lî'H
resting on the clouds, were still reflected in the pellucid waters of Lake Leman, and
served to form one of the most variegated and majestic landscapes that ever delighted
the eye.
Soon after I had quitted Sécheron, I perceived the column, or stone, which marks
the Genevese boundary; and by the arms of Beme, placed on its back, found I was
entering that canton,—consequently in the Pays-de-Vaud. The high road, which in
that part contmues along tlie basis of Chambésy, one of the hilis that screen the lake,
and along-the windings or sinuosities of its banks, is very beautiful, being most agreeably
shaded on both sides by large trees, whose spreading branches meet together, and,
with their thick foliage, form a delightful grove.
Tliis hill is of similar structure or composition with that of St. Jean (although its
sand-stone, or mollasse, used for building, is esteemed superior in quality, being much
harder than that found near the Rhône), and is one of those covered with vines, which
extend to the edge of the road, intersected at intervals by rich meadows and beautiful
villas, belonging to the most wealthy inhabitants of Geneva. As I still pursued the
same road, traveling along the banks of the lake, I here and there observed strata of a
similar kind of moUasse, .appearing to shoot out of the earth horizontally, and extend
beneath the waters of the lake, a circumstance which led me to infer, that the same
strata may likewise stretch to the opposite side, or, in other words, hide or conceal the
roots of the nucleus of the Jura ;—but as those hills, the chain of which may be considered
to extend nearly as far as Lausanne, are mostly of similar composition, I shall
confine myself to the following observations ;—^viz. that, wherever the banks of the lake
are more elevated and abrupt, there have I invariably observed the same kind of sandstone,
with similar direction and hardness; that in many places they are covered by wide
strata of pebbles, or a thin lamellated clay; and in others, by a species of puddingstone
of little or no consistency, but of which the cement makes an effervescence with
acids, although almost every-where again covered by a thick stratum of sand and vegetable
earth.
At three miles only from Geneva I quitted the states of Berne, and re-entered those
of the republic ; so intimately, on that part of the continent, are the Swiss, Genevese,
and French territories intermixed ; for the village of Genton, through which I passed,
as well as that of Maligni, situated more towards the north, belonged originally to the
French, and were not ceded to the Genevese till the year 1749. From the former,