Valais, Fribourg, Neufchâtel, Geneva, Vaud); 144,000 Italian-speaking (in Ticino or Tessin) south of the Alps; 42,000 Romansch-speaking in Grisons, next to Tyrol; Slavonic, or Krainerisch, in the Julian Alps. The Romansch is a curious remnant of provincial Latin; a newspaper in this dialect is published at Coire. Some of the most populous Towns are-Geneva, 68,165; Zürich, 56,695; Bâle, 44,834; Berne, 36,000; Lausanne, 26,520.

MANUFACTURES.-At Neufchâtel, cotton-prints and watches; Geneva, silk, lace, jewellery, watches, musical-boxes, and cutlery; Zürich, silks and prints; St. Gall, muslins and prints; Schaffhausen, steel goods; Berne, linen, etc.

GOVERNMENT.-A Federal Assembly, or Legislative body, consisting of a National Council of 128 members (one for 20,000 population); and a Council of States, of 44 members-two for each Canton. A Federal Council or Executive of seven members, is nominated by the Assembly for three years, under a President and Vice-President, elected annually, seated at Berne, where the Foreign Ministers reside; a Federal Tribunal, or Judicial body, is nominated for three years.- -ARMY (1872) 209,250, in nine divisions; of whom 84,370 were regulars, from 20 to 30 years of age; 58,000 reserve, 30 to 40 years of age; 66,000 Landwehr, above 44 years. There were 165,600 infantry, 14,100 riflemen, 18,200 artillery, 4,630 cavalry. A Federal Polytechnic School at Berne.-NAVY-represented by 86 mercantile steamers, of 3,500 horse-power, on the lakes.-UNIVERSITIES.-Three, at Bern, Bâle, Zürich. There are Bishops at Bâle, Coire, Fribourge, St. Gall, and Sion. A plan for bringing the army and public instruction more within the control of the central authority, is under consideration. Federal Revenue and Expenditure, about £1,160,000. Most of the burdens of the State are borne by the respective Cantons.

A Tîr Federal, or Swiss "Wimbledon," is held every two years. Wrestling matches or Schwingfeste, are also held at Lauterbrunnen, Meyringen, &c. The Ranz de Vaches is a kind of musical call used by the people to summon the cows (vaches) to be milked. It differs in different places, but is always a Swiss characteristic. N.B.—All gaming tables in Switzerland are to be closed by 1877.

BOOKS.-See BRADSHAW'S PEDESTRIAN ROUTE BOOK TO SWITZERLAND, edited by J. R. Morell. This work contains not only all the principal Routes of Switzerland up to 306, arranged in alphabetical order, with Mileage under the Cantons, but every im

portant excursion from the principal centres, and a full Hotel Guide, with scale of prices, besides Key, Maps and plans of Routes that enable the traveller almost to dispense with guides.-W. J. ADAMS, 59, Fleet Street; HENRY BLACKLOCK, & Co., Manchester; cloth, 5s.

We think it desirable to refer to the principal AUTHORITIES consulted in this work when we have not drawn from personal knowledge:-Alpenreisen, KOHL; Alpenstock, or Sketches of Swiss Scenery and Manners, LATROBE; ALPINE CLUB's Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers; Alpine Highways and Byeways, Mrs. FRESHFIELD; Chamois Hunting in the Mountains of Bavaria and the Tyrol, BONER; Die Alpen in Natur und Lebens Bildern, BERLEPSCH; Die deutschen Colonien in Piedmont, A. SCHOTT; Dolomite Mountains, GILBERT AND CHURCHILL; Eagle's Nest in the Valley of Sixt, WILLS; Geschichte der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft (History of the Swiss Confederation), J. MÜLLER; Glaciers of the Alps, TYNDALL; High Alps without Guides, GIRDLESTONE; Histoire, Topographie, Antiquités, Usages et Dialectes des Hautes Alpes, LADONCETTE; Illustrations of the Passes of the Alps, BROCKEDON; Italian Valleys of the Alps, KING; Lake Habitations, Dr. KELLER (translated by G. Lee); Mountaineering, TYNDALL; Naturhistorische Alpenreise, HUGI; Neue Untersuchungen, SCHLAGINTWEIT; On Foot through the Tyrol, W. WHITE; Physician's Holiday, Sir J. FORBES; Promenades Préhistoriques, MORTILLET; Sammlung absoluter Höhen, ZIEGLER; Schweizerführer, VoN TSCHUDI; Schweizerkunde, BERLEPSCH; Summer Tour in the Grisons, Mrs. FRESHFIELD; The Regular Swiss Round, JONES; Tour of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa, Prof. J. D. FORBES; Tour round Monte Rosa, A LADY; Waldenses, or Protestant Valleys of Piedmont, etc., illustrated, BEATTIE; Wanderings in the High Alps, WILLS; Where there's a Will there's a Way, HUDSON AND KENNEDY; Scrambles in the Alps, WHYMPer.

