SWITZERLAND.
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of almost every other branch of industry occurred ;whether the necessary or the accidental accom-paniment of those events it would be foreign tothe purpose of this inquiry to investigate. Up tothat time, in the last ten of the twenty yearsunder our review, the consumption of gold andsilver must have far exceeded that of the first ten ;but, wishing not to exaggerate, we may fairlytake the authority of Chaptal as satisfactoryevidence, that the annual average did not amountto less than one million two hundred thousandpounds sterling.
As a considerable quantity of gold and silverwas known to be consumed in Switzerland in thefabrication of watches, a friendship with a nativeof that country, a gentleman of great scientificattainments and great accuracy in all statements,gave a fair opportunity of requesting some in-formation on that subject. On his return homefrom England he favoured the author with theintelligent account contained in the Appendix ,No. 11.
Although the use of gold and silver in so smalla country as Switzerland can have but little in-fluence on the mass of those substances whichthe consumption of the whole of Europe demands,yet every statement marked with accuracy assiststhe estimation which it is necessary to make inthose countries, where few facts can be collected,and those only of a general or loose character.
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