231 SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES, 



miles, and from the latter to Zell, its greatest breadth, about ten. 

 The latter is between twenty <;nd thirty fathoms deep, and has along 

 its banks many cities, towns, and villages ; yet the Upper Lake sur- 

 passes it, for it is no xvhete less than fifty fathoms deep, and its 

 greatest depth is said to be three hundred and fifty ; but it is con. 

 siderabiy deeper in summer than in winter, occasioned by the malt- 

 ing of the snow upon the neighbouring mountains. Here is also 

 its greatest breadth ; for between Buchorn on the one side, and 

 Ro'-cbach on the other, is no less than five leagues. Near Lindau 

 and Bregent/, beside the fishes commonly caught in those pans, is 

 a kind of salmon-trout, which being pickled, when full grown, are 

 exported as a rarity. They generally weigh between thirty and 

 forty pounds. As the fishermen cannot always make a good mar- 

 ket of such large fishes, they tie a bit of wood on a line, which 

 having passed through tSie fishes gills, .they throw thorn again into 

 the water, and tie the other end of the line to a stake near their 

 huts ; thus, without any danger of losing their game, allowing them 

 a range of thirty or forty paces to swim in, and preserving them 

 alive and sound till they meet with a market. These fishes are 

 caught onl> three months in the year. 



In the middle of the Lower Lake, the island of REICHENAU 

 lies; and on account of its fertility, and the wealth of the abbey 

 built there, is not improperly styled Reichenau, or Augia-dives. 

 The island is about three miles long and one broad, abounding with 

 fine vineyards, and all kinds of fruit. 



The lake of GENEVA resembles the sea, both in the colour of its 

 water, the storms that are raised on it, and in the ravages it makes 

 on its banks : it is as little subject to frost as the lake of Constance. 

 It receives different names from the coasts it washes, and has in 

 summer something like the ebbing and flowing of the tide, occa- 

 sioned by the melting of the snows, that fall more copiously into it 

 at noon, than at olher times of the day. It has, or rather had, 

 formerly, five different states bordering on it; France, the duchy of 

 Savov, the canton of Berne, the bishopric of Sitten, and the republic 

 of Geneva. This lake is in shape like a haif-moon, whose convex 

 side looks towards Swisserland ; so that it is sixteen leagues in length 

 on this side, while towards Savoy it does not exceed twelve. It 

 is pretty narrow at both ends ; but widens by degrees to the 

 middle, where it is twenty-five miles over. As to its depth, it is 

 said in some places to be unfathomable, and is therefore navigable 



