A Tour through some parts of France, Switzerland, Savoy, Germany and Belgium | Page 2

Country Houses more numerous in Vine than in Corn
Countries-Farming in this District--Land Tax and Customs of
Descent--Dijon--A large and handsome City--Its Public
Buildings--Company in the Diligence increased by the Arrival of two
French Officers--Their Political Opinions--Advantage of the
Diligence--Arrival at Dole--Battle near Auxonne--Genlis--Poligny--Vin
d'Arbois--Woods but without Birds--Moray--English
Breakfast--Resemblance to North Wales--Magnificent View of the
Lake of Geneva--Excellent Roads made by Buonaparte--Visit to
Ferney--Description of Geneva--View from its Cathedral--Its
Manufactures--Population--Territory--Determination to visit the Alps;
and not to go into Italy 100
CHAP. VII.
Departure for Chamouny--Bonneville--Valley of Cluse--Cascade
d'Arpennas--St. Martin--Extravagant Bill--Proceed on Mules--Their
astonishing Safety--River Arve--Pont de Chèvres--Cascade of

Chede--Extravagance of English Travellers very prejudicial--Lake of
Chede--Servoy and its Mines--Visited by the Empress Maria
Louisa--Glaciers des Bossons--Definition of Glacier--Of the Valley and
Village of Chamouny--Guides--Politics of the Savoyards--State of
Taxation--Ascent of Montanvert--Magnificent and awful Spectacle of
the Mer de Glace--Height of various Mountains, compared with Mont
Blanc--Simile from Pope--Return to Chamouny--Larch and Fir mixed
on these vast Mountains--Their Productions--The Valley continually
threatened with Avalanches 119
CHAP. VIII.
Leave Chamouny--Delightful Situation of Valorsine--Festival there--Of
the Savoyard Peasants--Anecdote from M. de Saussure--Country
difficult to travel through--Trient--Magnificent View from the
Fourcle--The French not so much disliked in the Valais as their Cruelty
deserved--Castle of la Rathia--Martigny--Unsuccessful Attempt of two
English Gentlemen to ascend Mont Blanc--Less adventurous, we did
not ascend Mount St. Bernard--Cascade of the Pisse Vache--Number of
Idiots and Goitrous Persons in the Valais--Opinion of Mr. Coxe on the
Subject--Opinion of M. de Saussure--St. Maurice--Its strong
Position--Roman Bridge and Antiquities--Passports demanded
here--Different Colour of the Rhone here and at Geneva. 139
CHAP. IX.
Bex--Industry of the Inhabitants of this Country--Their Cottages and
Wandering Lives--Salt Springs--Aigle--Growth of
Corn--Villeneuve--Agitated State of the Lake--Labours of the
Inhabitants often destroyed by the Fall of
Rocks--Chillon--Clarens--Vevay--Magnificent View from its
Church--Of General Ludlow--Lausanne--Its singular Situation--Its
Antiquity--Its Cathedral--View from the Church-yard--Population and
Manufactures--French Manners prevail here--Gibbon--Pope Felix V. a
singular Character--Reformation--Morges--Festivity there--Rolle--Its
Spa--Country Seats--Delightful Scene from the Garden of its Castle in
the Evening--Nyon--Château de Pranqui--Joseph
Buonaparte--Vines--Swiss Artillery--Copet--Anecdote of Md^e. de
Staël--Versoi--Return to Geneva 156
CHAP. X.
On the Introduction of History into Tours--Early Government of

