as I have described, and where a variation of
three inches in the direction of the wheel was
sufficient to bring my journey to a sudden and
very disagreeable termination, I found it impos-
124 THE GRISON Se
sible to remain seated in the vehicle, and I ac-
cordingly performed the journey on foot.
To ascend and to descend the same valley, are
not precisely the same thing as respects scenery.
New and infinitely varied combinations are pro-
duced by viewing scenery from different points;
so that, although I found it tedious in some re-
spects to retrace my route, I was frequently Te-
warded by the view of natural objects which had
been hidden or unnoticed in descending the val-
ley, and by the new forms in which remembered
objects appeared. But I have no intention of de-
tailing a second time the particulars of a journey
through the same valleys. There is only one
circumstance that I must not neglect to record.
I arrived at Suss on Saturday, and wished to
proceed next day to Pont in another little ve-
hicle, of which I had bargained to be the driver,
unwilling a second time to put my life in the
hands of a sleepy Grison; but late at night, the
person with whom I had agreed came to inform
me, that travelling was not permitted on Sunday
in the Engadine, and that, therefore, I must wait
until Monday. I need scarcely say that I de-
clared the bargain void, and that next morning,
betimes, I was on my way to Pont, regardless of
the injunction against locomotion.
There is yet one other circumstance in the
journey worth recording, chiefly because it throws
some light upon the moral character of the peo-
ple. The general character of the inhabitants of
the Engadine may be included under that of the
Grisons, of which I shall speak by and by ; but,
as exemplifying one trait in that character, a love

THE GRISON S. 125
of money, to be gratified at the expense of moral
principle, the following little incident may not be
unlnstructIVe.
When I arrived at Pont, the weather was in-
sufferably hot, so much so, that a walk over
Mount Albula was a thing to be dreaded ; and I
resolved, accordingly, to hire a horse. For this
purpose, I addressed myself to the mistress of the
inn, and she immediately sent for a man who had
a horse to let out. The man arrived, and said
he had an excellent horse, for the use of which he
demanded ten francs. It was two days journey,
he said. He could not return to Pont that day,
for it was already mid-day, and he should have to
pay the expenses of keeping his horse all night at
Bergun. I knew it was impossible to return to
Pont that night, and that, therefore, the man might
reasonably charge two days; but still I knew he
asked too much, and refused to give him what he
demanded. “Well,” said the man, “the horse
does not belong to me, but to my father; I'll go
and fetch him, and we'll see what he says; ” and
accordingly the man ran off, and returned in a few
minutes with an old man, who said he was the
owner of the horse, and that, taking into account
the long time the journey would occupy, and the
expense of remaining all night on the other side
of the mountain, he could not take less than ten
francs; and I was accordingly obliged to agree to
the demand. Now, attend to the sequel. I
passed Mount Albula upon the horse, arrived at
Bergun, and went to the inn, where I again met
the retired pastry-cook with whom I had break-
fasted a few days ago, and to him I mentioned
H
126 THE GRISON S.
that I had hired a horse at Pont, and what I had
paid for it. “What a pity it is,” said he, “you
did not know that there was a man and a horse
from this place, on the other side of the moun-
tam, who are returning home this evening. I
sent them over yesterday for something I had need
of from the Vateline, and you would not have
paid the fourth part of ten francs if you had come
by them.” I immediately suspected that I had
been imposed upon, and that the horse in ques-
tion was in reality the horse for which I had paid
ten francs; and my suspicion turned out to be
just. The man who was conversing with me
went out and ascertained the fact ; and thus, for
the sake of four or five francs, the mistress of the
inn, her daughter, the man who first bargained
about the horse, the man who pretended to be
his father, and a respectable looking man who
acted as interpreter, conspired to cheat a stranger,
by inventing a story, and supporting the imposi-
tion by a pack of lies. This incident, I fear,
may have occupied more room than it is worth ;
but I would rather run the risk of being charged
with prolixity, than omit any thing which may in
the smallest degree tend to throw light upon the
character of the people. -
The next day, I again arrived at Chur; and
the day following, I made an excursion to the
Bains de Pfeffers. The road to them led me
through a picturesque country, tolerably populous
on the side of Chur at least, and offering, now
and then, some pleasant views up the different
valleys. The baths are situated at the bottom of
a deep gº surrounded by very savage scenery,
THE GRISON S. 127
and close by a turbulent stream, called the Ta-
mina. There were but few strangers resident at
the time; but the season was not sufficiently ad-
vanced. I believe the reputation of the baths is
considerable, and occasionally attracts many stran-
gers. The waters only flow during summer, and
are not very abundant. There are two springs,
one 20 degrees of Reaumur, the other 30 de-
grees. I tasted the water, and found it without
any peculiarity. The baths belong to the Abbey,
which is situated half a league distant, and which,
in former times, exercised an extensive sovereign-
ty. All the buildings, too, for the reception of
strangers, belong to the convent, and return a
very handsome revenue to the religieux. I did
not walk as far as the convent, though I believe I
might have been repaid for my trouble; for I un-
derstand its site is very picturesque, and the build-
ing itself large, and handsomely constructed. Upon
the whole, I was not much pleased with the
Bains de Pfeffers ; and, unless forced to their
neighbourhood by disease, I think I should not
select them as agreeable summer-quarters.
I remained a few days in Chur, making excur-
sions in the neighbourhood, and informing myself
respecting the manners and character of the Gri-
sons; and, before proceeding upon my journey,
let me here note down the results. In the Gri-
sons, as in many other parts of Switzerland, the
sexes rarely mingle in society. A man seldom
visits in company with his wife; and it scarcely
ever happens that young men and women are
found in the same party, unless when visits are
made to the houses of near relatives. But to this
128 THE GRISONS.
strict limitation of intercourse there is one very
extraordinary exception. In Chur, there is what
they call a reunion of young men; that is, un-
married men, from about twenty to twenty-eight
years old. During the winter, this society has
two or three balls, generally given at some place
out of town ; and each member of this reunion,
which comprises all the respectable young men of
the town and neighbourhood, invites a young
lady. The invitation is always accepted, with
consent of her parents; and on the appointed
evening, the young lady is put under the protec-
tion of her cavalier, who conducts her in a sledge
or carriage to the place appointed for the ball.
None of the parents are present. The party is
composed entirely of young unmarried persons.
The ball continues till three or four next morn-
ing; and when it breaks up, each gentleman con-
ducts his partner home. This, I say, is a very
extraordinary exception to the strictness other-
wise observed in the intercourse between young
persons of opposite sexes, and cannot fail to pro-
duce its results. The Grisons are doubtless as
susceptible as the people of other countries; and
it is evident, that a custom like this must greatly
encourage the formation of attachments. Now,
what would any one naturally infer from the ex-
istence of this usage, knowing to what it must
lead 2 They would presume, that the young
men composing this reunion were all of them
young men of so much respectability, and of such
worldly prospects, that it was almost a matter of
indifference to the parents of the young ladies to
which of them their daughters were united. Nay,

THE GRISON S. 129
one might almost go the length of inferring, that
this reunion was formed by the young men, and
sanctioned by the old people, purposely to facili-
tate the marriage of sons and daughters. But all
this is far from being the case : there are no such
things as marriages of inclination. If, as must
often be the case, a proposal is made by a mem-
ber of this reunion to the young lady whom he
has been accustomed to escort, it immediately be-
comes a matter of diplomacy. If the suitor be
agreeable to the young lady's parents, he is ac-
cepted, and the fiancée goes to no more balls,
even in company with her intended husband :
her visiting days are over until the marriage takes
place; but if the marriage proposed be not ac-
ceptable to the parents of the young lady, there is
an end of the affair; she must get the better of
her attachment, and may continue to go to the
balls, though etiquette and prudence, of course,
forbid that she should continue to have the same
escort. It is quite impossible to conceive any
thing worse calculated to promote happiness than
this. It is a tissue of cruelty, and cannot fail to
engender the most fatal results.
Learning the existence of such a custom as
this, it was natural to make a few inquiries into
the state of morals. These I ascertained to be
high, and that certain results, which in other
countries would almost infallibly arise from a si-
milar cause, were here unknown. I could learn
no instance in which the existence of a former
attachment had interfered with the duties of
wedded life; nor could I hear of any case in
which the confidence reposed in the young men
130 THE GRISONS,
of the reunion had been abused. These are
curious facts, scarcely to be accounted for upon
common principles.
There are some other facts worth noticing, re-
lating to the state of society at Chur. There are
various reunions of men of all ages, from which
ladies are entirely excluded; but there are no re-
unions of ladies, who occupy themselves entirely
with the cares of their household and their fami-
lies, and never visit, excepting at periodical meet-
ings of relatives. But a well-informed man, an
inhabitant of Chur, engaged in the transit trade,
assigned a reason for this secluded life, and why
the ladies had no reunions among themselves.
“Our notions of equality,” said he, “permit
that men of different stations should associate to-
gether; and this is fortunate, in a place where
society is so limited as it is at Chur. At the
reunion here, I meet my baker, my butcher, and
men of very different grades in life; but they are
well-informed men; and while we talk over the
politics of the day, we remember only that we are
citizens of the same state, and enjoy the same pri-
vileges. But the ladies do not feel as we feel;
they are not so penetrated with the spirit of equa-
lity; their education has not taught them to feel
the value of political rights; their prejudices,
therefore, remain with them; and although I find
pleasure in intercourse with my butcher and baker,
my wife would feel none in gossiping with the
butcher's or the baker's wife.” I found this rea-
soning satisfactory enough. I attended one of
the reunions, and, with the exception of some

absurd boasting about political privileges, I found
THE GRISONS, 131
reason to be pleased with the conversation, and
certainly conceived from it a very favourable idea
of Grison information. History, geography, and
the political state of Europe, formed the topics of
discourse; and some few seemed also to have a
little acquaintance with the literature of England.
I understood, however, that general literature is
but little cultivated, and that there is no good li-
brary in the country.
The Grisons is the largest canton of the Confe-
deration, next to Berne. They say it derives its
name from the gray colour of the men's dresses;
but if so, the name outlives the cause from which
it originated, because at present the men's coats
and pantaloons are almost universally blue. The
two great valleys of the Grisons, are the valley of
the Inn, which comprises the two Engadines, and
the valley of the Upper Rhine, in the lower part
of which Chur is situated. There are several o-
ther lateral valleys; but far inferior to these in ex-
tent and population. The country contains no
plains whatever. I have already mentioned the
transit of goods by the Splugen, as a source of
wealth to Chur, with other parts of the Grisons.
There is an extensive trade in cattle with Italy,
returning to the country, as some say, a profit of
50,000l. The export of cheese is very inconsi-
derable ; it is chiefly consumed among themselves,
though a little of the coarser kinds passes into
France and Italy. The cheeses of the finest kind
are too delicate to bear transportation. Bread,
wine, vegetables and fruit, are dear in the Grisons.
They do not grow a third of the wheat they con-
sume, and scarcely a half of the rye. A little
132 THE GRISONS,
wine is made in the lower parts of the valleys, and
is not disagreeable in flavour; but is so small in
quantity, that the price of foreign wine is scarcely
affected by it; and, excepting in the neighbour-
hood of Chur and Mayenfeld, and in some low
parts of the valley of Bregaglia, it is only the
hardier kinds of vegetables that arrive at perfec-
tion; and the cherry is the only abundant fruit.
The route I selected to pass from Chur to the
central parts of Switzerland, is the only one I
could have chosen, except that by which I had ar-
rived. There is no carriage-road—I might say no
road at all—from any of the other cantons of Swit-
zerland into the Grisons, excepting by Mayenfeld,
where the road branches into two, one leading to
the Wallenslatter Lake, by which the reader will
recollect to have already travelled with me ; the
other running due north, skirting the Tyrol, and
leading to St Gall, &c. The route I resolved to
take from Chur was to ascend the valley of the
Upper Rhine, called the Grison Oberland, or
Rheinwald, and the valley of Tavetch, to pass be-
tween Mounts Badus and Tombohorn, by the
sources of the Rhine, and so reach the Canton of
Uri. By adopting this route, I should have the
advantage of having journeyed through almost
every part of the Grisons, and of seeing a part of
Switzerland almost untravelled.
I left Chur, as usual, at break of day, well sa-
tisfied with my treatment in the house of Daniel
Denz; and, after about an hour's walk through a
very fine fertile country, I found myself upon the
banks of the Rhine, which I was now to trace up-
wards to that infancy, from which the mightiest
THE GRISONS. 133
river and the tiniest rill must alike begin its
TâCee
There are few rivers more interesting than the
Rhine, whether on account of the variety of coun-
tries through which it passes, the charming scenery
to be found on its banks, or the historical associa-
tions with which it is connected. The course of
the Rhine is not so long, by some hundred miles,
as that of the Danube, nor does it bathe the walls
of so many great and metropolitan cities. Com-
mercially, however, it is a river of greater import-
ance. The free navigation of the Rhine is of so
much importance, as to form an article of treaties,
and to set nations by the ears. The prosperity of
Frankfort, and of many other important places,
depends upon it; and, without the Rhine and the
Meuse, the Low Countries could never have ac-
quired a consequence among the countries of Eu-
rope, which, from their extent, they are not en-
titled to possess. The Upper Rhine may be said
to extend from its source to its entry into the
Lake of Constance. The Lower Rhine to com-
prehend its course from the Lake of Constance to
the German Ocean. The fall, of course, inter-
rupts the navigation of the river, so that the na-
vigation of the Upper and Lower Rhine is entire-
ly distinct; but the navigation of the Upper Rhine
is of very inferior moment.
The Rhine, where I now met with it, is not
much larger than the River Derwent at Matlock.
It is certainly not so large as the Tweed at Mel-
rose. Its waters are extremely transparent, as, in-
deed, the Rhine is well known to be throughout
all its course. A fine broad road leads from Chur
134 THE GRISONS,
as far as Richenau, three leagues from Chur;
but at this place it turns to the left, leading into
Italy; and the road up the Rhine then becomes
what we should call in England a cart-road only.
Richenau is a large and handsome inn, used by
the inhabitants of Chur as a place of festivity;
and it is there that the reunion of young persons,
of which I have already spoken, is generally held
during the winter.
I do not recollect, in any part of Switzerland,
to have travelled through so captivating a country
as that which lies between Richenau and Ilanz, a
village lying about ten leagues up the Rhine.
Sometimes the road skirts the river—always a
pleasant companion even when it runs away from
us; sometimes it mounts up a steep bank, over-
hung with charming foliage, and winds along the
face of the rocks, while only occasional glimpses
are caught of the stream that sparkles below; then
we descend again, and pass through a little plain,
green and shady, over which the river strays in a
hundred windings, and again the steep banks
force the road upward; and now we leave the ri-
ver for a season; and, after many ascents and de-
scents, and frequent turnings, we find ourselves
among those back alpine valleys, which to me form
the most charming feature of Swiss scenery. It
was a captivating scene that opened before me; it
was a basin among the mountains, and the road
made the circuit of it. The Rhine flowed about
a league to the left, but it was not visible—a high
wall of wooded rocks shut it out. In the basin
below, a plain of a mile across, hay-harvest was
gathering;-some part of the plain was a smooth
THE GRISONS, 135
and verdant carpet, other parts were dotted with hay-
ricks, and on half a dozen little eminences in this
basin were placed as many cottages. Behind, the
mountains rose in various ledges, falling backward
and backward, but not in any order;-hillocks
garnished the sides of the mountains, and knolls
rose upon the little mountain-platforms, all of the
freshest green ; and numerous herds of cattle
browsed upon every height. Far back among the
mountains, were deeper valleys and wooded ra-
vines; and from the highest and most distant
ridge were seen numerous cascades, which had
united into the one stream, that slowly wandered
over the little plain at my feet. I wish it were
possible, by means of words, to exhibit to the
reader a living picture, and that I possessed that
power. It was long before the road returned to
the river. It first made many windings among
the mountains, passing through one or two little
villages—villages forming little worlds within them-
selves, because beyond the din of the great world,
and showing the traveller scenes among which the
great highways of the world can never lead him.
At length I found myself again above the river,
which I saw at an immeasurable depth, below,
skirting the edge of one of the most frightful pre-
cipices I ever beheld; and gradually the road de-
scended, till it reached the brink of the Rhine,
then flowing in diminished volume through a lit-
tle winding wooded valley. I cannnot tell how
all this day passed away. I frequently sat down
among the beautiful spots I passed through ; and
it is possible I may have dreamed away an hour.
But I know, that, when I reached the river, it
136 THE GRISONS,
was sparkling beneath the last rays of the sun,
that came slanting over the distant mountain-tops;
and the last league of my journey, the moon
lighted me on my way. I wandered a consider-
able while through the streets of this little town,
before I was able to find the inn. Every body
was in bed; but at length I stumbled upon what
seemed rather an occasional inn, than a regular
rendezvous for strangers; and indeed, where so
few strangers come, the business of an aubergiste
would be but an unprofitable one.
It seems to have been formerly the custom in
the Grisons, for the rich who built a house, to
build it in the form of a castle, and to ornament
the interior with a variety of wood-work. The
room into which I was ushered was most spa-
cious, large and lofty; and the roof, walls and
doorways, were covered with a profusion of delicate
carving. So was the furniture; and I noticed that
the round table in the centre might have served
as the model of one of those modern circular loo-
tables, which stand upon what upholsterers call
pillar and block. New fashions are nothing but
old fashions revived; and it might perhaps tend
to lower our estimate of their importance, could
we always know the source from which they have
originated. -
I can scarcely choose a fitter time than while I
am speaking of Ilanz, to say a few words of
Grison honesty. It is a pity that the inducement
to travel through a country so interesting as the
Grisons—interesting from the grandeur of its
scenery—interesting from the peculiarities of its
natural and moral aspect—should be in any degree

THE GRISON S. 137.
counterbalanced by the unpleasant knowledge, that
every man's object is to cheat you ; and that,
moreover, any attempt to resist even the grossest
robbery, will be followed by abuse and insult,
sometimes even by violence; and yet such is the
state of things throughout the country of the
Grisons. I do not allude to what I would call
simple imposition. Overcharges a stranger must
submit to ; and the traveller will do wisely in
making up his mind to bear these quietly. But
the imposition practised upon travellers through-
out the Grison country is of a different kind, and
amounts to robbery. This is less excusable, too,
among the Grisons, than in any other part of
Switzerland, and must be attributed, among them,
to an innate want of honesty. In the more tra-
velled parts of Switzerland, intercourse with
strangers may have corrupted the natural simpli-
city of the natives. When the Continent was
first opened to the English, they scattered their
money with the most lavish hand, measuring their
bounty not by the wants of the natives, and the
scale of things abroad, but by the high war-prices
of England; so that upon the principle, that a
thing is worth what it will bring, the Swiss adapt-
ed their demands to this rule; and, even at this
day, although the majority of travelling English
act with greater prudence, there are still many ex-
ceptions; and, when you offer a Swiss something
reasonable and just for his services, nothing is
more common than to be told, that un Monsieur
Anglais gave so and so the other day for a simi-
lar service, naming a sum two or three times
greater than you have offered. But the Grisons
138 THE GRISON Se
have no such examples of folly to bring in sup-
port of their extortions; and these extortions are,
besides, far greater, as well as of a different cha-
racter. I have already given one example of a
conspiracy to cheat, and I could recount twenty
more. I scarcely ever changed a piece of money
in the Grisons, that an attempt was not made to
give less than its value; and, at the same time,
presuming upon my ignorance of Swiss coinage,
money either altogether false, of depreciated value,
or useless in the country of the Grisons, made a
part of the change. Moderate overcharges I do
not complain of, because I lay my account with
them. But these, when very gross, become mere
robbery; and of this description was the demand
made at Ilanz, where I now am. I had bread,
milk, and two eggs for supper—this was all the
house afforded ; and for breakfast, I had bread,
butter, sugar, and hot water to make tea, which I
carried with me. The whole of these could not
have been worth one franc; and in the morning,
when I demanded my bill, I was told it amount-
ed to nine francs. I requested to know the par-
ticulars. Supper three francs, breakfast three
francs, bed three francs. I told him the charge
was quite absurd. He shrugged his shoulders.
I told him it was at least three times what would
be charged for the same accommodation in Eng-
land. “C'est possible?” said he, with the great-
est coolness; “mais nous sommes à present en
Swisse.” I told him I would not pay it. “How
can you help it?” said he, with the utmost ef-
frontery; and, in short, I purchased leave to go
upon my journey, by submitting to be robbed,

THE GRISONS, 139
I could mention several other instances of robbery
to match this. And with respect to begging in
the Grisons, how do the peasants manage to re-
concile their cupidity with their independence 2
They manage in this way. They employ their
children to beg in the neighbourhood of Chur;
and, on the road to the Bains de Pfeffers, where
the inhabitants are accustomed to see strangers,
you cannot pass a hamlet, without being assailed
by children, while the parents, richer perhaps than
you are, stand at the door with an air of Grison
independence. But this is not all—when I have
refused to give any thing, (and, I need scarcely
say, I always did refuse), I have been frequently
hooted at, and pelted with stones; and, upon one
occasion, when I turned back, to bestow a little
wholesome chastisement upon some boys past the
age of children, two or three men, and as many
women, all of whom had seen the misconduct of
the boys, rushed from the cottage-door, and
showed, by their menaces, that I should act wise-
ly in submitting to be pelted with stones in so
free a country as the Grisons. So much for Gri-
son honesty, and Grison civilization. -
The situation of Ilanz, the town where I was
so grossly imposed upon, is particularly agreeable.
The Rhine is here joined by a considerable stream,
called the Gleimer, which adds at least one-third
to its waters.
In ascending the Rhine from Ilanz to Dissen-
tis, the road generally keeps near to the river.
The greater narrowness of the valley forces them
to be close companions. The character of the
valley is now considerably changed. It is not on-
140 THE GRISONS.
ly narrower, but wilder and less fertile. The crops
of grain were scanty; but the grass on the mea-
dows was fine and abundant. I noticed a consi-
derable quantity of land lying waste, that might
have been under tillage. The fields were less
carefully prepared than in the lower parts of the
valley, the road much worse, and the villages
poorer and dirtier; altogether, there appeared a
want of industry, of which I had seen no trace in
any other part of the Grison country. All this
was explained upon entering a pretty large village
about mid-day. The men were assembled in an
open area in front of the church, standing, sitting,
and walking up and down; the women were sit-
ting at their doors, or leaning out of the windows;
no one was in the fields; it was a jour de fête,
some saint's day; but which saint, I forget. The
inhabitants of this part of the valley of the Up-
per Rhine all profess the Roman Catholic faith;
and, tinfortunately for this district, it happens,
that those at the head of religious affairs lend too
positive a sanction to the observance of those
feasts, which are not obligatory upon all Catho-
lics, but which are left to the conscience, and
which vary in almost every jurisdiction. Inac-
tion could not have been more mal apropos, than
at the present moment; the ground was covered
with hay, for the most part cut, and ready to be
housed; the weather had been unsettled, and still
looked dubious, but all morning the sun had been
out; and a better afternoon, either for making or
leading hay, could not have been desired; and
yet the whole population of the village was idle.
I pity, but do not blame the villagers—the fault
does not rest with them.
THE GRISONS, 141
The inhabitants of the valleys of the Upper
Rhine resemble, in their domestic economy, those
of the Engadine, and other parts of the Grisons,
Like them, they are proprietors, and, like them.
live upon the produce of their land. Nothing is
bought in these valleys, excepting coffee, sugar,
indigo and salt. Excepting the trade of tailor,
which is exercised by the females of every family,
the ordinary handicrafts are followed by indivi-
duals bred to them; and the wages of labour
throughout the Grisons are high. A labourer in
the fields receives from thirty sous (15d.) up to 2s.;
a carpenter's wages are three francs per day; a ma-
son's scarcely less; a shoemaker's two francs; so
that the industrious find ample remuneration.
If a traveller ask the distance from one place
to another in the Grisons, the reply is somewhat
puzzling. Supposing the distance to be two
leagues, if you are on foot, the answer will be two
hours; if on horseback, one hour; if in any
wheeled conveyance, as many hours as the person
to whom you address yourself thinks sufficient for
the journey; so that an hour means no specific
distance, but expresses whatever distance you are
able to go in an hour. As I walked out of the
holiday village, I saw a considerable number of
the inhabitants assembled by the river-side shoot-
ing at a target—an exercise very much practised
throughout Switzerland, and much encouraged by
the government. I did not stop to observe their
skill. I was sorry to see so many persons spend-
ing the afternoon in idleness, when close by were
several fields of hay, which a few hours labour
might have secured.
I

142 THE GRISONS.
The character of the valley was now materially
changed. It was quite an upland valley. The
Rhine was shrunk into a stream not thirty yards
across. There was no grain ; and fir was the on-
ly wood to be seen: but gigantic firs they were,
such as I had never seen, excepting in Norway.
The road in this part of the valley is fitted only
for a pedestrian, though carts occasionally pass
along it. In one place it had entirely given way;
and I saw the mark, and part of the remains, of the
vehicle that had fallen down. Before reaching
Dissentis, you enter among the mountains, and
the village stands upon an outer elevated platform,
the Rhine flowing in a deep bed below, with all
the characteristics of a mountain-stream. The
extreme badness of the road had made the day's
journey fatiguing; and I was well pleased, there-
fore, to find myself entering the town, especially
as a storm was evidently brooding.
143
CHAPTER X.
THE GRISONS.
The Scenery of the Lower and the Upper Rhine compar-
ed—Dissentis, and the Valley of Tavetch—Life in
the remote Alpine Valleys—Passage of the Mountains
— Ciamut—The Rhine near its Sources— Observa-
tions upon the Sources of Rivers, and Description of
the Sources of the Rhine—Mountain Prospects—The
Lake of the Oberalp, and Sources of the Reuss–A.
dangerous Bog—Descent into the Canton of Uri-
The Valley of Ursern.
WITH Dissentis ends the valley of the Upper
Rhine; and here the valley of Tavetch begins.
If the principal feature in the scenery of a valley
be considered to be the river that traverses it,
then there is no comparison between the scenery
of the valleys of the Upper and Lower Rhine.
The Lower Rhine is a majestic river; the Upper
Rhine an inconsiderable stream. But if, on the
contrary, the river is to be considered but one,
and not the most important feature in the land-
scape, the valley of the Upper Rhine, I rather
think, is entitled to be preferred. For my own
part, I have no hesitation in according it the pre-
ference, chiefly because of the greater variety
which it includes. The finest scenery becomes

