JOURNEY OVER MOUNT GOTTHARD, 315 



tains that inclofe the vale rife the fources of four con- 

 liderable rivers : on mount Gotthard are the fources of 

 the Ticino and the Reufs ; on the Furca the fource of 

 the Rhone, not far from it that of the Aar, and back- 

 wards, on the upper alp, the. fource of the farther 

 Rhine. 



The thoughtful traveller is here ftruck with no fmall 

 Surprize at finding, in a valley, where he fees neither 

 fields nor trees, nor any thing elfe conducive to the 

 fupply of human wants, at finding, I fay, handfome 

 villages, and inhabitants living in very good circum- 

 ftances, commodioully lodged, and well cloathed. In 

 ftdfc, of all the neceffaries of life, the people here have 

 nothing but the milk and flefh of their cattle. All the 

 reft, even to the very wood for fuel, muft be lab or i- 

 oufly fetched on horfes ; and yet they have a real abun- 

 dance of all, and at the inns a man may dine as well as 

 in the great towns of fome other countries. The inha- 

 bitants, in their whole manner, have more the appear- 

 ance of fubftantial townfmen than of boors and clowns, 

 and the capital people who have the management of 

 their public concerns, have, with all the natural fim- 

 plicity of manners that here prevails, far more the looks 

 of capital citizens than of villagers and nifties. Such 

 are the beneficial effects of liberty and the perfectly 

 fecure pofleflion of property ! 



Thefe people derive their maintenance from the rich 

 paftures difperfed upon the mountains, which for the 

 moft part belong to them all alike as common property, 

 and then the meadow lands in the valley, from whence 

 they get winter provender for their cattle. Each inha- 

 bitant has the right of fending as many cattle in fum- 



mer 



! 



