_ Vol. 11] 
Jake of Jura, not an imconfiderable one, 
but three leagues m length, which I have 
obferved upon the foot not to dilcharge 
its waters by any torrent, but flently 
to lofe them by chinks in its ftony bed. 
Tn other lakes I do not deny that there are 
_ manifeit whirlpools. Indeed, I have my- 
felf feen, near Roche, the waters of the 
torrent called lEaufroide fink beneath 
the rocks with a vilible whirlpool, and 
murmur away at a diftance under my 
feet: and frequently, on comparing rivers 
with themielves, T have been convinced 
that they have loft a great part of their 
water in their defcent to the plains; asin 
the latter, the quantity of water was much 
lefs than migat have been expected from 
the conjoined torrents; lefs, indeed, than 
it had been above the junétion of many 
rivulets which fell into the main dream. 
tf the Aar near Interlac, be compared 
with the Aar at Bern, where it may be 
forded under the old hofpital, it will be 
found to contain much more water be- 
fore it has received the Cander, the Simm, 
the Rotach, the Sull, and the Gurb, tor- 
rents of no Me hdctible magnitude. 
It muft not, however, be omitted, that 
the ufe of the fub-alpine lakes is twofold ; 
one, and the mot evident of which, is to 
exhale | part of the water flowing from the 
mountains; the other, to break that im- 
menfe velocity with which the terrents 
rufh down a fall of fo many thoufand feet. 
For the Aar flows with no greater {wift- 
nefs from the lake Thun towards Bern, 
than it would have done if it, had taken 
its rife in that lake. By both the means 
the violence of the Alpine fireams is 
checked, which is* much more dangerous 
to their neighbours when no lake receives 
them. 
I have fpoken of the icy breaftplate of 
the Alps, poflefling the whole extenfive 
tract beneath their fummits. But there 
are alfo other vaft mafles filling the icy 
wallies, which to the fouth have “the lofti- 
eft ridges of mountains, fhading them 
from, the folar rays 5 though thefe icy 
tracts are likewife found on an fouthern 
face ofthe Alps. Thele va ies often for 
the {pace of feveral leacues, may, 5 evel 
one or two days j journey, are filled with 
ace, which is {pread over the fubjacent 
rock or fand, and by them as by a nu- 
cleus’is figured, fo as to reprefent an an- 
Ae 
' gry fea congealed with all its waves. 
valley of this kind is continued from the 
Alps above the valley of Lauterbrunnen, 
to that valley which emits the Aar, to the - 
hofpital of Grimful, 
34 leagues. 
a length of near 
Hentid on the hills. 
Another of “equal length * 
Haller’s Defeription of the Swif Alps. O18 
J 
from the valley of Bagnes towards Viecs 
is intercepted between two ridees of ¢ ive 
{cuthern Alps. And there are many vai- 
lies filled with an icy lake of the fanié 
kind, interfperfed among the Alpine 
thaine : ; not, indeed, {o coneGted as ts 
form one icy fea, as our ‘late iriends 
Chriftian, the phyfician, and J. Geérge 
Altmann, the Greek profeffer, have ak 
ferted in their writiig¢s. For ’the ari- 
mentioned lake is terminated cn this fide 
Grimial ; ; and if its extent be traced as 
far as potlible, is certainly interrupted ta 
the Alps of Gemmi. 
From thefe icy lakes amidft the Alpine 
érags, where in places the mountainous 
range is broken by a liftle rawitie, con= 
tinuous icy declivities defcend into the ins 
habited plain. Strangers ufually vidt 
thefe under the idea of rivers of ice, “? 
of which ‘may be fen in the valley of 
Grindel, and a third near ‘them ds ish 
as you crofs the height of Schiedek. 
From déclivities of this kind, fprineine 
from the icy lakes, rivers alfo proceed, as 
that of Lutichin, 1 in Grindei. 
The chains of Alps are ufually coms 
pored of many ridges, of which the mid 
die are the higheft, From thefe, on each 
ae towards the plain, others rn gene- 
ally parallel to the principal. nan this 
manner the vallies in which i¢e is d& 
pofited are’ formed. 
The inferior Alome “cliffs, efpeciulty 
towards the weit, are in’ Various parts 
compofed of a {peciés of Schiftus. Te 
highett fummits éonfit cf rock com- 
pounded of mica, quartz, and a foftér 
matter, called Geifberger. The lower 
regions are cloathed ‘with calcarioug 
fiones, marbles of all “inds, and othér 
hard ftohes, which furnith to the rivéfs 
the round calcarious ftones which they 
roll down. Conctetions of flints dfe 
peat ete cemented ‘together by a very 
4rd ‘matter.  Whettore 46 igeneralty 
‘The “Adpine vallies 
contain fand, which, however, > 18 never 
found in the Aint mits, and ieems produced 
from the comminution of the ‘ro¢k by 
water.» 
Cryitals are Silman: contained, 
in the quartz, ani are met With ‘in the 
higheft:Alps. 
‘The Alpine earth is tenacious, Bladk, 
with fall fandy and ftony particles : ‘in 
the Valais it is ‘frequently intertperfed 
with filvery 
not unlike marfh earth, which, however, 
is ulually more ee be purely 
earthy, without pebbles, 
is 1a rity. Tees 
mica: in other re{pects ittis : | 
deed a great (| 
part of the Alps andor tit ‘mountains | 
The uy 
c walt 
Hh 