144 THE GRISONS.
tedious by repetition; and, with all the attrac-
tions of the Lower Rhine, it can scarcely be de-
nied, that, in the character of its banks, there is a
sameness that in some degree damps the enjoy-
ment of a voyage. But the scenery of the Rhine,
as the Lower Rhine is called par excellence, is
so great a favourite with every body, that I dare
not say any thing more in disparagement of it.
I had scarcely taken my seat in the inn, when
the storm I had seen brooding burst among the
mountains; and as I saw it take the direction of
the valley I had ascended, I recollected the jour
de fête, and the hay-fields that were already
drenched with rain. One afternoon of idleness
had thus created a necessity for several days la-
bour, which might otherwise have been employ-
ed in the cultivation of waste land, or upon the
fields already under imperfect tillage.
The inn at Dissentis is almost as bad as inn
can be ; but this is not to be wondered at, since
its services are so seldom required. I could get
nothing but bread, so sour as to be quite uneat-
able, and hot water, with which I again manu-
factured my favourite beverage. Even milk was
scarce here. All the cows were high in the
mountains; and the milk that had been brought
down in the morning was expended. At Ilanz,
however, where I had been cheated, and where I
found the bread excellent, I had revenged myself
by putting a couple of loaves in my pocket; and
these I found useful at Dissentis. The traveller
among the Grisons pays the same, whether he
consume the articles furnished in the house, or
those which he brings along with him. The
THE GRISONS. 145
least charge ever made is a franc and a half, even
if nothing but hot water be supplied. In such
inns as this, one is strongly reminded of the re-
mote inns of our own country, not by similitude,
but by contrast; for in England, however poor
a table may be served out, one may always find a
comfortable seat in a snug corner, where neither
wind nor rain can reach, and where, in a raw and
chill evening, the traveller enjoys the warmth and
cheerfulness of a blazing fire. But here, at Dis-
sentis, in as raw an evening as I ever felt in my
own country, in place of warmth and comfort,
there was not even shelter from the storm. The
rain beat in at every one of the three windows;
and five or six streams were straying along the
floor.
Dissentis is the last village of the Grisons in
the direction of Central Switzerland. Some ham-
lets, of twenty or thirty houses, lie higher up a-
mong the mountains—wretched places, of which
I may say a few words when I pass through them.
Dissentis lies no less than 4000 feet above the
level of the sea, so that rye is almost the only
kind of grain cultivated, and that not in great
quantities; but if the inhabitants of the Engadine,
in place of the natives of this valley, owned the
land round Dissentis, it would be turned to a
very different account: grass would be seen where
there is nothing but rushes; rye would take the
place of coarse grass; and oats, barley, and per-
haps even a little wheat, might nestle in the shel-
tered nooks. When speaking of the Engadine,
I did not enlarge sufficiently upon the industry
of the inhabitants; but it deserves a panegyric.
146 THE GRISONS:
There is not a foot of waste land in the Enga-
dine, the lowest part of which is not much lower
than the top of Snowdon. Wherever grass will
grow, there it is ; wherever a rock will bear a
blade, verdure is seen upon it; wherever rye will
succeed, there it is cultivated. Barley and oats
have also their appropriate spots; and wherever
it is possible to ripen a little patch of wheat, the
cultivation of it is attempted.
In passing through such a place as Dissentis,
we are apt to say, “How is it possible for any
one to pass his days in such a place as this?”
The feelings that give rise to this reflection are na-
tural enough, because we suppose ourselves, with
all our recollections and acquired habits, placed in
the situation of the inhabitants. It is impossible
by any effort of the imagination to free ourselves
of these so entirely, as to be able to judge of the
condition of the inhabitants. At the same time,
I am not a convert to the doctrine which teaches,
that happiness is nearly equally distributed; and
that the native of Tierra del Fuego, who wan-
ders half naked upon his inhospitable shore, is as
happy as the enlightened inhabitant of a metropo-
litan city. If so, to what purpose is the diffusion
of knowledge? And why attempt to raise men in
the scale of humanity? It is a mistake to sup-
pose that ignorance is equivalent to enjoyment;
and that he who never tasted a pleasure is not the
less happy, in as much as he cannot feel the want
of what he has never enjoyed. This, I say, is
an error, and would strike at the root of all im-
provement. Man has many capabilities; and the
more of these that are called into action, the more
THE GRISONS. 147
numerous are his sources of enjoyment. The in-
habitant of Dissentis is less happy than the inha-
bitant of Paris or London; and our surprise that
any one can pass his life in such a place, is there-
fore not only natural, but philosophical. But, to
return from this digression—Dissentis is a miser-
able village, of one narrow, dirty street, but look-
ed down upon by a magnificent monastery, which
is situated upon a hillock close by. This monas-
tery was some time ago almost entirely destroyed
by fire; but it is partly rebuilt, and I believe con-
tains a large library and some valuable manuscripts,
which might as well have perished in the flames,
if they are to remain for ever buried in the Bene-
dictine abbey of Dissentis.
After having passed one night at Dissentis, I
left it tolerably early next morning to pass the
mountains. My course from Dissentis lay up the
valley of Tavetch, which is the last valley of the
Grisons, and which terminates at the foot of the
highest ranges of Mount Badus and the Crispalt.
If it be possible, I always travel without a guide;
but this incumbrance is sometimes indispensable;
and so I found it in passing from the country of
the Grisons to the Canton of Uri.
In leaving Dissentis, I found by the way-side
abundance of sweetbrier, sweetmarjoram, and sweet-
william, which ensured me a pleasant nosegay for
my journey. The road—only a horse-road—winds
round the mountain-sides, showing, very far be-
neath, the deep ravine that contains the Rhine.
All the way to Ciamut the road is highly interest-
ing. It ascends continually, always keeping above
the deep bed of the river, and every moment open-

148 THE GRISONS.
ing up new and striking views into the heart of
the majestic mountains that separate the Italian
frontier from the Grisons.
Ciamut lies about two leagues and a half up
the mountains from Dissentis. Its height above
the level of the sea is stated to be upwards of
5000 feet; and, at such an elevation, it is scarce-
ly necessary to say, that, excepting a little rye,
no grain is cultivated. The village is a congre-
gation of scattered houses, for the most part mi-
serable enough; and a church, dedicated to the
Romish worship, overlooks them. I saw the
curé walking in the neighbourhood, and could
not help pitying the man of education condemned
to so cheerless a life.
From Ciamut there is only a track, which leads
from one platform to another, higher and higher
up. Among these I still found a few hamlets,
the most wretched abodes I had seen in any part
of Switzerland. The houses were mere hovels,
black with smoke, and exposed on all sides to the
bitter winds that belong to the neighbourhood of
eternal snow. The few inhabitants I saw scarcely
wore the aspect of human beings; they were co-
vered with filth and rags, and showed, in their
countenances, the poverty—the hopeless poverty
that was their lot. Wretched, indeed, is the lot
of some ! What a contrast is exhibited between
the condition of an inhabitant of one of these
hamlets, spending his days in that desolate valley,
shut out from every one comfort, his intellect
fruitless in enjoyment, his nourishment, day after
day, goats' milk and the coarsest bread;—and the
condition of him who can command, in the heart
THE GRISONS. 149
of a civilized country, every enjoyment that a cul-
tivated intellect can demand, and every luxury that
the body can desire I To the selfish man, a con-
templation like this is pleasant; to the philan-
thropist, it is painful. For my own part, I fear I
am more inclined to indulge in self-congratulation,
than to commiserate the condition of my less for-
tunate brethren.
Soon after leaving the last of these hamlets, and
after an ascent of about an hour, I found myself
in the highest reach of the valley of Tavetch. It
was a green, quiet, narrow valley, in the centre of
which flowed the Rhine, now shrunk to the di-
mensions of a rivulet ten yards across. The sides
of the valley are the flanks of lofty mountains, but
the bed of the stream is not deep. Here and there
it forms a cascade; and between these, it may be
said almost to meander through this Alpine valley,
which is about two leagues in length, and nearly
level. About half way up this valley, a stream,
flowing from the right, joins that which flows
through the valley. This comes from the Crispalt,
and is considered to be one of the anterior sour-
ces of the Rhine. The other branch, however,
which flows down the valley, is the larger; and as
its course is said to be longer, it may perhaps be
considered the principal of the two anterior sour-
ces of the river. Near the head of the valley,
which is now but a ravine, I found this branch
again divide into two; and the stream which flow-
ed from the left, tumbling down the mountain-
side—a part of Mount Badus—the guide pointed
out as the Rhine. The other or lesser branch was
nameless. But, after all, are not the sources of


150 THE GRISONS,
rivers conventional P Who can pretend to deter-
mine which are the sources of the Rhine, or what
branches of the same stream are entitled to bear
its name P In passing up the valley of Tavetch,
several fine streams contribute their waters to the
Rhine, and yet are denied its name; and at the
point at which I had now arrived, where one
branch flows from the left, and where the other
comes from the direction in which the main body
of the river afterwards flows, the former is called
the Rhine, and the latter, whose course is quite as
long, is a nameless mountain-rivulet. The rea-
son of this distinction I think I can account for.
I followed the branch coming from the left to its
source. During about an hour, I mounted the steep
ravine or gorge in which it flows, and then reach-
ed a plain of some extent near the summit of
Mount Badus. In this plain I found a lake from
which the stream issues. This is a definite and sin-
gle source. It is true, that this lake seemed to
have many feeders, which I saw farther back—mere
threads of foam coming from the glaciers, each
of which contributes toform a source of the Rhine;
but the lake, and the one stream that flows out of
it, form a defined source; and therefore, this branch
enjoys the reputation of being the principal of the
two anterior sources of that river. The same dis-
tinction is denied to the other branch, which I
have spoken of as a nameless rivulet, because it
has no defined source. Such, at least, is the only ex-
planation I am able to give. My path across the
mountain led me up the side of this latter stream,
and I found it impossible to assign to it any definite
source. It is formed by innumerable minute rills,

THE GRISONS, 151
and small springs that rise on every side as you
ascend, imperceptibly swelling the main stream;
and at length you entirely lose it in the boggy
ground that forms the upper part of the pass. I
was now above the sources of the Rhine, and,
looking back, I saw it beneath me, setting out
on its long journey. Before me was the more
imposing source of another, though a less celebrat-
ed river, the Reuss. The scenery here is of the
mostmajestic character. The snowy summits of Ba-
dus and the Crispalt rise on either side; behind,
stretches downward, in long windings, the valley
of Tavetch, carrying the Rhine in its bosom, and
losing itself in the dark forests that stretch over
the lower part of the mountains. In front, dark,
deep, and calm, lies the lake of the Oberalp, the
largest of all the Upper Alpine lakes—surmount-
ed by the snowy peaks of the Badus and the Cris-
palt. At this place, the path became difficult and
even dangerous. There was in fact no marked path.
A considerable quantity of snow was accumulated
in several places, and beneath, it was entirely
excavated by streams. After passing these snow-
heaps without any accident, a still greater difficulty
arose. A formidable bog lay between us and the
lake, stretching along its head, and traversed by se-
veral deep streams which strayed leisurely through
it. My guide was evidently at a loss. The path,
he said, was never the same two consecutive sum-
mers; and this summer no one had yet crossed.
The greatest caution was necessary in making every
step; and we were frequently obliged to withdraw
our feet, which, by a very slight pressure, had sunk
to a considerable depth. Contrary to the usual



152 THE GRISONS,
practice, I left my guide. In one direction the bog.
seemed less formidable; but a deep and tolerably
broad stream must be passed. The guide, however,
assuring me, that if I could reach the lake I should
find a fine gravelly bottom, I attempted this, and
succeeded in leaping over the stream, from which I
soon reached the lake, and found that the guide
had spoken truly. I therefore walked in the wa-
ter all the way round the head of the lake, till I
got entirely clear of the bog, and found a firm foot-
ing the whole distance, at the depth of from two
to three feet of water. As for the guide, he was
more than an hour before he came up with me.
Not thinking it prudent to attempt leaping the
stream, he had endeavoured to pick his steps across
the bog; but found this impracticable, and was ob-
liged at last to follow my example, though with not
quite the same success; for he was not able entire-
ly to clear the stream, and scrambled out with
some difficulty. There is scarcely any kind of
danger that I would not more readily encounter
than the danger of a bog; it is of a hidden kind,
and human courage and human effort are alike
impotent to save. I readily admit that my sen-
sations were agreeable, when, seating myself upon
a stone upon the mountain-side, I looked back,
and saw the bog behind me. It is a pleasant
feeling, too, that which we experience in reach-
ing the highest part of a pass, and in looking at
the mountains opening below; but being entirely
soaked by walking through the lake, I hastened
forward as fast as the nature of the path would al-
low. This, however, was slow enough. All the

way along the side of the lake, a distance, I should
URI. 153
think, of at least a league, the banks rise very pre-
cipitously, covered with rocks and stones, beauti-
ful to look at, from the scarlet blossoms of the
rhododendron which every where abound, but
extremely difficult to pass over; and I hailed with
pleasure my arrival at the farther end of the lake,
where a small grassy plain stretched into the val-
ley that leads down to the Canton of Uri.
The descent into the Canton of Uri is less in-
teresting than the ascent from the Grisons. The
valleys are indeed green and beautiful; but there
are no sublime prospects ; and you never get so
low as the region of wood. The branch of the
Reuss, which flows from the Lake of the Oberalp,
is your companion all the way, flowing in a suc-
cession of rapids into the Valley of Ursern, where
it is joined by the other branches, afterwards
flowing in one stream down the valley which
bears its own name—the Valley of the Reuss.
The Reuss is a remarkable river on several
accounts: not from the length of its course, nor
from the volume of its waters: in both of these
it is insignificant in comparison with the Rhine,
the Rhone, and perhaps even the Aar; but from
its extraordinary rapidity—far exceeding that of
the Rhone—and from the magnificent scenery
which is found upon its banks. The whole
course of the river, from the Vale of Ursern till it
falls into the Lake of Lucerne, is a succession of
cataracts; and in the short space of four leagues,
its inclination is no less than 2500 feet. But it
is unnecessary to anticipate, as I purpose de-
scending the Valley of the Reuss. -
The first view that opened before me into the

154 URI.
Valley of Ursern, particularly pleased me. You
unexpectedly reach a platform, and the whole vale
lies smiling at your feet. Its beauty is of a quiet
and modest kind. It is not like the richer valleys,
diversified with corn-fields and gardens, and with
all the variety of fruit and forest-trees. It has
none of these attractions; its robe is all green,
the freshest green in the world. There it lies, en-
vironed by eternal snows, a beautiful image of
spring in the bosom of winter. I hastened to
reach it; and, after about two hours of very rapid
descent, I walked into the village of Andermatt,
where there is one of the best inns in Switzer-
land.
155
CHAPTER XI.
THE CANTON OF URI—THE WALLEY OF THE
REUSS.
Andermatt, and the Valley of Ursern—Rural Economy
—Descent of the Valley of the Reuss—The Devil's
Bridge—Neglected state of Agriculture, and the causes
of it—Scenery of the Valley—Altorf, and its con-
nexion with William Tell–Fluelen, and the Lake of
Uri—An Evening on the Lake—Tell's Chapel-
Character of the Lake of Uri–Comparison between
the Lakes of Switzerland and Swiss Scenery, with the
Scenery of the Scotch and English Lakes.
ANDERMATT is the largest of the four villages
which sprinkle the little Vale of Ursern. It lies
about 4500 feet above the level of the sea; and,
with the exception of a small plantation of old
ash-trees, no wood of any kind is to be seen.
But I recollect Andermatt with pleasure; whether
because it is really deserving of pleasant recollec-
tions, or because, after the wretched inns of the
Grisons, the inn at Andermatt seemed a paradise,
I am scarcely able to tell. Before night-fall, I
had time to walk as far as Hospital, and to enjoy
the stillness and green beauty of the valley; an
before I returned to Andermatt, the bounded ho-
rizon of the vale of Ursern was lºwevin StarS.

156 URI.
In former times, this valley formed a republic in it-
self, and was governed by separate laws; now it
is merged in the Canton of Uri, and is governed
by its laws. The whole inhabitants of the valley
amount to about 1400. They generally live upon
the produce of their own possessions; but these
are small, sufficing only for the scanty support of
their families. It is a pity that the cheese which
is made in this valley should be too delicate for
exportation. It is truly delicious, and would
bear a very high price, were it found in the
French, or even in the principal Swiss markets.
Andermatt, which in most of the other cantons
would be but a very inconsiderable village, is a
place of some consequence in the little Canton of
Uri, which indeed can boast of only one town,
Altorf. The whole Canton of Uri may be said
to be comprised in one valley, the Valley of the
Reuss, having the little plain of Ursern for its
head, and the lower end expanding into another
little plain between Altorf and the Lake of Uri.
It is said of the Canton of Uri, that the inhabi-
tants and the horned cattle are about equal in
number, each amounting to nearly 11,000. If
this saying be true, and I have reason to think it
does not greatly err, it sufficiently indicates the
poverty of the inhabitants, whose sole wealth is
their cattle. The Canton of Uri recognises no
hereditary privileges. A general assembly of all
citizens arrived at the age of twenty, exercises the
supreme power, and appoints the different coun-
cils. It is a purely Catholic canton, dependent
upon the Bishop of Chur; and all the schools are
under the management of the priests. - -
URI, 157
The well-known and much-visited Devil's Bridge
is only about half a league from Andermatt. Every
mountainous country has one or more Devil's
Bridges. Whenever there is a bridge with any
thing terrific about it, it receives from the natives
of the neighbourhood the appellation of Devil's
Bridge. Wales and Scotland have both their
Devil's Bridges; and, in Switzerland, there is
one in several of the cantons. But the Devil's
Bridge, par excellence, is undoubtedly that over
the Reuss. I confess it somewhat disappointed
me; and yet I can scarcely tell why. I believe I
expected that the height of the bridge above the
river would have been much greater. But the
chief claim of this bridge to the distinguished rank
it holds, does not depend upon its elevation—for
Pantenbruck in Glarus, and several other bridges,
are greatly more distinguished in this respect—but
upon the tremendous torrent that rushes through
the gorge above, and forms first a fall, and then
a fine rapid, underneath the arch. It is not un-
likely that the improvements then going on in
the neighbourhood, may in some degree have
weakened the impression which might otherwise
have been produced. A new and very substantial
bridge, in which the devil cannot claim any share,
is erecting within a few yards of the old one; and
when I reached the spot, I found twenty or thirty
workmen busily employed in its construction. I
feel well comvinced, that the impression made upon
the mind under circumstances like these, must be
feeble in comparison with the impression that
would have been made upon it had I travelled this
country a few years earlier, when the old arch
K



158 URI,
spanned the torrent, and when the traveller might
have been alone with nature, in place of in the
midst of human labour, and when the only voice
heard would have been the voice of the cataract.
I readily admit, however, that the work going on is
a most important one. There is not only a new
bridge erecting, but a new road down the whole
valley of the Reuss is already far advanced. It is
constructed upon the very best system of road-
making. It is safe and broad; and although the
inclination of the valley is an inch and a half in
the yard, a carriage may be drawn at a full trot
the whole way down.
In walking from Andermatt down the valley, I
met several small carts laden with sacks of flour,
for the use of the inhabitants of Ursern, and of
the upper part of the valley. I also met at least
twenty women carrying up potatoes and other ve-
getables. Throughout the whole of the upper part
of the valley of the Reuss, and in the vale of
Ursern, not one stalk of any kind of grain, nor
one vegetable of any kind, is to be seen. There
is no doubt, however, that these might be suc-
cessfully cultivated. The Vale of Ursern pro-
duces most excellent pasture, and is admitted to
possess a good soil. It is far more sheltered than
almost any part of the Engadine; and although
more elevated than some parts of it, it is less ele-
vated than many other parts where rye is grown
abundantly, where other grain—even wheat—is not
a failure, and where all the hardier vegetables are
plentiful. But the land throughout all the upper
part of the valley of the Reuss, and in the lower
part of Ursern, is greatly neglected. I am con-
URI, | 59 |
vinced that grain of one kind and another, and
the hardy vegetables, might be cultivated in suf-
ficient quantities to supply the wants of the valley;
but the inhabitants seem to be contented with po-
verty, and leave the soil to nature.
I have frequently observed, that, in all places
where there is a great influx of strangers, the inha-
bitants are idle, and consequently poor. They
trust to casualties; and find it easier to pick up a
living by the wants, and partly by the bounty of
travellers, than to labour the ground. This is ob-
servable in very many parts of Switzerland, and
might no doubt be remarked in other countries
also. There are few parts of Switzerland more
visited than the Devil's Bridge, Ursern, and Mount
St Gothard; and in few places are the effects of
this more visible in the imperfect cultivation of the
soil, and in the state of the inhabitants. If Ur-
sern and the valley of the Reuss were, like the
Engadine, shut out from the rest of the world,
the result would be different. It is then that the
inhabitants are forced upon their resources, and
these are found in the exercise of their industry.
No one can be otherwise than charmed with
the scenery, in descending the valley of the Reuss.
From the Devil's Bridge, during at least two
leagues, the banks form a succession of tremen-
dous precipices, and the river is itself one conti-
nued rapid. I was now on one of the great
Swiss highways; and, accordingly, I met tourists
at every town, chiefly English or German. After
the English, the Germans and Russians travel the
most; the French the least of all nations. They
think too highly of their own country to go into
2
160 URI,
others in quest of either pleasure or profit. It is
only men of science who travel; and the conse-
quence of this is, that abroad the French have ac-
quired, and probably with justice, the character of
being more inquiring than the natives of any
other country.
About two leagues lower down than Ander-
matt, I found the valley widen. It was no longer
a gorge, but deserved the name by which it is
known—the Valley of the Reuss. The scenery,
too, had somewhat changed its character. The
rocks that bounded the valley were somewhat less
precipitous, and were no longer entirely naked;
and, mingled with the firs that fringed the river-
side, were some walnut-trees. Cottages, too,
were sprinkled here and there, and now and then
a hamlet; still, however, grass only was to be
seen. I saw many warm stripes, and even little
plains, along the river-side, where wheat and ve-
getables could have been successfully cultivated;
but I still continued to meet carts laden with flour
and potatoes.
Passing through a little village, about nine in
the morning, I met upwards of a hundred per-
sons returning from prayers, all in their holiday
clothes. This was no holiday; but the daily cus-
tom here, and in many other of the Catholic ju-
risdictions, is to Apend the morning from six to
eight in church. I should be sorry to say a word
against the habit of daily devotion, or to speak
with levity of the duty incumbent upon all, to re-
turn thanks to God for the light of another morn-
ing ; nor will I even venture to say to those who
profess a creed differing from mine, that a prayer


URI, 16]
in the closet, and of greater brevity, might be as
pleasing to the Deity; but I may, nevertheless, in
mentioning a fact, state what seem to be its re-
sults; and I think it cannot be doubted, that a
neglected soil, and imperfect cultivation, are occa-
sioned by the many hours daily devoted to prayer
and ceremonial, even more than by the too fre-
quent recurrence of jours de fête. The strict
Catholic, who happens to reside within a juris-
diction where great encouragement is given to the
frequency and prolongation of prayers and cere-
monials, spends in church those morning hours,
which an English labourer spends in the fields.
The former dresses in the morning in his holiday
clothes, and throws them off when he returns;
the latter dresses in the morning for the whole
day, and loses no time in dressing and undressing.
Nor is it only the morning hours that are lost to
labour. At two in the afternoon, the strict Catho-
lic of Uri and elsewhere must again throw off his
labourer's apparel, put on his best clothes, and re-
pair to church. I do trust the reader will not
suppose for a moment, that I intend to pass any
censure upon those who thus occupy their hours
in prayer; nor even upon those by whose counsel
they are directed. All this may be considered by them
essential to salvation ; but can it be for a moment
denied, that most important results are thus pro-
duced upon the agriculture of a country? Ask
an English farmer what would be the effect, if a
law were passed by which all labour were forbid-
den between the hours of six and eight in the
morning, and between two and four in the after-
noon; and I believe his answer would be, that if

