IH 



SWITZERLAND. 



SWITZERLAND. 



741 



otbm hardly inferior in elevation. To the north of tlii wrici are otlir r 

 r which the highest an the Eiger (12,922 feat), the 



Hohreckhoro (13.444 feet), the Wetterhorn (12,220 feet), the Blumlis 

 Alp (12,14 J feet), and the Dolderhorn (11,020 feet). The Kaulhorn, not 

 far from the Lake of Briens, rues only to 8750 feet, but it in frequently 

 oVJ by timvaUer* on account of the magnl&oent view which it 

 of the numerous mountains and glaciers which lie to the south 

 of it. At the weetorn extremity of this region a road K-ade from the 

 valley of the Kander t the valley of Lotsch in the Valaia. It traverse* 

 the ridge called the Gemmi, and in iu most elevated point rises 6446 

 feet above the tea. It is partly cut through rocks, and only practicable 

 for bae.it i of burden. 



The valley of the Kaoder separates this region from that which lies 

 farther wot, and in which the Alps rise above the snow-liue only in a 

 few placre, The highest part of the mountains continues to run 

 south-west, as far as the three-headed summit, called the Diablerets, 

 or the TeufeUborner, which is nearly due north of the great bend of 

 the Rhone and somewhat more than 12 miles from it The passes 

 over this ehaio vary between 3000 and SOOO feet in elevation, but 

 MOM of the summit* rise above the snow-line and attain more than 

 10,000 feet. The highest summits from east to west are the Gletscber- 

 hora (10,393 feet), the WiMhorn (10,721 feet), the Arpelhorn (10,918 

 feet), and the Diablerets (10,447 feet). At tlie Diablerets the chain 

 divide* into two branches, one of which runs south-south-west and 

 terminates on the banks of the Rhone, opposite the Dent-du-Midi. 

 in high rocks ; the other extends westward towards the eastern 

 extremity of the Lake of Geneva, and in approaching the lake turns 

 gradually to the north and terminates in Mont Molosson (6577 feet). 

 In the first of these two chains is Mont Moveran (9S82 feet) and the 

 Dvnt-des-HorcIe* (9567 feet), and in the second Mont Oldenhorn 

 (10,362 feet). Though these summits and a few others rise above the 

 snow-line, they occur at considerable distances from one other, and tho 

 glaciers which surround them are of comparatively small extent. 



The country which extends north of the Bernese range, between tbe 

 Kander on the east and the Saane River on tho west, and terminates 

 in the parallel of the northe/n extremity of the Lake of Thun, ia a 

 mountainous country : but it does not appear that the summits which 

 are always covered with snow are numerous ; several summits attain 

 an elevation of 8000 feet above the sea-level, and from 4000 to 5000 

 feet above their base. The form also of thcie mountains differs from 

 that of the higher Alps, their summits not terminating in peaks or 

 sharp ridges, but being rounded and rather flat at tbe top : tho decli- 

 vities are generally steep, though much less so than those of the 

 higher mountains. In many places the higher parts of the ridges and 

 groups are above the line of vegetation, but as the lower declivities 

 are covered with fine grass, which supplies excellent pasture during 

 the summer months, and with trees, this region contains a much 

 greater portion of productive land than the other parts of the Alps, 

 though the proportion which is cultivated is very small. It is emi- 

 nently a country of pasture. The most continuous ridge of mountains 

 in this part of the country is that which lies nearest to the preceding 

 region, and extends to the west of the valley of the Kander, from the 

 great range to the banks of the Lake of Thun, where it terminates 

 in Mont Niewn (7324 feet). Among the isolated summits ia the 

 Stockhorn, which is west of the Lake of Thun, 7213 feet high. 



The Volley of Haiti, at the most southern extremity of which the 

 river Aar originates in the Aar Glacier, lies between the largest fields 

 of ice and snow, and extends in the form of a semicircle more than 

 30 miles to the influx of the Aar into the Lake of Brienz. Though 

 tbe valley in the upper parts is only between a quarter and half a mile 

 wide, and in the lower between half a mile and a mile, several short 

 valleys open into it from all sides, and the declivities of the moun- 

 tain* which inclose these lateral valleys, and those of the principal 

 valley, contain rich pasture. The lower part of the valley is partly 

 cultivated and partly meadow-ground. There are extensive planta- 

 tions of walnut-trees. The low and level tract which lies between 

 the lakes of Brient and Thun, and is about four miles long and two 

 miles wide, is fertile, well cultivated, and has extensive plantations of 

 walnut-trees. Tho climate here is so temperate that the flowers blossom 

 i tbe month of February. Along the northern banks of the Lake of 

 Tbun the mountains approach close to the water; but as they are 

 not high, nor their tide* precipitou*, there is a considerable tract 

 etwe*n them and the lake, which ia used for the cultivation of grain, 

 plantation, of vine* and trees, and at pasture-ground. There is a 

 lilar tract of greater extent on the south of the lake; and towards 

 le western extremity of the lake the mountains disappear and the 

 plain "*g**H 



Tb*> country which extends north-cant of the river Aar and the 

 lake* of Brim and Tbun to the Lake of Luzern, is much less moun- 

 tainoo. and broken than tho region south of the Lake of Thun; the 

 mean elevation of this region i* about 2000 feet The most elevated 

 tract i* north of the Lake of Brienz, where the Rothhorn attains 7536 

 feet above the sea, the Tannborn 6962 feet, and the Hohgant 7352 

 the numerou* summit* which are dispersed over the 

 nth of them are 



Mount PUatut, south-west of the town of 

 4 feet above the sea-level ; and Mount Napf, which ia the 

 ertern point of this region. i< only 6277 feet The surface of 

 lit country u a succession of rapid aocliritio* and declivitjss, with 



very small tracts of luvel ground between them. Nearly the whole of 

 the country is pasture-ground, except the viciuity of the Lake of 

 l.uzeru, where large tract* are planted with walnut- mid chestuut- 

 bvea. 



