mldch afford a Passage to Rivers. 35" 



with vineyards, which descend almost to the margin of the 

 river ; the latter is of great breadth at this place, and flows 

 very slowly. Such is likewise the case dm'ing its course 

 across the mountains ; it is remarkable for its slowness, and 

 for the smoothness of its sui'face, which resembles a mirror. 

 " The calmness of the river along which I sailed," says De 

 Luc, " whose surface was without a ripple, allowed me to 

 enjoy the delicious rural scenes presented to my view. It was 

 the finest -season of the year, when the villagers were emploj^- 

 ed in collecting their second crop of hay, and the fruits of 

 their orchards. The pastures were covered with cattle, goats 

 broused on the rocks, and the good housewives, with their 

 children around them, were engaged in cleaning their kitchen 

 utensils, or in washing the vessels belonging to their dairies." 

 De Luc was pleased to think that these happy villagers' course 

 of life was as tranquil as that of the river from which he had 

 so much satisfaction in observing them. 



M. Alex. Brongniart, in his Natural History of Water, re- 

 marks, that the Rhine, after leaving the Lake of Constance, 

 traverses a chain of mountains distinctly characterized, which 

 run from the south-west to the north-east ; it forms, on the 

 left bank, the northern extremity of the chain of the Jura, of 

 which Mont Terrible forms a part, and on the right bank the 

 mountains of the Foret Noire. The Rhine crosses this chain 

 almost perpendicularly to its direction ; its bed is bordered 

 and obstructed by rocks, and its course is extremely impetu- 

 ous. Arrived at Bale, it changes its direction, and flows 

 tranquilly, and without obstruction, through the wide valley of 

 Alsace ; but, after passing INIayence, alters its route, and di- 

 rects itself against a chain of mountains which seems to bar 

 its passage. This chain is known, on the left bank, by the 

 name of Eifel : it is a continuation of the Ardennes ; and on 

 the right bank, it takes the name of Westerwald. The Rhino 

 enters it at Bingen, and crosses it, not by a valley, properly 

 so called, but by a gorge, which admits only the passage of 

 the river : it emerges from it near Coblentz.* 



Let us now turn our attention to the Danube. This river is 



* The diijtancc from Bingon to Cobk'Uta i(> about I'i leagues- 