I 62 UR I.
he continued to pay the same rent, taxes, and
wages, he should speedily be ruined.
As I descended still lower in the valley, the
scenery became more varied and more beautiful.
Charming meadows lay by the river-side, prettily
diversified by clumps of walnut and pear-trees,
which entirely fringed both sides of the river.
The cottages and hamlets thickly dotted the
slopes, standing generally upon those little emi-
nences which were above the reach of the winter
floods, and in part also secure against the descent
of stones, and the avalanche of snow; and here,
although the Reuss had escaped from the rocky
defiles that higher up forced it into rapids and
cataracts, it still retained the interest and charac-
ter of a mountain-river. Still it ran a joyous
course, leaping and rioting along, and occasional-
ly broke into little cascades, as if just to remind
one of the feats it had already accomplished.
I was much pleased with Altorf. It is clean,
beautifully situated, and surrounded by gardens
and orchards. Yet, even here, where the climate
is mild, and where the ordinary fruits come to
great perfection, scarcely an ear of grain is to be
seen. Altorf is closely connected with the his-
tory of William Tell. He was born in the little
village of Bürglen, close by ; and it is here that
the scene, so well known as the origin of Swiss
liberty, took place, when Tell was required to
strike off the apple from the head of his child.
An old tower was shown to me, as indicating the
spot formerly occupied by the Linden-tree, be-
neath which the child was placed. This may be
true, or it may not ; but I should rather think
URI. 163
the tower is of an origin anterior to the history of
William Tell.
I did not remain long at Altorf, but walked
forward to Fluelen, where I intended remaining
till next morning. It is a mere village, but is of
some little importance as being the place of em-
barkation for Lucerne. Here the Lake of Lu-
cerne is seen for the first time, and at no point can
it be seen to greater advantage. It happened to
be one of those delicious evenings that lend a
charm to any scenery. The most barren heath
would have smiled beneath its mellow light. But
the Lake of Uri, confessedly one of the most
magnificent scenes in Switzerland, was spread out
before me; and I felt myself quite justified in re-
fusing the invitation of a large party of travellers
to join them in a late dinner. I hired the small-
est boat I could find, and coasted up the lake ;
and, in about an hour, I found myself opposite
to a chapel erected upon a little elevated rock,
gaudily painted, and not at all harmonizing with
the wild scenery around. The history of the
chapel is this :—William Tell was taken prisoner
at Altorf, and was to be conveyed to Kuznach.
For this purpose, he was put into a boat at Flue-
len, and the boat set sail; but one of those sud-
den and violent storms to which the lake is so
subject having arisen, the boat was driven close
to the shore. Tell, who is well known to have
been a powerful man, saw his opportunity, and
availed himself of it. He suddenly shook him-
self free from his bonds, and leaped on shore;
and it is upon the spot where this was accom-
plished that the chapel is erected, because it was
164 URI.
owing to this that the enemy of Swiss liberty was
destroyed. Tell, who knew all the mountain-
passes, fled over to Kuznach, and there killed the
tyrant.
However little in harmony with the scenery
the chapel and its decorations may be, it is de-
lightfully situated for the enjoyment of the sur-
rounding views. I moored my boat beneath, and
sat long within the hallowed precinct, looking
over the lake, and across to the great mountains
that bounded it. I saw the last sun-beam depart
from the face of the waters; and I saw the sha-
dows gradually creep up the mountain-side, till the
bright hues of evening now forsaking one ravine,
now another—now leaving the cottage, and then
the chalet—crimsoned only the snow-peaks with
their dying lustre. All was gray as I coasted back to
Fluelen; but the dimness of evening accords well
with the gloomy character of the scenery of Uri.
With corn-fields and pleasant pasture, and sprin-
kled cottages, we look for the harmony of light
and sun-beams; but with grim rocks, and deep
waters, and dark woods, we feel that the glare of
light is offensive. Sun-beams have no business
there. A cloudy sky, or the dim evening, are
the best accompaniments of the sublime.
Next morning I left Fluelen; and with a fine
breeze from the south, and a well filled sail, I
soon passed the chapel, and approached the head
of the first reach of the lake. Nothing can be
finer than the view back into the Lake of Uri.
The situation of this lake is such, that it is im-
possible to obtain a view of it unless from the
water ; and no one should visit Lucerne without
URI. 165
sailing to Fluelen. When I speak of any of
the Swiss lakes, I always call to imagination the
lakes of my own country, that I may, if possible,
find some resemblance; because no power of de-
scription, even if possessed in a tenfold greater
degree than any that I am able to exercise, can
be so satisfactory to the reader, or convey to his
mind so distinct an image, as a reference to some-
thing that he has seen. The Lake of Uri bears
some resemblance to the upper part of Ulles-
water, looking into Patterdale. No doubt the
scenery of the Lake of Uri is greatly more majes-
tic, the mountains are greatly higher, and the
rocks far more elevated and more precipitous ;
and in Ulleswater, we also look in vain for that
thick clothing of wood, which in many places so
finely covers the rocks that bound the Lake of
Uri. Still there is a resemblance, which I be-
lieve no one who has seen both lakes will refuse
to admit. - -
I have frequently heard the observation made,
that, after seeing the scenery of Switzerland, one
will find little pleasure in travelling through the
mountainous districts of our own country. I en-
tirely dissent from this opinion, not only because
I think one may look with pleasure upon beauty
or sublimity of an inferior order, after having be-
held that which far eclipses it, but because the sce-
nery of our lakes and mountains is of a different
character. The character of Winandermere is indeed
the same as the characrer of the Lake of Zurich,
which far eclipses it in splendour; but there is
nothing in Switzerland that resembles either Der-
wentwater, or Wastwater. Let it be recollect-
166 U. R.I.
ed, too, that, on the bosom of a lake, the horizon
is extremely bounded, and that, generally, the
peaks of the lofty mountains retire ; and it will
not seem extraordinary if I assert, that the scenery
around one of our English lakes may seem as ma-
jestic as that which surrounds the Lake of Swit-
zerland. I do not say that this is always the case.
From the entrance into the Lake of Uri, a multi-
tude of snow-peaks are visible ; and at the upper
end of the Lake of Geneva also, the tops of the
highest mountains bound the horizon ; but this is
far from being invariably true of the Swiss lakes;
and, at all events, the distinctive character of Kes-
wick and Wastwater will indemnify the travel-
ler for his journey, even if he has already made
the tour of Switzerland. But the Scotch lakes af-
ford me a still stronger argument. The character of
Loch-Lomond is entirely distinct from that of any
lake in Switzerland; and altogether, I think, it is
more beautiful. With the exception of the Lake
of Bienne, none of the Swiss lakes have any isl-
ands. This is a serious defect, scarcely compen-
sated by their other claims to superiority. Let
any one who has seen the Lake of Zurich, or the
Lake of Lucerne, figure to himself the effect of
many wooded islands sprinkled along their sur-
face : whichever of the Swiss lakes might be so
distinguished, would unquestionably possess a de-
cided superiority over all the rest; and if, in other
respects, Loch-Lomond approaches even at a very
humble distance, the charms of the Swiss lakes,
the numerous and beautiful islands by which that
lake is adorned, will entitle it to a rivalry with the
most beautiful of them.
URI, 167
But there is yet another reason why the scene-
ry of the British mountain-districts will bear an
inspection, after the traveller has made the tour of
Switzerland. Many of the Swiss lakes lie little
less than 2000 feet above the level of the sea;
and many of the Alpine valleys are double that
elevation. On the other hand, the level of most
of the British lakes exceeds, by but a few hundred
feet, the level of the sea—indeed some of the
Scotch lakes are arms of the sea. Now, the ef-
fect of this is obvious. If the mountains, or ra-
ther the visible heights surrounding one of the
British lakes, be 2000 feet lower than those which
rise above the Swiss lake, the scenery of the one
will seem as majestic as that of the other; and, in
truth, is so. It seldom happens that mountains,
rising beyond 6000 feet, dip into any of the Swiss
lakes. This is, at all events, true of the Lakes
of Geneva, Zurich, Neufchatel, Bienne, and per-
haps Brientz and Thun—of all, indeed, excepting
Lucerne and Zoug, and the Wallensee; so that the
scenery around the head of Ulleswater, Wastwa-
ter, Loch-Tay, and the head of Loch-Lomond, is
nearly upon an equality with the scenery surround-
ing these Swiss lakes. The same reason which I
have just assigned, as entitling me to compare the
lake-scenery of Britain with that of Switzerland,
has certainly the effect of disappointing, in some
degree, the expectations of the traveller in Swit-
zerland. Before travelling into Switzerland, we
hear of mountains 10,000, 12,000, and 14,000
feet high ; and we fancy Snowdon with two other
Snowdons piled upon it, and imagine within our-
selves the sublimity of such a scene. But this we
168 URI.
find to be a delusion. Before reaching the base
of any of the great mountains, we have probably
attained an elevation of 4000 or 5000 feet, by a
gradual ascent, begun at Calais, and ending per-
haps in the Valley of Grindelwald. It is doubt-
ful, even when we have reached this elevation, if
we are able to see the loftiest summit of the adja-
cent mountains. We probably see only an infe-
rior peak or flank of the mountain ten thousand
feet above the level of the sea, so that we are then
looking upon a mountain 5000 or 6000 feet
higher than the point upon which we stand—a
reality very different from the conception of three
Snowdons piled upon each other. Or even sup-
posing that, from the elevation we have attained,
we should be able to discover the highest peak,
it is so far back, so distant, and so surrounded by
other peaks, whose greater proximity deceives us
as to relative elevation, that we still call to mind
the majestic image we had conceived, and lament
to find that it is not realized. The traveller, who
contents himself with viewing the mountains from
the valleys, cannot feel and comprehend the ma-
jesty of Swiss scenery. He must leave the val-
leys, and go into the mountains—fatigue, cold,
storms, glaciers, precipices, and the thunder of the
cataract and avalanche, will open to him a world
of knowledge, which would otherwise have been
for ever closed.
169
CHAPTER XII.
THE CANTON, LAKE, AND CITY OF LUCERN.E.
The Lake of the Four Cantons—Historic Recollections
—Brunnen—Schwytz— Visit to the Valley of Lauertz,
and the Site of Goldaw— The Fall of the Rossberg—
Some Details, and Reflexions—Return to Brunnen,
and Voyage to Lucerne— Gersaw and its History—
The Rigi—Lucerne—The Situation and Environs of
Lucerne—Markets, and Prices of Provisions—Bridges
—Public Seminaries—State of Morals—The Monu-
ment in Commemoration of the Swiss Guards— Churches
and Relics—Promenades—State of the Canton—At-
tempt to ascend Mount Pilate.
LET me return to the Lake of Uri, from whose
bosom I have been all this while comparing the
scenery of the Swiss and British lakes.
The reader probably knows, that the Lake of
Uri is the upper reach of the Lake of Lucerne, or,
as it is called in German, Waldstattersee. It also
bears the name of the Lake of the Four Cantons,
because its shores belong to the four Cantons of
Lucerne, Unterwald, Schwytz, and Uri. Al-
though the lake has three distinct reaches—each
so distinct from the other, that from one you can-
not see into the adjoining reach—no part of the
lake bears any distinct name, excepting that which
170 LUCERN E.
belongs to the Canton of Uri. The whole of the
Lake of Lucerne is about nine leagues long, but
scarcely in any part exceeds a league in breadth.
Its depth is very various; the reach which touches
upon Lucerne no where exceeds 300 feet; the
middle reach is in some places a hundred feet
deeper; and the Lake of Uri ranges from 600 to
900 feet in depth. This is not a great depth,
considering the height of the surrounding moun-
tains. Several of the English lakes are consider-
ably deeper. Lucerne is decidedly the finest of
the Swiss lakes; its three reaches present every
variety of lake-scenery. Beauty is the character-
istic of the lower branch, which is surrounded by
country-houses, and orchards, and wooded knolls.
The middle branch may be said to be picturesque,
though still there is much beauty mingled with it;
and the character of the branch of Uri is subli-
mity. In sailing from Altorf to Lucerne, a per-
fect conception of the principal varieties of lake-
scenery is obtained. Lucerne is an interesting
lake also, from the historic recollections with
which it abounds; for the establishment of Swiss
independence is the glory of its banks. There,
the tyranny of its Austrian masters first begot the
'resolution to oppose it; there, many fierce strug-
gles for freedom took place; and there, were per-
formed the valiant deeds of the patriot Tell.
Much is said about the danger of the navigation
of the Lake of Lucerne ; but I could not learn
that accidents were frequent. It is generally said,
that the banks of the Lake of Uri are so preci-
pitous that a boat can no where put to shore, and,
consequently, that the danger is imminent, should
LUCERN E. 171
a storm overtake a boat in that reach ; but this is
not strictly true. The banks are indeed preci-
pitous, and in many places the rocks dip perpen-
dicularly into the water; but there is no where
so great a continuity of perpendicular rock as to
render a landing impossible; and where rocks
seem at a distance to be perpendicular and inac-
cessible, you often find, upon approaching them,
that a footing is not altogether hopeless.
I had engaged the boat from Fluelen, not to
take me to Lucerne, but to the little village of
Brunnen, which lies on the right bank of the lake
in Sailing upwards, and just opposite to the en-
trance of the Uri branch. It was not for the pur-
pose of seeing Brunnen that I landed there, but
because I intended going from Brunnen to
Schwytz, and to Goldau. Even in this little
village, I found an inn which brought no dis-
credit upon the character of the inns of Switzer-
land ; and, after an excellent breakfast, I set out
for Schwytz.
The walk between Brunnen and Schwytz is
singularly beautiful. At Brunnen, the lake re-
cedes, and the shore, no longer precipitous, slopes
gently back to Schwytz, covered with fertility, and
full of beauty. This is the finest part of the
Canton of Schwytz; for, excepting a small part
which lies towards the Lake of Zurich, it is co-
vered with steril mountains, and intersected by
valleys, by no means remarkable for their fertility;
but there is no trace of sterility in approaching
Schwytz, which stands most imposingly upon the
upper part of the slope—a garden around it, and
the red rocky summit of Mount Mythen towering

172 LucerNE.
above it. This pyramidical mount presented a
very singular appearance as I approached Schwytz;
a thick mist extended longitudinally along the
sky, cutting this mountain in two ; and above it,
as if floating upon the sea of vapour, stood the
red peak of Mount Mythen, bathed in sun-
beams.
I found nothing to detain me long in the town
of Schwytz, whose chief attraction lies in the sin-
gular beauty of its situation; but as it was then
too warm to continue my walk to Goldau, I re-
mained at Schwytz till dinner-time, passing the
interval very unprofitably, though very agreeably.
I found a º orchard, where I lay dreaming
away an hour or two; a very large pear-tree spread
its shade above; and I had only to walk a few
yards, if I wished to cool my lips with the deli-
cious cherries that coloured one half of the or-
chard. I returned to the inn at half-past one,
where I found a most admirable dinner, and two
agreeable companions. It may not be a piece of
information altogether useless, if I tell the reader,
that, being much pleased with the dinner, and
with the appearance of every thing I saw, I asked
the landlord upon what terms he would furnish
board and lodging—dining every day as well as I
had dined that day, and including breakfast, coffee
or tea in the evening, and a comfortable chamber?
The answer was, four francs—the sum which one
often pays for dinner alone, if no bargain has been
made.
I left Schwytz in the afternoon to walk to Lau-
ertz, and to the spot where Goldau was. The
valley of Lauertz is very charming; and, after a


LUCERN.E. 173.
pleasant walk, I reached the brink of the lake.
It was a tranquil and beautiful scene, such as all
the valley had often exhibited before the awful ca-
tastrophe that covered it with desolation. A few
cattle were standing in the water. A little island,
and the ruins of some old castle that once had
crowned it, finely broke the surface; and a fisher-
man stood angling upon a low promontory. I
continued my walk, and about sunset reached the
little inn which stands upon the site of the buried
Goldau. All around is ruin still ; and doubtless
many ages must yet elapse, before the aspect of
ruin can be changed to fertility. Were it not that
a scanty vegetation has sprung up amid desolation,
one might believe the event to be of yesterday,
for the enormous masses of rock lie as they have
fallen : And how shall this ever be otherwise P
Rocks withstand the influence of time; and man
is too insignificant a creature to cope with even
the fallen mountains. -
I have no doubt that most readers know the
history of this catastrophe. Those who do, may
pass over a page or two; for I think it would be
inexcusable were I to make no mention of an
event so calamitous as the destruction of Goldau.
It is from the little work of Doctor Zay that I
abridge the few following details.
The Rossberg, a mountain between three and
four thousand feet high, stood, before this cata-
strophe, behind the village of Goldau. The sum-
mer had been unusually rainy; and the formation
of several wide crevices in the mountain, though
they alarmed the individuals who discovered them,
were unfortunately not sufficient to rouse the in-
L
R74 LUCERNE.
habitants of the valley to a sense of their danger.
In the early part of the eventful day, subterraneous
noises were heard; and several large stones broke.
from the mountain-side, as if acted upon by some
interior force. About three in the afternoon, the
awful event took place; the mountain was rent in
twain, and in a thousand ponderous fragments
precipitated itself upon the valley below. Gol-
dau, Lauertz, and two other villages, were whelm-
ed in its ruins. Cottages and chalets, flocks and
shepherds, were carried with the falling mass; and
one of the most smiling among the valleys of Swit-
zerland was made desolate and a grave.
There are many most affecting little histories,
connected with this event. The most calamitous
of these is, perhaps, the history of a party of plea-
sure, that had made an excursion from Berne to
ascend the Rigi. The party consisted of eleven
persons, and, among these, were a new-married
couple, M. de Diesbach and his bride. Four
only of the eleven persons were saved; and among
those who perished was the wife of M. de Dies-
bach. Beneath these masses their bodies still lie
buried; and the rocks that are piled above, are a
sufficient record of their history.
There are also recorded some extraordinary
escapes, particularly those of a nurse and a child,
buried all night among the rocks, but uninjured;
—of another woman and her child, carried in the
cabin they inhabited into the valley, and unhurt;-
and of a house and its inhabitants swept into the
lake, but saved, owing to the upper story, which was
of wood, detaching itself from the rest of the build-
ing, and swimming, till a boat relieved its inmates.

LUCERN.E. I 75
Four hundred and fifty persons perished. The
wrecks of the mountain covered a square league,
the value of which was estimated at about
L.125,000. A hundred and eleven houses were
buried, besides several churches and chapels. Se-
veral hundred head of cattle were destroyed, and
a great loss to the commune was sustained, from
the annihilation of the vast extent of fine pastur-
age that lay upon the sides of the Rossberg.
Such are a few of the principal facts connected
with the fall of the Rossberg. The catastrophe
has been attributed to different causes; but, like
most of the great natural phenomena, the remote
cause is hidden. We may go a few steps back;
but they are only steps; we at length, sooner or
later, reach a point beyond which all is obscurity.
The fall of the Rossberg was doubtless occasioned
by some internal convulsion; but the cause of that
convulsion can never be any thing else than mat-
ter of ingenious dispute.
It was nearly dark when I left this scene of de-
solation. But a few years ago, and the sun had
set upon a smiling valley; a hundred habitations
had been gilded by its beams; and those who now
lay mouldering beneath these mighty ruins, had
sat by their cottage-doors, and amid their smiling
families, the evening before the world closed upon
them. They talked of the morrow, and the day
after, as days that would surely come. They
came, indeed, but destruction came with them.
Some of those who perished must have found a
slow and terrible death. Several were discovered
near the surface of the ruins, enclosed among the
rocks, and living; and doubtless there were others
176 LUCERNE.
who found themselves in a living tomb, far be-
neath the surface of the wrecks, and far beyond
the reach of help. Let us hope that their number
was few.
It was quite dark when I reached Schwytz, and
next morning I returned to Brunnen to breakfast,
and immediately afterwards continued my voyage
towards Lucerne. The boat kept close to the
right side of the lake, which, in the second reach,
is much the more beautiful side of the bank : al-
though in many places very steep, it is mostly co-
vered with the richest verdure, and is well cloth-
ed with beech, ash, hazel, and oak. Hay harvest
was still going on upon the steeps; and the groups
of persons upon the green slopes, pausing from
their labour, and leaning upon their rakes, as we
passed below, added much to the interest of the
landscape. This reach of the lake appears to be
terminated by Mount Pilate, whose pointed sum-
mits form a magnificent back-ground. Gersau,
a little village close to the water, lies charmingly.
It stands upon a low platform of the brightest
grass, level with the lake, about a quarter of a
mile square, and bounded on the other three sides
by lofty mountains. Its white houses lie along
the margin of the water, every one with its garden,
and every garden full of white lilies. I thought
I had seldom seen a spot of sweeter seclusion.
The history of Gersau is curious. Before the
revolution it was a republic, separate and inde-
pendent, and was certainly the least State in the
world. Its territory was not two miles square,
and it contained about two hundred houses, and
twelve hundred inhabitants. An attempt was made

LUCERNE. 177
in 1814 to revive the republic, but it of course
failed.
I wished to have landed at Gersau ; but the
boatmen, apprehending a storm, said we had no
time to lose, if I wished to reach Lucerne before
it commenced; and the event proved the correct-
ness of their judgment. The lake, at this time, was
a sheet of glass; not the smallest breath of air
could be felt; but the sun shone as if through a
veil; and there was that oppressive feeling in the
atmosphere that always indicates a change. The
entrance into the lowest reach of the lake is ex-
tremely narrow. A new scene then opens, soft
and beautiful, excepting in the direction of Mount
Pilate, whose bald summits still rise to the left.
Before travelling into Switzerland, or, at all events,
soon after arriving in it, every one hears of the
Rigi. “Have you been up the Rigi ?” is the
universal question; “You must be sure to ascend
the Rigi,” the universal injunction. I knew that
the Rigi lay close to the Lake of Lucerne, and to-
wards its northern extremity; and, full of expecta-
tion, I requested the boatmen to point out the
Rigi the moment we should come in sight of it.
“Voila le Rigi, " said the only one of the boat-
men who spoke French; and I saw before me a
low, clumsily-shaped hill, green to the summit, and
overtopped by many others of the mountains.
The Rigi is, in fact, scarcely higher than several of
our British mountains, and is only remarkable by
its position, and on account of the magnificent
prospect enjoyed from its summit. The finest
views are not from the highest mountains. An ex-
tensive, and a beautiful view, are totally different

T78 L'UCERN.E.
things; and of this distinction, a better illustra-
tion cannot be found, than in the relative interest
of the prospect enjoyed from the summits of the
Rigi, and of Mount Pilate. -
The boatmen made every exertion to reach Lu-
cerne before the storm began, not probably from any
apprehension of danger, but afraid lest a heavy gale
should set in ahead, when they would require to
labour harder and longer. About a league before
reaching Lucerne, however, the storm burst over
us, the sheet of glass was changed into a little
angry sea covered with foam, and all the moun-
tains were in a moment shrouded. But we were
already almost sheltered by the land; and another
hour's hard tugging brought us into the basin.
The situation of Lucerne is more beautiful than
striking. Upon the whole, it disappointed me at
first, because the beauty of its environs is scarcely
seen in approaching it from the lake; and I miss-
ed those stupendous mountains among which I
had thought to have found it. In fact Lucerne
does not lie in a mountainous country, although
the mountains approach near to it; but it lies in
a highly fertile and eminently beautiful country,
such as no other town in Switzerland can boast,
excepting Zurich. I took an evening stroll
through the street, after the heavy rain which fol-
lowed the storm had subsided; and found myself
accidentally upon one of the bridges. The rapi-
dity of the Reuss as it leaves the lake is astonish-
ing, and the clearness of its water no less so. All
the rivers which empty themselves into the Swiss
lakes—the Rhone, the Rhine, the Reuss, the
Aar, the Limmat—enter the respective lakes less
T, UCERNE. T79
or more discoloured; but all of them leave the lakes
perfectly transparent, though not all of precisely
the same hue. The Reuss, in leaving the Lake of
Lucerne, is of a light green, almost approaching
limpidity; the Rhine, in leaving the Lake of
Constance, is of a darker green; the Rhone, in
leaving the Lake of Geneva, bears a deep blue
tint; while the Aar and the Limmat, as they flow
out of the Lakes of Thun and Zurich, are almost
entirely colourless.
The day after I arrived in Lucerne, the weekly
corn-market was held. It is one of the largest in
Switzerland, because it is meant for the supply, not
of Lucerne only, but of the Cantons of Unter-
walden and Uri, neither of which grow almost any
grain; and Lucerne is the only place from which
the inhabitants can supply their wants. Nume-
rous boats from Fluelen, and from the villages
lying on the Unterwalden side, arrived during the
Tmorning; and the market was a busy and a very
abundant one. There was a large supply of rye
and of wheat, and a little oats and barley. The
price of wheat, reduced into English money and
measure, was 36s., the price of rye 14s. per quarter.
The growth of grain in the Canton of Lucerne
is not sufficient to supply those other Cantons of
Uri and Unterwalden. Lucerne grows scarcely
more than suffices for its own demand. The great-
er part of the grain that comes into the market
at Lucerne, is from the Canton of Argovie, which
is the granary of Switzerland.
From the corn-market I walked into the other
markets. The vegetable market I found very abun-
dantly supplied, and very picturesque, owing to
180 LucerNE.
the great variety of the women's dresses. A stran-
ger ought never to omit visiting the vegetable mar-
ket in every town, because he may always gather,
from what he sees there, a tolerable idea of the
female peasantry, both as to dress and personal
appearance. Here I found nothing to admire in
the latter; and could only regret, that dresses so
well calculated to set off a pretty face, were em-
ployed to so little purpose. The meat-market I
found clean and orderly, and the meat, although
not in great variety, seemed good. I found pri-
ces to be as follows:–beef.3%d., other kinds of
meat 8d.: butter 7%d.; eggs 4d. p. dozen ; a good
fowl 8d. Bread I afterwards found. to be 1+d. per
lib. Vegetables and fruit are always abundant and
reasonable. No wine is grown in the canton. The
inhabitants drink either the wine of Neufchâtel, or
of the Pays de Vaud. The former costs, in an inn,
a franc per bottle, the latter fifteen sous. -
In walking through the streets of Lucerne, the
stranger does not find much to attract him, unless
he be so interested in Swiss history as to be ar-
rested by the pictures on the old bridge, where
all the important events in Helvetian history are
faithfully represented in oil-colours, doubtless tend-
ing to keep alive, among the youth of Lucerne, a
knowledge of Swiss independence, and a regard
for its preservation. But Lucerne, although not
prolific in those external attractions which catch
the eye of a stranger, is possessed of many recom-
mendations of another kind. The institutions for the
intellectual and moral improvement of its inhabi-
tants, are upon a scale of great liberality. Of these,
I will mention only one—the great public school.



