70 INTRODUCTION. 



There is, however, a greater distance between 

 the rows of the vineyard, in this, than in the ad- 

 joining Canton, but the plants in the line appear 

 as close to each other, doubtless, in order to ob- 

 tain all that the land is capable of producing. 

 One of my first reflections on visiting these vine- 

 yards, was, whence is it that the vine grounds of 

 Neufchatel, producing a wine equal in quality to 

 that of La Vaux, and commanding in the sale, as 

 fair a price, can be purchased at a rate below that 

 of the vine grounds of La Vaux. Before I saw 

 the capital, I visited the vine grounds of the Can- 

 ton, but the moment of entering the beautiful 

 city of Neufchatel, we bid adieu to all the capti- 

 vating appearances of Swiss simplicity. In vain 

 the eye seeks amid the pomp and luxury of vice- 

 royalty, the unpretending comforts we have left 

 behind. 



The gaudy palace, with its gilded fretwork, 

 proclaims that the leech is there which preys on 

 the life blood of society, and wrings from the 

 hard hand of industry its scanty pittance, to 

 glitter like the phosphorescence of corruption in 

 the gauderies of the crown. Yet it is but justice 

 to say of the Prussian king, that his sway is 

 mild and paternal, and that the people of Neuf- 

 chatel appear contented and happy. The taxes 

 of the Canton are lighter than those of their 

 neighbours of Vaud, and if compared with some 

 of our own local governments (Philadelphia, for 

 example) are as nothing. Yet under much 

 heavier burdens we are prosperous. Republican 

 institutions impart to all within the sphere of 

 their influence a moral, a pecuniary value un- 



