THE SAVOY LAKES.

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between the Oldenhorn and the Diablerets, and another amongthe mountains near Wesen on the left bank of the Linth .

In close connexion with the subject of Alpine valleys isthat of the lakes, which are more abundant in Switzerland than in the neighbouring countries. Savoy has but two, theLac de Bourget , and the Lac d’Annecy ; these lie just at theborder of the limestone district, and extend into the softersandstones which fringe it on the west. The former lakeis about 12 miles long and 1£ broad; the greatest depthbeing 2<5G feet. Its waters traverse a marshy plain to jointhe Khone; hut no great increase of them would bring thelake once more up to that river, making it a miniature Albert Nyanza , and a slight further rise would cause them to overflowthe low barrier, if it can he so called, which separates themfrom the Isere valley. The Lake of Annecy is 1150 feet abovethe sea, and about 100 feet deep : it is 9| miles long, and from1 to 2 wide. There is much picturesque and interestingscenery around its banks.

Some 23 miles to the north of Annecy , and like it, partlyin the limestone, partly in the sandstone district, lies theLake of Geneva , which is also called Lac Leman , from itsRoman name Lacu? Lemanus . In shape it is a crescent, withthe horns pointing S. and S.E Its height above the sea-level is about 1230 feet, and the greatest depth is variouslystated from 984 to 1200 feet. The northern shore is 56 mileslong, the southern 44, and the greatest breadth of the lake isabout 8 miles. The Rhone, turbid with glacier mud, pours itswaters into the northern end. They soon deposit their burdenand leave the lake of the clearest and brightest blue. Theirpurity, however, is not long maintained, for, about a milebelow Geneva , the muddy Arve comes sweeping down fromMont Blanc . For a while the two streams run side by side with-out mingling their waters, but the Rhone yields at last to thecontamination, and is not purified again till it is absorbed into