332 HELV 
tranfparent ftreams; fcenes no where elfe to be difcerned 
in fuch perfedtion, and which mu ft powerfully affect 
the imagination, the parent of the paffions. 
The language of Swifferland is a dialed! of the Ger¬ 
man ; and the French is much diffufed; but in the 
fouthern parts, bordering on Italy, the Valteline, and 
other territories acquired from Milan, Italian is the 
common tongue. Among the Grifons in Engadina, 
and in fome other parts, is fpoken what is called fhe 
Romanfh, which feems immediately derived from the 
Latin. The Vallais, or that part of Swifferland watered 
by the Rhone, has alfo a particular dialed!: and at the 
city of Sion the French begins to be fpoken, as it is 
alfo the prevalent language in that beautiful part of the 
canton of Berne called the Pays de Valid. The lan¬ 
guage called the Vaudois appears to have been confined 
to the valleys of Piedmont. 
Early monuments of Swifs literature, confiding as 
ufual of chronicles and lives of faints, may be found in 
the Colledtion of Goldaffus. Since the reftoration of 
letters, and the reformation of religion, Swifferland 
Loads of many eminent names, as the reformer Zuinglius, 
De Watt-, or Vadianus, a native of St. Gal ; Bullinger ; 
Herbd, who called himfelf Oporinus, the printer; 
Conrad Gefner ; the noted Paracelfus, Turretin, and 
Oderwald. Among the writers of the lad century may 
be named Bernouilli, the mathematician, a native of 
Bafil ; Scheuchzer, the natural hidorian ; Haller; John 
Gefner, the natural philofopher ; Solomon Gefner, the 
poet; Bonnet, Hirzel, and Zimmerman, phyficians; 
Rouffeau, and Neckar, natives of Geneva; Lavater, 
the phyfiognornift ; Euler the'-mathematician ; Court 
de Gebelin, &c. &c. There is an univerfity of fome 
reputation at Geneva, and another at Bafil; with col¬ 
leges at Berne, Zurich, and Lucerne. 
Commerce and manufactures do not much flouridi in 
Helvetia. Cattle are the chief.produce of the country ; 
and fome of its cheefe forms an export of luxury. The 
chief linen manufactures were at St. Gal. Printed 
. cottons, affd filks, alfo form confiderable articles of 
fale. 
The climate of Helvetia is defervedly celebrated as 
falubrious and delightful. From its fouthern' pofition, 
confiderable heat might be expeCted; but this, though 
fufficient to mature the grape, is tempered by the cooling 
gales from the Alps and Glaciers. When the fun 
defcends beyond mount Jura, oii a fummer evening, 
the alpine fummits long refleCt the ruddy fplendour, 
and the lakes for near an hour affume the appearance 
of burnilhed gold. The winter is however in fome 
parts extremely fevere; and the fummer heat in the 
deep vales infupportably oppreffive. No country in 
the world furpaffes this in diverfity of appearance ; the 
vaft chain of Alps with enormous precipices, extenfive 
regions of perpetual fnow, and Glaciers that refeinble 
feas of ice, are contrafted by the vineyard, and culti¬ 
vated field, the richly-wooded brow, and the verdant 
and tranquil vale, with its happy cottages and cryffal 
ftream. See the articles Alps and Glacier. Agri¬ 
culture cannot of courfe be carried to great extent; 
but there is no'defeCt of induftry, and the-grain Teems 
fufficient for domeffic confumptioii; Barley is culti¬ 
vated even to the edge of the glaciers; o’ats in regions 
a little warmer; rye in thofe ftill more fiieltered;' and 
fpelt in the warmeft parts. Yet in general the produce 
does not exceed five for one ; and it has been neceffary 
to fupport public granaries, to guard againft deficiency. 
The country being principally deftined by nature for 
pafturage, the chief dependence of the Swifs is upon 
his cattle ; and, the number being extraordinary, much 
land is laid out in winter forage, which might otherwife 
be productive of corn. A confiderable quantity of lint 
or flax is alfo cultivated ; and tobacco has been lately 
introduced. Tire belt vines are thofe of the Pays de 
Yaud, the cantons of Berne and Schaffhaufen, the 
E T I A. 
