767 



SWITZERLAND. 



SWITZERLAND. 



753 



wooded. In the mountain region itself there are two large an 

 several smaller valleys. The two larger valleys are those of Joux an 

 of Valorbe, and they may be considered as one valley 30 miles Ion 

 and about 2 miles wide. This valley is divided into two valleys b 

 the summit called Dent-de-Vaulion, which rises to 4831 feet abov 

 the sea-level. The valley of Joux, or that south of this summit, i 

 3373 feet above the level of the sea. It is drained by the river Orbe 

 which in approaching the Dent-de-Vaulion enters the Lake of Joux 

 which is 5 miles long and more than a mile wide. After leaving thi 

 lake the river forms a small lake, that of Erenet, on flowing from 

 which it is precipitated into an opening at the foot of the Dent-de 

 Vaulion, from which it issues as a considerable stream on the nortl 

 side of the mountain. Here begins the Valorbe, which extends to th 

 towu of Orb*, where the river leaves the mountains, at the foot o 

 which it flows through the plain to its mouth, which is at the southen 

 extremity of the Lake of Neufchatel. In the valley of Joux, wind 

 is more than 700 feet higher than Valorbe, only barley and oats are 

 grown, and there are no trees, except a forest of fir-trees, in the 

 southern portion of the valley, which belongs to France. The greater 

 part of the valley is used as pasture and meadow ground. Tin 

 Valorbe contains fine forest-trees, and is generally well cultivated 

 except on the slopes of the surrounding mountains, which produce 

 gran. All kinds of fruit-trees abound. 



That portion of the region of the Jura which extends from the 

 south of the Lake of Neufchatel to the northern extremity of the 

 Lake of liienne, consists of numerous valleys divided from one 

 another by low ridges. The waters from several of them have appa- 

 rently no outlet The whole region is destitute of trees, with the ex- 

 ception of the lower portion of the eastern slope, where there are exten- 

 sive vineyards and orchards. Mulberry -trees are grown to feed silk- 

 worms. Here also, and in the valleys which open towards the lakes, 

 every kind of grain is grown, and agriculture is carried to a high degree 

 of perfection. But the mountain region itself, with its valleys and ridges, 

 is in iU natural state only covered with grass, and though the soil is 

 dry, the pastures are rich and maintain large herds of cattle. The 

 inhabitants of this district are noted for their great manufacturing 

 industry. [NEUFCHATKL; BIBH.] In spite of many disadvantages, 

 among which is the long winter that lasts seven months, these diatricte 

 are among the most populous in Europe, though every article of food 

 is very dear, owing to the difficulty of transporting it from the lower 

 country. Within the mountain region nothing is cultivated except 

 some barley and oats. 



North of the lake of Bienne the steep declivity of the region of the 

 Jura Mountains continues along the banks of the river AST, and in 

 the whole of iU long extent from the Lake of Bienne to the confluence 

 of the Aar with the Rhine, a distance of 60 niilet, it is only once 

 interrupted by a valley. Though less elevated than farther to the 

 sooth, it rises more than 1000 feet above its base, and has some sum 

 mite, of which the Weissensteiu, north-west of Solothurn (4810 feet), 

 is perhaps the highest. As far as this summit the valleys extend 

 longitudinally in the direction of the whole system, and resemble in 

 some degree those of the central district, but they are partly covered 

 with wood. North of the Weissenstein however the slope of the 

 country is to the north, and the numerous valleys with which it is 

 furrowed are transverse valleys. These valleys sink much lower, and 

 the ridges which separate them from one another are wider and have 

 more the form of ranges than in the central district. They have the 

 advantage of a more fruitful soil, and a much more moderate climate. 

 A large portion of this country is well adapted for the rearing of 

 cattle and for dairies ; the lower declivities and the level grounds in 

 the valleys and depressions produce all kinds of grain. The orchards 

 also are very extensive. The valleys possess a considerable degree of 

 fertility. Many of the mountains are covered with wood. 



Climate The climate of Switzerland presents great difference*, 

 which an the effect of the greater or less elevation above the sea-lereL 

 Some regions of considerable extent, as about Monte Rosa and the 

 Finsteraarborn, rise above the line of perpetual congelation, and some 

 of the inhabited valleys to 4000 feet above the level of the sea. About 

 one-fourth of the area of Switzerland is useless to man by its too great 

 elevation and the rigour of its climate. 



