ZÜRICH, the capital city of this canton, stands on the lake described in the preceding article, about 1270 feet above the level of the sea, at the point where the beautifully translucent river Limmat gushes out and passes under
a very broad wooden bridge, which is the chief market-place. The city contains 14,500 inhabitants, who are industrious, economical, and consequently thriving. They conduct considerable manufactories of silk, linen, and cotton; and this is the focal point for the sale of the goods prepared in the populous vicinity. A few years ago it might have been described as a gloomy ill-built place, and by no means a clean one; but of late the advance of wealth is abundantly shown in the great improvements which have been and still are carrying on. This is especially remarkable near the lake, and in the post-office and two hotels, one of which (the Bauer) is the largest and most complete establishment in Switzerland, if not in Europe. The university was only founded in 1823, and has never had many students. It was, in 1839, the pretext or the cause of a revolution in the canton. Dr Strauss, a man of learning, but the author of a work of infidel tendency, had been appointed professor of divinity. There had been discontents for some time in the parts of the canton without the city, against the municipality, who were the electors of a disproportionate number of the legislative body. This election to the professorship was made by that corporation, previously suspected of antichristian principles; and the country people flew to arms, besieged and took the city, displaced the municipality, ejected Strauss, and made alterations in the elections to favour the anti-capital party. Tranquillity was restored, after some lives had been lost; but how durable it may be, time must determine. The markets are well supplied with fruit and vegetables, and tolerably well with meat and poultry. Though the river and the lake furnish some fine fish, they are high in price when compared with other articles of food. The city was fortified, but is not kept in a very defensible state; some of its works having been formed into most pleasing walks, with views over the lake, and the snowy tops of the distant Alps in sight in the back-grounds. One of the defences of Zürich is the lake itself, on which an attempt was made by the French in 1799 to attack the city by water, on which occasion the inhabitants armed all the craft they could collect for the defence, and placed the flotilla under the command of a British naval officer of the name of Williams.