Geneva--Reformation--Alliance with Berne and Zurich--A few Laws
peculiar to Geneva--Theatre--Town Hall--Permission obtained to reside
at Geneva--Lodging procured in Consequence--Fortifications of
Geneva not devoid of Utility--Views from the Ramparts--Maintenance
of the Allied Troops very expensive to Geneva--Regret of the Genevese
at the Destruction of some ancient Avenues by them--Meet a Person
who gives a melancholy Account of the State of Geneva under the
French--State of Society--Fête de Navigation--Dress, &c.--Epigram by
a Prince of Hesse--Rousseau--Voltaire--Raynal--Remarks of a
Savoyard Peasant--The College of Geneva--The Library--Of
Calvin--Water Works--Society of Arts--Corn Magazine--Churches,
Service, &c. at Geneva. 184
CHAP. XI.
Excursion to the Perte du Rhone--Magnificent Spectacle which it
affords--Rise of the Rhone--Hop Gardens--Malt Liquor badly
made--Climate of Geneva--Of Switzerland in general--Opinion of
Haller--Soil, Grain, and Population of Switzerland--Quantities of
Cattle--Various Plants--Visit to a Watchmaker's Warehouse--Its
elevated Situation--Great Ingenuity, but want of what in England would
be thought good Taste--Circles of Genevese--Introduced to a French
Gentleman who bad twice escaped the Guillotine--Walks and
Rides--Junction of the Rhone and Arve--Coligny--Carrouge--St.
Julian--Battle there--Inferiority of the Austrian Troops to the
French--French Politics--Empress Maria Louisa--Lord Castlereagh at
Geneva 193
CHAP. XII.
Regret at leaving Geneva--Lake of
Joux--Coponex--Robbers--Lassera--Curious Separation of a
Rivulet---Orbe--Face of the Country--Price of Land--Yverdun--Sea
View--Spa--School--Anecdote of a Conductor--Game--Bridge of
Serrier--Neufchâtel, said to resemble Naples--Description of its
Territory--Anecdote respecting the Religion of Landeron--David
Riri--Sketch of the History of Neufchâtel--Competitors for its
Sovereignty--Lake of Bienne--Island of St. Pierre--Singular
Government of Bienne--Great Change on passing the Pont de
Thiel--Charge of Rapacity against the Swiss--Pleasant
Travelling--Extensive View from Julemont--Agriculture--Arberg 205

CHAP. XIII.
Morat--famous for Kirschwasser--Monument commemorating the
Defeat of the Burgundians removed by the French--Its
Inscription--Seedorf--View of the Island of St. Pierre--Beauty of the
distant View of Berne--Its Interior also handsome--Its
Fortifications--Stags and Bears kept in the Trenches--Public
Library--Botanic Garden--Chemists' and Bakers' Shops--Convicts
chained in the Streets--Beautiful Public Walks--Government of
Berne--Opinion of Pope--Excursions to Hofwyl and
Hindelbanck--Extent of the Canton of Berne--Its Population,
Productions, &c. &c--State of the Clergy--Departure from
Berne--Village of Worb--Saw Mill--Bleach Greens--Care which the
Swiss take of their Horses--Sumiswald--Little Wooden
Inn--Zell--Castle of Haptalla--Irrigation--Beautiful Situation of
Lucerne--Its Melancholy Interior--General Pfiffer's Model--Beautiful
Lake--Mount Pilate and Rigi--Visit two Classic Spots--And the Small
Canton--Gersau--Intolerance--Lake and Canton of Zug--Swiss
Honey--Magnificent View of Zurich, described by
Zimmerman--Considerations on the Difference between the Swiss
Cantons, &c 222

CHAP. XIV.
Zurich--Its Interior not answerable to its distant
Appearance--Population, Buildings, &c.--Dinner at the Table
d'Hote--Excursion on the Lake--Country and Villages near
Zurich--Winter there--Cascade of Lauffen--Its magnificent
Effect--Cyder--Bad Vintage--Schaffhausen--Its
Bridge--Population--Laws--Manufactures, &c.--View of Mount
Banken--Chapsigre Cheese--Swiss Tea--Set out in the Diligence with a
Doctor of Leipzig--His uncommon Love of Smoking--Civility, Dress,
&c. of the Germans--Deutlingen--Pass the Danube--Taste of the
Germans for Music, preferable to the political Arguments of the
French--Passports--Subdivisions of Germany--Trade--Posts well
conducted--Accident at Bahlingen--House of Hohenzollern 242
CHAP. XV.
Tubingen--Its University--Different from ours--Agree to