The climate of the lower districts is more temperate than that of 

 most countries of Germany, and the valleys south of the Alps approach 

 very near in climate to that of Lombardy. The following table shows 

 the mean temperature of the four seasons at Geneva, Zurich, Bern, 

 and the Hospice of St Oothard, as compared to that of Milan : 



The mean temperature of London for the winter is 38-22, for the 

 spring 48 34% for the summer 6174, for the autumn 60-29 ; and for 



the year 50-50. Hence it appears that all these places, except Milan, 

 have a lower annual temperature than London, and for Bern this 

 difference amounts to more than five degrees. The mean annual 

 temperature of the Hospice on the St. Gothard is lower than that of 

 the North Cape in Norway by nearly two degrees, but the summer is 

 nearly four degrees warmer : the other seasons are colder by some 

 degrees than at the North Cape. 



The greatest quantity of rain falls on the southern declivity, where 

 it annually amounts to 57-83 inches, whilst on the western side it is 

 only 47-17 inches, and on the northern not more than 36-13 inches. 

 In some parts a great quantity of snow falls, especially on the Jura 

 Mountains, where in parts it accumulates to a depth of 30 feet. 



Diritiont. The Swiss confederation consists of 22 cantons, which, 

 with the area, population, and representatives of each in the National 

 Council, are aa follows : 



About three-fourths of the Swiss speak dialects of the German, 

 which is the language used by the authorities. French is the written 

 as well as the spoken language of the educated classes of Geneva, 

 k'auil, and Neufchatel, and a part of Bern, Freyburg, and the Valais. 

 The inhabitants of the canton Ticino, and of some valleys of the 

 Grisons, on the south side of the Alps, speak a dialect of Italian ; 

 and one-half of the population of the Grisons speak the Komauntch 

 and Ladin, which are peculiar dialects, apparently of old Italian 

 origin. 



With regard to religion, the majority of the population belong to 

 the Calvinist or Helvetic Confession of Faith. There is however no 

 obligatory uniformity among the Swiss congregations : there is no 

 Iwiss church, in the common sense of the word : in each of the 

 teformed cantons the ecclesiastical affairs are regulated by a synod. 

 There are Roman Catholics in all the cantons, but these and 

 all Dissenters or ' separatists ' from Calvinism enjoy liberty of 

 oaasoienoe and freedom of worship. But the religious houses of the 

 ,'atholiea have been suppressed since the revolution of 1847. The 

 more exclusively Protestant cantons are Aargau, Appenzell, Bern, 

 lasel, Geneva, (Hams, Graubiindten, Neufchatel, Schaffhauseu, 

 'hnrgau, Vaud, and Zurich. But in Geneva the Catholics are fast 

 pproacbing to an equality in numbers with the Protestants, having 

 ncreased since 1837 from 17,000 to 29,764, while the latter had 

 decreased from 41,666 to 34,212 in 1850. The Catholics have 

 ncreased also in Zurich, Basel, Schaffhausen, Vaud, Neufchatel, and 

 Grisons. But Protestants have spread into the once exclusively 

 'atholic cantons of Luzern, Zug, Schwyz, Uri, Unterwaldeu, the 

 Calais, and Ticino, and the ratio of Catholics to the whole popu- 

 ation of Switzerland remains nearly unaltered, being 40-6 per cent, 

 hilu the Protestants make 69-4 per cent. The number of Jews 

 n Switzerland is not stated. The number of foreigners resident 

 Switzerland is more than balanced by the number of Swiss 

 resident in foreign countries. The sexes approach very nearly to 

 quality on the whole population, the ratio being 102 females to 

 "" Mats* 



Natural Produrtiont.Thfte are wheat, buckwheat, maize, barley, 

 re, oats, potatoes, flax, and hemp ; fruits including grapes, pears, 

 pple*, cherries, and plums; peas, beans, and other common vege- 

 tables ; chestnuts, walnuts, filberts, *& The localities of these pro- 

 ucts are mentioned in the preceding part of this article. The 

 lulberry is grown in the Italian cantons for feeding silkworms. Two- 

 lirds of Switzerland do not produce corn enough for the consumption : 

 lis is particularly the case in the central and eastern cantons which 

 e in the highlands of the Alps. The cantons which produce most 

 orn are Soleure, Bern, Freyburg, Aargau, Schaffhausen, Luzern, and 

 There is nearly a million of bead of horned-cattle in summer, 



