BER 



478 



BER 



Bern. 



proved by visiting other countries, are unskilful in 

 their economy, generally idle, gossipping, and negli- 

 gent in the little cares of education and household 

 management which belong to their province. A 

 farm in the former country wears an air of order, 

 and comfort; in the latter it exhibits every mark of 

 disorder and neglect. 



Commerce has never been much cultivated in Bern. 

 Its principal articles of exportation are horses, cattle 

 and hides, cheese, linen, and cotton cloths, coarse 

 cloth and canvas made of hemp, and woollen stuffs. 

 Ten thousand pieces of linen are said to be annually 

 sent out of this country chiefly to Lyons. In the 

 capital are established manufactures of silk, and co- 

 loured stockings. Clock-making and the polishing 

 of false stones are the principal arts followed in the 

 west of the mountains. For the history and former 

 government of this canton, see Swisskui.axd. See 

 Dictionnaire de la Suisse. Peuchet's Dictionnaire 

 de la Geographic Cdmmercante., Coxe's Switzer- 

 land, vol. ii. Moore's View of Society in France, 

 Switzerland, Sfc. vol. i. (k) 



BERN, a town of Switzerland, and the capital of 

 the canton of the same name, is situated on the banks 

 of the river Aar, which almost encircles the town. 

 The principal streets of this city are long, broad, 

 and gently curved. The houses are nearly uniform, 

 and of the same height, and are built upon arcades, 

 which afford, even in the worst weather, a dry and 

 sheltered pavement for foot passengers. The streets 

 are kept remarkably clean, by means of criminals, 

 who remove the rubbish, &c. under the inspection of 

 a guard ; and the branch of the Aar which traverses 

 the town, supplies several fountains, which contribute 

 to the ornament of the town, as well as to the com- 

 fort of the inhabitants. The cathedral of Bern is a 

 beautiful Gothic building, the cloister of which is 

 particularly admired. It was erected in 1421 by the 

 same architect who built the Minister at Strasbourg, 

 and stands upon a fine terrace raised above the bed of 

 the Aar, and commanding a charming view of the 

 adjacent country. The arsenal formerly contained 

 60,000 stands, and several trophies of Swis8 valour. 

 The statue of William was one of the curiosities which 

 it displayed. The public library comprehends about 

 20,000 volumes, besides a curious collection of anti- 

 quities and medals. It contains also a chart in relief 

 tff a part of Switzerland, a view in relief cf the salt 

 mines and glaciers of Bevieux and Aigle, executed 

 in wood by M. Exchaquet ; a collection of curiosi- 

 ties from Otaheite ; a cabinet of Swiss medals, and 

 a cabinet of minerals. Besides these public build- 

 ings, there arc several hospitals, an almshouse, a house 

 of correction built at the suggestion of Howard, and 

 an elegant building for public amusements. 



The principal literal y and scientific establishments 

 of Bern are, the CEconomical Society, the Society of 

 Physics and Natural History, and the Society of 

 Medicine, &c. 



In the neighbourhood of Bern there are many de- 

 lightful views of the Alps, which appear in their 

 greatest beauty when seen at the rising or the setting 

 of the sun. These views are seen to great advantage 

 from the terrace of the cathedral, the little rampart, 

 the granary, Graben, and Engi. Between the lower 

 gate of the town and the village of Ostermanningen, 



there is a charming promenade, diversified with the 

 finest scenery. 



There are few manufactures carried on at "Bern. 

 The priucipal are draps, linens, cottons, silks, and 

 delft ware. 



Bern is elevated about 1709 feet above the level 

 of the sea. Population in 1792, 15,000. E. Long. 

 7 20', N. Lat. 4-6 56' 56". See Coxe's Travels, 

 vol. ii. Moore's View of Society in France, Switzer- 

 land, &c. ; and Did. de la Suisse. (*) 



BERN Machine, the name of a machine for tear- 

 ing up trees by the roots, invented by Mr Peter 

 Sommer, a native of Bern. There is nothing either 

 in the object or in the construction of this machine 

 which entitles it to a description in this place. Any 

 contrivances for tearing up trees that exhibit inge- 

 nuity and originality of construction, will be found 

 under the word Trees. Sec Dr Thomas Young's 

 Natural Philosophy, vol. ii. p. 199. (to) 



BERNARD Mount. See Alps. 



BERN AY, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Eure, containing a population of 6142. (tv) 



BERNBURG, a town of Germany, and formerly 

 the capital of the principality of Anhalt Bernburg. 

 The principality of Bernburg now belongs to > the 

 confederation of the Rhine, and contains seventeen 

 square geographical miles, and 38,000 inhabitants. 

 Its military force is 600 men, and its annual revenue 

 600,000 florins. (*-) 



BERNE RAY, a small island of the Hebrides, 

 lying on the north side of North Uist, and separated 

 from it by a channel about one and a half miles broad. 

 This island, which has a fresh water lake, called 

 Lochbruis, in its centre, is about four miles long and 

 one and a half broad. This lake contains swarms of 

 eels, which are often caught by the inhabitants 

 twined together in heaps. 



The tides at this island present some singular phe- 

 nomena. About four days before and after the moon 

 is in quadrature with the sun, between nine o'clock 

 in the morning and nine at night, the tide runs east- 

 ward for twelve hours successively : At nine o'clock 

 at night the current changes its direction, and runs 

 westward till nine o'clock next morning. This phe- 

 nomenon is daily repeated till the moon is within four 

 days of her syzigy, when the tides resume their re- 

 gular course, flowing to the west during the six hours 

 of ebb, and to the east during the six hours of flood. 



Between the vernal and autumnal equinox, the 

 tides at the quadratures flow eastward during the day, 

 and westward during the night, while, from the au- 

 tumnal to the vernal equinox, they move to the west 

 during the day, and to the east during the night. 

 Population of Berneray and Ratby, 494 in 1792. 

 West Long. 7 8', North Lat. 57 42'. See Mac- 

 leod's account of the parish of North Uist, in the 

 Statistical Account of Scotland, (j) 



BERNIER's Island, a small island near the 

 mouth of Shark's Bay, on the west coast of New 

 Holland, which received its name from the officers 

 in the French expedition of discovery in 1801. This 

 island is partly precipitous towards the east, and 

 partly surrounded by frightful breakers on extensive 

 reefs, against which the waves dash with great vio- 

 lence from a wide expanse to the west. The sub- 

 stance of the island consists of horizontal beds of 



Bera 



II 



Bernier. 



