C H A P T E R IT.
N a t u r a l G e-o g r a r h y .
Climate
AND SEA-
* SONS.
Face of the
Country*
1 Climate and Seafons.^—Face o f the Country.■
Lakes, —Mountains. — Forejts. ^-B o ta n y.,
tFaters.— N atural Curiof tie 's.
Soil and
Agriculture
tA gfic$ l$ u re.~ R iyersi-^
r Zoology. —Mineralogy.— 'Mineral
THE climate o f Swifferland dofBrvqdl^ ; c u r a t e d as falubriqus
and delightful. From its fouthern .pofition, confider&ble (heat
nfight b e e x p o s e d ; b u t this, th o u g h f f t ^ i e p t ; j:q:ipat;U:r0. the grape,- is.
attempered b y th e cold gales from th e Alps and glaciers. ^Wb,en,the
fnn defeends beyond mount Ju ra , on a fummer evening, the Alpine
fummits long refle& the ru d d y fplendour, and the lakes for near an hour
affume th e - appearancerof burniflied 'gold. vThe4 winter is hpwever in
fome parts extremely fev e re ; and th e fummer h e a t in the .deep vales'
fometimes oppreflive.
T h e face* o f the country is g e n e r a l ly 'm o u n t a n ^ ^ in e , m o jt leyel
parts being the T h u rg au , and a part _of the carnets» o f Bafel,T3ern,
Zurich, Schaffhaufen, Soleure, and Friburg. Even thefe prefent
w ha t in fome countries would be called mountains, from 2000 to
■: 2 ^00 feet aboVe th e level o f the Tea, No country in the world exceeds
Swiffetland in 'diverfity o f appearance ;..the. vaft- chain o f Alps with
enormous precipices:; extenfive regions o f perpetual fnow,- and -glaciers
th a t refemble Teas of ice, are contrafted b y th e v in e y a r d , and cul-
-'tivated field, the richly wooded brow, and th e verdant and tranquil
.vale, with its hap p y cottages and cryftal ftream. Agriculture cannot
o f eburfe be carried to great e x te n t; b u t there is no defe£t o f induftry,
and the' grain Teems fufficient fo r domeftic confumption. Barley is
g . cultivated
-cultivated--even|t,Qhthe?v'edge of the glaciers; dats in.regions a little Soil
jyarmer‘;,>rye ..^ -tfeg fe iftUJ mefte.\ fhelteted L .and fpeJt in the warmeft
parts.. jY e t in .g en e ra l-th e /produce does, not' exceed five fo r o n e ; and
it hasbeeni Jieceflaryito fu p p q ft public-'granaries .'in. cafe o f any deficiency*
e o u n try .b ih g : prkiGtpflllydfefiiinfid'fe^,nature fan phfturage^ the
clliefd^peu;dance of;$he S ^ ^ f .iup'on his cattle, an d ;|h q number being
^ ^ ^ f ’dfidip^ryjfiSWfid1 s i aruf as slidibiJPbdT 'forage,itjwh’ich might
ptherwife.bef a c o r n . * c p q fid ^ r^ k .q u a n tity o f Hpt and
l?6*?11 la te ly jimppduced., T h e
3t»Ttnd^nce
° f filfp rts ; witi* 'mulberries,
lgg){)ps,f^ W o d n a |'o £ a- Warmer
ip ,r if e # jjgfell 1
Znradufes faffi;on, in
j {f^^&elorips.the^eftief pyqyinc.e^thp Swift.fann; and the
meadpws ar^ ofte^, wat^reid to.mcreafe the -produCe. of jily, ^In tlie.be-
linhing^ of firnmer the pttie'allcqnduae'd to the'^cqSl)!? m ril o | the
'MpP, by. cow-herds^ who ^ a r ^ c ^ t l ; S e tte r/' in the Ja n g u ag ^ f the
country, and ^ h d ;ebherIfiacc6Unf to th e proprietor Tor ;the'pr®QWSf;k
agree for a certain furh. Thofe herds ilfo'^ffl^’pbft mctKy* fwiht^ vfoth
the butter-milk,- and othfe’r refilled1 ^cheuchzer/irf his'firft j&ffney to
Jhfe- Alpsy delcriBes-the- numerous preparations Bf.unilk, whidfc forms
varied luxuries of theTwains* .
' T h e riv e rs'o f ^vdfferlaod are ■ rintWetouff; 'f e d among-the moft’ Y u b ^M ieu it'
limafcemes.ofthis: country muft be' elaflhdjthdToUrces o f the- R h in r f e d
#he Rhone, :n«sft im ^ rtan tffk e am s* iiir Ffrirdpkot.If we
o f codrffi.'thrjtiugh theSszrifs domintqsis; Jfe-KIutfb
,is,■ jthfe':,inoftv! cohfidei^ble;, khd id) %Hb^ep;fbytth© Akt, the
Limmat, the Rhone, and th e .T h u rih i,'
T h e Rhine rifts in th e c o u n try 'o f the Grifons;,. fto u i a 'glacier upon
the fummit o f M o n t Bedus.', or Baduf, at the 'head o f ^ *
■ • • ,Bufchn}g,'3av. i2.
4 E
AND
CUL-
%*
XOU I . nine