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RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY. 15
from the high Buntnerland, Holland muft have been already buried under a new fand,
and the courle of the Rhine, being altered by it, muft have totally changed the figure of
the country. It is true that thefe changes mutt neceflarily happen. However confider-
able the depth of this lake may be, it muft at laft be filled up, and the fooner, becaufe
the ftream, as it flows from Conftance through the upper parts of Germany, is always
deepening its bed, and the lake lofes exactly fo much water as it gains in fand. On the
other hand, if we “refleé: how much fo great a bafon as this lake may contain ;. if we cal-
culate its contents as De la Torre did thofe of Vefuvius, we fhall think that the Dutch
are fecure for many generations.
It was impoffible for me to leave this country without vifiting the famous Fall of the
Rhine at Lauffen, where I beheld the fineft fpectacle I had ever feen, As no painting
or print of this magnificent fcene of nature had ever come in my way,-and I knew it only
from general report, that which probably happens to all who do not carry with them
fome diftinct idea of it happened to me. “My imagination had deceived me. I had fan-
sied to myfelf one of the wildeft {pots of the world, and the Rhine falling from a great
height into an unfathomable gulf. The contraft between the reality and r my idea, made
the furprize more agreeable. Indeed the circumftance took place here, which generally
attends all great works of nature and art, the true greatnefs and beauty of which do not
ftrike at firlt fight, but are felt on clofer obfervation and comparifon of their parts. I
found the fall not near fo high, but far more beautiful than I had expected. The am-
phitheatre of hills covered with trees; the two rocks, (on one of which is placed the
caftle of Lauffen ; on the other, a village, with a mill before it,) which, like the two
front pillars of a theatre, ftand on each fide of the fall; the breadth of the fall; the
beautiful divifion of its different defcending waters; the rich bafon underneath; the
agreeable, and almoft artificial mixture of wild cultivated country; in fhort, every thing
was more delightful than my expectation had formed it.
‘The height from which the water falls, is near fifty feet, including the little inclination.
it makes preparatory to its precipitation, which can only be feen from the rifing ground
above it. It was formerly confiderably higher, and many perfons {till living remember
a piece of the rock in the middle of the precipice, which has been worn away by the
water. I think I could obferve, from the rock on which the caftle of Lauffen ftands,
that the ftream was gradually deepening its courfe, It follows therefore, as I faid be-
fore, that the lake of Conftance muft diminifh in proportion as the Rhine deepens its
bed... In my journey hither, I: faw evident marks of new land near Lindau. The lake
of Conftance has this in common with all lakes, which lay high. This diminution muft
be the moft remarkable in the lake of Neufchatel.
I made an agreeable little tour to the ifland of Meinau, a commandery of the Teuto-
nic order at a {mall diftance from Conttance. The commander’s houfe is a handfome
new building, and commands an excellent profpect over all the lake of Conftance. Mr.
Coxe feems not to have underftood the plan of the caftle gardens. He confiders it asa
want of ta{te to have obftructed the free view of the lake, by plantations of fhrubs ; but
thefe lead a {tranger imperceptibly to the defired fpot, where he is furprifed with the
profpeét, and fees the whole lake, and all the fplendid landfcape around, in full beauty.
An uninterrupted view of the water from the garden would not be very pleafing, as it
may be conftantly enjoyed from the windows of the palace.
Before I leave C onftance, I muft recal to your memory, a man, who, for fome years
paft, has made fome noife in the public papers. It was on this ftage that the celebrated
Geiner began his career, who in a fhort time expelled fo many millions of devils, and
cured fo many: hundred. bigots. An order of the bifhop of Conftance having prohibited
7 fuch
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