RM .
caney, from among those citizens who
have exercised the office of syndic. The
number of burghers or citizens in this
dixane does not exceed one hundred and
twenty, though it is the most opulent and
populous of the whole canton. The other
dixanes are democratic. The present constitution
of the Valíais was adopted in 1815.
The Valíais, though wanting men for the
proper cultivation of its soil, yet, like many
of the other cantons of Switzerland, still
submits to a disgraceful traffic in human
flesh, by agreeing to furnish a certain number
o f mercenary troops to any government
that will pay for them. The Valíais supplies
the French government with 1000 men.
Sion, the Sedunum of the Romans, is the
seat of the government, and of the bishop.
This city has a striking appearance at a
distance, being commanded by two very
lofty precipitous rocks, crowned with ancient
castles. The city is inclosed by a
wall, which has six gates, and is surmounted
by numerous antique towers.
The interior of the city is more modern,
as it has been several times nearly destroyed
by inundations of the river Sienne, which
traverses it, and also by fires. Sion was
taken by assault in 1798, by the French.
From the hill on which stands the castle
of Valerius, we had an uninterrupted view o f
the valley of the Rhone to Martigny, which
appears like the bed of a lake, and seems
entirely closed in ; for below Martigny the
valley turns suddenly at a right angle, and
its further course is entirely concealed.
The side o f a mountain, on the south
of Sion, slopes gradually to the valley of
the Rhone, and is covered with the country
houses of the citizens, who reside there in
the summer months, the city being intolerably
hot.
Sierre, about eleven miles beyond Sion,
is situated in the most picturesque part of
the valley of the Rhone, but we found it
an uncomfortable place to sleep at. Between
Sion and Sierre, we passed under some
very precipitous calcareous rocks, that overhang
the road, from whence there had been
a great eboulement in the year 1798. It
took place precisely at the time that a division
of the French army was passing by.
A regiment of cavalry had just advanced
beyond the rocks, and another was very
nearly under them, when one of the officers
saw a part of the mountain begin to
Q 4