REPUBLIC OF GENEVA

The ancient Republic of Geneva, formerly in alliancewith Switzerland , but now forming a department ofFrance, with part of Chablais , which before belongedto the King of Sardinia , is situated at the western ex-tremity of the lake of the same name. The district ofChablais lies on the South of that delightful water,which, before the union, served as a boundary to five dif-ferent states; namely, Valais, France, Chablais , thePays de Vaud under the government of Berne , and theRepublic of Geneva.

Geneva, the capital of this country, merits particulardistinction, from the beauty of its situation, its antiquity,and the advantages it formerly derived from being thekey to Switzerland, especially to the canton of Berne ,which might have been perpetually at war with theHouse of Savoy, had not the strength of Geneva , withthe intrepidity of its citizens, been a check to the ambi-tious views of those princes; but as the Pays de Vaud ,the most beautiful country in the world, formerly be-longed to the Duke of Savoy, it was not unnatural that,