357,000 inhabitants, and is larger than any two others. Uri has a population of 14,000 only, and is the smallest. Neufchatel, containing a population of 57,000, has a monarchical government, modified by constitutional restrictions. Seven cantons have aristocratic governments, certain privileged orders holding all civil power. Seven are representative republics, the people choosing the members of their legislative bodies. The governments of the others are democratical, according to the original and strict sense of the word. The people at large convene in general assembly to choose their magistrates, and deliberate on the affairs of the republic after the manner of ancient Greece and Rome.

CHARACTER. The Swiss are characterized for their honesty, simplicity and purity. Bravery, love of labor, attachment to their country, and respect for ancient customs, form the principal features of their national character. Their clergy are laborious instructors of the people, in morals and religion. They have thirty newspaper establishments, diffusing useful information among the people, and free from the restraints of a censorship.

DESCRIPTION OF ITS TERRITORY. Physical geography, or a description of the natural face of the country, is not strictly within our province; but Switzerland presents many peculiarities of this nature connected with its moral and political condition, which ought to be noticed. It is literally a land of mountains and valleys. Two distinct ranges of mountains under the general name of Alps, traverse the country in a parallel direction from southwest to northeast; the Jura chain in the southerly quarter extends in length about two hundred and forty miles, and in breadth about thirty-five. It is precipitous and abrupt on its northerly side, and becomes gradually lower on the side of France.

The Alps proper are more extensive and lofty. Numerous and large branches extend in every direction. The valleys at the foot of the Alps are fertile in corn, meadows, and the productions of the vine. Next on the mountain side extending to the height of 5000 feet above the level of the sea, is a region of timber, commencing with the oak and terminating with the fir. Next is a region of fruitful pasture, extending to a further height of 2000 feet; to which cattle are driven from the valleys in summer. To this succeeds a region of perpetual snow and ice, generally commencing at the height of about 8000 feet from the level of the sea.

The inhabitants are settled along the valleys on the sides of the mountains, and on the table lands at the tops of the lower spurs, in small hamlets. There are few places in Switzerland which in other countries would be called considerable towns; Geneva, Berne, and Zurich are the largest, the three containing an aggregate population of less than 60,000.

GLACIERS. The sun melts the masses of snow in summer, which cover the highest regions. The snow thus melted in de scending is converted into ice, forming glaciers, or large fields, of which there are upwards of 400. These are more or less inclined, and always divided by large fissures. At the approach of spring, they descend a short distance, according to their greater or less inclination; the fissures are made in the descent with tremendous noises, which echo from mountain to mountain. The falling snows slightly cover them; this renders the ascent over the glaciers extremely hazardous.

AVALANCHES. The avalanches to which these mountain re gions are subject, are large masses of snow and ice precipitated from the summits into the valleys, often occasioning great devastation. They are of three kinds. First, the wind or dust avalanches, or snow drifts, so called because they are occasioned by the wind, which carries along the fresh fallen snow in great quantities like clouds of dust, from the summits into the valleys and fissures. They frequently bury the traveller beneath them, and would always prove fatal were it not that extreme lightness enables him to surmount them. Instances have occurred of persons remaining twenty-four hours under these drifts, and finally extricating themselves.

The second kind to which the term avalanche is more appropriate, consists of great masses of snow and ice which fall by their own weight, bringing down with them the ground on which they stood, with the rocks and trees thereon. Their fall makes the mountain and valley tremble, and is accompanied with noise like thunder.

The third kind is called earth avalanches, or land-slips. They occur, when the soil, to a great extent, being weakened by long continued rains, slides down from the sides of the mountains, with all the houses, trees, forests, and every thing thereon, overwhelming all in its way. The largest and most destructive of these land slips was that of Rosseburg Summit, in 1806. This mountain top was 3000 feet above the level of the lake Zeeg at its base, and two miles in length, and a quarter of a mile in breadth. Giving the inhabitants on the mountain side but a few hours warning from its crackings, the whole body, to an average depth of fifty feet, instantly slid into the lake and valley below, destroying in its course several villages, and 457 inhabitants. The pecuniary loss was estimated at half a million of dollars.

MONT BLANC. The highest of the Alps, and the highest mountain in Europe, is Mont Blanc, which rises from the valley of Chamouni, on the borders of Savoy, 15,662 feet above the level of the sea. Its summit has of late years been several times ascended by travellers, but with much difficulty and haz

ard. Eighteen frightful glaciers with their deep fissures, lie around its sides, whose fantastic forms heighten the scene, and increase the danger. The line of perpetual congelation is at the height of 800 feet. The highest point is a small ridge about six feet wide, where the adventurer, who has gained the summit, may extend his view 150 miles without obstruction, in any direction.

ST. BERNARD. The great St. Bernard, ascending 11,000 feet, divides Switzerland from Piedmont. The road leading from the lake of Geneva, passes over this mountain, and is the direct route from France to Italy. At the height of 7688 feet, is the hospitium of the monks of St. Bernard, of the order of St. Augustine. It is the highest inhabited spot in Europe, and a region of perpetual winter. Assisted by the servants of the convent, these pious ecclesiastics, to the number of about a dozen, devote themselves to the guidance and refreshment of travellers who pass this way, either to ascend the top of the mountain, or to go into Italy. Upwards of 9000 persons are annually refreshed at this hospitium. In the midst of tempests and snow storms, the monks, accompanied by dogs trained for the purpose, set out to seek the wandering traveller who may have lost his way. With wonderful sagacity the dogs pursue the track until they find the wanderer, when they give notice to their masters, who bring refreshments of bread and wine, and conduct him to the hospitium. Sometimes they find the body of a traveller who has perished in the tempest, and convey it to the vault of the dead in their convent, where it is wrapt in linen, and laid on a table to remain until another supplies its place. It is then set against the wall among other dead bodies, which on account of the extreme cold, do not putrify, and are often recognized by their friends after a lapse of years. Adjoining this vault, they have a place answering the purpose of a burying ground, where the bones are deposited when they have accumulated too much in the vault. They cannot be covered with earth in the usual manner, there being nothing around the monastery but ice, snow, and naked rocks.

