SCHAFFHAUSEN, the capital of the above canton, on the side of a hill on the right bank of the Rhine, 24 miles N. of Zurich. It stands just at the place where the rapids and falls of the river render it unnavigable as far as Basle; and owes its origin, as well as its name, to the boat or skiff-houses that were built here for the lading and unloading of boats on the river. It is protected by walls and tower; and on the hill above stands an old feudal castle, with bomb-proof casemates. Schaffhausen is one of the most antique-looking
ing towns in Switzerland; it has irregular streets, and many houses with their fronts and oriel-windows curiously carved. The chief public buildings are the Romanesque cathedral, of a cruciform shape, with a lofty tower; the large church of St John; the town-hall; and the arsenal. The principal manufactures of the place are silk, cotton, and steel; and there is a considerable trade with Germany. It is much resorted to by travellers, on account of its vicinity to the celebrated falls of the Rhine at Laufen, the finest cataract in Europe. The Rhine is crossed here by a wooden bridge of ordinary construction, which replaces the celebrated single-arched one of 365 feet in span, that was burned by the French in 1799. Schaffhausen was the birthplace of the Swiss historian, Müller. Pop. 7700.