and many of the youth, and even of the women, joined the ranks, and fell in the field; where was mingled together the blood of fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters! When the sanguinary conflict was nearly over, two hundred men arrived from the canton of Schwytz, every one of whom perished, after having fought with despe ration against the French!

An indiscriminate massacre took place on this melancholy day; and, the next night, the remorseless enemy fired the town of Stantz, the capital of Unterwalden. The neighbouring villages shared the same fate; and this lovely and smiling valley, so celebrated for the beauties of nature, was converted into one universal scene of plunder, rapine, flames, and carnage! Such are the calamities and horrors which the heart of man will allow him to inflict on his defenceless fellow man! Such a fiend may man become !

Bonaparte, the arbiter of the politics of nations, at length gave a constitution to the Swiss, known by the name of the Act of Mediation; which was ultimately conformed to the wishes of the people; and proved conducive to their posterity. Swit zerland now consisted of nineteen cantons, of which the equality of the citizens formed the basis; while each canton was more or less democratic or aristocratic, according to circumstances.

The triumph of the allied armies, in 1814, libe

rated Switzerland from the influence of the great modern conqueror; but the change which thus occurred in her destinies nearly produced a civil war; as the cantons were not agreed in opinion with respect to the constitution that should be adopted for the country. The Congress of Vienna, however, saved it from the miseries of new revolutions; and in fixing the boundaries of the countries of Europe, they legislated also for Switzerland; restored her independence; added three additional cantons; and secured to her the constitution she at present possesses.

The Swiss Confederacy now consists of twentytwo cantons.* Each of these separate republics has its own laws; and the government is administered by the Landesgemeinde, the general assembly of the citizens, or the Great Council, which possesses the legislative power; and the Landrath, or Little Council, which holds the executive. Neuchâtel, however, as belonging to Prussia, has a monarchical government, with estates. The cantons form, together, a general community, the affairs of which are managed by the Diet, which is composed of representatives from the cantons, who assemble in rotation, at Zürich, Bern, and Lucerne, in July, every two years; or more frequently, if necessary, on the requisition of five delegates.

* The canton of Basle, however, has recently, as above stated, been divided into two, by the Diet, for the sake of peace.

The Diet regulates the external relations of the Confederacy; or declares war, makes peace, and concludes commercial treaties with foreign states. It also has the disposal of the federal army for the general defence, and for the security of internal tranquillity. To this force, each canton furnishes its proportion; at the rate of two men out of every hundred that are capable of bearing arms. The canton in which the Diet is held is, for the time being, called the Vorort, or directing canton; and the Schultheiss, or governor of this state, is then termed the Landamann of Switzerland. The general government, though a legislative, can scarcely be called a deliberative assembly, as it is considered proper for the members to vote according to the instructions of their respective local legislatures. There were, in the Diet of 1834, fifty-one members from the various cantons.

The leading politicians of the country are considered as, at present, divided into three parties. One consists of those who are averse to all innovation, and these are termed aristocrats; among whom are the members of the Diet, sent from Uri, Unterwalden, and Schwytz. The radical party form another division; maintaining the principle of proportional representation, according to numbers, and anxious for the greater concentration of the government; this party consists of the members for Bern, Lucerne, Basle-Country, Appenzell Ex

terior, and Thurgau. The middle party incline more or less to the other two; but agree among themselves, in advocating cantonal independence ; and it would seem that this division is more numerous than either of the others.

VOL. I.

LETTER XI.

Fall of the Rossberg-Lake of the Four Cantons-Alpnach— Valley of Sarnen-Saxeln-St. Nicholas de Flüe-Alpine Thunder-storm-Lake of Lungern-Village of Lungern-Swiss Cottages-The Brünig Alp-Vale of Oberhasli-Lake of Brientz -Tracht-The Giessbach-Interlachen Grindelwald-The

Glaciers-Avalanches.

MY DEAR FRIEND :-According to the plan laid down for us by our friend at Basle, we were to proceed from Lucerne, across the lake, to Weggis; and thence over the Rigi to Goldau; next,-to Brunnen, and Altorf: then to Hospital, and the Furka, a ridge of the St. Gothard,—and celebrated as the seat of the glacier, which is the icy cradle of the Rhone ;-also as a great storehouse of mineralogy; no other region of the Alps being said to present so great a variety of beautiful specimens, as the valleys of this mountain. Our prescribed