Sketches of the natural, civil, and political state of Swisserland; in a series of letters to William Melmoth, Esq; / from William Coxe.

  • William Coxe
Date:
1779
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketches of the natural, civil, and political state of Swisserland; in a series of letters to William Melmoth, Esq; / from William Coxe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    35/554 (page 21)
    [ 21 ] with the utmoft violence: for, within the memory of feveral of the inhabitants of this town, a large rock has given way, that has greatly altered the view. Indeed I am convinced that the per¬ pendicular heighth of the fall becomes lefs and lefs every year, by the con¬ tinual fri£tion of fo large and rapid a body of water; and have no doubt but that the two rocks, which now rife in the midft of the river, will in time be undermined and carried away. The river, for fome way before the fall, even near the bridge, dafhes upon a rocky bottom, and renders the navigation im- pofiible for any kind of veflel. A few weeks ago a countryman of ours tried an experiment with a fmall boat, which lie contrived to have gently pufiled to the edge of the cataradt: it fhot down entire to the bottom of the fall, was out of light for a few moments, and then rofe up again dafhed into a thou¬ sand fplint^rs. I am, &c.