Berne is built with much regularity and some magnificence; the houses are chiefly of white free-stone, and uniform in their height and appearance; in the principal streets, piazzas are erected on each side, over foot-paths elevated some height above the carriage road, through the centre of which, runs a small and rapid stream led off from the Aar, which gives a refreshing coolness to this part of the town, and, at the same time, promotes its cleanliness. The public buildings are particularly fine, especially the cathedral, churches, and the arsenal. My friend was much amused with the costume of the Bernoise females, and in particular the peasantry from the country, who came to supply the markets; their head-dress was very peculiar, and they wore curious black cloth petticoats, so short as not to reach the knee, with white stockings. The ladies and towns-women, however, have adopted the greater length of petticoat. On Wednesday, the 1st of August, we set off in a carriage, termed a berlin, for Basle, distant eighteen leagues, paying as many francs each for our places, and in company with a French gentleman, and a Bernoise woman, in the dress of her canton. We arrived at Soleure for dinner, which is an agreeable little town on the banks of the Aar; the houses are particularly neat and clean, and at the same time built with considerable taste. We visited the catholic cathedral, which is a remarkably neat modern structure. The country between Soleure and Basle is very hilly, and regarded as beautiful beyond description. We slept at a village five leagues from Basle, at which place we arrived about noon on the following day. We took up our residence at the Three Kings, situated on the banks of the Rhine, over which majestic river, the windows of our apartment projected. This town, except in point of situation, is very inferior to Berne. After dinner, we crossed the river by a wooden bridge to Little Basle, with a view of inquiring into the possibility of getting down the Rhine by boat; for we found there were no passage boats, as we had been led to expect. We were informed that a boat was loading, which would probably set off in a day or two days’ time; but, upon consideration, were induced to prefer accompanying the French gentleman with whom we had travelled from Berne, and who was proceeding by diligence on the following morning. We remarked a custom peculiar to this place, which, however, has, I believe, been noticed by several travellers, that of keeping the clock one hour in advance of the regular time. The following explanation of the origin of this custom has been given. The magistrates having received information of a plan to make a sudden attack on the city at one o’clock on the morning, ordered the town-clock to be put forward an hour. The enemy, hearing it strike two, considered that their design had been discovered, and abandoned the attempt. In commemoration of the event, it has ever since been kept an hour in advance.