LUCERN.E. 181
Into this school, every child until the age of twelve
is admitted, upon payment of six francs per an-
num, and is taught reading, writing, arithmetic,
and the first principles of Latin; and this privi-
lege of acquiring, in early years, the rudiments of
learning, is not confined to the city of Lucerne,
nor even to the canton ; persons may claim admit-
tance from any other of the Swiss cantons, and
even from foreign countries. But the privilege I
have mentioned, is followed by another still great-
er. The college and the school are one establish-
ment; and every one who has received his edu-
cation in the school, is immediately received as a
pupil of the college, and pays nothing for his in-
struction here. He is taught Latin, Greek, Mathe-
matics, Theology, Painting and Music. The French
language is also taught; but this costs six francs
per annum—a trifling sum indeed, but neverthe-
less justifying the strange conclusion, that paint-
ing and music are looked upon as more indispen-
sable branches of education than French. The
original fund for this establishment amounted to
400,000 francs, but has subsequently been greatly
increased by donations. With such an establish-
ment as this, the Canton of Lucerne ought to be
more enlightened than it is.
The state of morals in Lucerne, I have reason
to think, are not remarkably pure—less so than in
most of the other Swiss cities. I visited the jail,
and found in it forty men, and the same number
of women—twenty-six of the latterfor repeated vio-
lations of chastity. The magistrates of Lucerne
guard well the morals of the inhabitants; for there,
as in Zurich, dancing is forbidden, excepting du-

is 2 T, UCERN.E.
ring the last three days of the carnival, and any
two other days that may be selected. At marriages,
however, the strictness of the law is relaxed, and
permission may, upon such occasions, be easily ob-
tained from the magistracy. I did not expect to
find any limitation upon dancing in a Catholic
canton; for, throughout Catholic Europe, danc-
ing forms the chief recreation of the inhabi-
tants.
There is one well-known object of curiosity in
the neighbourhood of Lucerne—the monument
erected to the memory of the Swiss guards who
fell in defending the Tuilleries on the 10th of
August 1792. Will some patriotic Swiss erect
another monument to their countrymen, who fell in
the second revolution of 1830? The revolution of
1792 was as necessary as the revolution of 1830;
and although Louis was a better king than Charles,
the Swiss are perhaps as deserving of a monument
in the one case as in the other. But it is of the
monument itself, not of the cause of its erection,
that I must speak. The monument is to be found
in the garden of General Pfyffer, a name well
known throughout Switzerland; it is hewn out of
a solid rock, and represents a lion dying, wound-
ed by an arrow, and seeming, even in the agonies
of death, to protect the fleur-de-lis. The lion is
twenty-eight feet in length, and is eighteen feet
high; and the execution is deserving of every
‘commendation. The idea was proposed to Thor-
waldsen by a person sent to Rome for the pur-
pose by General Pfyffer, and with some little
variations Thorwaldsen adopted the original de-
sign, and executed a model accordingly, which

}, UCERN.E. 183
was brought to Switzerland and intrusted to M.
Ahorn, a sculptor of Constance, by whom the
work was completed. He laboured at it eigh-
teen months, and received 50,000 francs (2000l.
Sterling.) Many objections have been made to
this monument. I pass over those offered by
such as condemn the cause of its erection, and
who so admire the principle of the French re-
volution, that they cannot perceive any beauty
in a work intended to commemorate resistance
to it. Others say, the idea of the monument
is not sufficiently national; but the principal ob-
jections are those which deny the originality of
the design. They say, that two monuments of a
similar design are to be found elsewhere ; one at
Strasbourg, the monument to Marshal Saxe ;
and the other at Vienna, in both of which, the
union of strength and death is represented by a
lion; but whatever may be said of the design, I
believe no one objects to the execution. The old
soldier who showed me the monument, was him-
self one of the survivors of the Swiss guard, and
of course, related to me, as I suppose he does to
every one else, the history of his dangers and es-
cape. He is a fine old man, and certainly adds to
the interest of the lion he shows.
The same morning I made a more complete
tour of the city, passing along all the four bridges,
and looking into the churches and the shop-win-
dows. One of the bridges is of extraordinary
length; it crosses the river near its outlet from the
lake, and is no less than 1870 feet long. Upon
this bridge are a vast number of paintings from
Scripture history; and I noticed that a greater
184 LUCERN.E.
number of persons were attracted by these, than
by the representations of Swiss history on the
other bridge. There are still two more bridges,
one uncovered and very ancient, and the other, ad-
orned with pictures from Holbein’s dance of
death. I omitted to say, when speaking of the
bridge consecrated to Swiss history, that near the
centre is an ancient tower, called the Water-tower,
probably used as a prison in former times, though
some say it was used as a watch-tower.
If one should happen to be in the neighbour-
hood of the churches in Lucerne, it may be worth
while to walk in. In the cathedral there is a pic-
ture by Lanfranc; and I was particularly struck
with the size of the organ. It contains nearly
3000 pipes, some of them thirty-seven feet high,
and cannot, I think, be much inferior in magni-
tude to the celebrated organ of Haerlem. While
I stood admiring the organ, an old man accosted
me, asking if I would like to see the relics; “nous
avons la plus belle collection du monde," said
he, and I willingly acceded to the proposal. The
richest parts of the collection are the bones of
saints; but if my little anatomical knowledge does
not greatly deceive me, I took up some fragments
which would prove that there have been martyrs
and saints among the brute creation. My con-
ductor, to whom I expressed this opinion in as
delicate terms as possible, only grinned at me a
smile of suspicion of my orthodoxy, and passed
on to a fragment of the true cross. -
There are some delightful promenades in the
neighbourhood of Lucerne, to which accident con-
ducted me in the evening. One of them, a garden,
LUCERNE. 185
at a short distance from a gentleman's house, which
is situated upon a little eminence. I was parti-
cularly pleased here with a trifling act of uncalled-
for civility. At a short distance from the house,
there is a jet of very clear water which falls into a
small marble basin. The evening was warm, and I
lifted a little water in my hand to my lips. A mi-
mute or two afterwards, a girl came running from
the house, and presented me with a glass upon a
silver salver. In the course of my walk I passed
two convents, both of the Capuchin order, one
for men, the other for women. The latter is as rich
as the other is poor; and to the sisters, accordingly,
the poor friars are indebted for whatever little com-
forts the rules of their order permit them to enjoy.
Lucerne is one of the most important of the
Swiss cantons, not only as being one of the larg-
est and the most fertile, but as sharing the Presi-
dency of the diet with Berne and Zurich, and as
being the chief of the Catholic Cantons. Spain
had formerly an ambassador at Lucerne, and the
Pope's nuncio is still resident in the city. The
canton produces a little more than it consumes, but
how much more would it produce, were industry
as active within it, as in the Cantons of Berne and
Zurich P A great part of Lucerne is covered with
the finest soil; and I have never any where seen
more abundant crops than are produced in those
parts, where time and industry are bestowed upon
the land. In no part of Switzerland might the in-
habitants be more at their ease than in this canton;
and yet there is not a commune in which paupers
are not to be found. There are no direct taxes
in the canton; but every inhabitant of the city pays
186 LUCERN.E.,
six francs per annum, without distinction of for-
tune; and there is also a small tax levied for the
maintenance of a police.
The canton is not so purely a republic as some
of the other cantons. The city has the right of
returning one half of the members of the Supreme
Council; and these members enjoy their dignity
for life. The clergy in this canton are numerous.
There are no fewer than 111 resident in the ca-
pital, which is nearly two to every hundred inha-
bitants.
Whilst I remained in Lucerne, the weather
was unfavourable for the ascent of mountains.
Mists were constantly hovering over them, and
often obscuring their summits; but I resolved to
make an attempt. My choice was divided be-
tween Mount Pilate and the Rigi ; but as the
weather cleared up considerably the second day
of my stay in Lucerne, I resolved to attempt the
ascent of Mount Pilate, because the Rigi being
greatly lower, I might more probably find another
opportunity of ascending it. I may be allowed
to say a few words of my attempt, although it.
proved unsuccessful. -
I left Lucerne about three in the afternoon,
with an active and very intelligent guide, and
passed through a very charming country between
Lucerne and the base of the mountain. The
lower part of the mountain is finely wooded, and
the ascent to the pasturages is not at all fatiguing.
These stretch to a very considerable elevation, and
I found them covered with cattle. After about
an hour and a half easy walking, I gained a ridge,
from which the path descended rapidly into an
LUCERN.E., 1:87.
Alpine valley called Eigenthal. , Traversing this,
it mounts again, still passing through continued
pasturage, and getting constantly steeper; and
about half-past seven, or a little later, I gained
the Bründlenalpe, where I purposed sleeping. At
this time, the different summits of the mountain
were entirely free from clouds; and I could not
but regret that the evening was too far advanced
to justify me in attempting the ascent. I slept in
a chalet in the Bründlenalpe, and slept well; but
it was a sad disappointment, when, upon looking
out early next morning, I saw nothing beyond
the elevation where I stood; especially as my
guide had been quite confident in his anticipa-
tions of a serene morning. I waited two or
three hours, in hopes that the sunshine might
break through, and disperse the mists; but the
expectation was vain; the clouds became more
dense, rolling down the valleys; and below, as
well as above me, the mountain was soon entirely
shrouded. I turned towards Lucerne very re-
luctantly, and reached the hotel about mid-day.
Mount Pilate is, on many accounts, an inte-
resting mountain. Its very appearance creates an
interest; for the form of its three highest peaks is
singularly striking; and, rising immediately from
the lake to the height of more than 7000 feet, it
presents a grand, and seemingly very elevated
front. It was upon this mountain that, many
years ago, a great and useful work was construct-
ed, for the purpose of facilitating the descent of
timber. It was a kind of groove, no less than
40,000 feet (nearly eight miles) in length;-a.
most gigantic work, and worthy of a more endur-
I88 LUCERNE.
ing fate. A trunk of a tree, ninety feet long, and
two feet in diameter, committed to this groove,
accomplished its journey in the inconceivably short
space of two minutes and a half. Compared with
this, what are the movements of the locomotive
steam-engines 2 This work was destroyed in
1819. *
There is a tradition connected with this moun-
tain, which I must not omit noticing. There is
a small lake, very high up in the mountain, into
which Pontius Pilate, stung with remorse, is said
to have plunged; and this event, in the popular
belief of bygone days, was of course looked upon
as the cause of all the storms that assailed the
mountain, and of every misfortune that befel those
who lived within its precincts. The superstition,
I believe, has passed away; but that it did exist
to a surprising extent, is certain. There are two
caverns or grottos near the Bründlenalpe, said to
be of vast extent; but for my part, I always re-
fuse to visit grottos, which I have never found to
repay the traveller for his trouble ; and the en-
trance to those on Mount Pilate being dangerous
as well as troublesome, I declined listening to the
importunities of my guide.


* See Appendix.
189
CHAPTER XIII.
BERNE.
Journey from Lucerne to Berne—The Zempeacher Zee
—Appearance of Berne—Preparations for opening
the Diet—Arrival of the Deputies—The Platform of
the Cathedral, and View of the Oberland Bernois—
The Markets, and Prices of Provisions—Berne as a
Residence—Sunday in Berne—St Christophe – The
Tirage Federal–Crime and Punishment—Anecdote—
The Opening of the Diet—Honours rendered to La-
dies—Details respecting the Opening Ceremonies—
Public Opinion and Political Party in Switzerland.
THE Rigi continued enveloped in clouds; and I
did not remain at Lucerne till they were dissi-
pated. I therefore missed the panorama of the
Rigi, which all the world agrees is worth seeing,
and left Lucerne en voiture for Berne. Pedes-
trianism is agreeable in mountainous countries
only ; and as this is not the character of the coun-
try from Lucerne to Berne, I changed for a while
my travelling character. -
Nothing can be more beautiful than the envi-
rons of Lucerne, on the side of Berne. The
Reuss flows in a fine broad rapid stream close to
the road; while, on the other side, the most in-
viting slopes redeem the country from the charac-
M
I90 BERNE.
ter of tameness. Gardens and orchards lie along
the other side of the river, and neat country-
houses give animation to the landscape. This
part of Switzerland strongly reminded me of some
parts of the county of Worcester. The Lake of
Sempach, or the Zempeacher-Zee, is not much
heard of; and yet, if one arrived upon its banks
without having previously seen any of those other
lakes which are surrounded by more majestic
scenery, the Lake of Sempach would be called
beautiful. I journeyed along its banks just before
sunset, and was greatly delighted with the gentle
scenes that lay near it. The hills surrounding
it do not rise more than a thousand feet above
its level, and are covered with meadows and
woods; and not fewer than six or eight villages
are scattered along the margin of the water. A
change in scenery, as in almost any thing else,
is pleasing; and, glorious as is the scenery of the
mountains, the mind experiences an agreeable
emotion, when, after a long journey amid the sub-
lime objects they disclose, we descend into the
fertile plain. Excitement may be too intense to
be long sustained without pain; and this is the
secret of the pleasurable emotion we experience.
The quieter and tamer beauties of the plain are
felt to be a relief, and bring repose to the over-
wrought feelings.
After leaving the Zempeacher-Zee, I conti-
nued to pass through much the same kind of
country, and stopped at a place I think called
Casteln, for the night. In this neighbourhood, I
remarked the most luxuriant crops, and the most
neglected land, side by side. The cause was
BERNE. 19 I
worth inquiring into ; and the explanation was
such as I expected, but much regretted to learn.
This part of the canton borders upon that of
Berne. The proprietors, are some of them Ca-
tholics, some Protestants. So far the enigma is
unexplained. But, unfortunately, there is no part
of Switzerland where the consciences of the inha-
bitants are so tender as here, nor any part where
this tenderness is so much encouraged. In the
village I allude to, the bell rings for prayers at
five. The church is not close to the village, so
that dressing, going to church, the observances
when there, returning, undressing and breakfast-
ing, occupy the entire morning ; and the same
observances at two in the afternoon occupy other
two hours. If we allow, as an average, twelve
hours for labour, and say that four hours are oc-
cupied in the manner I have mentioned—and this
is the very least that can be allowed—one-third
more labour is bestowed upon the land belonging
to the Protestants, than that belonging to Catho-
lics; and if to these hours we add twenty-two
holidays, we have a still more satisfactory explana-
tion of the enigma I have mentioned.
That part of the Canton of Berne which lies
between its metropolis and Lucerne, is a rich and
well enclosed country, fertile in every kind of
grain, and abounding in luxuriant meadows; and
in approaching the city, well built, and some-
times prettily ornamented houses, show them-
selves every few hundred yards. The first view
of Berne is striking. A fine irregular line of
lofty houses is seen stretching along the top of
the height that overhangs the river. Gardens
192 BERNE.
slope down to its brink; and at the end of the
line, on a still greater elevation, stands the cathe-
dral, surrounded by the dark shade of some som-
bre trees. There are three principal hotels in
Berne, Le Faucon, La Couronne, and Les Gen-
tilhommes. I had been recommended to the lat-
ter, and found great reason to be pleased with it.
The Falcon is the hotel chiefly frequented by the
English ; and I have been told, that it happens
frequently, at the table d'hote, there is not a native
of any other country than England. I believe it
is an excellent hotel, though somewhat expensive.
Berne has much the air of a metropolis, and se-
veral of its streets are well worthy of the rank it
holds; for although Zurich be larger, and more po-
pulous, and the Canton of Zurich the first in the
Confederation, Berne is the reputed capital of all
Switzerland, and is, in consequence, the residence
of the ministers of the different foreign powers.
But although there is much permanent magnifi-
cence about Berne, the bustle which, upon en-
tering the town, struck me as being so different
from any of the other Swiss towns, I found was
owing to a specific cause : the Diet was about to
assemble, and this of course created a great influx
of company. Scarcely ten minutes elapsed with-
out an arrival; but the most amusing of these,
was the arrival of the deputies themselves. The
carriage in which sat each deputy, generally in so-
litary state, was preceded by an official person on
horseback, himself and the hinder part of his
horse covered with an enormous mantle, one
half of it of one colour, and the other half of an-
other. Nothing can be more fantastic than the ap-
BERNE. 193
pearance of these men. One side of their mantles
of flaming red perhaps, the other bright yellow, or
white, or any other colour in perfect contrast with
it; and each had a great cocked hat on his head, and
an enormous sword by his side. These are the co-
lours of the canton; but why two colours should be
necessary, I could learn no farther, than that such is
the will of the council. It was amusing enough to
observe the contrastin the entrée ofthe different de-
puties. You hear the quick pace of a horse, and,
mounted upon it, is the official in hismantle; but the
mantle is new, the colours bright, the feather in
the cocked hat full and unsullied, and the horse that
has the honour to carry all this, handsome, and
handsomely caparisoned; then is heard an extra-
ordinary cracking of whips, and four or five well-
conditioned horses, guided by a smart postilion,
are seen trotting quickly along, and a handsome
new painted, and somewhat gaudy carriage behind,
in which sits the deputy. This is doubtless the
deputy of Zurich, or Basle, or St Gall. Now for
the contrast. You hear the stumbling pace of a
hack, and, mounted upon it, is also the official in
his mantle; but the mantle is old, the colours
faded, the feather in the cocked hat meagre and
Jarnished; and the horse below bears its honours
meekly, its head looks earthward, and its trappings
are evidently recommended by long service. Then
one or two feeble cracks are heard, just loud e-
nough to acquit the conscience of the postilion
from the charge of entering the metropolis with-
out one sign of a deputy ; and two or three rough
horses are seen at something between a trot and a
walk, dragging along a heavy rolling machine,

194 BERNE.
though certainly of the coach species, in which
sits the honourable deputy. This you may set
down as the deputy of Unterwalden, Uri, or Tes-
sin; so great is the difference between the wealth
and importance of one canton and another, and
the means of their several representatives. It is
not the etiquette for a deputy to make his entrée
accompanied by any part of his family, so that a
separate carriage generally followed at a little dis-
tance, carrying the wife and part of the family of
the representative. Almost all the deputies bring
their wives; this is no doubt the result of a very
natural vanity on the part of the ladies, who, for
one year at least in their lives, are elevated a-
bove the station of their neighbours, and enjoy
certain high privileges and honours while they
mix in the society of Berne—precedence, for ex-
ample. This is strictly observed, not only in
general society, but among each other. The wife
of a deputy not only takes precedence of all ladies
who are not deputies' wives, but each takes prece-
dence according to the rank which the canton re-
presented by her husband holds in the Confedera-
tion. The consequence of this is, that the small
have precedence over the great—a thing that I do
not believe occurs in any other part of the world.
The wives of the representatives of Uri, Unter-
walden, and Schwytz, must take precedence of
their rivals from the greater and richer cantons of
Basil, St Gall, Argovie, Geneva, &c.
The first time I left the hotel, I directed my
steps towards the platform of the cathedral, so
celebrated for the magnificent view enjoyed from
it of the Alps Bernois. This platform stands
BERNE, 195
about 100 feet above the river. It is not very
large; but the fine shade above, and the charming
prospect around, sufficiently justify the preference
of the inhabitants. The Aar sweeps in a noble
stream below. Gardens in terraces hang upon the
bank, which, for a mile in length, presents a beau-
tiful declivity, covered with fruit-trees, and ever-
greens, and weeping-willows, and enamelled with
the dies of a thousand flowers. Beyond the river,
the eye ranges over a country rich in every kind
of verdure, sprinkled with villages, and thickly
studded with white houses and cottages; and be-
yond stretches the vast line of mountains, their
summits distinguishable from the clouds only by
their greater purity. I frequently returned to this
spot while I remained in Berne, and contemplated
this magnificent amphitheatre in all the varieties
lent to it by the different lights and hues of morn-
ing, noon, and evening; and so vivid and pleas-
ing are my recollections of the hours I spent there,
that were I asked to enumerate the advantages of
different spots as places of residence, I should cer-
tainly bear this platform in mind. Many other
cities have fine promenades, and pointes des vites,
as the French call them ; but then an hour or two
is perhaps required to get to them ; whereas one
may walk from any part of Berne to the platform
in ten minutes. There, too, other senses besides
that of sight may be gratified; for while nature
has spread out a feast for the most intellectual of the
senses, man has provided for the wants of another
—the least refined of them all. A commodious
café flanks the corner of the promenade, where
you may one moment contemplate the glories of
196 BERNE,
Jungfraw, and the next, the more rosy and scarce-
ly less frigid charms of an ice-cream. The union
of pleasures can no farther go. I had almost for-
gotten to mention the cathedral, which stands up-
on the platform. I did not find much to admire
in it. It is of the Gothic architecture of the end of
the 15th century, and is not very remarkable any
way. I mounted the steeple, which is almost 200
feet high, but found myself scarcely rewarded for
the fatigue. The view from the summit is some-
what more extensive, but not more beautiful than
that enjoyed from the platform below.
The next place I visited was the market; and,
in going towards it, I could not but again remark
the spacious streets, and excellent houses of the
Swiss metropolis. I do not recollect many streets
in England superior to the Grande Rue of Berne.
The houses are lofty, handsome, and built of stone;
the street wide, long, and adorned with many
fountains; and an arcade runs along each side,
offering shelter from the rain, and shade from the
sun. I never saw any where (excepting at Thou-
louse) a more abundant vegetable market than
I saw at Berne. It entirely filled the street for
a space little short of half a mile, and every kind
of vegetable is good and cheap. The season was
not sufficiently advanced to afford a great variety
of fruits; but the cherries were abundant and fine,
and remarkably cheap. In the butcher-market, Isaw
excellent meat of every kind, and also in great a-
bundance. Beef, in Berne, averages about 2%d.
perlib., mutton 2d., veal 3d. Butter may generally
be purchased at about 6d. ; fowls ls. 8d. a pair;
eggs at 1; d. per dozen, Bread sells at 1%d, por
BERN E. 197
lib. Berne, therefore is a cheap place of residence,
and would certainly be in many respects an agree-
able one. Houses, however, are difficult to be
had, and are consequently rather dear; but I no-
ticed a considerable number of new half-built
houses in the neighbourhood of the town, from
which we may infer, that although dear at pre-
sent, they are likely to be cheaper. I omitted to
mention, while speaking of the price of provisions,
that there are no dues of entry into the town of
Berne, which satisfactorily explains the reason of
their low prices. In Berne, the wages of servants
are nearly the same as in England; but in the
country they are not above one half. Horses may
be kept for very little ; and I need scarcely say,
that there is no tax either upon horses or carriages.
There is a tax of another kind, which exclusively
affects strangers: it is a direct tax of 30 francs
per annum upon the head of every foreigner resi-
dent within either the city or any part of the Pre-
jecture of Berne. I see nothing unjust in this
tax. If a foreigner selects, for his place of resi-
dence, any other country than his own, he receives
the protection of the laws of the country in which
he resides, and may justly be asked to contribute
towards the expense of those establishments by
which he directly benefits; and it were perhaps to
be wished that other countries would follow the
example of Berne, and thus diminish those tempt-
ations which lure so many of the English abroad.
This would be better than a tax upon absentees.
If sufficient in its amount, it would answer the
same purpose, and would prevent the necessity (for
to a necessity it very nearly amounts) of laying on
198 JBERNE.
a tax which might be so justly objected to, as being
a direct tax upon personal liberty. -
The day after I arrived in Berne chanced to
be Sunday—the best of all days for seeing and
judging of the condition, and even the character,
of the inhabitants—at least of the lower classes.
During the forenoon, the general aspect of things
was somewhat triste; but the evening brought
with it the gaiety of a Catholic city; and I do not
recollect to have any where seen a better dressed,
better behaved, or seemingly a more happy, popu-
lation. -
The members of the Diet assembled in the af-
ternoon to elect a president, and for other matters
of form, previous to the public ceremonial of the
following day. There was no procession; they
went singly, each on foot, in full black dress, with
sword and cocked hat, and preceded by the official
in his mantle. A small guard of soldiers was drawn
up before the Hotel de Ville ; and, as each de-
puty passed by, he was received with the roll of a
drum, and with presented arms. A good many
people were assembled to see their representatives
pass by. Every one took off his hat, but indeed
it would have been positive rudeness to have done
otherwise, as the deputies themselves walked unco-
vered. They were in general respectable-looking
men; and were all dressed alike, excepting two,
who wore boots. I should think shoes and silk
stockings are unknown in some of the cantons.
In the evening I walked into the environs.
Passing through one of the gates, I remarked an
old tower and a colossal statue placed in a niche.
This statue is commonly called Goliah, but in for-
RER NE, 199
mer times had the honour of being a saint, and
even earned the reputation of performing miracles.
He was then called St Christophe, and had a
niche in the church of St Vincent ; but since he
has been placed upon the tower, his character has
been changed from a saint to that of a warrior.
He has now an axe over his shoulder, and a sword
in his hand. I had almost forgotten to say, that
when St Christophe occupied his original place
in the church, his situation was most convenient
for those who desired to profit by his miracle-
working power. It was º necessary to pass
between his legs. I noticed also, in passing along
the streets, several fountains constructed upon
strange and inexplicable designs. Upon one of
them is a statue of a gigantic person, whose face
expresses any thing but cannibalism, busily em-
ployed in devouring a child. I observed in the
fosse, near the Porte d'Arberg, some enormously
large bears—one weighing, as I was told, 560
lib. Bears are more a-propos here than any
where else, because the bear is the arms of the
city, and is impressed upon the coin of the can-
ton.
The principal object of my walk was to see the
preparations for the Tirage Federal. The Ti-
rage Federal may be called a national institu-
tion. Its object is to keep alive a martial spirit
among the people, and at the same time to teach
expertness in the use of fire-arms. This assembly
is held yearly, and takes place alternately at
Berne, Geneva, Aarau, Basil, and Fribourg. No
one can enter the lists who has not resided ten
years in Switzerland; and with this single re-
200 BERNE.
striction, all are permitted to try their skill. The
prizes distributed vary from 100 to 1000 francs.
These are partly paid by grants from the different
cantons, and partly from the fees which every
candidate pays upon entering his name. The fee
is but trifling—five or ten francs; but I forget
which.
I confess I did not expect to find the prepara-
tions for this fete, as it may be called, so exten-
sive, or so much importance attached to it. I
found a wooden building erected of very great
dimensions, rather more than five hundred yards
long, a hundred and fifty yards wide, and the roof
immensely lofty. This building is divided into
compartments, from the front of which the candi-
dates fire; and in the middle is an elevated place
for the judges. Opposite to this building, at
two hundred yards distance, are placed the tar-
gets, which extend in line the same length as the
building; and behind the first mentioned build-
ing is another, of precisely similar dimensions,
where innumerable tables are laid out, and benches
placed, for the refreshment of the company. I
found the field covered with people, all contem-
plating, with the greatest interest, the prepara-
tions for this favourite national trial; and, in a
meadow at a little distance by the river-side, many
of the young men of Berne were practising for
the approaching Tirage Federal. One of the
highest prizes in this tirage is looked upon by the
young men of Switzerland as an object of the
greatest and most laudable ambition. The best
marksmen are greatly honoured in their neigh-
bourhood; and as all those who gain the highest


BERNE, 201:
prizes are allowed to carry away the targets that
prove their prowess, it is not unusual to see these
fixed upon the peasants' houses, in various parts
of Switzerland.
I returned to the city by a very delightful road,
which I found crowded with the Bernois and
Bernoise, enjoying their Sunday evening's relax-
ation from labour. I remarked among them a
more equal mixture of the male and female po-
pulation, than I had seen in the other Swiss
cities. In most of the Swiss towns, that separa-
tion which exists between the sexes among the
upper ranks, extends also to the lower orders. The
women are seen walking in groups, and so are
the men; but in Berne they order things better.
I observed, as in England, lads and lasses walk-
ing together, and talking, laughing, jesting, and
frolicking with each other. I even saw here and
there a pair of sweethearts in the more retired
walks. All this is as it ought to be.
In entering the town, I passed by the prison,
and took the opportunity of making one or two
inquiries of the person who happened to be stand-
ing at the door of the concierge. The result
was not very favourable to the state of morals.
There were then almost 400 persons confined,
by far the greater number for theft. There was
one person awaiting his trial for wilful fire-raising,
a crime which is punished upon the principle of
strict retributive justice. They who are proved
to have been wilful incendiaries are burnt. About
four months before I visited Switzerland, an in-
cendiary had suffered this punishment at Bienne.
The prison is new, remarkably handsome, and

202 BERNE.
very large ; but I fear not too large for the de-
mands upon it. I did not visit the interior, but
I understand its regulations are of the best pos-
sible kind. - -
A circumstance occurred at supper, at the table
d'hote, worth relating. Before supper, several gen-
tlemen stepped into the room, among others one
Englishman. The book in which strangers enter
their names lay open upon a table, and the Eng-
lishman entered his name. Several persons look-
ed into the book in passing, among others, a
Russian gentleman and myself; and I found the
Englishman had put in the column marked Ca-
ractère, “ Homme de Lettres.” We placed
ourselves at table, and it so happened that the
Russian and the man of letters were placed oppo-
site to each other. The Russian was scarcely
seated before he addressed the Englishman in
German; but it being evident that he was not
understood, he next tried Italian. The man of
letters knew enough of Italian to distinguish the
language in which he was addressed; and he re-
plied, in indifferent French, that he did not speak
Italian. The Russian now concluded that he had
at last found out the medium of communication,
and he immediately addressed the man of letters
in French, but was still unsuccessful. He re-
plied, indeed; but after a few more attempts, the
Russian found that, even in French, he had all
the conversation to himself; and, as if determined
upon following up his triumph, he then addressed
the gentleman in tolerably good English, saying,
he was always glad to meet with foreigners, that
by talking to them in their own language, he
2
BERNE. 203
might improve his knowledge of it. I could not
but feel for my countryman all this while, though
his egregious folly in taking a title of so much
pretension, almost removed him beyond the pale
of compassion. He might possibly be entitled
to the designation of “ Homme de Lettres,”
though he could speak no language but his own ;
but it was extremely unwise to designate himself
so, unless he possessed the power of proving his
pretensions. The Russians are distinguished,
beyond the natives of all other countries, for the
facility with which they acquire languages; and
it was certainly a remarkable piece of ill fortune,
that the man of letters should have fallen so in-
opportunely into the hands of a Russian.
Next morning, I was awoke at an early hour
by the commotion in the street. Bells were ring-
ing, drums were beating, and carriages rolling, at
the early hour of six o'clock. The first part of
the ceremony of opening the Diet, consists in
the deputies assembling at church, to attend di-
vine worship. They repaired to it one by one,
the same as the evening before ; and although
they entered the house of God, honour was paid,
in entering, to the representatives of the people.
A guard was drawn up on each side of the porch,
and colours were lowered, and arms presented,
as each deputy passed by. The church was
extremely crowded; but I contrived to get near
the preacher, who delivered a very well-arranged,
very long, and rather energetic sermon, upon the
duties of representatives and lawgivers. I left the
cathedral before the ceremony was concluded, that
I might obtain a place in the other church, where