Valteline and the Vallais. There is alfo abundance of 
fruits, apples, pears, plums, cherries, and filberts ; with 
mulberries, peaches, figs, pomegranates, lemons, and 
other products of a warmer climate, in thofe diltriCts 
which border upon Italy. The Vallais alfo produces 
faffron. But pafturage forms the chief province of the 
Swifs farm; and the meadows are often irrigated to 
increafe the produce of hay. In the beginning of 
fummer the cattle are conducted to the acceffible parts 
of the Alps, by cow-herds, who are called fennen in the 
language of the country, and who either account to the 
proprietor for the produce, or agree for a certain fum. 
Thofe herds alfp fupport many fwine, with the butter¬ 
milk and other refufe. . Scheuchzer, in his firft journey 
to the Alps deferibes the numerous preparations of milk, 
which form the innocent but varied luxuries of the 
fwains. 
The rivers of Helvetia are numerous ; and among 
the mod fublime fcenes of this country ttiuft be claffed 
the fources of' the Rhine and the Rhone, two of the 
mod important ftreams in Europe. If we eftimate their 
length of courfe through the Swifs dominions, the 
Rhine is the mod confiderable ; and is followed by the 
Aar, the Reufs, the Limmat, the Rhone, and the Thur. 
See the names of thefe rivers in their proper places in 
this work. 
Of forefts there does not appear to be any femblance 
in Helvetia ; and fuch is the fcarcity of wood, and even 
of turf, that the dung of cows and llieep is often ufed 
for culinary fire. 
The lowed and warmeft fituations in Helvetia are the 
plains and broad valleys of Geneva, of Bafil, of the 
Pais de Vaud, of the Valteline, and the Vallais; in 
thefe we meet with numerous vineyards, and the trees 
and plants of fhe fouth of France, and of Italy. The 
walnut, the cheftnut, the fig, the pomegranate, the bay, 
and the laurel, are the mod charaCteriftic among the 
trees; the lavender, Cretan origany, hyffop, fraxinella, 
rue, feveral kinds of ciftus, and peony, are fome of 
the chief of the herbacepus plants and lower (hrubs. 
The valleys that open towards Italy contain, befides, a 
few plants that are not found in other, parts; fuch as 
the lilac, the caper-bulh, the almond, the Indian fig, 
and the American aloe. 
The horfes of Helvetia are efteemed for vigour and 
fpirit; and the cattle often attain great fize. Among 
the animals peculiar to the Alps may be firft named the 
ibex, bouquetin, or goat of the rocks. This animal 
refembles the common goat; but the horns are extremely 
long and thick, and of fuch ftrength as to fave them 
when driven in headlong defeents from the precipices. 
The chace is dangerous, and expOfed to many accidents. 
See Capra ibex, vol. iii. p. 772. Another Angular 
animal is the chamois, the antilope rupicapra ; fee the 
fame vol. and page. The marmot' is common in the 
Swifs mountains : in fummer they feed on alpine plants, 
and live in focieties, digging dwellings in theground 
for fummer, and others for winter. About the be¬ 
ginning of Odtober, having provided hay, they retreat 
to their halls, where they remain torpid till the fpring. 
The Ikin of this little animal is uled for furs. The 
marmot may be tamed, and- Ihows confiderable do¬ 
cility. The fize is between that of the rabbit and' 
the hare. See Arctomys marmota, vol. ii. p. 129; 
Among alpine birds may be named the vulture, cal¬ 
led alfo the golden or bearded vulture. The head 
and neck being covered with feathers, it might be claffed 
with the eagles, were it not for the form of the body 
and fliape of the beak. It inhabits the higheft Alps, 
forming its neft in inacceflible rocks, and preying on 
the chamois, white hare, marmot, and fomeUmes on 
kids and lambs. Among alpine birds may alfo be 
named the red-legged crow. The lakes of Helvetia 
have few peculiar fifli. 
The mineralogy of this interefting country is not fo 
important 
