CHAP. xxvi. SWITZERLAND. 305 



of almost every other branch of industry occurred ; 

 whether the necessary or the accidental accom- 

 paniment of those events it would be foreign to 

 the purpose of this inquiry to investigate. Up to 

 that time, in the last ten of the twenty years 

 under our review, the consumption of gold and 

 silver must have far exceeded that of the first ten ; 

 but, wishing not to exaggerate, we may fairly 

 take the authority of Chaptal as satisfactory 

 evidence, that the annual average did not amount 

 to less than one million two hundred thousand 

 pounds sterling. 



As a considerable quantity of gold and silver 

 was known to be consumed in Switzerland in the 

 fabrication of watches, a friendship with a native 

 of that country, a gentleman of great scientific 

 attainments and great accuracy in all statements, 

 gave a fair opportunity of requesting some in- 

 formation on that subject. On his return home 

 from England he favoured the author with the 

 intelligent account contained in the Appendix, 

 No. 11. 



Although the use of gold and silver in so small 

 a country as Switzerland can have but little in- 

 fluence on the mass of those substances which 

 the consumption of the whole of Europe demands, 

 yet every statement marked with accuracy assists 

 the estimation which it is necessary to make in 

 those countries, where few facts can be collected, 

 and those only of a general or loose character. 



VOL. II. X 