*
204 BERNE.
the remainder of the ceremonies were to take
place. I found the streets lined with a very
motley description of soldiers—some in one dress,
some in another, and some without any distin-
guishing dress at all, and at least one-half of the
whole number boys of from twelve to sixteen
years old. The interior of the church was very
well arranged. All the pews were removed. A large
table was placed at one end; and four rows of
green velvet chairs occupied all the centre, ex-
cepting where a passage was left opposite to the
table; and at the other end were ranged thirty or
forty rows of benches, one above another, as in
the pit of a theatre. When I reached the church,
these were entirely filled with ladies in handsome
morning dresses; but three benches in front were
vacant, reserved for the families of the deputies,
and perhaps some of the privileged aristocracy of
Berne. Until the arrival of the deputies, I had
nothing to do but scan the company; and after
having run my eye over the thirty or forty bench-
es, I was constrained to say, that not one fine
countenance was to be seen.
After several general officers, dressed in splen-
did uniforms, and covered with orders, had been
ushered in by the officer in waiting, a roll of a
drum was heard at the door, and every one thought
the deputies were coming; but, behold ! three
ladies entered—a deputy's wife and two daugh-
ters—who took their seats, with an air of extra-
ordinary importance, upon the chairs reserved for
the privileged; and so they well might; for to be
received with military honours, is a distinction
that I dare to say is not rendered to ladies in any
l
B ERNE. 205
other part of the world. A man and his wife in
Berne are truly one. I noticed that the most
strict regard was paid to precedence; so much so,
that two ladies, who had been improperly placed,
were obliged to leave their seats, to make way for
others who possessed a superior right. The
clergy and the magistracy arrived next : for the
former, two rows of chairs had been prepared ;
and the Protestant clergy were placed in the front
row, the Catholic behind. It so happened, that
the Catholic clergy had arrived first, and had been
directed to occupy the seats reserved for the Pro-
testant clergy; and when the latter arrived, the
Catholic clergy were politely requested to occupy
the place of less honour. But they have their days
of honour also. The rule is, that precedence
follows the religion of the canton in which the
Diet is held; so that, when the supreme council
holds its sittings at Lucerne, which it does every
fifth and sixth year, the Catholic clergy occupy
“the chief seats in the synagogue.” This is
quite fair. At length, a louder roll of the drum
than usual announced the approach of the depu-
ties, who entered at a slow and senatorial pace,
preceded by the twenty-two officials in their man-
tles; and until the President had taken his place,
and the deputies were seated, every one stood,
and a solemn anthem was played by a full and
very effective band, which was placed in the gal-
lery. The deputies were all dressed as I had
seen them before; and the two who wore boots,
were in boots still. They walked the sixth and
sixteenth, and were therefore the deputies of Un-
terwalden and Tessin. Among the wives of the
N
206 BERNE,
deputies, I noticed no distinguishing peculiarity
in dress. The ladies from Unterwalden and
Tessin were quite as much a la mode as those
from Zurich or Geneva.
Ahmost immediately after the President had
taken his seat, he rose, and addressed the assem-
bly. He spoke of the greatness of the occasion
upon which they were met; he enlarged upon the
excellence of the constitution ; and dwelt upon
the importance of the oath which the members
were about to take ; and, after a well-delivered
speech, which occupied nearly three quarters of
an hour, he took his scat amid a flourish of trum-
pets and drums. The heads of the constitution
were then read, and the members took the oath
to maintain it. Another anthem finished the ce-
remonies, and so the Diet was opened. I omit-
ted to say, that the church was hung with tapes-
try, representing the deeds of arms by which
Helvetia had distinguished herself in history.
The Swiss Diet, like the legislative bodies of
other states, has its friends and its enemies, its
panegyrists and its calumniators ; and, even in
Switzerland, there is such a thing as political
party. Several questions of very great import-
ance were expected to come under the considera-
tion of the legislature ; one, a project for a single
code of laws for the whole Federal Republic ;
another, a proposal to assimilate the coins of the
different cantons. I am confident, from what I
have observed of the state of public opinion in the
different states, that neither of these projects will
ever be carried into effect. If the different juris-
dictions in the country of the Grisons were so
BERNE . 207
much opposed to one code of laws, even for their
own canton, how is it to be expected that the
twenty-two cantons—differing from each other in
intelligence, in religion, in political constitution
—should accept a project, the object of which is
to narrow the distinction that now exists among
them : It is only a feeling of political expediency
that holds the republic together. Each canton
looks upon itself as a distinct state, and is proud
of all that distinguishes it from its neighbours. I
fear, therefore, that the Swiss republic will con-
tinue to feel those disadvantages which are inse-
parable from a union of states (however inconsi-
derable), whose interests are in some respects op-
posed to each other, and in which knowledge
and civilization have not made equal progress.
I intended to have gone, the day after the Diet
opened, to visit the Lake of Bienne, but the bad-
mess of the morning prevented me; and the wea-
ther continued so unsettled during the greater
part of a week, that I still continued to make
Berne my head-quarters.
208
CHAPTER XIV.
BERNE–ST PETER'S ISLE-IIOFWYL.
Reasons for preferring Berne as a Residence—Society of
Berne—Public Establishments—Eaccursion to the Lake
of Bienne and Rousseau's Isle—Aarberg—The Lake
— Character of St Peter's Isle—Refleaſions—Return
to Berne—Eaccursion to Hofwyl—Details respecting
the Establishment— Canton of Berne.
IF I were to make choice of a Swiss city for a
residence, it should certainly be Berne; chiefly
because I prefer the character of the inhabitants,
and the usages of the city, to the character and
usages of other towns, and partly because I like
its situation better. In the latter ground of pre-
ference, I may probably not find many to agree
with me. It is true, that Berne will not vie with
Zurich in the variety of scenery that surrounds it.
It cannot be compared with Lucerne, in proxi-
mity to the Alps, and in the charm of lake pros-
pects; nor can it boast so fertile a country, or so
noble a river, as Basil. But upon the principle,
that the human mind delights in variety, and that
the scenery which we see constantly around us,
must lose, in time, a part of its charm, nothing
is, perhaps, lost to enjoyment, by being a little
RERN E. 209
removed from those scenes which are capable of
bestowing it. But although the neighbourhood
of Berne has not, like Lucerne and Zurich, its
lake and mountains, nor another Rhine, like Ba-
sil, it has attractions of a different kind. Moun-
tains have their mists and their rains, and lakes
have their exhalations. Berne has a pure dry air,
and a more equable temperature, than the other
Swiss cities; and the lover of nature and of man-
kind will find around Berne, that pleasing union
of animated with inanimate nature—that mixture
of busy life and inert matter, and even that va-
riety of natural scenery—which are altogether a
more permanent source of enjoyment than more
sublime and less animated pictures.
As a city, Berne is greatly superior to Basil,
Lucerne, or Geneva. It is a pleasant thing to
walk in wide airy streets, and at the same time to
have the advantage of shade and shelter, if re-
quired. Where there are arcades, one may al-
ways choose between bustle and quiet—bustle un-
der the arcades—quiet in the centre of the street;
and in the agremens of a city, Berne has decid-
edly the advantage of its rivals. And this leads
me to say a few words respecting the character of
the inhabitants, and the modes of life. These
are far less triste than in Zurich or Basil. In
Berne, there is a more unrestrained intercourse
among the inhabitants; and we do not find there,
as in most parts of Switzerland, separate reunions
of men and women. There is much of French
gaiety, but little of the licentiousness which some-
times attends it; and this gaiety is at the same
time finely tempered by a portion of that senti-
210 BERNE.
ment and enthusiasm which belong to the German
character. It is true, that the principle of exclu-
siveness is not forgotten in the society of Berne.
The aristocracy is proud to a certain extent, and
guarded in its intercourse; but the rights of the
aristocracy are so well defined, that, to enforce
them, produces none of those heart-burnings and
envyings that so often result, in other countries,
from distinction in grade. The assumption of
certain privileges, and the exclusiveness to which
these give rise, may seem excessively absurd—
above all, in a republic; but it does not at all in-
terfere with the amicable intercourse of the inha-
bitants; nor can the exclusiveness of the patrician
society of Berne diminish in any degree the com-
fort of strangers. A stranger has his grade in
his own country; and he has no right to expect,
that, in visiting a foreign country, he will step
out of it. If his rank at home be such as en-
titles him to enter the patrician society of Berne,
he will find no difficulty in being admitted into it.
On the other hand, if he belong to the middle
ranks of his own country, he must be contented
with the same rank in Berne.
Berne, too, possesses all those public establish-
ments which render a place agreeable as a resi-
dence. It has excellent libraries—excellent aca-
demies—delightful promenades—convenient and
well-ordered baths; a theatre, concerts and balls,
during winter; clever lecturers upon most of the
sciences; eloquent and pious clergymen of almost
every denomination; and to this list may be add-
ed, abundance of shops, where all that contri-
butes either to comfort or luxury may be found.

RERN.E. 2II
The French language is generally understood a-
mong the well educated. The higher the class
in which you mix, the more you will find it spo-
ken. At the same time, a knowledge of German
will be highly advantageous to a resident in Berne,
because it is almost exclusively the language of
the people.
During my residence in Berne, I repeated my
visits to the different places which I had before
glanced at. I never passed through the market
without receiving new gratification, though min-
gled with some painful reflexions. The healthy and
robust appearance of the country-people, well
clothed, and evidently well fed—busy, and seem-
ingly contented—could not but recall to my mind
the half-starved population of the great manufac-
turing cities of England and France, and almost
begot a doubt in my mind whether England be in
reality the happiest country in the world.
I also visited every part of the environs, par-
ticularly one promenade, called l’Engue, whose
only fault is, that it lies about a mile from the city.
It is a most charming walk, beautiful on every side,
and commanding a vast amphitheatre, the sublime
spectacle of the highest range of Alps. The
Schreck-horn, the Monk, the Silver-horn, the Wet-
ter-horn, the Jungfrau, and Mount Eiger, occupy
the centre of the range—names that one has heard
a hundred times, and that are associated in the
mind with all that is sublime in the natural world.
I always found that promenade crowded, especially
in the evening. It is the favourite rendezvous of
the Bernois, and, like the platform of the cathe-
dral, it affords a union of pleasures.


212. BERNE,
A second visit to the cathedral showed me the
Last Judgment carved in wood above the gate—a
work reflecting credit upon the age in which it
was executed. A model of the tower, not as it
is, but as it was once intended to be, was shown
to me. The reason why it was not completed ac-
cording to the original model, is said to have been
owing to the insecurity of the foundation.
Having entirely satisfied my curiosity at Berne,
and the weather having cleared up, I left it at day-
break in a cabriolet, to visit the Lake of Bienne,
and the Isle of St Peter, commonly called Rous-
seau's Isle. In every direction around Berne,
proofs are abundant of the great industry of the
Bernoise peasantry, and of the easy and comfort-
able condition in which they live. I every where
saw a fertile soil about to repay well the toil of
the labourer. Every cottage appeared substan-
tial; and the little gardens attached to it carefully
dressed and neatly arranged. But one has not the
satisfaction of knowing, in passing through this
canton, that the labourer is lord of the soil he
works, and that every seed he throws into the
earth will return its produce into his own granary.
Much of the land in the central parts of this can-
ton, and especially in the neighbourhood of the
capital, belongs to large proprietors—so large at
least, that the land is laboured by hired-servants;
but the condition of every order of society in
most parts of Switzerland leaves little for the phi-
lanthropist to desire. As one proof that not a
foot of ground is lost, I may mention, that I pass-
ed several dunghills, upon which there grew a
luxuriant crop of Sallad and cabbages. It may

B ERNE, 213
also be worth while to say, that these dunghills
are formed with as much nicety as hay-stacks in
other countries. They are square, level on the
top, thatched round with straw, and, unless where
they are put to the use of gardens, covered at the
top.
º breakfasted at Aarberg, a clean little town
built upon the banks of the Aar, which almost
surrounds it. Soon after leaving Aarberg, I
reached a spot where formerly stood a village of
twenty-eight houses, which were all destroyed a
few years ago in a conflagration raised by an in-
cendiary. The reason of this act is said to have
been ill-will conceived against the different shop-
keepers and other persons, who refused to give
him credit. The common law of Switzerland a-
gainst incendiaries was disappointed in this in-
stance. The incendiary, being pursued, crept in-
to a drain, where he was suffocated. A small
monument is erected upon the spot where his
house stood, setting forth the crime of its owner,
and forbidding that any other dwelling shall be
erected upon the same spot. Three hours more
brought me to the height above the Lake of
Bienne; and from this spot the view also em-
braces the Lake of Neufchatel, and the whole
range of the Jura mountains. The view of the
Lake of Bienne is not striking—scarcely beauti-
ful or picturesque. It is merely pleasing;-moun-
tains of the fourth or fifth order, covered with
wood, and vines, and meadows, surround it, and
several villages are scattered at their feet. The
chief attraction of the spot lies in the Isle of St



214 BERNE,
Pierre, and the recollections it recalls of Jean
Jacques Rousseau. -
I hired a boat at the little village nearest to the
island, and soon approached its bank; but, before
landing, I made the circuit of it—a voyage of on-
ly a mile and a half; and, although in first look-
ing down upon the Lake of Bienne, I had thought
that Rousseau might have chosen a more select
retreat, I was no longer of this opinion in sailing
round the island of his choice. Nothing can be
more varied, or of a sweeter or gentler character,
than the scenery of this little spot. Steep rocks,
sloping meadows, vines, and groves and thickets,
are passed by in succession; and the water being
absolutely without a ripple, the boat glided all
the way above the grass and groves reflected be-
neath. I landed close to the house which Rous-
seau had once inhabited, and where he vainly fan-
cied he had at last found repose from the real and
imagined persecutions of mankind. The house
is now used as an inn, and the room is of course
shown, where the “self-torturing sophist” was
wont to muse on the ingratitude of his species;
and to congratulate himself upon having escaped
from the toils of his enemies, and the intrusions of
the impertinent. -
I walked over every foot of the island; and I
trust it will not be called misplaced enthusiasm,
if I confess, that the recollections to which the
scene gave birth, were mingled with some tender-
ness for the memory of the man who had there
dreamed away half a lifetime. Rousseau was in
reality a greater, and perhaps a better man, than
his more fortunate rival; and although he has left


BERNE. 215
behind him less voluminous records of his la-
bours than Voltaire, this perhaps is only one
proof of his greater genius. The errors of Rous-
seau are the errors of an excited imagination. He
believed that he promulgated truths; but Vol-
taire, when he deluged the world with his sophis-
try, smiled all the while at the credulity of man-
kind. I cannot help thinking, that the philoso-
phical works of Rousseau are less esteemed than
they deserve; for although the Emilius is found-
ed upon a dubious principle, yet it teaches many
important truths, and even contains within it some
beautiful and highly moral lessons. -
In wandering over the narrow limits of St Pe-
ter's Isle, one cannot but compassionate the con-
dition of the man, whose morbid state of mind
drove him into exile; and yet it would perhaps
be wiser to give credence to his own assertion,
that the years which he spent in this secluded spot
were the happiest of his life. Here he felt him-
self separated from that world, which he believed
to be united in a league against him; and here
he doubtless revelled in those day-dreams, which,
to a mind constituted like Rousseau's, were happi-
ness. I returned to the house to dinner, which
consisted entirely of country fare, with neither kid
nor fish added to it; and in the evening I passed
over to the village, and from thence to Bienne,
where I spent the night in a very excellent inn,
called La Couronne. There is nothing very re-
markable about Bienne. It is a pretty clean little
town, lying near the lake, and at the foot of the
Jura mountains; and would not perhaps be much
visited by the traveller, if it did not lie so near to


2l6 . BERNE •
the scenes which are consecrated to the memory
of Rousseau. Next day, I returned to Berne by
the same road.
One other spot remained to be visited ; and to
this I dedicated the day before I left Berne for
the Oberland-I mean the well-known establish-
ment of M. de Fellenberg at Hofwyl.
Before saying a word respecting the system of
education pursued at Hofwyl, or recording my
own personal observations, I think it best to state
what were the views and objects of M. de Fellen-
berg in founding this institution ; and I cannot
do this more satisfactorily than in the words of a
Report presented by the Comte de Capo-d'Istria
to the Emperor Alexander. It runs thus :-* M.
de Fellenberg a acquis sa première réputation
comme agronome ; mais son agriculture, et tout le
matériel de ses établissemens qui s'y rapportent,
appartiennent au grand objet de ses travaux et de
ses espérances, savoir l'education, dans le sens le
plus étendu qu'on puisse donner à ce mot.
* Doué d'une ame active, et d'un esprit réflechi,
M. de Fellenberg partageoit l'inquiétude de tous
le penseurs sur les circomstances générales, qui, au
commencement de ce siècle, menaçoient les peu-
ples du Continent. Père de deux fils en bas
âge, ami de l'humanité, citoyen dèvoué à son
pays, il considéroit avec effroi la situation morale
et politique de l'Europe, et l'avenir qui se pré-
paroit pour ses enfans et sa patrie. En réfléchis-
sant sur l'état de la société, il la voyoit menacée
de la dissolution de ses élémens, par l'oubli de la
religion et le mepris de la morale ; par l'influ-
ence du despotisme sur les caractères ; par l'ego-

BERNE , * 217
ïsme et la sensualité des riches; par l'ignorance,
et les vices grossiers des pauvres ; par un effet
naturel des longues agitations politiques, et de
longues souffrances qui lorsqu'elles ont abouti à
la tyrannie, ne laissent que découragement et las-
situde, et persuadent aux foibles, que la vertu
n'est qu'une chimère, comme le furent leurs espé-
I': I1C6S•
* Le vœu d'une reforme fondamentale dans les
principes et les mœurs, etoit certes, bien naturel
dans de telles circonstances ; mais comment le
former avec quelque espoir de succès ? Comment
un individu foible, isolé, pouvoit-il songer à pré-
parer, encore moins à réaliser, une telle révolution,
même dans l'enceinte reserrée d'un canton de
l'Helvetie ? M. de Fellenberg n'en déséspera
pas. Il pensa que les adoucissemens, et les re-
mèdes aux maux de l'état social, devoient se
trouver dans une éducation appropriée aux be-
soins du temps, et à la destination générale de
chacune des classes de la société. Il resolut
d'epayer, dans l'échelle de ses moyens, de créer
un établissement qui pût servir d'exemple, d'ache-
minement, et de noyau à d'autres établissemens
du même genre, dans lesquels on pourrait profiter
de son expérience, éviter ses erreurs, perfection-
ner ses moyens de succès, étendre enfin, de pro-
che en proche, sur son canton, sur tout la Swisse
peutêtre, le bienfait d'une éducation régénéra-
trice des mœurs et des caractêres. -
* Telle fut son idée fondamentale-tels furent
ses vœux et ses espérances. Il fit de l'agricul-
ture la base de son entreprise. Dans tous les

pays celle occupe la grande pluralité de la popu-
218 BERNE.
lation; partout elle est un objet d'intérêt, d'a-
musement, ou de spéculation ; partout il importe
de la perfectionner, et de l'ennoblir. Mais M.
de Fellenberg considera surtout l'agriculture sous
un point de vue philosophique et nouveau c'est-
a-dire comme fournissant, dans son etude et sa
pratique, de grands moyens de développement des
facultés humaines.” -
The natural inquiry is, Has M. de Fellenberg's
project been successful? If the traveller visit the
establishment at Hofwyl, as he would any other
curious object, he will be delighted—he will in all
probability say, that he has never seen any thing
more interesting ; and at every step, while he finds
new claims upon his admiration, he will see
new cause to commend the excellent design of the
founder, and to laud his kind-heartedness. But
if Hofwyl be visited with different views—if it be
regarded as a great moral experiment, capable, by
its result, of influencing the happiness of mankind,
a more guarded approbation will probably be the
result. But I will proceed to detail shortly all
that came under my own observation.
Hofwyl seems like a beautiful little town as you
approach it; and yet it consists entirely of the
buildings belonging to the establishment, and which
have been constructed, one after another, as the
views of M. de Fellenberg extended, or as public
aid enabled him to carry them into effect. I found
an intelligent young man to carry me over every
part of the establishment; and I will readily ad-
mit that I was delighted with every thing, because
I looked upon the whole as the pastime of an a-
miable philosopher. . At Hofwyl, there are three



BERNE. 219
classes of students:—the Pensionnaires of the
first class, who are all gentlemen's sons, and who
pay a handsome sum for board and instruction;
the second or middle class, composed of persons
who pay less, but whose education is in no respect
different from the other class; and the third class,
whose education is gratuitous, and whose labour
is considered an equivalent for their board. When
I visited Hofwyl, there were about 100 Pension-
naires of the first class; 30 of the second class,
and 90 of the third class. The last class was com-
posed of Swiss exclusively; the middle class al-
most entirely of Swiss; and the first class, of Ger.
mans, English, Russians, French, and Swiss. In
this class there was one Spaniard. The instru.
ments of education employed by M. de Fellenberg
are various, and, at first sight, seem somewhat he-
terogeneous. There is, 1. A farm, destined to serve
as a model of agriculture; 2. An experimentalfarm,
or land upon which agricultural experiments are
tried; 3. A manufactory or workshop for the con-
struction and perfection of agricultural implements;
4. A workshop for the manufacture of all instru-
ments used in husbandry. These two latter may
appear to be the same, but this is not the case;
the last is intended for the construction of all me.
cessary agricultural implements, and comprises the
workshop of the cartwright, the joiner, the turner,
the blacksmith, the harness-maker, &c. The former
is destined for attempts at improvement in agricul-
tural implements; and there are seen various kinds
of ploughs; new machines for chopping hay and
as-straw; and three or four different kinds of
machines—(all of late invention, and improve,




220 IBERNE,
ments upon each other)—for sowing grain and
seed of every kind, an operation never performed
at Hofwyl by hand-labour : 5. & 6. A species of
college, in one division of which all the branches
of knowledge and polite education are taught, and
in another all that bears directly upon agricul-
ture. - - *
The education of the poor comprises all that M.
de Fellenberg considers useful. It includes read-
ing, writing, arithmetic, a little grammar, a little
geometry; a few facts in natural history; the his-
tory of their own country; drawing, singing, and
moral lessons. M. de Fellenberg considers mu-
sic to be an important auxiliary in education. To
use his own words—“precious, as softening the
character, and calming the passions; fortifying the
love of order, and of the beautiful; strengthening
the bonds that attach man to his country, and rais-
ing his imagination and his wishes towards Hea-
ven.” But all these branches of education are
made subservient to agricultural education. The
manual labour upon the farms is performed by this
class chiefly. It is thus they gain their bread and
their knowledge in labouring for them; and besides
agricultural education, every one belonging to this
class is taught some trade—either those directly
connected with agriculture, as wheelwrights, black-
smiths, &c.—or any other handicraft; for the esta-
blishment comprehends the work-room of the shoe-
maker, the tailor, &c..who all labour for the esta-
blishment. * - - - w - - º
The education of the higher classes is of a dif-
ferent description. The theory and practice of a-
griculture ºn a part of their education also;
*



BERNE, 221
but in the school, there are teachers of every de-
scription of knowledge, comprising Natural Philo-
sophy, Mathematics, Chemistry, the Languages an-
cient and modern, History, Geography, Natural
History, Botany, and a course upon Religion and
Morals. As relaxations from this, there are Mu-
sic, Painting, the Gymnastic Exercises, Gardening,
and the more elegant parts of Mechanics; and to
assist in these relaxations, the establishment com-
prises music-rooms, containing every kind of mu-
sical instrument; models for painting; fire-arms,
bows and arrows; small gardens appropriated to
individuals; and work-rooms with implements for
turning, &c. -
As the formation of the moral character is one
important object in the view of M. de Fellenberg,
this has led to a departure from the ordinary sys-
tem pursued in schools; for, wisely judging, that
emulation, pushed too far, engenders unamiable
feelings, all the usual means of encouragement
are rejected. There is neither first nor last—no
prizes—no medals—no humiliating punishments.
A well-timed and gentle reproof, or an acknow-
ledgment of duties fulfilled, supply the places of
premiums and disgrace. -
The establishment of Hofwyl is complete in all
its parts. All that is consumed is produced up-
on the farms. In the byres I found thirty oxen,
and sixty cows, all in the most excellent condi-
tion. There were also twenty horses, of the
Mecklenburg breed, for the use of the farms. M.
de Fellenberg makes much use of peas-straw for
horses' food, and of potato parings for cows.
These I saw the cows eat very greedily ; ; and,
O






222 BERNEs.
judging from the quality of the milk, which I
tasted, as well as from its quantity, which was
very great, I could not avoid the conclusion, that
cows thrive upon this aliment. I could easily fill.
several pages with a description of the various
dependencies of the establishment—the bake-
house, the butchery, the dairy, &c. &c.; but it is
enough to say, that all these are faultless, and
that there seems nothing wanting to render the
establishment complete. . . . . .
M. de Fellenberg has been as successful as any
reasonable person believed to be possible. His
establishment affords a beautiful example of how
much may be accomplished by the union of per-
severanee with enthusiasm, when these are direct-
ed towards an object not too extensive for the
surveillance of one mind; but even if this ex-
ample were thought sufficient to warrant any plan
for the extension of the principle, and for the for-
mation of similar establishments, the proposal
must be at once met by the question, “Have
you other twenty M. de Fellenbergs P” The
whole success of an experiment of this kind, de-
pends upon the presiding genius. Establish-
ments, such as those of Hofwyl or New Lanark,
called into existence by the union of philanthropy
and enthusiasm, depend for their continuanee up-
on the life of the architect. It is probable that,
there are not other twenty M. de Fellenbergs in
the whole world; and, if so, it is idle to speak of
the establishment as a thing which can at all in-
fluence the general and permanent happiness of




*.

