of the 13 cantons of Switzerland. It holds the third place among the 13; and is the head of the Catholic cantons. Though less than Zurich, and consequently much less than Berne, it is, however, far more extensive than any of the rest, being 15 or 16 leagues long, and eight broad. The population is estimated at 100,000. Even the mountainous part is not barren, but abundant in wood and pasture, furnishing cattle, hides, cheese, and butter, for exportation. All the north part is fertile in grain, fruit, and hay; supplying sufficient for the consumption of the inhabitants; but as the mountaineers of the little cantons come to their market for corn, the people of Lucerne purchase this commodity from other parts of Switzerland, but especially from Alsace and Swabia. Lucerne. Suabia. Their manufactures are very inconsiderable; consisting only in a little silk and cotton thread.—The government is oligarchical. The councils are chosen from among 500 citizens only. The great council of 64 members is the nominal sovereign; but in fact the power resides in the senate, or little council of 36, having for their chiefs the two avoyers.—The whole canton professes the Roman Catholic religion. The pope's nuncio, with the title of legate à latere, usually resides at Lucerne.—They threw off the Austrian yoke in 1352, and by entering into a perpetual alliance with the three ancient cantons, they gave such weight to the confederacy, as to enable it in 1386 to resist all the efforts of the enemy at the bloody battle of Sempach.

The town of Lucerne is situated at the extremity of a most beautiful lake of the same name, where the river Reuss issues from it. The buildings are ancient, and the streets narrow; nor is Lucerne populous in proportion to its extent, the inhabitants being only between 3000 and 4000. Since this is the great passage to Italy by Mount St Gothard, and the merchandise which passes the Alps on mules, and is to be transported by the rivers Reuss, Aar, and Rhine, is all deposited here, it might have a flourishing trade if arts and manufactures were attended to. The Reuss separates the town into two unequal parts, which are connected by three bridges: one wide for carriages; and two narrow covered ones for foot passengers: besides these, there is a fourth over an arm of the lake, to pass to the cathedral. Three of these bridges have old bad paintings of the Dance of Death, and the History of the Bible, and of Switzerland. They make a commodious dry walk for the inhabitants.—Of religious edifices, the principal are the cathedral, or collegiate church of St Leger; the convent of Cordeliers; the college of the Jesuits; the convent of Capuchins; and two convents of nuns. Of the secular buildings, the hotel de ville is the principal. The arsenal is well furnished. The water tower is remarkable only for its position and antiquity; it is said to have been a pharos or lighthouse. What greatly attracts the notice of most strangers is, a plan in relief of part of the cantons of Lucerne, Zug, and Berne, and the whole of Schweitz, Uri, and Unterwald, executed by General Pfister on a large scale. He has completed about 60 square leagues; the plan is 12 feet long, and nine and a half broad: every mountain is accurately measured; and every object distinctly placed.

The lake of Lucerne exhibits greater variety and more picturesque scenery than any other of the Swiss lakes. It is seven leagues long in a right line, and three wide about Kussnacht; but the shape is very irregular. The whole south side is bordered by high mountains; but the north exhibits hills of no great height. The narrow gulf that extends towards the west, is bordered on the west and north-west by Mount Pilat, which is a single mountain rising boldly more than 6000 feet above the lake; and on the south by Mount Burgenberg. Stanz Stadt, belonging to the canton of Unterwald, is on this side; and at this place the lake is deepest. Kussnacht is on the point of the other gulf, which extends towards the east, and is wider than the former. All the country to the west of these gulfs, and part of it to the north of the latter, belongs to the canton of Lucerne; but that which is to the south and north-east is dependent on the canton of Zug. All the mountains on the left shore of the lake belong to the canton of Unterwald; those on the right, partly to the canton of Uri, partly to that of Schweitz, partly to the little republic of Gersaw, but principally to the canton of Lucerne.

Botany. See Medicago, Botany Index.—For the culture of this plant, see Agriculture Index.

Lucia, St, one of the Caribbee islands in the West Indies, about 22 miles long, and 11 broad, the middle of it lying in N. Lat. 39. 14. W. Long. 27. 0. It was first settled by the French in 1650; but was reduced by the English in 1664, who evacuated it in 1666. The French immediately resettled the island, but were again driven away by the Caribs. As soon as the savages were gone, the former inhabitants returned, but only for a short time; for being afraid of falling a prey to the first privateer that should visit their coasts, they removed either to other French settlements that were stronger, or which they might expect to be better defended. There was then no regular culture or colony at St Lucia; it was only frequented by the inhabitants of Martinico, who came thither to cut wood, and to build canoes, and who had considerable docks on the island. In 1718 it was again settled by the French; but four years after, it was given by the court of London to the duke of Montague, who was sent to take possession of it. This occasioned some disturbance between the two courts; which was settled, however, by an agreement made in 1731, that, till the respective claims should be finally adjusted, the island should be evacuated by both nations, but that both should wood and water there. This precarious agreement furnished an opportunity for private interest to exert itself. The English no longer molested the French in their habitations; but employed them as their assistants in carrying on with richer colonies a smuggling trade, which the subjects of both governments thought equally advantageous to them. This trade has been more or less considerable till the treaty of 1763, when the property of St Lucia was secured to the crown of France. After that time the colony flourished considerably. In the beginning of the year 1772, the number of white people amounted to 2018 souls, men, women, and children; that of the blacks to 663 free men, and 12,795 slaves. The cattle consisted of 928 mules or horses, 2070 head of horned cattle, and 3184 sheep or goats. There were 38 sugar plantations, which occupied 978 pieces of land; 5,195,889 coffee-trees; 1,321,600 cocoa plants; and 367 plots of cotton. There were 706 dwelling places. The annual revenue at that time was about 175,000l. which, according to the Abbé Raynal, must have increased one-eighth yearly for some time. It was taken by the British in 1778; restored to France in 1783. It fell again into the hands of the British in 1794, was evacuated in 1795, and was again retaken in 1796.

The soil of St Lucia is tolerably good, even at the sea side; and is much better the farther one advances into the country. The whole of it is capable of cultivation, except some high and eraggy mountains which bear bear evident marks of old volcanoes. In one deep valley there are still eight or ten ponds, the water of which boils up in a dreadful manner, and retains some of its heat at the distance of 6000 toises from its reservoirs. The air in the inland parts, like that of all other uninhabited countries, is foul and unwholesome; but grows less noxious as the woods are cleared and the ground laid open. On some parts of the sea coast, the air is still more unhealthy, on account of some small rivers which spring from the foot of the mountains, and have not sufficient slope to wash down the sands with which the influx of the ocean stops up their mouths, by which means they spread themselves into unwholesome marshes on the neighbouring grounds. St Lucia was restored to France in 1815.