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60 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
obliged to give up its name to it:—but the very plea on which the Swifs ground their
pretenfions is only a deception. It is impoffible to take a very fmall part of any river
from a given place for the full meafure of its greatnefs. The difference of foil in the
bed, a ftronger {tream, and a variety of other circumftances make the mafs of water in
a river very different at different places. Here, when the Danube meets the Inn, the
former is cramped up by hills ; whereas the other running free is of courfe much wider,
But the Danube contains far more water upon equal ground, and far above Ratifbon,
before it has received the great rivers Allmuh, Nob, Regen, and Zier, is already a much
mightier river than the Inn, which does not gain a great deal by the acceffion of the very
unfteady and irregular Saltza, betwixt Waflenburg and Infpruck. Without doubt,
therefore, Suabia has the honour of being the birth place of the mighty Danube, with
which only the Volga amongft the European rivers can meafure itfelf. If youcome now
to compare the whole courfe of the two rivers (which join here), from the fource to the
place of meeting, the Inn, by reafon of its windings, certainly runs over more ground,
but it is not to be compared with the Danube for width. Till it comes under Chuff-
ftein the Inn flows in a very narrow valley ; whereas the Danube domineers over the
whole plain of Suabia and Bavaria. The Iller and the Lech, by having run into the
Danube during a long way, foon become as confiderable as the Inn is at Infpruck. This
laft river being confined to a very narrow valley receives no nourifhment but from fmalk
ftreams; whilit the Danube gathers all the fatnefs of one of the richeft lands poffible in.
water, during a length of upwards of forty, and a breadth of twenty miles.
The courfe I have hitherto purfued in my journey through Germany has carried me
through three large plains refpectively watered by the Rhine, the Necker, and the Da-
nube. ‘The firft of thefe is bounded by the Bogefian hills and the Black Foreft, which
run parallel from north to fouth. By the Black Foreft it is covered from the cold eaft
winds, and the different arms of thefe parallel hills likewife defend it from the ungen-
tle influences of the north. It enjoys an even and temperate climate, which allows the
vineyards to ripen admirably. The plain of the Necker is of the fame temperature as
this laft: But the immenfe plain of the Danube lies expofed to the blaft of every wind
under heaven. ‘The greateft part of it is expofed to the north and north-eaft, as is vi-
fible by the courfe of the rivers Iller, Lech, and the Ifer. Here Father Bacchus’s power:
can avail nothing againft the fiercenefs of Boreas and the north. Many attempts have
been made to plant vines on the Ifer and Danube below Ratifbon, but hitherto they have
only produced grapes for eating ; I believe that this whole tract of country is too full.
of wood and water for the vine to ripen init. But afterall, what was Suabia and the coun-
try about the Rhine in the times of Tacitus? Little did the Romans think that the vine:
could grow in Germany. Did they not even doubt whether fruit could grow there ?
And yet Suabia now produces lordly vines, which may diipute for excellence with the
Falernian and all the Roman wines; and the ftill wilder Bavaria has plenty of good corn.
The fact is, that the air of a country changes with the cultivation ; the drying up of
marfhes renders it warmer. ‘The evaporation, too, occafioned by numbers who live to-
gether, may work on the air. No doubt but in time {till more fuccefsful experiments
with the grape will be made in Bavaria. The flopes of the hills on the left fide of the
Danube, betwixt this place and Ratifbon, promife a good place to plant the vine in, as
they are well guarded from the noxious winds; and the wine which is actually made in
the country about Paflau, truly merits the name of wine.
This large vale of the Danube, which at this place is covered to the right by the arm
of Bavaria, and to the left by the Styrian hills, produces likewife the beft kind of corn.
It would very eafily nourifh as many men again as it actually does. Corn is often fo
cheap
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