It is peºp. scarcely fair to consider the opi-
BERNE, 223
mion of M. de Fellenberg's neighbours, the Ber-
nois, as any evidence against his system; but it
is right to state the fact, that scarcely any of the
Pensionnaires at Hofwyl are from the neighbour-
ing city of Berne, and that the opinion of the in-
habitants is decidedly unfavourable to the esta-
blishment. They say the education is superficial;
that too much is attempted; that no one who has
been instructed at Hofwyl has risen to eminence
in any department; and that M. de Fellenberg is
so much of a despot within his own establishment,
that professors, and teachers will not remain; and
that the frequent change in instructors operates
injuriously upon the progress of the pupils. Of
the truth of these charges I have no way of judg-
ing. I state simply what I heard many times in
Berne. º . . . . . . .
Berne is the largest and the most populous of
the Swiss cantons, and perhaps also the richest,
though Zurich might possibly dispute this claim.
The greatest land-owners of Switzerland reside in
this canton ; and for this reason it contains the
greatest number of poor. The number receiving
public relief is stated at upwards of 20,000, be-
ing-one in every seventeen, if the population be
reckoned at 340,000. The constitution of Berne
is aligarehical—certainly the worst of all the forms
of government; and, from all that I could learn,
the oligarchy of Berne does not deserve to form:
an exception.





224
CHAPTER XV.
THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
ourney from Berne to Interlaken—Thun and its Lake
— Unterseen, and the Plain of Interlaken—Inns and
Boarding Houses—Interlaken as a Residence—Scenery
—Mutability of Fashion—Journey by the Wengern Alp
and the Sheideck–Lauterbrunnen and its Valley—The
Stubbach–Cheese-making—Mountain Scenery—The
Jungfrau–The Silver Horns—The Wetterhorn—
Mount Eiger—Details respecting the Ascent of the
Jungfrau—Night Views—Mountain Legend—Effects
of a Glacier—Descent towards Grindelwald.
HAvLNG satisfied my curiosity in Berne, I left
that interesting capital for Thun, and the Ober-
land Bernois. *
Nothing can be more charming than the coun-
try between Berne and Thun. It is a constant
succession of meadow and orchard, beautifully di-
versified with neat cottages and gardens, and pre-
senting all the fertility of a plain, without its
monotony; for the surface is broken into hillocks,
and every where offers to the eye the most de-
lightful variety that cultivated nature is capable
# affording. I noticed, that to every third or
fourth house was attached a small manufactory
of earthen ware. There is a particular kind of


THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 225
earth especially suited for the purpose, found a-
bout three leagues from Thun, which costs only
the expense of carriage. The pots made in these
parts are held in high estimation, and are bought
not only for the use of the neighbouring towns,
but also by French hawkers, who make an errand
there twice at least every year.
Every one must be pleased with the situation
of Thun. Placed in the vestibule of the moun-
tains, it unites the sublimity of mountain-scenery,
with the softer graces of the fertile country that
stretches towards Berne: the fine rapid Aar sweeps
through the town, and the castle and the church
crown the wooded hill that commands it. I reach-
ed Thun about six hours after leaving Berne; and,
after visiting the churchyard, famous on account
of the prospect enjoyed from it, and having ob-
tained satisfactory evidence of the truth of what I
had often heard, that the principal inn is one of
the dearest in Switzerland, I hired a boat to carry
me up the lake. The price of boats upon all the
Swiss lakes, depends upon the number of boat-
men; and a traveller who has no opinion of his
own, as to the wind and weather, will certainly be
subjected to high charges. Boatmen always com-
plain of the bad weather. With them, it is always
either much wind, contrary wind, or the appear-
ance of wind. It was as serene a sky as was ever
reflected in the bosom of a lake when I arrived at
Thun; but the boatmen assured me that I could not
attempt the passage of the lake with fewer than three
rowers. They admitted that it was not much wind
just then, but the wind was rising; and besides, it
blew exactly down the lake. Now, I knew per-

226 THE OBERLAND BERNOI8.
fectly that the wind was precisely in the other quar-
ter; and that, if it did increase, our voyage would
be only so much the shorter; and so the event
proved. I took two rowers. The wind rose, and
carried us up the lake without the aid of their oars
at all, The voyage, was rapid and agreeable. The
banks of the lake are extremely varied, changing
gradually from the picturesque to the sublime;
and a boat full of peasants, returning home from
market, contributed greatly to heighten the plea-
sure. They sang some pretty national airs, and
sung them well; and, long after we had passed
them, the chorus, swelling and dying away as the
breeze fell and rose, came in wild and undulating
melody over the water. . . . . . . . . ;
Our voyage terminated about six in the after-
noon, and I immediately walked forward to Un-
terseen, a little village situated about half way be-
tween the lakes of Thun and Brientz, and cer-
tainly one of the most charmingly situated in
Switzerland. The village itself is old and rather
ugly; but it is so small, that three minutes walk
is sufficient to carry one beyond its precincts.
About three quarters of a mile from Unterseen, is
Interlaken, the well known resort of the English.
Next morning I walked through it, and at every
step from Unterseen, I found new reason to be
delighted with the scenery of this most enchant-
ing valley. Interlaken consists of fifteen or six-
boarding-houses, lying at little intervals from
each other, upon either side of a broad avenue
which reaches from lake to lake. The terms of
these boarding-houses are reasonable enough. The
two or three enjoying the highest reputation,

THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 227

charge 5 francs per day, wine excluded; and for
this, a well-served table and a comfortable apart-
ment are provided. The next of the boarding-
houses charge 4} francs. The inns both at Inter-
laken and at Unterseen, are the property of go-
ºvernment; which has, in consequence, made a
most unjust decree, by which no stranger can
be received in any of the boarding-houses for
a less time than mine days. In consequence
of this regulation, travellers meaning to reside
at Interlaken for a less time than nine days, are
obliged to go to the hotel, where they pay a di-
reet tax to the government, in the shape of most
enormous charges made by the two innkeepers.
This seems to me to be a most odious mono-
poly, alike unjust towards travellers, and op-
pressive towards the keepers of boarding-houses.
The boarding-house speculation at Interlaken
has been overdone. I saw two magnificent new
houses almost ready for the reception of com-
pany, while the fifteen old ones were not half full.
When I visited Interlaken, there were only be-
tween seventy and eighty strangers there; and last
year, at the same season, there were no fewer than
seven hundred, of whom nearly five hundred were
English. There were reasons why fewer English
than usual should be found upon the Continent
in the summer of 1830; but there is a fashion
also in these things; and it is more than probable,
that Interlaken has already seen its most prosper-
ous days. But it is impossible that it can ever
cease to be a rendezvous; for it is without doubt
the most central point in Switzerland, for those
who wish to find an agreeable spot, situated at a
moderate distance from many of the most remark-


228 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.

able objects; and, besides, the beauty of the place
must always have power to arrest the steps of ma-
ny travellers. An English gentleman has lately
built a house about two miles from Interlaken,
and resides there permanently with his family.
The house cost about 50l. building; and the ex-
pense of his housekeeping, four in family, does
not exceed four francs per day. The canton of
Berne has lately passed a law, by which strangers
are forbidden to become proprietors of land or
houses within the canton. This law the English
gentleman has avoided, by the title being made
out in the name of a peasant with whom he was
accustomed to board before the house was built;
but it is difficult to perceive, how, upon the death
of the owner, his heirs will be able to prove their
title to the inheritance. To one who is fond of
chamois hunting, and who has no ties at home,
(and yet, who are they 2 for has not every man
the tie of country?), Interlaken is as choice a
spot as can anywhere be found; and, if a house
can be built for 50l., and a family maintained up-
on four francs a day, small means are required for
the luxury of such a residence. I can easily be-
lieve that the expenditure of a small family does
not exceed this sum ; for all kinds of provisions
are extremely cheap. Veal is 3d. per lib. ; mut-
ton 3%d.; beef the same ; butter 5d. or 6d. ; ve-
getables and fruit for almost nothing; and many
kinds of game and fish may be had for the trouble
of killing or catching them. -
. I have spoken of the beauty and attractions of
Interlaken; but I have not yet said in what these
consist. The valley, or little plain, in which In-
JTHE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 229
terlaken is situated, is about four miles long, and
from one to three broad. I need scarcely say,
that it derives its name from its situation, lying
between two lakes of Thun and Brientz, which
are connected by the river Aar. The beauty and
fertility of this little valley are extraordinary. The
greenest and most luxuriant meadows—the richest
and most variegated foliage—orchards pendent
with their beauteous burden—gardens enamelled
with flowers, and stored with every vegetable pro-
duction—form altogether a carpet of rare beauty.
And although I have called this spot the plain of
Interlaken, and it may well be called a plain in
comparison with the surrounding country, yet it
is not literally a plain—it is strewn with pictur-
esque eminences, rocky, and overspread with fine
old wood; and, along the right side of the river,
, the bank rises gradually up to the mountains that
shut in the valley. I do not believe a more
charming spot than Interlaken is to be found in
Europe. I know of nothing that it wants. It
combines the beautiful, the picturesque, and the
sublime. The little plain is redolent in beauty
and fertility. The immediate environs present
the picturesque in its multiform aspects; and the
glorious peaks of the Silver Horn, the Monk,
Mount Eiger, and the Jungfrau, are the bounda-
ry of its horizon. Add to all this, that the cli-
mate of Interlaken is mild; that, in the hottest
sun, the fine avenues of magnificent walnut-trees
offer an effectual shade ; that within the limits of
a stroll are the shores of two charming lakes;
‘that, in one's morning gown and slippers, a dish


of trout may be taken from the Aar for breakfast;
230 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
and that comfortable accommodation, and a choice
of good society, are at command. And I think I
may safely say, that if fashion should desert Inter-
laken, she will run counter to good taste. . ." §
While I remained in this valley, I resided in
the hotel at Unterseen, which, I am told, is not
quite so good as the hotel at Interlaken; but,
being rather more central for the different excur-
sions, I preferred it. This hotel used to boast for
its hostess, the Belle Batelliére of Brientz; but
it seems that the incivility of the landlord out-
weighed the beauty of the landlady in the eyes of
travellers; for custom falling off, the Bernese go-
verment, to which the hotel belongs, displaced
the tenant, and found another, the brother of the
hotel-keeper at Interlaken, under whose surveil-
lance it has recovered its reputation. The Belle
Batelliére now keeps a little shop in Unterseen;
and there, I understand, her reputation secures
her a comfortable livelihood; for scarcely does any
stranger leave the valley, without purchasing some
little ornament, the price of which, not being pro-
portioned to its intrinsic value, is understood to
include also the value of a glance at the fair ven-
der. She is now thirty-four, and is not what she
has been. . . . - - . . . . . .
Without much riches, the villagers of Unter-
-seen seemed contented and cheerful. It was plea-
sant to see them assemble in whole families every
fine evening,before their cottage-doors, watching
the return of their goats. No family is without a
few goats; and about dusk, or a little earlier, the
whole squadron, the united property of the villa-
gers, arrive at themarket-place, and there, like abat-


THE, OBERLAND BERNOIS. 231
talion to which the word “dismiss” has been given,
they break up the order of march, and run to their
respective homes, in groups of twos and threes,
while some one of every family rises to receive and
tend the wanderers. x -
'After having passed two or three days at Inter-
laken, I left it on an excursion to Grindelwald,
across the Wengern Alp, and Scheideck. I walked
out of Unterseen about five o'clock, and was not
a little pleased to see the summits of all the moun-
tains disrobed, their snowy peaks backed by a se-
rene sky. After crossing the little plain of Inter-
laken, the road winds up the narrow valley by the
side of the river Leutchen, to the point where the
two branches of the stream unite ; one, the White
Leutchen, coming from the valley of Lauterbrun-
men; the other the Black Leutchen, from the val-
ley of Grindelwald. United here, they are called
Zweylutchinen, and flow towards the Lake ef
Brientz. From this point a carriage-road leads to
Grindelwald, up the bank of the Black Lutchen;
but no traveller who can walk, or ride on horse-
back, ought to go by that road to Grindelwald,
but by Lauterbrunnen and the Wengern Alp. I
accordingly turned to the right towards Lauter-
brunnen, and followed up its narrow valley, often
a mere gorge, to the auberge which lies about 2500
feet above the sea. * . . . . . . . . . .
Lauterbrunnen is an interesting valley, and in
many places a beautiful one. It is nearly fifteen
miles long, and scarcely ever exceeds half a mile
in breadth, and, like all the Swiss valleys of a simi-
lar. character, it is subject. to the visitation of
the avalanche, and to the fall of rocks. The




232 THE OBERLAND BERNOIs.
name Lauterbrunnen, signifies “clear fountains;”
and it is well named ; for on each side innumer-
able rivulets are seen tumbling down the moun-
tains, in long threads of silvery foam. The vil-
lage of Lauterbrunnen only contains about 200
persons. The rest of the inhabitants, about 1000,
are scattered in cottages and chalets up and down
the valley. They are poor; a consequence here, as
in some other parts of Switzerland, of the influx
of strangers, whose chance-benefices are too often
preferred to the regular returns of industry. The
valley might well maintain its inhabitants in com-
fort. Few of the Swissvalleys produce a more delici-
ous cheese, or one more esteemed; and in the lower
parts of the valley, oats, barley, and even somewheat,
might be successfully cultivated. On entering the
village of Lauterbrunnen, I was accosted by at least
half a dozen persons requesting employment as
guides to the different objects of curiosity, and by
one or two beggars besides. Thus it is, that good
and evilspring up together, and that that which scat-
ters riches on one side, sows poverty on the other.
I had heard much of the cataract of the Stubbach,
but was miserably disappointed by it. The name—
meaning fall of powder—is well applied. The cas-
cade is said to be nearly 800 feet high; but it de-
scends entirely in spray, and is wanting in that
greatest attraction of a cataract—sublimity.
I met two parties at the inn preparing to pass
the Wengern Alp to Grundelwald;—one a party of
German pedestrians; the other a party of English,
two ladies and a gentleman. The character of
the English ladies for enterprise, courage, and per-
severance, ranks very high in Switzerland. I have


THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 233
heard some old guides speak in rapturous terms of
my countrywomen, on account of their contempt
of difficulty, and even of danger; while, on the other
hand, the reputation of Frenchwomen for these
same qualities stands as low as possible in their
estimation. - -
The ascent begins immediately when leaving
the village, and for the first two hours it is suffi-
ciently laborious. The labour is repaid, however,
by the charming view which may at any time be
enjoyed by turning round. The long, deep valley
of Lauterbrunnen, with its hundred rills stretched
at your feet; opposite, the cascade of the Stub-
bach is seen issuing from a mass of snow which
crowns the height; and to the left, the eye follows
the valley up to its majestic barrier, the Groshorn,
and the limbs of the other giant mountains that
stretch behind the Wengern Alp. You look down
also upon the Schamadribach, a vast snowy plain,
where, at break of day, troops of chamois may ge-
nerally be seen, and where also the finest eagles in
Switzerland have their eyrie. One was killed about
a fortnight before I visited this place, measuring
fourteen feet and a half from wing to wing.
After an ascent of about an hour and a half, I
found myself descending, and in another half hour
I entered upon the Wengern Alp. In this little
hollow I saw several pretty cottages; and even at
so great an elevation, the gardens attached to them
were full of peas in fine blossom. A little farther,
just on leaving the belt of wood that girds the low-
er part of the Wengern Alp, I reached an open
rocky space, where seven or eight small houses
were perched. These I found to be receptacles for





234 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS,
cheese. The temperature of this altitude is thought
to be more suitable for the ripening of cheese,
than either a lower or a higher elevation; and
every day, the cheese that is made higher up the
mountain, is brought down and deposited here.
One of the mountaineers having just brought
some cheese, I took the opportunity of looking
into the depository. I counted sixty cheeses, and
he told me that, before September, there would be,
200. These belonged to four persons, each of
whom have therefore fifty cheeses. The cheese sells
at nine sous to the merchant, and by him to the
public at twelve; and is called fremdge de Wen-
gern-Alp. There is still a more délicious and
more delicate cheese made at Sévenon, a village
on the other side of the valley, situated upon a
mountain of the same name. It is made in very
small quantities, and is all sent to Berne, where
it sells at sixteen to eighteen sous. - ?



At every step I found the path become more,
interesting. , New mountain-peaks successively
came into view, till at length the stupendous
range of the Oberland Bernois rose before me—
the Jungfrau in the centre, the two Silver Horns
on either'side, the Crispalt, and the shoulders of
the Wetterhorn and Mount Eiger, stretching be-
hind the Scheideck. From the path across the
Wengern Alp, the precipices º the Jungfrau.
seem scarcely distant a gunshot; but a deep val- .
ley lies between, probably a league across." The
highest point of the Jungfrau presents a reddish
rock in front, too. * to permit the snow to
lodge upon it; but, the Silver Horns and the
Monk exhibit smooth surfaces of dazzling white-





THE OBERLAND BERNOIS, 235
mess. The former especially, though less elevated
than the neighbouring mountains, are peculiarly
striking, from the pointed forms of their summits,
and the unbroken mantle of snow that envelopes
them. But the Jungfrau is the chief object of
attraction, not entirely owing to its great eleva-
tion, though that approaches nearly to 18,000
feet, but also because of its tremendous preci-
pices, frightful ravines, and vast accumulations of
snow. The Jungfrau was long believed to be in-,
accessible; but this idea has been proved to be
erroneous. Two persons named Meyers, enjoyed
for some years the reputation of having reached
the summit of the Jungfrau. The attempt was
made by them in 1812; but there afterwards.ap-
peared reason to doubt if the attempt had really
proved successful. No other endeavour was made.
till the year 1828. In the early part of that year,
an English gentleman engaged some peasants of
Grindelwald to attempt the ascent; but the wea-
ther proving unfavourable during some weeks, the
person who had engaged their services left that.
neighbourhood for Berne; but the weather soon
after clearing up, they set out by themselves on
the 10th of August. They were six in number;
and their names are Pierre Bowmann, Christian
Bowmann, Pierre Roth, Hiltbrand Burgunnen,
Ulrich Vitver, and Pierre Mosser. They com-
méficed the ascent from Grindelwald, entering be-
tween the Mettenberg and Mount Eiger, and
passing by the Glacier Inferieur of Grindelwald,
and the Mer de Glace behind Mount Eiger.
The first night they slept in a natural grotto;
and at one in the morning they recommenced their




236. THE operLAND BERNOIS.
journey, leaving the Monk on the right, and
proceeding along the southern declivity of the
Jungfrau. The journey was attended with much
difficulty and danger; but at length they reached
the summit, and fixed an iron pole upon the
highest point, by screwing it into the ice, where
it may now be seen by the help of a telescope.
The area of the summit is from thirty to forty
feet in diameter. Towards the south a vast field
of ice extends towards the Wallais ; and towards
the north descends that range of precipices seen
from the Wengern Alp. - .
Notwithstanding the accomplishment of this at-
tempt, it has never been successfully repeated.
In the summer of 1829, two English gentlemen,
accompanied by guides, attempted the enterprise;
but a storm compelled them to return, and the
guides have subsequently refused to repeat the
experiment. The guides of Grindelwald are pro-
bably less adventurous than those of Chamouni;
and I was informed that storms are more frequent
and sudden in this part of the Oberland Bernois
than in the neighbourhood of Mount Blanc. Of
such honourable notoriety is the name of an
Englishman, that an impostor occasionally screens
himself under it to commit iniquity. An instance
of this occurred last summer, and with reference
to the ascent of the Jungfrau. A person calling
himself English, and at all events master of the
language, gave out that he meant to ascend the
Jungfrau. He hired guides, laid in provisions
on credit, and lived for a month at the Hotel des
Gentilhommes at Berne, upon the reputation of




É
having formed so great a project.
THE OBERLAND BERNQIšº' 237,
It is the usual practice to cross the Wengern-
Alp and the Scheideck to Grindelwald in one
day; but I preferred passing the day and the
evening upon the mountain, and sleeping at the
chalet, where every traveller stops to rest and re-
fresh himself. I descended as far into the deep
valley that separates the Wengern-Alp from the
Jungfrau as the precipices permitted, and spent
the remainder of the day among the steep declivi-
ties that lie opposite to the majestic scenes which
the bosom of the Jungfrau discloses; and when
the sun went down, and the shadows crept up
the mountains, I returned to the chalet, where I
had some hours of comfortable sleep upon a skin
spread upon a table. When I awoke, it was
past midnight; and feeling rather chilly, I walked
Qut. The light of a waning moon fell dimly upon
the mountains. It was the reign of solitude and
silence. Even the avalanche was at rest. The
stars alone watched above the mountain-tops. At
daybreak I commenced my journey towards Grin-
delwald. The path, after traversing the Wen-
gern-Alp, enters upon the Scheideck, and other
mountains come into view successively—Mount
Eiger, the Wetterhorn, the Shriekhorn, and the
JFinsteraarhorn. These are all very elevated moun-
tains, and striking from their forms and position,
as well as from their elevation. These, with the
Jungfrau, are indeed the highest mountains of
Switzerland, excepting Mount Rosa and Mount
Carvin. Mount Blanc is not a Swiss mountain.
Of all the mountains I have seen, Mount Eiger
is the most imposing. Most mountains have se-
veral peaks, or summits, as they are improperly
- F



238 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS,
called; and the highest of these generally recedes,
and is only visible at a distance. But the highest
peak of Mount Eiger overhangs the valley of
Grindelwald; and the eye is able to scan, at one
glance, the whole range of precipices, embracing
an elevation of not less than 8000 or 9000 feet.
After passing the shoulder of the Scheideck,
which is somewhat less than 5000 feet high, the
path begins to descend towards Grindelwald.
Here the Wetterhorn becomes the most conspi-
cuous object, and a view opens into the heart of
the mountain. It has long been supposed, that
this mountain contains gold, and, about thirty
years ago, an attempt was made to open a mine ;
but the superstitions of the miners were so strong,
that the design was abandoned. It was said, that
whenever the hammer of a miner struck the rock,
the stroke was repeated by some invisible being.
Thus far the story may easily be credited; but it
goes farther. Sometimes the miners were assailed
by showers of stones —frequently the excavations
of one day were found filled up next morning;
and at length, one morning the whole mine was
found to be occupied by the rightful inhabitants
of the mountain-caves, and, upon the miners en-
deavouring to make their escape, the roof fell in,
and buried them all. There might probably be
superstitions to contend with from the first; and,
some accident having happened to the miners,
truth has helped out the legend. It is certain,
however, that the attempt was made, and has not
been repeated.
In descending towards Grindelwald, one re-
marks with astonishment the extraordinary effects
THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 239
of a glacier that fell some years ago. It is entirely
a mistake to suppose that woods offer an effectual
barrier to the progress of a great glacier. In this
place, the ground is entirely cleared ; the trees
have been swept away like reeds; and an area of
at least a mile and a half square is strewn with
stones and roots of trees. On each side of this
area, where the glacier has not touched, there is a
fine forest. The descent from the Scheideck is to-
lerably rapid, but neither difficult nor long. The
level of the valley of Grindelwald is greatly higher
than that of Lauterbrunnen ; so that the ascent
from Lauterbrunnen is much greater than the de-
scent upon Grindelwald. In about two hours and
a half, I reached the Glacier Inferieur.
240
CHAPTER XVI.
THE OBERJLAND BERNOIS-THE CANTONS OF
FRIBOURG AND WAUD.
The Glaciers of Grindelwald– Ercursion on the Mer de
Glace, and Details respecting the Death of M. Mou-
ron—State of the Inhabitants of the Valley of Grin-
delwald, and strange Laws and Usages peculiar to it—
Return to Interlaken— Escape of a Schoolmaster— Val-
ley of the Black Leutchen.— Visit to the Lake of Brientz
— The Giesbach–The Evils of Imagination—Brientz
*—AMoon-light Sail, and Return to Interlaken—Journey
from Interlaken to Vevay, by the Semmenthall—Spiets
— Wimmis—Character of the Semmenthall—Saanen-
land, Gruyére, and Gruyére Cheese–Descent to the
Lake of Geneva-Vevay.
THE glaciers of Grindelwald are always one prin-
cipal object of the traveller's curiosity, and are well
deserving of a visit, even by one who has been at
Chamouni. The lowest part of the Glacier In-
ferieur, which I first visited, reaches into the val-
ley. The finest verdure is seen within a few
yards of it; and, for at least a mile on either side,
it is fringed with firs. One branch of the river
Leutchen issues from beneath it; of course, at the
lowest point, and here an arch is formed about se-
venty feet high, and thirty wide, the ice, forming
THE OBERLAND BERNOIS, 24l
the roof of this arch, is like greenish crystal, and
is extremely loose. A part had lately fallen in,
and other large fragments seemed ready to detach
themselves. The glacier extends up the moun-
tain about two miles, and certainly presents a very
singular appearance viewed from below. It is co-
vered with pinnacles, some of them thirty or forty
feet high, varied and picturesque in their forms,
and is intersected by immense cracks, which ren-
der it difficult and dangerous to traverse. Beyond
this glacier lies the Mer de Glace, which extends
between Mount Eiger and the Merikhorn. I
also visited the Glacier Superieur, which differs
from the other only in having no pinnacles; but
the cracks and crevices that traverse it are still
more numerous and formidable than those of the
Glacier Inferieur.
There are two inns at Grindelwald, the lower
and the upper. The former has the character of
being the best ; but I preferred the situation of
the other, and found nothing in it to complain of
From the Salle à Manger, which, upon one side,
is entirely glass, there is a magnificent view of
both the glaciers; and of Mount Eiger, the
Wetterhorn, Finsteraarhorn, &c. I found the
inn crowded with travellers, chiefly pedestrians,
many of them Germans. The other inn is more
run upon by the great, especially by Messieurs
les Anglais. .
Next morning very early, I left the inn with a
guide, to visit the Mer de Glace, which lies be-
yond the glaciers, and which is chiefly remarkable.
for its connexion with the melancholy occurrence.

