turesque, and scarcely less curious than the Perte. It is worth while to descend from the garden of the inn into the worn channel of this little river, which is almost dry in summer time, except where a runlet of its water burrows into the clefts and fantastic bends of the calcareous rock.

Another pleasant excursion may be made to D'Ivoune where the river Versoix takes its rise in a pretty grotto at the foot of the Jura; and people go to eat the small delicate trout which are taken in it. The view from the terrace of the Château D'Ivoune is very fine. The best road to go is by Coppet and Celigny (where the waterfalls should also be visited), and to return by Ferney. The distance from Geneva to D'Ivoune is about 8 miles.

151

Itself expired, but leaving them an age Of years all winters, -war within themselves to wage.

Now, where the quick Rhone thus hath cleft his way,

The mightiest of the storms hath ta'en his stand:

For here, not one, but many, make their play,

And fling their thunder-bolts from hand to hand,

Flashing and cast around: of all the band, The brightest through these parted hills hath fork'd

His lightnings, - as if he did understand, That in such gaps as desolation work'd, There the hot shaft should blast whatever therein lurk'd.

And this is in the night: Most glorious night!

Thou wert not sent for slumber! let me be

A sharer in thy fierce and far delight,
A portion of the tempest and of thee!
How the lit lake shines, a phosphoric sea,
And the big rain comes dancing to the
earth!

And now again 'tis black,

glee

and now, the

Of the loud hills shakes with its mountain. mirth,

As if they did rejoice o'er a young earthquake's birth.

Sky, mountains, river, winds, lake, lightnings! ye!

With night, and clouds, and thunder, and a soul

To make these felt and feelings, well may be

Things that have made me watchful; the

far roll

152

Of your departing voices, is the knoll
Of what in me is sleepless, if I rest.

But where of ye, oh tempests! is the goal? Are ye like those within the human breast? Or do ye find, at length, like eagles, some high nest ?" BYRON.

The Lake of Geneva, called by the Romans Lacus Lemanus, has nearly the shape of a half-moon, its horns being turned towards the S. It is the largest lake in Switzerland, being 55 miles long, measured close to its N. shore, and about 40 miles along its S. bank; it is 6 miles wide at the broadest part (between Rolle and Thonon), and its greatest depth (between Evian and Ouchy) is 900 ft. Its waters often vary in one year more than 50 inches, being usually lowest in the winter, between January and April, and highest in August and part of July and September, owing to the supplies then derived from the melting snows and glaciers. Besides these periodical variations, the lake is subject to other more arbitrary changes of level, called seiches. This phenomenon consists of a sudden rise and fall of the water in particular parts of the lake, independently of the agency of the wind or of any other apparent cause. It is most common in the vicinity of Geneva. During

these oscillations the waters sometimes rise 5 ft., though the usual increase is not more than 2; it never lasts longer than 25 minutes, but it is generally less. The cause of these seiches has not been explained with certainty, but it is believed to depend upon the unequal pressure of the atmosphere upon different parts of the surface of the lake; and they are observed to occur most commonly when the clouds are heavy and low. The lake never freezes entirely, owing to its great depth; but in severe winters the lower extremity is covered with ice. The sand and mud brought down by the Rhone and deposited around its mouth have caused considerable encroachments upon its upper extremity: even within the records of history Porte Vallais stood

on its margin, and its basin is reported to have originally extended upwards as far as Bex.

"Mon lac est le premier," are the words in which Voltaire has vaunted the beauties of the Lake of Geneva; and it must be confessed that, though it wants the gloomy sublimity of the Bay of Uri and the sunny softness of the Italian lakes, with their olive and citron groves, it has high claims to admiration. It also possesses great variety of scenery. The vine-covered slopes of Vaud contrast well with the abrupt, rocky precipices of Savoy. Near Geneva the hills subside, admitting an exquisite view of Mont Blanc, whose snowy summit, though 60 miles distant, is often reflected in its waters.

"Lake Leman woos me with its crystal face, The mirror where the stars and mountains view

The stillness of their aspect in each trace Its clear depth yields of their far height and hue."

At its eastern or upper extremity it extends to the very base of the high Alps, which by their close vicinity give its scenery a character of increased magnificence.

The boats on the lake are very picturesque, having latine sails like the craft of the Mediterranean.

Among the fish of the lake trouts are rare; the Lotte, on which Rousseau's Julie makes her last repast, is described as "un espèce de barbeau assez fade, peu cher, et commun."