MAPS.-Swiss Government Survey; Leuthold's, Keller's, and others. The Alpine Club's Map, now in progress.

COURIERS.-Apply to Mr. W. J. ADAMS, 59, Fleet Street. PASSPORTS are not asked for in Switzerland, but they are always useful on the Continent.

CUSTOMS.-Travellers with cigars, or cotton and woollen dresses should declare them.

The following are the lines already completed; for particulars of which see BRADSHAW's Continental Railway Guide.

1. Swiss Central (Schweizerische Centralbahn). Bâle to Olten, Sursee, and Lucerne, 56 miles long. Olten to Aarau, 9 miles. Olten to Herzogenbuchsee, Berne, and Thun for Interlaken, Herzogenbuchsee to Soleure (or Solothurne) and Bienne (or Biel). Berne to Fribourg and Lausanne: with branch, Romonte to Bulle.

2. Swiss North Eastern (Schweizerische Nordostbahn). Aarau to Brugg, Turgi, Baden, and Zürich (63 miles from Bâle; with a branch from Turgi to Waldshut, on the Rhine. Zürich to Wallisellen, Winterthur, Frauenfeld, Weinfelden, to Romanshorn, on Lake Constance (114 miles from Bâle); with a branch from Winterthur to Schaffhausen. Zürich to Bulach.

3. United Swiss (Vereinigte Schweizerbahnen). Zürich to Wallisellen, Uster, Rapperschwyl, Wesen, Sargans, and Chur (or Coire); with a branch from Wesen to Glarus. Winterthur (on the North Eastern) to Wyl (thence to Ebnat-Kappel), St. Gall, Rorschach (on Lake Constance), Rheineck, Sargans, and Coire, where there is a connection by diligence over the Splügen, to Milan, &c.

4, West Swiss (de l'Ouest Suisse). Bienne, on the Central, to Neufchâtel, Yverdun, Lausanne, and Geneva, and branches from Neufchâtel to Locle, and to Pontarlier. Lausanne to Villeneuve, on Lake Leman, Bex, and St. Maurice. Bouveret to St. Maurice, Martigny, Sion, and Sierre, by the Ligne d'Italie.

5. Zürich, Zug, and Lucerne.

6. The Berne government rail between Langnau, Berne, and Biel.

7. Rigi railway, from Vitznau to Staffelhohe, and the Kulm.

8. The Brunig-bahn, from Darligen to Interlaken.

The lines connecting the Swiss rails with those of Bavaria and Austrian-Tyrol via Bregenz, Lindau, Feldkirch, and Bludenz, are now open. The railway to Coire is to be continued to the Alps, via Dissentis and Perdatsh, where a tunnel, 15 miles long, commenced 1861, at a height of 5,000 feet, will penetrate the ridge of mountains, into Val Blegno, and join the railways on the Italian side. The St. Gotthard Tunnel, 9 miles long, in connection with a line from Zug and Altdorf, is in progress. Fifty pounds of baggage are allowed free of charge on some lines; on others luggage is paid for. On the Lakes Steamers run in correspondence with the railways.