which, a few years ago, deprived the world of a
242 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
good man, and the church of a pious minister.
I ascended by the side of the Glacier Inferieur,
and then turned to the left upon the Mer de
Glace, which extends about two leagues in that
direction. From the commencement of the Mer
de Glace, it is little more than an hour's walk to
the spot where the catastrophe took place. A
small stream runs from the upper part of the Mer
de Glace, in a little bed three or four feet deep,
and here precipitates itself into a hole, which I
found to be about six feet in diameter, the orifice
forming an irregular square, and somewhat in-
clining inward. The unfortunate individual whose
life was here suddenly and awfully terminated,
was a Protestant clergyman named Mouron.
He had made an excursion from the Pays de
Vaud, where he lived, to pass a few days in the
Oberland Bernois; and the day after his arrival
in Grindelwald, he went with a guide to walk
over the Mer de Glace. M. Mouron, in passing
near this hole, was naturally attracted by it, and
approached its brink; and, that he might with
safety look down, he struck his spike into the
ice, and leant upon its head. The spike pene-
trated the ice, or slid forward; and M. Mouron,
losing his prop, necessarily lost his balance, and
fell forward. This is the true version of the story.
It is a mistake to suppose that he lost his balance
in throwing a stone into the hole. The spike
was found stuck in the opposite side, about a foot
below the orifice, which could not have happen-
ed, unless the accident had occurred in the man-
ner I have described. Three attempts were made
to recover the body, and the last of these succeed-

THE O BERLAND BERNOIS. 243
ed. The head was found much bruised, and one
thigh and an arm were broken. In all probabili-
ty, the unfortunate M. Mouron did not survive
the descent, which was ascertained to be 778
feet, and was therefore spared the dreadful con-
sciousness of his condition. But who can ima-
gine the horror of that moment, when he found
the prop give way, and when he sunk beneath the
light of day ! The recollections and the hopes of
a lifetime, were probably crowded into that mo-
ment of agony. Some suspicions of the guide
were at first entertained; but when the purse of
the unfortunate M. Mouron was found upon his
person, they were of course at an end. His body
was interred in the churchyard of Grindelwald ;
and upon a plain marble slab, is the following
inscription.
Aimé Mouron, Min. du S. Ev.;
Cher a l'Eglise parses talens et sa pieté.
Né à Chardronne, dans le Canton de Vaud,
le iii. October 1790.
Admirant, dans ces Montaignes,
Les ouvrages magnifiques de Dieu,
Tomba dans un gouffre
De la Mer de Glace,
le xxxi. Aout 1821.
—º-
Ici repose son corps,
Retire de l'abyme apres 12 jours,
Par Ch. Burgenen de Grindelwald.
Ses parens et ses amis,
Pleurant sa mort premature,
Lui ont elevé ce monument.
The inscription, I think, is faultless, unless
perhaps that the word magnifique might have
been omitted.
244 *HE OBERLAND BERNORS,
The Mer de Glace of Grindelwald was former-
ly occasionally crossed by the peasantry before
any better communication was opened into the
Wallais, and a rude chapel stood half way. But
an avalanche destroyed it; and it is said that the
bell belonging to it was found in the bed of the
Leutchen. - -
The valley of Grindelwald is, upon many ac-
counts, one of the most remarkable in Switzer-
land, not more owing to its natural position, than
to the state of its inhabitants, and to the peculia-
rity of some of the customs and laws which ob-
tain in it. In no valley throughout all Switzer-
land, are the inhabitants so generally placed above
poverty. Their numbers amount to between two
and three thousand; and there is not one among
them dependent upon public or private charity.
One reason may partly explain this phenomenon.
There is a law peculiar to this valley, which for-
bids the transference of small parcels of property.
A man must sell all, or none; he cannot sell his
meadow-land without his mountain-grazings also,
nor these without his wood; so that the multipli-
cation of very small proprietors, and the division
of land, is checked. There are several other cu-
rious laws and usages peculiar to Grindelwald—
one, among others, that a man cannot bequeath
his property to his children by testament, or ac-
cording to his own wishes. He must divide it
into parts, and his children draw lots for their se-
parate inheritances. There is yet another usage
still more extraordinary—so extraordinary, indeed,
that I took great pains to inform myself upon the
subject, as I could with difficulty bring myself to
THE OBERLAND BERNors. 245.
give credit to it; yet, however incredible it may
seem, I feel that I am entitled, from the inquiries
I made, to assert the existence of the usage.
When persons are married, in whatever rank they
may be, the bride passes the twenty-four hours
previous to the celebration of the ceremony, with
her intended husband as his wife; and I could
not learn that a refusal to celebrate the marriage
had ever followed this uncommon license. Un-
like many other parts of Switzerland, marriages
in this valley are generally marriages of inclina-
tion.
The inhabitants of Grindelwald are remarkable
for their unwearied industry. The elevation of
the valley above the sea is between three and four
thousand feet. The cherry is the only fruit-tree
that ripens; and wheat is scarcely a profitable
crop. But the inhabitants lose nothing that in-
dustry can accomplish. They cultivate excellent
barley and rye; and every house has its garden,
bearing abundant crops of vegetables, and such
fruit as the climate will ripen. When I left the
valley to return to Interlaken at the early hour of
four, the peasants were already in the fields busy
with their hay-harvest. There is no concentrated
village in Grindelwald ; the houses are scattered
over its whole extent; and in no where in Swit-
zerland have I found any more contented with
their lot, than the peasants of this Alpine valley
—none more sincere in giving to their abode the
name of “the happy valley.” 3.
The morning following my visit to the Mer de
Glace, I left Grindelwald on my return to Inter-
laken, taking, of course, the short road by the:

246 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
bank of the Black Leutchen. The valley of the
Leutchen is extremely narrow, and is remarkable
for the dreadful visitations to which it has been
subject. Fifteen years ago, in the month of Ja-
nuary, an avalanche swept away part of a forest,
destroyed an inn which stood by the road-side,
and, choaking up the river, caused a most de-
structive inundation throughout the valley. Upon
this occasion, the schoolmaster of Grindelwald
had a wonderful escape. The affairs of the au-
bergiste having got into disorder, he applied to
the schoolmaster to look into them, and make up
his accounts; and accordingly, during the whole
of the day upon which the event took place, the
schoolmaster had been in the inn, engaged with
the affairs of the aubergiste. When night came,
a severe storm of snow set in ; and the investiga-
tion not being concluded, the aubergiste pressed
his friend to remain till morning, setting forth the
dangers of a walk home during so violent a storm;
but the schoolmaster answered, that he had family
worship always at eight o'clock, and that he must
not neglect his duty. He accordingly left the
inn, and had proceeded only a few hundred yards,
when he heard behind him the thunder of the
avalanche, which swept away the house he had
just quitted.
Lower down the valley, there are traces of a
still more dreadful visitation. A mountain must
there have fallen ; but the history of the cata-
strophe has not come down to our times. The
ground, for the space of half a league, is strewn
with enormous fragments of rock; some overgrown
with grass, some with trees growing out of their
THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 247
crevices, and some broken up and converted into
dikes and chalets. The view into the mountains,
looking back from the valley of the Black Leut-
chen, is magnificent. The whole range of the
highest mountains is visible from several points in
this valley—the Finsteraarhorn, the Shrieckhorn,
the Wetterhorn, the Monck, and Mount Eiger.
None of these have ever been ascended, and it is
believed that all of them are inaccessible; but this
cannot be ascertained until the attempt be made,
which there is no temptation to do ; because the
Jungfrau, which lies in the same range, and which
is higher than any of the others, has been already
ascended ; and the triumph—at all times and in
all circumstances foolish—would upon that ac-
count be the less. The sun was just rising when
I looked back upon these mountains; and the
peak of the Finsteraarhorn alone was touched by
its rays. If peaks do not intercept each other,
sunrise or sunset offers a very simple mode of de-
termining their relative altitudes.
The day after I returned from Grindelwald, I
visited the Lake of Brientz. In navigating this
lake, the strong current of the Aar renders an
additional boatman necessary ; and, for some
time, the progress is even then extremely slow.
Just where the river flows out of the lake, I no-
ticed another handsome building (I believe a
boarding-house), erected upon a beautiful tongue
of land, which has the river on one side and the
lake on the other. I found much to admire in
the Lake of Brientz. The mountains that envi-
ron it are not of the greatest altitude, but they
are fine in their forms, and beautifully green upon
248 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS,
their lower declivities; and one side of the lake is
spotted with houses and hamlets. The colour of
the lake is whitish, arising, as is said, from the
complexion of the Aar as it flows from the gla-
cier. If so, it deposits its impurities in the Lake
of Brientz, because it flows a limpid stream
through the plain of Interlaken; and the Lake of
Thun, which it subsequently enters, is dark-co-
loured. I passed a beautiful peninsula—almost
an island—about half way up the lake. A pretty
country-house stands upon it; and the whole is
the property of a Milanese general, who made
the purchase before the enactment of the law for-
bidding the acquisition of property by strangers.
H. noticed a handsome boat coasting the island,
with the Bourbon flag flying at the stern. It
probably now carries a different ensign.
After a charming sail, the boat was moored in
the little cove, close under the well-known cas-
cade of the Giesbach. I had heard much of this
fall; and although I never expect much from the
fall of a small river, yet I did expect something
from a cascade, of which every body spoke in
terms of rapture. “Have you seen the Giesbach?”
is almost as common a question in this neigh-
bourhood as “Have you been on the Rigi ?” is
in the neighbourhood of Lucerne. I was much
disappointed in the Giesbach. It is merely pleas-
ing, somewhat picturesque, but not at all striking.
The water is by no means abundant; and if I
found the stream scanty in the month of June,
when the snows were fast dissolving, and in a
rainy season too, how insignificant must it be dur-

iug, the autumnal droughts 1 Every thing has
"THE OBERJ, AMID BERNOIS. 249
been done to recommend the spot to the notice
of strangers. Here, there is a rustic bridge ;
there, a little gallery; winding paths lead to dif-
£erent pointes de vue ; and a house has recently
been erected close by, where the organist of Bri-
entz and his family live, and where parties take
their pic-nic, and are serenaded by the organist
and his family. This part of the entertainment,
however, is pleasing enough. None of the voices
are remarkably fine, but they harmonize well; and
the character of the music which they sing is in-
teresting, because it is national and local. There
is an air of simplicity and rusticity about the fa-
mily rather attractive. This may possibly be af.
ſectation, or it may not. I should be sorry to
judge harshly. The Lake of Brientz is dear to
the gourmand, from its being the habitation of
the Brientz ling—a fish that is said even to ex-
ceed in flavour the far-famed Sardiña. -
Imagination, without which the traveller can-
not feel the charm of the natural world, acts also
as a check upon his pleasnre. It is owing to the
activity of this faculty that our expectations are
never realized; because imagination has already
pictured something beyond reality. Nay, even
while contemplating a great object, we are apt to
imagine something greater. For may own part, I
confess that nothing has ever come up to my ex-
pectations. I can conceive something more
charming than even the most charming of the
Swiss lakes—something more majestic than the
greatest of its mountains. There is no scene
which imagination may not heighten—no beauty
to which it cannot lend another grace—no sub-


250 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
limity which it dare not attempt to elevate. When
I have stood below the “ Monarch of Moun-
tains, " I have imagined a mightier than he.
The ocean in storm leaves least for the imagina-
tion. All this is simply the power of multiplica-
tion. Where multiplication can add nothing to
the charm, imagination rests. In the external
world, imagination only multiplies what exists—
strews the bank of the lake with more flowers and
finer trees—and places Mount Rosa upon the
shoulders of Mount Blanc; and so does it act in
some of the works of art. We can imagine a
vaster building than the Escurial—a higher than
the dome of St Peters—a greater than the aque-
duct of Segovia; but we cannot add, in imagina-
tion, to the charm of perfect harmony—nor ima-
gine a finer than the Apollo; because, in these,
multiplication would introduce discord, or change
a god into a monster.
The Lake of Brientz is said to be more sub-
ject to storms than any other of the Swiss lakes.
The wind, which had carried me so agreeably to the
Giesback, rose into a storm while I remained
there, and it was necessary to wait until it subsid-
ed. The organist produced his choicest bottle of
kirshwaser, and another round of songs helped
away another hour. In the Swiss inns on the
high roads, the traveller will seldom meet with
kirshwaser. Unless he knows that immense quan-
tities of it are made in almost every peasant's fa-
mily, he will be at a loss to account for the con-
sumption of so great a quantity of cherries as are
produced in Switzerland. There are various qua-
lities of kirshwaser; but the genuine liquor is


THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 251
made without the assistance of the kernel of the
cherry. That in which the kernel is used, is not so
wholesome, and is always considered of inferior
quality. The storm having somewhat abated, I
left the Giesbach in the intention of dining at
Brientz. Indeed, had my intention been to return
to Interlaken, I could not then have accomplished
it, for the wind was still too high to permit the
navigation of a small boat against it.
Brientz is a pleasant little town, and the inn is
admirable; but, owing to the accomplishments of
the landlord, who adds, to a knowledge of cookery,
some acquaintance with the French and English
languages, the charges are not remarkably moder-
ate. All sorts of culinary implements, and little
vases of various forms, are made in the neighbour-
hood of Brientz from the maple-wood, and are ex-
tremely beautiful; but they are made chiefly for
English travellers, and are therefore dear. It was
past nine before the storm had altogether subsided;
and about half past ten I left Brientz for Interla-
ken with a serene sky, a full moon, and a calm
lake, gently heaving from the effects of the storm,
but smooth as crystal. Rowing up the bank of the
lake, I could not help thinking how unsuccessful
are the efforts of painters in their representations
of moonlight. The moon itself they paint well, but
the light of the moon I have never seen represent-
ed with truth. Long before our voyage terminat-
ed, morning had dawned upon the mountains; and
before I reached land, the highest peaks were
ready to receive the golden tints. A scene like this
is inexpressibly beautiful at the dawn of day. The
morning air was waking the sleeping lake into life;

252 TººHE OBERLAND BERNOIS,
mountains were unveiling themselves; the beau-
tiful carpet of the little plain was gemmed with
pearls; and the refreshing rains of the last evening
had given a brighter hue to the meadows, and a
deeper tint to the woods. I had never seen Inter-
laken look so lovely.
My route was now to Vevay, to which there
are two roads from Interlaken; one returning to
Berne, and from thence to Vevay, which is the
road almost invariably taken ; the other direct to
Vevay by the Semmenthall. The first part of this
latter road is extremely bad, and the inns upon it
are very different from those found on the more
frequented Swiss roads; but if this road were more
frequented, the Swiss would soon find it to be for
their own interest to erect better inns, and to make
a smoother highway. After leaving Interlaken, I
passed through a continued orchard of cherry and
apple-trees, which cover the slopes that stretch
upward from the bank of the Lake of Thun. Many
charming vistas of the two lakes, and of the plain
of Interlaken, are discovered from these slopes, and
many pleasant pictures of country life lay around;
for the hay-harvest had not yet ended, and the
ingathering of the fruit had begun. -
Between Interlaken and the head of the valley
of the Semmen, I saw two most charming spots--
Spietz and Wimmis. Spietz is the last village
which the road touches, before it leaves the Lake
of Thun. Here the lake forms a little bay. Upon
a small eminence stands the church and the minis-
ter's house, with a charming garden stretching in-
to the lake. All the houses of the village are white,
and each is detached with its garden. Round the
I


THE OBERLAND BERNO+S, 253
village are woods and meadows, and the quiet bay
reflects them all. -
Wimmis is perhaps still more beautiful. It lies
on one side of an undulating plain—if the expres-
sion be allowable—rich in every kind of fertility,
and bounded by lofty mountains on three sides, and
behind, and on either side of the village, mounts,
covered to the highest pinnacle with wood, rise in
the most picturesque forms to the height of 600 or
800 feet; and near the summit of one of these, are
the ruins of a chateau. The river Semmen runs
close to the village, the houses of which are white
and detached, like those of Spietz. In the gar-
den of the inn at Wimmis, I gathered some red
currant berries as large as small cherries, and some
raspberries twice as large as they are generally
found in England. - *
At Wimmis begins the Semmenthall, which
stretches to the foot of the mountains that form the
northern boundary of the Lake of Geneva. I
have seen few parts of Switzerland more beautiful
than the upper part of this valley—no part of it so
riante. I should think it must be impossible to
travel through this valley, without being conscious
of an inward cheerfulness; it is fruitful, smiling,
abundant, beautiful. There is no sublimity to be
seen, scarcely even any thing of the picturesque.
The hills which slope gracefully back, are cover-
ed to the summit, with a varied carpet of meadow,
wood, and corn. Houses, hamlets, and villages, lie
thickly along the banks of the river, which flows
through a succession of orchards and gardens.
Here, as in other parts of Switzerland, the hay-har-
vest was not completed; and I noticed a curious
Q



254 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
mode of leading hay from a steep slope. A man
collected a large load, attached it to his body with
a rope, and, seating himself upon the ground, slid
down the steep, with his hay-stack behind him.
In this valley the number of cherries is really in-
credible ; but I saw no other kind of fruit, not
even gooseberries in the gardens. It seems strange,
at first sight, that in Switzerland no use should be
made of the great quantity of fruit, especially cher-
ries and apples, as a common article of diet. An
apple or a cherry-pye is never seen in Switzerland.
The reason of this may probably be the expense of
sugar, or at least the habit of considering all fo-
reign commodities articles of luxury, which can-
not fail to be the case in a country where every
peasant lives upon the produce of his own pro-
perty.
I passed the first night after leaving Interlaken,
at Oberwyl, and next day I walked to Chateau
D'Ex. During this day's journey, the valley be-
came more contracted, but scarcely less beautiful.
Here, as in many other parts of Switzerland, the
country appears more populous than it really is,
owing to the great number of houses that are
scattered over the valleys; but these are in many
places only chalets, inhabited during a few months
by the person who tends the cattle, or only by the
cattle themselves. During the forenoon, I pass-
ed from the valley of the Simmen, into that part
of Switzerland called Saanenland, and dined at
the little town of Saanen. This is the beginning
of the most famous cheese country in Switzerland,
perhaps on the Continent; for it is here that the
celebrated Grueyére is made. There is a curious


THE OBERLAND BERNOIS, 255
law in this valley respecting the support of the
poor. Whatever money is given to parents for
the support of their children, the latter must re-
pay afterwards. This seems to be an unjust law,
because it visits the sins of the fathers upon the
children: it may have the good effect, however,
of rendering the former prudent and frugal. The
wages of labour in this valley, are about 7%d. ;
but every thing is not upon so low a scale. The
rent of the little inn where I dined, was no less than
321. All along this line of road, I found the inns
remarkably cheap. The luxuries which are always
to be found in the inns on the great Swiss roads,
were not indeed to be met with in the Semmen-
thall, or in Saanenland; but comfortable accommo-
dation and a tolerable dinner are always provided
at a very moderate price. At Saanen, I was charg-
ed one franc for a good dinner and a bottle of
wine; and the landlord made the demand with
the air of a man who thinks it very questionable
if his demand will be complied with.
Chateau D’Ex, where I arrived late in the even-
ing, is charmingly situated. I arrived thoroughly
wet, having walked during the last three hours,
under a torrent of rain; but a whole family of old
ladies who keep the inn, took me under their es-
pecial care—lighted a blazing fire, made me a
comfortable cup of tea, and bore me company dur-
ing the evening. Next morning I left Chateau
D'Ex for Vevay.
The road lies through the valley of the Saane,
and passes near, but not through, the town of
Gruyére. No cheese is made in Gruyère, but
in the different villages and hamlets in the valley
256 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS,
of the Saane, though all the cheese made in the
canton is called Gruyère. The best cheese is
made at Albeauve, between Chateau D’Ex and
Gruyère. All the cheese of Switzerland is of the
same kind as that known by the name of Gruyère,
excepting Chapsieger, of which I have already
spoken, and Neufchatel, which is somewhat differ-
ent; and all the cheese made in every part of
Switzerland, is sent into France under the name
of Gruyère, provided it is not too delicate to bear
carriage. But the finest of the Swiss cheeses are
consumed in Switzerland, because they are too de-
licate for exportation. At Andermatt, at Saanen,
and at other places, I have tasted cheese far supe-
rior to any that can be bought in Paris. In the
year 1829, the Canton of Fribourg exported
24,000 quintals, or 2,400,000 lib. Generally
throughout these valleys, and in the commune of
Gruyère, the inhabitants are above poverty. Dur-
ing a part of the year, there are not so many hands
in the cheese-country as are required, and these
are of course borrowed from other and poorer
communes. Wages are there very high, in com-
parison, at least, with most other parts of Switzer-
land: they are about 2s. 6d., exclusive of living.
The finest cattle in Switzerland are reared in
this neighbourhood; and in these, and the export
of cheese, consist the prosperity of the Canton
of Fribourg. At the fair of Bulle, as many as
2,000 head of cattle are often shown. Fribourg
ought to be richer than any other canton in Swit-
zerland of the same size. It grows sufficient
grain for its consumption, its meadows rear a
choice breed of cattle, and its mountains produce

THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 257
cheese renowned all over the world. The can-
ton is rich, but it might be richer; the people are
comfortable, but they might be affluent. The
same reasons that affect the prosperity of the Can-
ton of Lucerne, operate prejudicially upon the
condition of Fribourg.
Gruyére is a striking object from the road; and
I walked up the mount upon which it stands. The
extent of the ancient castle is great, and in other
days its strength must have defied the attempts of
a legion of bowmen. It is said to be more than
1200 years old. As I continued my journey from
Gruyère, I arrived at a scene of singular desola-
tion; it was the ruins of a village which had been
burnt on the sixth of the preceding March. It
consisted of thirty-eight houses, and they were all
consumed. The church and the minister's house
alone escaped, which I need scarcely say was look-
ed upon as a miracle. The peasants were all busy
rebuilding their houses, and seemed as cheerful as
if their labour were voluntary.
The descent down the little river Vevaise, to
the town of Vevay, is rapid; and a small part of
the Lake of Geneva is seen below, deeply imbed-
ded in the mountains. I was now in the Pays de
Vaud, and in a land of vines, which every where
covered the slopes; and, before reaching Vevay, I
passed many pleasant country-houses, with gar-
dens and orchards, whose produce bespoke a milder
climate than that of the Oberland Bernois.
There is nothing in the town of Vevay parti-
cularly attractive. Its situation is its charm, and
that is truly delightful. The waters of Lake Le-
man come close up to the houses; and a fine



258 THE OBERLAND BERNOIS.
shady promenade extends from the little harbour
along the bank of the lake. There are some
good streets and houses, and one well-built square,
open towards the water, in which the Hotel de
Londres is situated ; but I selected Les trois
Couronnes, which is in every respect an excel-
lent hotel. Here, and at all other places upon
the Lake of Geneva, the Swiss character, ap-
pearance, customs and dress, are lost in those of
France. It was Sunday when I arrived, and the
promenade was crowded all the afternoon and
evening. No characteristic dresses were to be
seen here, as at Berne, Zurich, or Lucerne : all
was French. In place of the coarse petticoats of
home-manufacture, the knit-stockings, the pic-
turesque hats, or grotesque head-dresses, were
seen French prints, shawls, ceintures and cha-
peaux. I should think Vevay a delightful place
of residence for the autumnal months; for it is in
autumn, not in summer, that the weather is to be
depended upon in Switzerland. There is more
than one boarding-house at Vevay; and lodgings
can easily be had at a very reasonable rate. Meat
of the best quality does not cost above 3d. per
lib.; butter is about 8d. ; fish, fruit, vegetables,
and wine, all very low in price. The bread, too,
I found excellent; and this is not a matter of
minor importance. Vevay is not a dull resi-
dence. The coasting trade occasions a little
bustle at all times at the harbour; and the arri-
val of steam-boats, two or three times a-week,
from Geneva and Lausanne, creates a little va-
riety. The market-day, too, is always an inter-
ruption to the monotony of a country town. As
THE OBERLAND BERNOIS. 259
for the environs of Vevay, they are enchanting ;
and a boat on the lake could leave nothing to de-
sire. Vevay was the refuge of Ludlow, one of
the Judges of Charles I., and of Broughton, who
read the sentence of death. Their tombs are in
the old church of St Martin; and that of Lud-
low bears this inscription—Acerrimos impugna-
tor arbitrariae potestatis.
260
CHAPTER XVII.
THE LAKE, CITY, AND CANTON OF GENEVA.
Lake Leman and its Phenomena— Visit to Chillon—
Clarens—Rousseau—Byron–Enchanting Scenery—
Lausanne—Lausanne as a Residence—John Kemble—
Gibbon's Library— Geneva–Manners and Morals of
the Genevese—the City and Canton— Voltaire.
THE great charm of all this country is the Lake
of Geneva, more commonly known in the Pays
de Vaud as Lake Leman. The lake is eighteen
leagues in length, and varies in breadth from one
to three leagues. Its greatest depth is 900 feet,
and its height above the Mediterranean is 1150
feet. As a whole, I do not greatly admire the
Lake of Geneva; but there are parts of it at least
equal in beauty and grandeur to any thing that is
to be found elsewhere. The charms of the Lake
of Geneva are not seen in sailing from Villeneuve
to Geneva. There are innumerable charming
little bays, which must be individually explored;
but all the upper part of the lake is eminently
fine. Draw a line from Vevay across to the Sa-
voy side, including Vevay on one side and Meil-
lerie on the other, and the part which you thus
cut off—a fifth part, perhaps, of the whole—can-
GENEVA, 26}
not be rivalled by any thing that I have ever
See Il.
Every lake has its wonders, and Lake Leman
is not without them. In summer, it rises from
five to six feet above its winter level. It expe-
riences sudden oscillations of several feet. It
never freezes; and the Rhone traverses it with-
out mingling with its waters. The first of these
phenomena is attempted to be explained, by a-
scribing the rise to the melting of the snows; but
I incline to agree with an intelligent writer, in
doubting whether so extraordinary a rise, over a
surface of twenty-six square leagues, can be en-
tirely attributed to the cause assigned. With re-
spect to the second phenomenon, other lakes as
well as Lake Leman are subject to sudden rises
and falls; and these have generally been consi-
dered to be the result of electricity, acting in one
or other of its many forms. As to its never
freezing, I am bound to give credit to the testi-
mony of those who reside upon its banks; but it
is not difficult to believe that deep water should
retain a higher temperature than the incumbent
atmosphere. And as to the last of the pheno-
mena named—that the Rhone traverses the lake
without mingling with its waters—it is too ab-
surd to need refutation. This could not be, un-
less the impetus of the Rhone were able to con-
quer the resistance of the waters of the lake—
which is a ridiculous supposition.
The day after I arrived at Vevay I dedicated
to Clarens and Chillon. I left Vevay about four
o'clock, taking a carriage as far as Chillon, where
I sent it back, that I might enjoy alone, and at
262 GENEVA.
leisure, the interesting and delightful scenery of
these beautiful and almost classic spots. I was
particularly fortunate in the choice of an evening.
The weather had been unsettled for a week pre-
vious to my arrival at Vevay; but the same even-
ing it cleared up ; and as I passed along the
shore of the lake towards Chillon, all was beauty
—beauty, serenity and repose. About a mile
from Vevay, turning a headland, the head of the
lake opens to view, with Chillon's gray walls ris-
ing out of the water, and reposing against the dark
woods that lie behind.
“Clarens ! sweet Clarens! birth-place of deep love,”
Who could pass thee by ? Here it was that
Rousseau dreamed the dream that has made him
immortal. These scenes are peopled with the
creations of his fancy; and scarcely can we for-
bear inquiring, where is the dwelling of Julie P
Clarens was doubtless Rousseau's beau ideal of
natural beauty; and who is there that will quar-
rel with his choice? It lies in a bay within a
bay, and climbs up a gentle acclivity—gentle at
first, but afterwards steeper, and crowned with
the old walls and towers of Chateau Chatelard.
It is more a concentration of hamlets than a vil-
lage; and the walnut and fruit-trees, and weep-
ing-willows that surround and mingle with it,
form a perfect vallambrosa. All the way to
Chillon the country continues charming; and
every moment the massive walls of the castle be-
come a more prominent object in the magnificent
picture that stretches around. -
Independently of the historic interest of Chil-
GENEVAs 263
kn, it is interesting from the beauty of its situa-
tion, from its forming one of the most conspicu-
ous objects in one of the most enchanting scenes
in the world. The castle is built upon a rock,
which, in former times, must have fallen from the
neighbouring mountain ; and both the strength
of its position, and the strength of its walls, have
more than once enabled it to make a stout re-
sistance in times of trouble. A drawbridge leads
into the castle; and I was, of course, conducted
into the dungeons. The history of these dun-
geons is known to every one. The principal
dungeon is large, cold, but not dark. Several
stone-columns run along the middle of it; and to
three of these are still attached the rings to which
prisoners were chained. It has often been re-
peated, that these dungeons are below the level of
the lake ; but this is an error. The floor of the
dungeon is about the average level of the lake.
In spring and autumn, their level is the same.
In summer, the level of the lake is sometimes
from two to three feet above the floor of the dun-
geon, and in winter as much below it. But al-
though these dungeons are not quite so dark and
damp as they have been represented to be, they
are bad enough to have served as a fitting recep-
tacle for the victims of tyranny.
The chief historic interest attaching to the
Castle of Chillon, is its connection with the name
of Bonnivard, who inhabited its dungeon during
six years. Although every one knows the his-
tory of Bonnivard, I cannot entirely pass it over.
François Bonnivard, Lord of Lume, was born
in 1496, and, in his very early youth, he fell heir
264 GENEVA.
to the rich Priory of St Victor, which lay close
to Geneva. When the Duke of Savoy made war
upon the Republic, Bonnivard zealously opposed
his encroachments, and thus incurred his resent-
ment. In the year 1516, when Bonnivard was
twenty-three years old, the Duke of Savoy enter-
ed Geneva, and Bonnivard fled in the direction
of Fribourg; but he was overtaken and seized by
command of the Duke, and was made to taste cap-
tivity first in the Grolée, where he was a prisoner
two years. When his imprisonment ended, he
returned to the priory; and, in 1528, he was in
arms against the possessors of his ecclesiastical re-
venues. Upon this occasion, the city of Geneva
supplied him with the means of combating for
his rights; and he, in return, sold his birthright
to the city. Subsequently to this, Bonnivard
employed his talents in the secret service of the
Republic ; and, in the year 1530, when travel-
ling between Moudon and Lausanne, he was at-
tacked, probably by emissaries of the Duke of
Savoy, and was made prisoner, and delivered up
to the Duke, who sent him to the Castle of
Chillon, where he remained six years. Bonni-
vard was then thirty-three years old. It is im-
possible to know whether he was chained to any
of the pillars to which rings are attached; but, in
such a dungeon, one would be apt to think chains
superfluous. Tyranny, however, is inventive in
cruelty, and it may have been so exercised.
In March 1536, the Bernese took the Castle
of Chillon, and Bonnivard was liberated from
captivity. But his troubles did not end here.
In consequence of the Genevese réfusing to pay