Steam-boats. There are 4 or 5 steamers on the Lake of Geneva. The best and swiftest of these, the Aigle, Helvétie (new), and Vaudoise, run from Geneva to Villeneuve and back in 8 hours, almost as quickly as the other two perform the voyage from one end to the other. The Leman and Winkelried (the first is the best) set out from either end of the lake daily, and reach the opposite extremity in 7 or 8 hours. The steamers do not take carriages. They stop to land and receive passengers at Coppet,

171 posts

= 83 Eng. miles. This is a post-road, tolerably supplied with post-horses, the charges being the same as in France, viz. 1 fr. 50 c. for each horse per post, and 75 c. to the postillion; for every person in the carriage above the number of horses 1 fr. is charged. The postboys expect 40 sous a post. § 5.

Diligences go twice a-day to Lausanne, and 4 times a week to Martigny. A voiturier will take about 6 hours to Lausanne, exclusive of stoppages. The tolls at each post are heavy.

N.B. The road by the S. shore of the lake (Route 57) to St. Maurice is 2 posts shorter than this by Lau

sanne.

The greater part of the first stage out of Geneva lies among villas and pleasure grounds not unlike English country-seats. Few spots in Europe present so many admirable sites for a dwelling as the shores of Lake Leman in full view of Mont Blanc. About a mile from Geneva the Hotel of Sécheron is passed. After a mile or two Mont Blanc is hid behind the intervening mountains of Voirons, and does not reappear until near Nyon.

The parish of Versoix, through which the road passes, formerly belonged to France. The Duke de Choiseul, minister of Louis XV., irritated with some proceedings of the inhabitants of Geneva, proposed to raise a rival city at Versoix which

should deprive Geneva of its trade. A pier was projected into the lake, to form a port, a grand place was laid down, and streets running at right angles were marked out; but beyond this the plan was never carried into execution. Hence the verses of Voltaire :

"A Versoix nous avons des rues,

Mais nous n'avons pas de maisons." A little beyond Versoix (now an inconsiderable village) we pass out of the canton of Geneva into that of Vaud.

13 Coppet, a small village of 600 inhabitants, only remarkable for the Château, which belonged to Madame de Staël, immediately behind it. It is now the property of the Duc de Broglie, her son-in-law. It is a plain edifice, forming three sides of a square, the front towards the lake being flanked with a tower at each end. It was the residence of Madame de Staël as well as of her father, the French minister Necker. There is a portrait of her by David, and a bust of Necker. One room is pointed out as the study in which the author of Corinne composed many of her works. Her inkstand and desk are still preserved. The grounds are traversed by shady walks; and a clump of trees surrounded by a wall, in a field a little to the W. of the house, shrouds from view a sort of chapel in which Necker and his daughter are buried.

14 Nyon-(Inn: Soleil)—a town of 2682 inhabitants, stands on a height; but its suburb, through which the high road runs, extends down to the lake. It was the Roman Novidunum.

An excellent carriage-road ascends the Jura from this in zigzags to St. Cergues (Route 53). From the top of the Dôle, on the left of this road, and 15 miles from Nyon, there is an exquisite view (see p. 140).

1 Rolle. (Inn: Tête Noir, small and not first rate.) The hills around this village are covered with vine

yards, producing a tolerable wine. One of the best Vaudois wines is grown on the slope between Rolle and Aubonne, called La Cote.

On the opposite shore of the lake is discerned the Gulf of Thonon, and the snowy head of Mont Blanc peering over the mountains of the Chablais. A little further on the rocks of Meillerie and the entrance of the Vallais appear.

1 Morges. (Inn: La Couronne.) Behind this little town of 2800 inhabitants rises the old castle of Wufflens, distinguished by its tall square donjon and group of minor turrets, built of brick, with deep machicolations. It is said to have been built by Queen Bertha in the tenth century. It is well preserved and highly picturesque. On the next stage the river Venoge is crossed.

The distant view of Lausanne, seated on sloping hills and surmounted by its cathedral and castle, is pleasing. Between it and the lake, at the distance of of a mile, stands the suburb or village of Ouchy, which may be termed the port of Lausanne. (Inn: Ancre, at the water-side, good and cheap.) Lord Byron wrote the Prisoner of Chillon in this little inn, in the short space of two days, during which he was detained here by bad weather, June, 1816: "thus adding one more deathless association to the already immortalized localities of the lake."

