^8 Lifs of Dc Saujjfure. 



and mineralog)'. He then began his travels through the 

 Tn6untains ; not now to examine their vegetable produftions, 

 but to lludy the mountains themfelves, either in the ftones 

 of which they arc compofed, or the difpofition of their mafles. 

 Geology, a fcicnce which was then fcarcely in exiftence, 

 added charms to his namerous excurfions throngh the Alps ; 

 and it was then that the talents of the great philofcpher wers 

 really difplayed. During the firfl fifteen or twenty years oi 

 h-is profeflbrfhip, he employed himfelf by turns in difchargmg 

 the duties of his office, and in traverfing the different moun- 

 tains in the neighbourhood of Geneva. He even extended 

 his excurfions on one fide as far as the banks of the Rhine, and 

 on the other to Piedmont. At the fame time he undertook a 

 jourBey to Auvcrgnc to examine there the extingaiflied vol- 

 canoes, and another to Paris, England, and Holland. After 

 that he vifited Ital-y, and even Sicily. Thefe were not mere 

 journeys iox the purpoleof "-eachinganv particular pkce.- He 

 undertook them only with, a view of fl:udying- nature 5 never 

 travelled but furrounded by every ialtrument that could be 

 of ufe to him, and never fetout until he had drawn up a plaa 

 of the experiments and obfervations he intended to make. 

 He often fays in his works, that he had found this method 

 exceedingly ufeful. 



In tlic year 1779 he publifiied the firfl volume of his Tra- 

 I'cls through the Al[>s, which contains a minute defcription of 

 the environs of Geneva, and an excurfion as far as Chamouni, 

 a village at the bottoniof Mont-Blanc. Phllofophers will 

 lead there with pleafiu'e the defcription of his viagnelometcr. 

 The more he examined mountains, the more was- he fenfible- 

 of the importance of mineralogy. To ftxidy it with advan- 

 tage, he learned the German language ; and it may be feen,,. 

 in thelaft volumes of his Travels, how much new mineralo— 

 gical knowledge he had acquired. 



Amidft his numerous excurfions through the Alps, and at 

 the time of tlie poUtical troubles of Geneva in 1783, he found^ 

 means to make his beautiful experiments on hygrometry, 



whichi 