GENEVA. 265
his debts, he quarrelled with them, and claimed
restitution of his Priory of St Victor. The dis-
pute was referred to the Pope, who decreed to
him 800 crowns, besides a pension for life of
140 crowns; and, after a succession of quarrels
and difficulties, he died in 1571, at the age of
seventy-five. Twenty years before his death, he
presented all his books to the Genevese Repub-
lic; and these are still seen in the public library
of the city, where also some of his unpublished
manuscripts remain—among others, a History of
Geneva.
But the associations of Chillon with the name
of Bonnivard are, after all, but of very remote
and very partial interest; and his sufferings in the
cause of liberty carry us back to so distant a
time, that our sympathies are but feebly excited;
besides, the object of his exertions seems to have
had more reference to the preservation of his own
possessions, than to any higher purpose. But how,
in those days, could this be otherwise 2 The
poetry of Byron has given to Chillon a warmer,
and perhaps a more abiding interest: as the cap-
tivity of Bonnivard, as the blaze of Rousseau's
eloquence, and the fervour of his imagination, has
surrounded Clarens with a halo of almost super-
natural beauty—so has the poetry of our bard
thrown around the prison of Chillon a glory that
cannot die. -
The person who accompanies strangers through
the Castle of Chillon, seems to take pleasure in
repeating the particulars of Lord Byron's visit to
the castle. He arrived in the afternoon in a
chaloupe. He visited every nook in the castle,



.266 GENEVA.
and spoke very little to his conductress, who
stoutly asserts, that the name Byron, seen upon
one of the pillars, was carved by himself. This
may be true, but it is certainly improbable. No
one who has visited Chillon on such an evening
as that by which I was favoured, can ever forget
the scene. I lingered long near it, and carried
away a remembrance from one of the fig-trees
that shoot out of its walls. Returning to Vevay,
I ascended to the churchyard of Montreux, and
enjoyed from it the most enchanting prospect that
I ever recollect to have seen. The lake, dappled
with the thousand hues of evening, lay stretched
below; all its wooded bays and creeks, and little
promontories, standing out in fine relief, touched
by the golden light of evening. The great moun-
tains of the Vallais, towering into the serene
sky, had covered themselves with their brightest
vestment; for the gorgeous west streamed upon
their pinnacles and fields of snow, veiling its
purity in a robe of pale carnation. Around was
the deep foliage of summer—below lay Clarens,
mingled with the waters of the lake—and oppo-
site were the rocks of Meillerie, already forsaken
by the sun-beams, and throwing their shadows
forward into the glassy mirror. Chillon, dark
and stern, reposed in shade in its deep tranquil
bay. All was very still. One blackbird now
and then sent up from a low dell beneath, its
unanswered note. One or two lizards appeared
and disappeared upon the gray wall that bounds
the churchyard. The old church, too, and its
sacred precincts, gave a sombreness to the scene;
and the jasmine that covered its walls, sent a-


GENEVA, 267
round as sweet a fragrance as ever mingled with
the summer air. In leaving the churchyard, I
noticed the following inscription placed above a
boite auw pauvres. “ Toi, qui viens admirer
nos rians paysages, en passant, jete ici ta pitié
aux malheureux, et le Dieu dont la main dessina
ces rivages, te benira des cieux l’’
Long before I reached Clarens, the sun had
set ; and the reader will excuse me, when I ac-
knowledge that I lingered a while by the margin
of the lake, and strolled up one of the little wind-
ing roads that lead round the houses and or-
chards, scrutinizing them as keenly as if I might
have chanced to see through Julie's parlour-win-
dow ; or Julie, her cousin, and St Preuz, seated
in the bosquet. It was quite dark when I reach-
ed Vevay. The supper-table was laid out, and I
sat down with a large party of English, just ar-
rived in the steam-boat from Geneva, and taking
this road to the Simplon and classic Italy. One
of them, hearing me speak of Chillon, asked if I
had been there, and if it was true that Lord
Byron had one of the dungeons fitted up as a
bedroom | - -
Next morning, I left Vevay for Lausanne, in a
small boat and two boatmen. Between Vevay
and Lausanne, the banks of the lake present a con-
tinuous vineyard. This seemed to me far from
beautiful, after having been accustomed to the ver-
dure of the mountains of Brientz and the Sem
menthall. -
There is scarcely any city in Europe better
known to travellers than Lausanne. Every one
visits Lausanne; and there are many who select it
26S GENEVAs
as a summer-residence. For my own part, I
would greatly prefer Lausanne, were it situated
close to the lake ; for its great elevation, as well
as its distance from the water, are unpleasant
drawbacks upon the enjoyment of an evening stroll
along the banks of Lake Leman. But, with this
single inconvenience, it must be admitted, that
Lausanne is a delightful place of residence. There
is no doubt, too, that it is greatly more healthy
than Geneva. This is proved by the bills of mor-
tality, and is certainly to be attributed to its greater
elevation above the water.
Lausanne is at present a flourishing city. I
noticed many new houses erecting, and very few
old houses to let. Several public buildings were
also newly finished; among others, the Maison
de Force. The inhabitants, too, are steadily on
the increase; and the number of resident strangers
is also greater every year. When I visited Lau-
sanne, there were about 200 resident English,
forming a society altogether independent of the
natives. There are some cheaper places of resi-
dence than Lausanne ; but no one, I believe,
where education is cheaper or better. It does not
cost above one-fourth of its price in England;
and I have good reason to know, that most of the
English resident at Lausanne have been attracted
to it in consequence. It is pleasant to think,
that there exists any plausible reason for absentee-
ism. There can be little doubt, that the inten-
tion of those who banish themselves from their
native country, that they may educate their chil-
dren, is good; but whether the determination be
wise, is a different question. For it may admit of
GENEVA, 269:
a doubt, whether it be wisdom to go abroad in
quest of an education, which the means of the ab-
sentee do not permit him to give to his family in
England. House-rent is decidedly lower in the
neighbourhood of most of the English provincial
towns, than it is in Lausanne, and the necessa-
ries of life are not greatly dearer; and for a family
in the middle ranks of life, an education quite as
suitable may perhaps be procured in Exeter, Ches-
ter, Norfolk, or Derby. . The following are the
prices of different articles at Lausanne :—Meat
the same as at Vevay; butter 8d. or 9d. per
lib.; bread l;d. or 2d. per lib.; eggs from 4d. to
6d. a dozen, according to the season; fowls 16d.
to 18d. a pair; a duck 1s. 4d. ; a turkey 3s. ;
wine of a tolerable quality 5d. ; fish are generally
plentiful, and reasonable in price; and vegetables
and fruit abundant.
A week may be very pleasantly spent at Lau-
sanne. The inns are extremely good, and not ex-
cessively expensive; and at the principal tables
d'hote, the travellers will find an excellent and
even elegant repast. There are, besides, several
good coffee-rooms, where the best French and
Swiss newspapers are regularly received. The
promenades on every side are beautiful, and the
excursions various; and let me not forget one
spot where a day may be delightfully spent by the
lover of flowers—the garden of Barraud, who
possesses no fewer than 400 varieties of the car-
nation. -
Lausanne may boast of some objects of interest,
independent of its situation, or of the agremens
which it offers. There may be some who would
R

270 GENEVA,
scarcely reckon among these, the monument erect-
ed in the Cemetiére to the memory of John Philip
Kemble ; and yet who has not been accustomed
to associate with the productions of Shakespeare
their best interpreter ? This monument cannot be
devoid of interest to him who remembers the god-
like Roman, or the lover of the gentle Ophelia.
But the name of Gibbon is associated with Lau-
sanne; and his library still remains in the condi-
tion in which he left it. I, of course, visited it.
It is tolerably large ; but more remarkable for the
selection of the best works and best editions, than
for its extent. I noticed on the shelves, four co-
pies of his own great work, three of them trans-
lations into foreign languages, French, Ger-
man, and Italian, completed during his own
lifetime. With how proud a feeling must he
have deposited upon their shelves these best re-
wards of his labour ! The fourth copy I have
mentioned was the Basil edition in English, which
is even now the favourite edition of the work
throughout Germany. I also noticed upon the
shelves several editions of the Bible.
Lausanne, after Berne, Zurich, and Geneva, is
the largest city of Switzerland. It contains up-
wards of 10,000 inhabitants, and is the capital of
the Canton de Vaud. The whole canton, one of
the largest in Switzerland, contains 150,000 per-
sons, almost all professing the Protestant religion.
This canton enjoys the finest climate in Switzer-
land, and is the only one in which wine is the
staple produce. The constitution is democratic.
The inhabitants are, upon the whole, little de-
pressed by poverty. Education is very generally
GENEVA. 27I
spread; and, altogether, the Pays de Vaud per-
haps merits the name that has been given to it
—Le Paradis de la Swisse.
I left Lausanne for Geneva by the steam-boat,
which, although extremely convenient, harmonizes
but indifferently with the picturesque and beauti-
ful; and the banks of the lake are somewhat tame
after leaving Lausanne; and, if one navigated
Lake Leman no higher than Lausanne, its claims
to beauty might probably by questioned. As a
whole, it is undoubtedly much inferior to the
Lake of Zurich. As we passed down, the house
of the De Stael family was pointed out to me;
and also the house formerly occupied by Joseph
Buonaparte. It is said to be his property still.
I reached Geneva about four o'clock, and was for-
tunate enough to find a vacancy in the Ecu de
Genéve, a hotel which, with a thousand recom-
mendations, possesses one fault. It is, at all
times, ten to one against finding a spare corner
In 18.
Geneva is, from its history, one of the most re-
markable, and most interesting cities of Europe.
Long the metropolis of the reformed church, its
connection with the name of Calvin is alone suffi-
cient to invest it with interest. Calvin was elect-
to the chair of Theology in the year 1536, and
died in 1564, after having founded the College,
the Academy, and the Library. Well may Ge-
neva be proud of a name to which millions owe
the light of rational religion.
The stranger will find it difficult to discover in
Geneva any trace of the puritanism and severity
of manners for which that city was so renowned
272 GENEVA,
in earlier times. I was never among a livelier or
gayer population. Amusement seemed to be the
reigning passion, and religion little less a matter of
form than it is in France on Sunday. After listen-
ing to a favourite preacher, the Genevese flock to
the theatre. The shops of Geneva also are open
on Sunday, the same as on other days, and every
man plies his trade as usual. The gaiety of the
Genevese is chiefly seen on Sunday; for the citi-
zens of Geneva are most of them engaged in
trades that require application and close confine-
ment—no fewer than 3000 of the 23,000 inha-
bitants being engaged in watch-making and gold
working. The number of watches made in a
year is said to be somewhat beyond 70,000; and
of these, at least 60,000 are of gold. In these,
and in the jewellery trade, between 70,000 and
80,000 ounces of gold are employed, and about
50,000 ounces of silver. A considerable quanti-
ty of precious stones, particularly pearls, are em-
ployed in jewellery, and in the embellishment of
watches, amounting in value, as I was informed,
to 20,000l. Sterling yearly.
There are many bad, and some good streets in
Geneva; and both within, and in the immediate
neighbourhood of the town, are many pleasant pro-
menades, among others the Botanic Garden ; but I
remarked, that the Genevese preferred the streets,
and left the shady walks nearly deserted. The
Rhone divides the city into two unequal parts, and
is spanned by several wooden bridges. It is beau-
tifully blue, but is certainly not so rapid as the
Reuss.
The Canton of Geneva is extremely small—the
GENENA. 273
least in the Confederation. It is composed of the
territory of the ancient republic, and of certain parts
of Savoy added to it by the Congress of Vienna,
and secured by the treaty of Paris. At the same
time, the constitution of the republic was remodel-
led. Its government is now representative. The
executive part of it is composed of a council of
twenty-eight members and four syndics, or chief
magistrates, all of whom are elected by the Coun-
cil of Representatives, amounting to 278 mem-
bers—formerly called the Council of Two Hun-
dred. These representatives are elected by the
citizens, who, in order to enjoy the right of voting
must be twenty-five years old, and pay in direct
taxes, about 15 francs per annum.
Geneva, previous to the French Revolution, had
long been the scene of violent political dissensions.
The form of government was democratic ; but cer-
tain families were constantly seeking to establish
a permanent aristocracy. In 1783, in consequence
of certain disputes between the citizens, and the
Council of State, the latter, in order to preserve
their power, invited foreign troops to enter the ter-
ritory, and Geneva was taken possession of by the
troops of France, Sardinia, and Berne. This was
the first example of interference on the part of fo-
reign states, with the internal governments of other
territories—an example that was afterwards quot-
ed by the Empress Catherine, when she interfered
with the affairs of Poland, and which was follow-
ed upon a greater scale, and with more fatal re-
sults, by the allied sovereigns, when they forced a
Bourbon upon the French nation.
Before leaving Geneva, I visited Ferney; but
274 GENEVA.

with the writings of Voltaire I have no sympathies;
and when I recollected the comforts and luxuries.
with which he was surrounded, and the adulation
that every where waited upon him, my mind re-
verted to the Lake of Bienne, and the solitary
dreamer of St Peter's Isle.
APPENDIX.
A P P E N D I X.
THE SLIDE OF ALPNACH.
THE following description of this extraordinary undertaking
is from the pen of the late Professor Playfair.
“On the south side of Pilatus, a considerable mountain near
Lucerne, are great forests of spruce-fir, consisting of the finest
timber, but in a situation which the height, the steepness,
and the ruggedness of the ground, seemed to render inacces-
sible. They had rarely been visited but by the chamois hun-
ters; and it was from them, indeed, that the first informa-
tion concerning the size of the trees, and the extent of the
forest, appears to have been received. These woods are in
the canton of Underwalden, one of those in which the an-
cient spirit of the Swiss republics is the best preserved;
where the manners are extremely simple, the occupations of z
the people mostly those of agriculture; where there are no
manufactures, little accumulation of capital, and no commer-
cial enterprise. In the possession of such masters, the lofty
firs of Pilatus were likely to remain long the ornaments of
their native mountain. -
“A few years ago, however, Mr Rupp, a native of Wir-
temberg, and a skilful engineer, in which profession he had
been educated, indignant at the political changes effected in his
own country, was induced to take refuge among a free people,
278 APPEND IX,
and came to settle in the Canton of Schwytz, on the opposite
side of the Lake of Lucerne. The accounts which he heard
there of the forest just mentioned determined him to visit it;
and he was so much struck by its appearance, that, long and
rugged as the descent was, he conceived the bold project of
bringing down the trees, by no other force than their own
weight, into the lake of Lucerne, from which the conveyance
to the German Ocean was easy and expeditious. A more ac-
curate survey of the ground convinced him of the practicabi-
lity of the project.
“He had, by this time, resided long enough in Switzerland,
to have both his talents and integrity in such estimation, that
he was able to prevail on a number of the proprietors to
form a company, with a joint stock, to be laid out in the
purchase of the forest, and in the construction of the road
along which it was intended that the trees should slide down
into the Lake of Lucerne; an arm or gulf of which fortu-
mately approaches quite near to the bottom of the mountain.
The sum required for this purpose was very considerable for
that country, amounting to 9000l. or 10,000l. ; 3000l. to
be laid out on the purchase of the forest, from the community
of Alpnach, the proprietors of it, and the rest being neces-
sary for the construction of the singular railway by which
the trees were to be brought down. In a country where
there is little enterprise, few capitalists, and where he was
himself a stranger, this was not the least difficult part of Mr
Rupp's undertaking.
“The distance which the trees had to be conveyed is about
three of the leagues of that country, or, more exactly, 46,000
feet. The medium height of the forest is about 2500
feet, (which measure I took from General Pfyffer's model of
APPENDIX. 279
the Alps, and not from any actual measurement of my own).
The horizontal distance just mentioned, when reduced to
English measure, making allowance for the Swiss foot, is
44,252 feet—eight English miles and about three furlongs.
The declivity is therefore one foot in 17.68; the medium
angle of elevation 3° 14' 20".
“This declivity, though so moderate, on the whole, is, in
many places, very rapid. At the beginning the inclination is
about one-fourth of a right angle, or about 22° 30'; in
many places it is 20°, but nowhere greater than the angle
first mentioned, 22° 30'. The inclination continues of this
quantity for about 500 feet, after which the way is less
steep, and often considerably circuitous, according to the
directions which the ruggedness of the ground forces it to
take,
“Along this line the trees descend in a sort of trough built
in a cradle form, and extending from the forest to the edge
of the lake. Three trees squared, and laid side by side, form
the bottom of the trough; the tree in the middle having its
surface hollowed, so that a rill of water, received from dis-
tance to distance over the side of the trough, may be con-
veyed along the bottom, and preserve it moist. Adjoining
to the central part (of the trough), other trees, also squared,
are laid parallel to the former, in such a manner as to form
a trough rounded in the interior, and of such dimensions as
to allow the largest trees to lie or to move quite readily.
When the direction of the trough turns, or has any bending,
of which there are many, its sides are made higher and
stronger, especially on the convex side, or that from which
it bends, so as to provide against the trees bolting or flying
out, which they sometimes do in spite of every precaution.
280 APPENDIX.
In general, the trough is from five to six feet wide at top,
and from three to four in depth; varying, however, in dif-
ferent places, according to circumstances.
“This singular road has been constructed at considerable
expense; though, as it goes almost for its whole length
through a forest, the materials of construction were at hand,
and of small value. It contains, we are told, 30,000 trees:
it is, in general, supported on cross-timbers, that are them-
selves supported by uprights fixed in the ground; and these
cross-timbers are sometimes close to the surface : they are
occasionally under it, and sometimes elevated to a great
height above it. It crosses in its way three great ravines:
one at the height of 64 feet, another at the height of 108,
and the third, where it goes along the face of a rock, at that
of 157. In two places it is conveyed under ground. It was
finished in 1812.
“The trees which descend by this conveyance are spruce-
firs, very straight, and of great size. All their branches are
lopped off; they are stripped of the bark; and the surface, of
course, made tolerably smooth. The trees or logs, of which
the trough is built, are dressed with the axe, but without
much care.
“All being thus prepared, the tree is launched with the
root-end foremost into the steep part of the trough, and in a
few seconds, acquires such a velocity as enables it to reach
the lake in the short space of six minutes; a result altoge-
ther astonishing, when it is considered that the distance is
more than eight miles, that the average declivity is but one
foot in seventeen, and that the route which the trees have to
follow is often circuitous, and in some places, almost hori-
zontal.
APPENDIX, 281
“Where large bodies are moved with such velocity as has
now been described, and so tremendous a force of course pro-
duced, every thing had need to be done with the utmost re-
gularity, every obstacle carefully removed that can obstruct
the motion, or that might suffer by so fearful a collision.
Every thing, accordingly, with regard to launching off the
trees, is directed by telegraphic signals. All along the slide
men are stationed at different distances, from half a mile to
three-quarters, or more ; but so that every station may be
seen from the next, both above and below. At each of these
stations, also, is a telegraph, consisting of a large board like
a door, that turns at its middle on a horizontal axle. When
the board is placed upright, it is seen from the two adjacent
stations; when it is turned horizontally, or rather parallel to
the surface of the ground, it is invisible from both. When
the tree is launched from the top, a signal is made by turn-
ing the board upright; the same is followed by the rest; and
thus the information is conveyed, almost instantaneously, all
along the slide, that a tree is now on its way. By and by,
to any one that is stationed on the side, even to those at a
great distance, the same is announced by the roaring of the
tree itself, which becomes always louder and louder; the
tree eomes in sight, when it is perhaps half a mile distant,
and in an instant after, shoots past with the noise of thunder
and the rapidity of lightning. As soon as it has reached the
bottom, the lowest telegraph is turned down, the signal pass-
es along all the station, and the workmen at the top are in-
formed that the tree has arrived in safety. Another is set
off as expeditiously as possible; the moment is announced as
before; and the same process is repeated, till the trees that
282 A PPENDIX.
have been got in readiness for that day have been sent down
into the lake.
“When a tree sticks by accident, or when it flies out, a sig-
mal is made from the nearest station, by half depressing the
board, and the workmen from above and below come to as-
sist in getting out the tree that has stuck, or correcting any
thing that is wrong in the slide from the springing of a beam
in the slide; and thus the interruption to the work is ren-
dered as short as possible.
“We saw five trees come down. The place where we stood
was near the lower end, and the declivity was inconsider-
able (the bottom of the slide nearly resting on the surface),
yet the trees passed with astonishing rapidity. The greatest
of them was a spruce-fir 100 feet long, four feet in diameter
at the lower end, and one at the upper. The greatest trees
are those that descend with the greatest rapidity; and the
velocity, as well as the roaring of this one, was evidently
greater than of the rest. A tree must be very large to de-
scend at all in this manner. A tree, Mr Rupp informed
us, that was only half the dimensions of the preceding, and
therefore only an eighth part of its weight, would not be
able to make its way from the top to the bottom. One of
the trees that we saw, broke by some accident into two;
the lighter part stopped almost immediately, and the remain-
ing part came to rest soon after. This is a valuable fact; it
appears from it, that the friction is not in proportion to the
weight, but becomes relatively less as the weight increases,
contrary to the opinion that is generally received.
“Inviewing the descent of the trees, my nephew and I stood
quite close to the edge of the trough, not being more interest-
ed about any thing than to experience the impression which
APPENDIX. 283
the near view of so singular an object must make on a spec-
tator. The noise, the rapidity of the motion, the magnitude
of the moving body, and the force with which it seemed to
shake the trough as it passed, were altogether very formi-
dable, and conveyed an idea of danger much greater than the
reality. Our guide refused to partake of our amusement; he
retreated behind a tree at some distance, where he had the
consolation to be assured by Mr Rupp, that he was no safer
than we were, as a tree, when it happened to bolt from the
trough, would often cut the standing trees clear over. Dur-
ing the whole time the slide has existed, there have been
three or four fatal accidents; and one instance was the conse-
quence of excessive temerity.
“I have mentioned, that a provision was made for keeping
the bottom of the trough wet. This is a very useful precau-
tion; the friction is greatly diminished, and the swiftness is
greatly increased by that means. In rainy weather, the trees
move much faster than in dry. We were assured, that when
the trough was everywhere in its most perfect condition, the
weather wet, and the trees very large, the descent was some-
times made in as short a time as three minutes.
“The trees thus brought down into the Lake of Lucerne, are
formed into rafts, and floated down the very rapid stream of
the Reuss, by which the lake discharges its water—first into
the Aar, and then into the Rhine. By this conveyance,
which is all of it in streams of great rapidity, the trees some.
times reach Basil in a few days after they have left Lucerne;
and there the intermediate concern of the Alpnach company
terminated. They still continue to be navigated down the
Rhine in rafts to Holland, and are afloat in the German
284 APPENDIX.
Ocean in less than a month from having descended from the
side of Pilatus, a very inland mountain, not less than a thou-
sand miles distant. The late Emperor of France had made a
contract for all the timber thus brought down.”—Professor
Playfair's Works, Vol. I., Edinburgh, 1822.
THE END.
PRINTED BY J. HUTCH1son,
FOR THE HEIRS OF D. WILLISON,