Traversing the shady promenade of Montbenon we enter

Cathedral.

the republic for 2 centuries, until 1798, when it purchased its own independence. The town stands on the lower slope of the Mont Jorat, which sinks gradually down to the lake, but is intersected by several ravines, giving it the form of distinct eminences. From this cause the streets ranging over broken ground are a series of ups and downs; many are very steep, and run in a direction parallel to the lake, so as to exclude all view of it. A causeway and viaduct have recently been made to span the valley from the front of the Hotel Gibbon, and a winding road, carried on a level along its E. bank, render the centre of the town and cathedral much more accessible than formerly. The older streets are mostly narrow and not very clean, and few of the houses stand on the same level. the stranger would emerge from this labyrinth of dusky buildings to look about him, he must climb up the steep ascent behind. A very good point of view is the

If

At the

Terrace of the Cathedral. foot of the flight of steps leading to it from the market-place ask for the keys of the door kept at the sexton's house, No. 6. The Cathedral, a very extensive building, and internally the finest Gothic church in Switzerland, “was founded A. D. 1000, and some traces of the original edifice may be noticed in the groined arches behind the altar. With this exception the building dates from the thirteenth century (1275). The interior is so singular in its construction, and so very beautiful, that we offer a brief and very imperfect notice of it. Upon entering the western door, two piers are seen on the right and left, each consisting of a thick central column, surrounded by six distinct and detached columns of the same height but smaller diameter.

Each of these

piers is surrounded by another, which would altogether resemble its subordinate, if a wall projecting from the side did not take the place of one

Route 56.

of the smaller columns ; these groups of columns stand at the angles of a porch of four arches, the singularity and beauty of which is greatly increased by two apses which are attached to it on the north and south sides. Beyond this is another porch, in which the vaulting, ribs, and arch mouldings are most beautifully supported by a series of detached slender columns. On entering the nave, two wide arches are seen on the right and on the left; and these are succeeded, on each side, by six narrower arches, the arrangement of which is so peculiar, that they suggest the idea of their having been experiments in architectural construction during the transition period. They are thus described by Mr. Willis :Each alternate pier consists of 12 parts, or shafts, - namely, 3 on each face for the vaulting of the nave and side aisles respectively, and 3 for the pier arches. But of the interposed ones, the first has coupled columns for the pier arch, and a lateral subshaft for its sub-arch; the nest has a single round shaft for the pier arch, and a stout detached shaft in front of it, which, running up to the roof, carries 3 vaulting ribs in a group upon a round abacus; the nest, with a similar arrangement for the pier arch, has a slender shaft in front, supporting the simple rib of a sixpartite vault, of which this is the only compartment, the rest of the nave having quadrepartite vaults.' The circular apse, at the eastern end, is singular and complete, both as a continuation of the nave and of the aisles. The Triforium Gallery is carried continuously along the nave, the transept, and the apse; above it is a second gallery, equally complete, but it is arranged in compartments of triple arches, for the purpose of enabling it to conform to the openings of the windows. Within the central Tower, but at a higher level, are two similar galleries, equally complete. At the eastern sides of

the transept are two compartments, which forms, as it were, 2 aisles to that part of the building; - the walls of these, as well as of the side aisles and the apsidal aisles, are lined throughout with a succession of low columns supporting trefoil or quatrefoil arches."-F. L.

Among the monuments within the church are a mailed effigy of Otho of Gransom, whose ancestor, Otto de Grandeson, held several important offices in England, under Henry III. and Edward I.; and the tomb of Victor Amadeus VIII. (Voltaire's "Bizarre Amadée "), who was duke of Savoy, Bishop of Geneva, and pope under the title of Felix V., but resigned in succession all these dignities, preferring to end his days as a monk in the convent of Ripaille, on the opposite shore of the lake. is much mutilated. ment of Mrs. Stratford Canning, a vase with a bas-relief, by Bartolini (not by Canova, as most guide-books have it), is not very remarkable. Here also is interred the venerated Bernard de Menthon, founder of the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard, which is named after him.

It The monu

On another platform, a little way behind the Terrace of the Cathedral, stands the Castle, a picturesque, massive square tower with four turrets at the angles. It was originally the residence of the Bishops of Lausanne, but is now the council-house of the canton.

Lausanne possesses a College, founded 1587, and a Cantonal Museum, in which are some objects of interest, such as a collection of minerals from Bex and a model of the salt mines there. It is not deficient in the other branches of natural history. A specimen of the silurus glanis, one of the largest fresh-water fishes, came from the Lake of Morat. Many antiquities discovered within the canton, at Aventicum, and on the borders of the Lake Leman, are preserved here.

The house of Gibbon, in which he