Ad00341 05 004a/eng
Bauart in der Schweiz
Beschreibungstext eng
Miscell. Subj. LXVIII. Vol. VI. No. 2.
THE MANNER OF BUILDING IN SWITZERLAND.
Fig. 1. A Swiss peasant's house.
In a great part of Switzerland the peasants-houses are larger, more spacious and therefore more commodious too, than in many other countries. This we perceive already in the house here exhibited of a countryman in the Canton Underwalden, which however is proportionally much poorer and ruder, and has more ignorant and less industrious inhabitants, than many other Swiss-Cantons. The said house is a pretty large building; the ground-floor is mured up with stones, because it includes the cellar; the rest is entirely of wood, and the roof is cover'd with large shingles, fasten'd with stones.
Fig. 2. A Sennhut.
Sennhuts are call'd in Switzerland wooden huts, constructed in the mountain near the Alp-meadows, on which the cows during the whole summer are pasturing, In these huts made of trunks, which are lay'd upon each other (like the Russian bootshouses) the milk is preserv'd and the chieese prepar'd; besides they serve to the cowherds for a shelter and sleeping-place, where their bed under the roof commonly consists but of long grass. Here we see such a hut from within, with all the utensils requisite for preparing cheese; with which the Alpler (as the herdsmen of the Alps are call'd) actually is employ'd; at the same time we perceive his wife with his boy, who are visiting him, and the servant roasting cheese at the fire for these dear guests; for roasted cheese goes here for a great delicacy. Not before winter the Alpler returns with his herd to the valley, where his fixed dwelling is.