Along the eastern edge of tbe mountain knot, west of tbe pass of 

 St-Gothard, lies the valley of the Upper Ileus*, the upper part of 

 which, called tho valley of Ursurn, is extremely cold, being in its 

 lowest part 4644 feet above the sea-level ; the lowest part, or tho 

 valley of Uri, has a very temperate climate, being little elevated above 

 the surface of the Lake of Luzern, or about 1500 feet above the sea. 

 In the valley of Urscrn tho winter lasts eight months, and even during 

 the remainder of the year a fire is constantly kept up. No gr.un is 

 cultivated, but there are good pastures. The valley of Uri produces 

 maize and other grain, and also peaches and chestnuts. The highest 

 part of the mountain road of the St.-Gothard, which passes through 

 tUl valley, is about 7100 feet above the sea. 



The country between the valley of the Heuss and the Lake of Luzern 

 on the west, that of Wallenstadt on the north, and the valley of the 

 Upper Rhine on the east and south, is, probably the moat broken 

 portion of the mountain region of the Alps in Switzerland. The valleys 

 are extremely narrow, and the declivity of tho surrounding mountains 

 is exceedingly broken, and so steep that large tracts on the moun- 

 tains' sides are bare of trees and bushes, and only a very email surface 

 is fit for pasture. The upper part of the mountains consists either 

 of sharp narrow ridges or of isolated summits, which generally con- 

 stitute large masses with a very uneven surface. The mountains, 

 though connected with one another by ridges, are not disposed in 

 regular ranges, but scattered over tho surface in the greatest disorder, 

 except along the valley of the Rhine, where they form a tolerably 

 continuous range. This range, the most northern of the three ranges 

 comprehended under tho nauie of the RhaHian Alps, and uow com- 

 monly called the range of the Dodi, is connected with the mountains 

 which line the valley of thu Aar on the east, and thence runs eatt- 

 north-eat over the Krispnlt, the Oberalpenstock (10,873 feet), the 

 Dodi (11,811 feet), the Kustenberg (11,068 feet), the Scheibe (10,000 

 feet), and the Graue Horner (9338 feet), terminating near the Rhine, 

 and on both sides of the deep and closed valley of the Tauiina. in 

 precipitous masses of rock. The glaciers on this chain are numerous, 

 but with the exception of those which surround the Dodi and Kisten- 

 berg, they are not of great extent. In the country north of this 

 range there is also a considerable number of single mountains, which 

 ris3 above the snow-liue, as the Windgellen (10,336 feet), the Scheer- 

 horn (10,809 feet), the Clariden Alps (10,489 feet), the three moun- 

 tains of Glarnisch, of which the most elevated, Hoch Qliirnisch, rises 

 to 9509 feet, the Kiirpfstock (8954 feet), and several others. But as 

 these mountains are isolated, the glaciers are of small extent. The 

 mountains are less elevated along the northern edge of this region ; 

 the llurtschenstock, which runs along the southern banks of the 

 Lake of Wallenstadt, attains an elevation of only 7750 feet above tho 

 sea-leveL In proceeding north-west, the mountains decrease in eleva- 

 tion, and their declivities are much more gentle. But though the 

 declivities of the mountains are generally accessible to cattle, and 

 supply pasture ground, few places are cultivated. There are however 

 some large tracts which are planted with vines and other fruit-trees. 

 The narrow valleys of this tract have a temperate climate. 



The valley of the Upper Rhine extends along the Rhine from its 

 source in Mount Bad us to its influx into the Lake of Coustanz. It is 

 about 90 miles long. The upper part of tho valley runs from south- 

 west to north-east, and is formed by a few basins from 3 to 4 miles 

 long, from 14 to 2 miles wide, and separated from one. another by 

 mountains, which generally come close to the banks of the river. 

 Thiit portion of the valley which lies above Trons ia not cultivated, 

 partly on account of the steep declivity of the mountains, and partly 

 owing to the rigour of the climate : the winter lasts from eight to 

 nine mouths. At Trans agriculture begins, but it is on a very moderate 

 scale, as a part of the basin is covered with swamps. Lower down 

 are the basins of Ilanz and of Ruichenan, and then follows the basin 

 of Chur, where the lower portion of tho valley begins, which ruus 

 nearly north and south. This lower valley is divided into two parts 

 by two mountains, the Fiischerberg on the east, and the Schollberg on 

 the west, which come close up to the river north of Meyeufeld, near 

 47 5' N. lat. The southern district, called the Valley of Meyeu- 

 feld, descends gradually from about 1775 to 1600 feet. It is about 

 15 miles long, and varies in width from 2 to 3 miles : the whole of it 

 is under cultivation, and it produces maize, wheat, and other grains ; 

 and near the base of the adjacent mountains there are vines and 

 fruit-trees. The northern portion of the valley, called the Rheiuthal, 

 is about 30 miles long, and from 3 to 6 miles wide ; but only the 

 smaller part of it, which extends along the western banks of the 

 river, belongs to Switzerland : the low couutry east of the river, 

 which is much wider, belongs to Austria. It is one of the best 

 cultivated tracts in Switzerland, and produces very large quantities 

 of maize and other grains. The vine and fruit-trees are abuudaut 

 Great quantities of cider aro made and exported. The descent of 

 the valley ia from 1600 to 1340 feet above the sea-level 



The principal range of the Klurtian Alps branches off to the east 

 of the mountain-pass of St.-Gothard, south of Mount Bad us, and runs 

 eastward. A continuous range, of mountains, of which however DO 



