The action of the sun on these glaciers in sum mer, so dissolve them, that not unfrequently huge masses, called avalanches, are disunited, and roll down the declivities to the • valleys below, with aw ful and destructive rapidity, destroying the plains, and overwhelming habitations, villages and forests. These avalanches have sometimes been known to roll down inclined planes of more than twenty miles in length. Avalanches, in the shape of loose dust, or snow frozen but not congealed into one conti nuous mass, are the most dangerous, on account of the great space they involve, and the whirlwinds accompanying them, which are often so very vio lent as to tear up trees by the roots, and demolish houses; while an avalanche of compact snow or ice, only strikes a narrow field; the latter sort takes place in spring and summer only; the former iu winter.% From the melting of the snow which covers the mountains, and from the descent of the avalanches, no country in Europe is better provided with rivers than Switzerland. And, from the same circum stance, as previously mentioned, these rivers in summer swell a third or a fourth above the usual size in winter. If Ive estimate their relative length of course, the Rhone is the most considerable river in Switzerland; and is, besides, the greatest river in Europe, after the Danube and the Volga. It rises on the north-east side of Mount St. Gothard, and, after receiving the waters of a surprising number of streams, it passes through the lake of Constance. It flows thence in a western direction to Basil, be fore arriving at which place it is augmented by the waters of the Aar, the Reuss, the Limmat, the Thur, the Glatt, the Birs, on the side of Switzer land, not to speak of those on that of Germany. From Basil its course is nearly northward, and it at length loses itself in the German ocean, after a course of 700 miles. The Rhone is next in im portance. It rises within five miles of the Rhine, and after flowing through the canton of Vallais, it passes through the lake of Geneva, and, after a course of 500 miles, falls into the Gulf of Lyons. These two majestic rivers either take their rise from glaciers, or are essentially fed by them. In addition to the streams that are tributary to the Rhine, and some of which are large and important, we may mention the Ticino, which takes its rise in St. Gothard, but, unlike the Rhine and Rhone, flows southward, and, after receiving the waters of several streams, and passing through the lake Mag giore, falls into the Po; the Inn which, after flow ing through the Grisons, the Tyrol, and separating Austria and Bavaria, joins the Danube; the Adda, which, passing through the Grisons, and directing its course into Italy, loses its waters in the Po.
As connected with the rivers, the lakes require next to be mentioned. Many of them, not confined to the plains, or the mountains, are situated on high table-land, or among mountains of consider able altitude. The following enumeration will show their relative height. The lake of Como stands 692 feet above the level of the sea; the lake of Con stance, 1151; Geneva, 1225; Zurich, 1364; Zug, 1406; Neufchatel, 1428; Lucerne, or lake of Four Cantons, 1438; while that of Thun is elevated no less than 1897 feet, being fully a third higher than those of Geneva and Constance, and two-thirds above that of Como. There are many other lakes, such as those of Lugano, Wallenstadt, Brientz, Sarnen, Sempach, Joux, Morat, Bienne. The three last, like Neufchatel, discharge their superfluous. waters into the Aar by the Thiele. All these lakes form a superficial extent of 314 square miles. They contain fish, such as pike, trout, salmon, Iota, and umber, the last being a very delicate fish, occa sionally exported to Paris, and sometimes sold for so high a price as 12/.
The climate of Switzerland, as may be inferred from our previous statements, is extremely varied. The extreme cold of the mountains we have already mentioned. Many ravines and portions of valleys are inaccessible, even in summer, to the direct ac tion of the sun; and the immense masses of ice or snow which fall from the mountains on the plains, and remain on them, occasion great variation in the temperature, even in places that otherwise would be genial. The lakes have somewhat of a similar effect. In winter, too, the cold in the valleys is more severe than in most parts of France or Ger many; a circumstance which undoubtedly results from the vast accumulation of snow and ice on the mountains. But this is the most unfavourable view of the subject. The valleys and the bases of the mountains exposed to the south, enjoy all the warmth of an Italian sun, and display all the heat and luxuriance of vegetation that characterize more southern climates. Such places produce grapes and the finer fruits in great abundance, and are often resorted to on account of their peculiar sweetness and salubrity. But in this country heat and cold, vegetation and sterility, border on each other, and form the most striking contrast. While, in the plain, the peasantry are engaged in the labour of harvest, the grain is slowly advancing to wards maturity, or probably may not be in the ear, on the higher grounds. Nay, so much is this the case, that it has not been inaptly said, snow may be lifted in one hand, while flowers are plucked with the other. Various, however, as the climate is, the mean temperature may be known, when it is stated that at Berne it is about 40° of Fahrenheit, at Zurich about 39°, and at Geneva 40°.
The laborious character of the Swiss has done much for the agriculture of the country. Lofty and most unpromising spots have been cultivated, though they are so inaccessible that manure has to be carried to them, not in the usual way by means of mules or horses, but on the shoulders of the cul tivators. Vines and rich pasturages are to be found in places of very narrow dimensions, surrounded by naked rocks or sterile precipices. Cultivation is carried almost to the very verge of the ice and snow lines. The country produces wheat, rye, bar ley, oats, maize, flax, hemp, tobacco. The stock of corn produced, owing chiefly to the variable nature of the climate, is not sufficient to supply the inhabitants ; and by consequence, a considerable quantity requires to be imported. In some rugged districts indeed, the produce is so scanty that the inhabitants are almost strangers to the use of bread, but subsist chiefly on the produce of their dairies. " In Switzerland, as in France," says an intelligent traveller, "arable land lies fallow every third, fourth, or fifth year. The courses are, first, ploughing for wheat, three or four times in one year, without a crop: second, a crop of wheat the next year, which returns generally five and a half for one: third, barley: four, esparsel, (sainfoin) or some other artificial grass; then ploughing again for wheat without a crop. The turnip and sheep system is said not to answer here."—(Simond's Travels, i. 35.) The rearing of cattle forms one of the greatest sources of national subsistence in Switzerland. In spring the herds arc driven to the mountains, for good pasturage is obtained as high as the snow and ice lines; and after remaining there till the begin ning of winter, they are gradually brought back into the plains, and more sheltered districts. A cow, according to M. Simond, yields in the sum mer, on an average, six measures of milk daily, each weighing three pounds of seventeen ounces. Cheese, butter, tallow, hides, form some of the chief articles of export from Switzerland.