f 5043 ) 
"An ocenrMe Bifcriftm of the Lake of Geneva, m long fince mads hy a per^ 
f$n that had vlfited it divert times in thepleafantefl fe^fon of the year r md 
cQmrnumcMedto the Fublijhir by one of his Par^Jian Correfpendents : En-, 
glifljd m ^olloweth : 
OU havereafon,i'/>,todemandof me an account of the <?f 
_ Geneva, which, in ray opinion, about this feafon of the year fin 
f^«^rj isone of the naoft pleafant places of the world. This is the third 
time I have vifited it,and I an3,tf I may fay fo, more charmed with it 
than the firft. 
I lliall fay nothing of the ^/;^/,nQr of mount fura, which do €nvi» 
ron it, which by this Lake as by a large Ditch are feparated from one 
another: for that would not give you a fufficiently fair iV^^of the 
Country.Be pleafed therefore to reprefcnt unto your felf a Croiffant 
of water, one extremity whereof is eighteen leagues diftant from the 
other,and the banks of which are gently raifed to forae hights, then to 
colHnes,and at length to itupcndious mountains ^ which yet 'are not 
fo linked to one another but^at they leave betwixt them interfiices of 
fifteen or twentyle^giiesprofpeds, checkered by raedows,corn. fields 
orchards vines, Forefts of Fir-trees, Snow lying on the fides of the 
Rocks.AU thefe objeds, which at adiftance are confounded, and feera 
to make but one,have near hand their feveral beauties : So well is the 
Country interfered byRivolet5,which,aftcr they have ferved to make 
]ron,Paper,&c ^ run into the Lake, carrying with them very manv 
fountains. . ^ ^ 
now coinent my felf to entertain 
your Cur lolity by giving yoa a candid relatibn of what I have there 
obfcrvcd in the fpace of four months, 
Although 1 have told you, that this Lakehath the figure of a Croif- 
yet that point where is ^^«^^^,is fomcwhat longer and more ex- 
tended than the . other. This Croiffant where 'tis largeft, which is from 
Morges to Thon^,i% about five good leagues over. That which hinders 
from making an exaaeftimatc of Its largenefs in other places is that 
the Winds by driving the water toward the banks have irade certain 
points, which advance far into the Lake, in fuch fort that when one 
happens to be oppofite to the other, the Lake feeras to be narrow • As 
may be obferved in going from Geneva to A'/<,», where it feems as if the 
Ph4rH4 or Watch tower of Pr<,»^/»,which is in Smjfe, did almoft touch 
SAVoy ; whereas yet one is a league diftant from the other. And what 
IS remarquablc,is,that at the coming out of this Straight.the Lake hath 
there almoit Its greateft breadth and depth. 
The water ofthie Lake is very good to drink, and ever fo limpid 
that even in the roling of the waves,which foraetimes go hieh enoueh' 
the water is not troubled but along the banks. And if one do attertive- 
ly look down from the Caftle o(Chilo;i or from any of the neiahbour- 
ing hights into in the bottom cf the Lake, he may fee high motzntains 
£ eeee under 