NAPOLEON'S EXPEDITION. Napoleon marched his army over the great St. Bernard into Italy, and passed this hospitium, May 15, 1800. In the church, is the monument of general Desaix, who fell at the battle of St. Marengo. Napoleon ordered his body to be embalmed, and assigned it a resting place in this hospitium. A contribution has lately been raised in Europe to a considerable amount to render the habitation of these ecclesiastics more comfortable, and to increase their means of charity. Whatever protestant Europe may think of the peculiar tenets of the order of St. Augustine, such an exhibition of exalted benevolence must ever be admired.

ROADS OVER THE ALPS.

ROADS OVER THE ALPS. No land communication exists between the western section of Europe and the Italian peninsula, but across the Alps. One of the most lasting monuments of the power and policy of Napoleon, is the artificial mountain roads, constructed for the purpose of connecting his Italian kingdoms with France. The first leads over mount Cenis, 6000 feet high from Savoy to Piedmont. Formerly travellers were obliged to pass over the steepest height on mules. In 1805, Napoleon caused a winding road for carriages to be made, thirty miles in length, and 18 feet wide, which is passable at all seasons. In 1815 it was travelled by 16,000 carriages, and 34,000 mules.

The second crosses the Simplon, a mountain 10,327 feet in height. The road leads from the canton of Valais to Piedmont, is thirty-six miles long, and 25 feet wide, and was constructed between 1801 and 1806. It is the only road from Switzerland to Italy over the Alps, passable for carriages. It is no where too steep to be passed by heavy wagons. It is carried over high precipices, and through six galleries or tunnels, some of them several hundred paces in length, lighted by openings, from whence may be seen on one side glaciers, and peaks covered with perpetual snow, and on the other, verdant valleys, studded with cottages. The grand tunnel is 683 feet long, entirely excavated through a granite rock. At the gallery of the glaciers, the road is 6000 feet above the level of the sea, and the growth of trees cease. At the top is a hospitium for travellers. Four miles further on, is the village of Simplon, 4548 feet above the level of the sea, and one of the highest mountain villages in Europe.

Besides these works of Napoleon, the Alps are traversed by a road leading over mount Genevie, 6000 feet high, on the frontiers of France and Piedmont. Another road leads over mount St. Gothard, which existed as early as the 14th century, and is generally not more than 10 or 12 feet wide. Bridges of surprising boldness are constructed over its precipices and ravines. A gallery or tunnel has been cut through a rock 200 feet in length, and 13 feet high. In winter the snow is at times twenty feet deep in the road; but the inhabitants of the neighboring villages are required to keep a passage open, for which they are allowed to collect a toll from travellers. From 15,000 to 20,000 traders pass this road annually, and a considerable portion of the inhabitants of the Levantine valley subsist by the transportation of merchandize and travellers over this mountain. On the summit, 6000 feet above tide water, is an inn, a hospital, and a room for the storage of merchandize. The main road from Austrian Tyrol to Italy, is over the Brenner mountain, 6000 feet high, and is connected with a new road built by Austria over the Broglia, and the yoke of the Stilfs, 8000 feet high; being the highest road in Europe., Sixty different peaks of the

Alps have been measured, the highest exceeding 15,000 feet, and the lowest 3000 above the level of the sea. It is estimated that the whole population interspersed among these mountains, Swiss, French and Austrians, exceeds 7,000,000; they are principally of German origin, but many Italians and Sclavonians. The principal business of the mountaineers, is raising cattle. More than 2,000,000 of them are herdsmen.

GENEVA. Geneva is one of the pleasantest and most commercial towns of Switzerland. It stands on the margin of a lake of the same name, forty miles long, and eight broad, 1250 feet above tide water, and four miles from Furney, a bordering town of France. The city is the capital of the 22d Swiss canton, and contains 25,000 inhabitants; being one half of the whole population. It is noted for being the birth place of Calvin, the celebrated reformer, the scene of his first labors, and the place of his death. It contains his bones, without a monument or inscription.

Geneva is called the Athens of Switzerland, on account of the attention paid to science. It has a flourishing university, founded in 1368, and resorted to by youth from various parts of Europe. It has a public library, an observatory built in 1770, and an academic museum of natural science, founded in 1818.

The inhabitants of this canton, little exceeding 50.000 in number, are remarkably fond of participating in the business of legislation. Their general assembly consists of 256 members, being one to every sixty adult males. This democratic feature in their constitution is balanced by a council of state, consisting of four syndics and twenty counsellors of noble blood, possessing the executive power, and dignified with such badges of distinction as the cluster of inhabitants composing this canton could give. In 1825 a penitentiary was built after the model and established upon the principles of that of New York.

GERMANY. The German empire as it existed before the French revolution, is bounded east by western Prussia, Poland, Hungary and Croatia, south by the Adriatic, Italy and Switzerland, west by France and the Netherlands, and north by the German Ocean, Denmark, and the Baltic, extending in latitude from 45° to 55° north, and covering an area of 250,000 square miles in the centre of Europe. It is watered by 500 considerable rivers, sixty of which are navigable, and contains a population of 30,000,000. This empire was composed of a great number of principalities or small governments, varying in population from 100,000 to 10,000.000, and independent of each other except as to some general objects, which were regulated by a diet of the whole empire. The princes or kings were absolute monarchs within their own precincts: neither constitutions nor legislative bodies circumscribing their powers, were known.