Af.
1:'
.. f.
nil level of the lake had also been raised,
which is not the case.
A subsidence of the strata seems required
to explain the submergence of these quarries,
— a subsidence which was probably so
gradual as to escape notice, except by its
effects on the banks.
Accurate observations on the relative
levels of different parts of the earth’s surface
are of too recent a date, and have
been too seldom repeated or verified, to
enable us to ascertain whether the strata
have sunk down to any considerable extent
since the world has been inhabited by man.
There are many facts, however, in our own
country, which might lead us to infer that
a gradual subsidence in certain parts is now
going on. Be this as it may, the changes
that are taking place in many lakes, can be
satisfactorily accounted for by visible causes.
Thus, the lake of Bourget is diminishing
at the southern end by the debris, brought
down by the river Lysse, and on the eastern
side by the debris from smaller rivers,
which flow into it, and the lake of Annecy
is diminishing at the southern end, and on
the western side, from similar causes ; but
I could not learn that the water is gaining
on the land, in either of these lakes.
The lake of Bourget, according to Saussure,
is 76 toises lower than the lake of
Geneva, or only 740 English feet above the
Mediterranean. Its greatest depth is on
the western side, near where the strata dip
into the lake, this proves the acute angle
at which they descend; the depth of the
lake being 2.74 feet, near the shore.
The lake of Bourget abounds in excellent
fish, particularly the ombre chevalier, lava-
rets*, trout, and pike of fine size and flavour.
There are the remains of several ancient
castles round the lake, particularly Chateau
Bourdeaux, nearly opposite Aix and Chatil-
lon, placed on a hill, at the northern end. But
the most remarkable objects are the ancient
monastery and church of Haute Combe,
on the north-western side of the lake, and
La Fontaine de Merveilles, an intermitting
spring behind it. We formed a party to
visit Haute Combe, and engaged a boat
with four men to row us over. We were
ér’;-
* The Lake of Bourget is celebrated for its lavai’ets,
a species of fish nearly allied to the trout, and the ombre
chevalier, Salmo Umbla, Linnæus ; its body is without
spots ; its flesh is richer than the common trout.