The houses in the villages in the canton of Zurich much resemble those in England, being mostly built of plaster, and roofed with tiles.  I was pleased with this change, after the heavy wooden houses, and projecting roofs (of nearly three times the height of the building) usually seen in the canton of Berne.  They do not tend to enliven the country like those of Zurich, where the eye notices the contrast between the whitened cottages and green meadows.  We spent a day at Winterthur, which is a considerable municipal town, rendered lively by trade.  The manufactory of oil of vitriol is on a large scale, and is worthy of attention.  There are several bleach-greens in the neighbourhood, as well as many vineyards, but of no great celebrity.  The public library is extensive, and there is also a considerable collection of medals.

We left Winterthur on foot, as the bridge over the river Thur was under repair, and not passable for a carriage, and as we wished to approach the fall of the Rhine by this road.  We breakfasted at Adelfaigen, three leagues distant, and near the town were ferried over the Thar.  About two hours afterwards, we heard the distant roar of the Cataract, and although I had heard so much previously of the grandeur of the scene, yet I was not disappointed with the sight.  There are many falls much greater in point of height, and I had seen two previously which exceed the present one in that particular, but then the force of Water was there inconsiderable and uncertain:  here one of the greatest rivers in Europe falls with inconceivable force down a perpendicular height of from sixty to eighty feet.  The colour of the Rhine is greenish, and the mixture of the water with the foam, has a curious effect.  The castle of Lauffen hangs over the river, and appears to tremble from the force of the Cataract.

The surrounding scenery is bold and picturesque, and when viewed from a boat on the river, the effect is very striking.  There is a camera obscura placed in an ancient castle, which projects into the fiver, and which we admired extremely.  It is supposed that the height of this celebrated cascade is much diminished from what it was formerly, and if we consider the vast force of the torrent which the rock has sustained for ages, it seems but reasonable to conclude, that it must have yielded to such powerful and long continued assaults.  We remained a considerable time contemplating this magnificent scene, and then returned through the village of Lauffen, and observed that the spire of its church was covered with painted tiles, which in this district seem a common species of decoration.

We observed the peasants in many places employed in making cyder, which they but seldom think of doing except the season has proved unfavourable for the vines.  I was told that here, as in Burgundy, the last favourable vintage was that of 1811, and that consequently the proprietors of the vineyards (of which the cultivation is so expensive) were much distressed.