a canton of Switzerland, bounded on the west by the lake of the Four Cantons; on the south by the canton of Uri; on the east by that of Glaris, and on the north by those of Zurich and Zug. This canton, in conjunction with those of Uri and Unterwalden, threw off the Austrian yoke in 1308, and formed a perpetual alliance in 1315, which was the grand foundation of the Helvetic confederacy. The name of Switzerland, or Switzerland, which at first comprehended only those three cantons, was afterwards extended to all Helvetia. It derived that name, either from the canton of Schweitz, as being the most distinguished by the revolution of 1308, or because the Austrians called all the inhabitants of these mountainous parts by the general denomination of Schweitzers. The government of Schweitz and Uri was entirely democratic before the late revolution. They contain about 50,000 inhabitants, and could furnish more than 12,000 militia. The whole country being mountainous, consists chiefly of pasture, raises little corn, and has no wine; but the soil, though naturally barren, has been improved by the natives to a great degree of fertility. Luxury is scarcely known here; and a purity of morals prevails, which can scarcely be imagined by the inhabitants of extensive and opulent cities. The Roman Catholic is the established religion.

A dreadful disaster happened in this canton by the fall of part of a mountain called Ruffenberg or Rothenberg, on the evening of the 2d of September 1806. Three villages were entirely overwhelmed by it in less than five minutes, and two others were very much damaged. The torrent of earth and stones disengaged on this melancholy occasion was even more rapid than that of lava, and its terrible effects were equally irresistible, carrying rocks, trees, houses, everything before it, and burying a space of charming country upwards of three miles square. So rapid was the motion of this dreadful mass, that it not only covered the adjoining valley, but ascended to a considerable height on the side of the opposite mountain. A portion of it rolled into the lake of Lauwertz, a fifth part of which it is supposed to have filled up. The agitation of the water was so great as to overturn a number of houses, chapels, mills, &c. along the southern shore of the lake, particularly the mill of Lauwertz, where 15 persons were killed, and buried in the ruins of the buildings, although it was about 60 feet above the level of the lake.

The villages of Goldau and Rothen, consisting of 115 houses, that of Bufingen, of 126, and that of Huzlock, totally disappeared. Of Lauwertz there remain only ten buildings much damaged, and 25 were destroyed. Stein lost two houses and several stables, which latter were very numerous in all these villages. The total loss of property of different kinds, as houses, cows, horses, goats, sheep, &c. sustained on this occasion, has been estimated at 120,000l. sterling. In the villages which were overwhelmed, not an individual escaped. More than 1000 persons were the victims of this disaster. Thirteen travellers were on their way from Arth to Schweitz, of whom the foremost nine perished, and the remaining four escaped, being about 40 paces behind them.

About 20 years ago General Pfiffer foretold this catastrophe, from his particular knowledge of the mountain. There was a sea of water above Spietzflue, which for several years had undermined the rock, and in a cavern of great depth beneath the waters were ingulfed. The quantity of water which fell during the preceding years, tended to hasten the approach of this melancholy event, and the rains of some weeks before, decided the fate of this mountain.

a town of Switzerland, and capital of the canton of the same name, is seated near the Waldstättersee.