294 On tJie Seiches of the Lake of Geneva. 



to be remarked at all. They also say that the lake has a fall, 

 or marked declivity near the town, and that this declivity has 

 not hitherto been measured. Mr Escher, the same friend who 

 had the kindness to make the observations on the Lake of Zu- 

 rich, also undertook a journey to Stein, where the Rhine, after 

 being for a time broad, begins to grow narrow, and properly to 

 form a river ; but there he could discover no seiche, nor could 

 he learn that it had ever been observed. He only remarked that 

 the current near to this town was so strong that it was with diffi- 

 culty a powerful man could maintain himself erect, and not be 

 carried down the stream. 



In the year 1803 I also procured some friends to make obser- 

 vations on the Lake of Neuchatel. The individuals to whom I 

 applied had the prejudices to which I have already alluded; 

 they imagined that the seiches were peculiar to the Lake of 

 Geneva ; but after having examined attentively, and under the 

 circumstances which I recommended, they also found variations 

 quite appreciable in the middle of the lake, and more consider- 

 able as they approached the spot where the waters discharge 

 themselves by the Theilla into the Lake of Bienne. 



Finally, with the same object in view, in July 1804, I took 

 a journey to Italian Switzerland. I had especial hopes that the 

 lake, whence issues the Tessin, and which is nearly of the same 

 shape as that of Geneva, would present the same phenomena, 

 viz. the seiches, and more considerable in proportion as I ap- 

 proximated towards its southern extremity. Accordingly^ I 

 clearly perceived at Baveno, near to the islets Borromee, a varia- 

 tion of two or three lines ; but when I had descended as far as 

 Sesto, the waters were so strongly agitated, that I could not 

 make any observation ; and the persons of whom I inquired, 

 whether owing to the absence of the occurrence, or rather to their 

 not understanding me (for they did not know French better than 

 I spoke the Italian), seemed to have no knowledge of the phe- 

 nomenon. At a later period, however, I renewed my endea- 

 vours at Sesto, at the spot where the Tessin leaves the lake, and 

 I then noticed very marked variations. I may, in general teilns, 

 make the same remarks concerning the lake of Lucerne, near to 

 the Taun, as satisfactory testimony ha^ been supplied on the 

 point, by intelligent travellers. 



