ON THE DECLIVITIES OP MOUNTAlMS. £$Q 



abounds in excellent obfervations, p. 381 *, produces nu- 

 merous inftances of the inequality of the eaftern and weftern 

 declivities, but fcarce any of the northern and fouthern, whofe 

 difference he does not feem to have noticed, but he makes a 

 remark which I have not feen elfewhere, that the coafts of 

 different countries prefent fimilar declivities. 



With regard to eaftern and weftern afpects, he thinks that 

 a different law has obtained in Africa from that which has been 

 obferved in other countries, for in that vaft peninfula he ima- 

 gines the eaftern declivities of mountains are the fteepeft, and 

 the weftern the gentleft. Of this however he adduces no other 

 proof, but that the greateft rivers are found on the weftern 

 fide : this proof feems inefficient, as, if mountains be fituated 

 far inland, great rivers may flow indifcriminately from any fide 

 of them, and fometimes few rivers flow even from the fide 

 whofe defcent is moft moderate, for inftance, from the eaftern 

 fide of the mountains of Syria ; the Elbe and the Oder, two of 

 the greateft rivers in Germany, take their courfe from the 

 weftern fides, the firft of the Bohemian and the other of the 

 Moravian mountains, which yet are the fteepeft. Many ori- 

 ginate from lakes, as the Shannon with us ; many take fuch a 

 winding courfe, that from a bare knowledge of the place of 

 their difemboguement it is impoflible to judge from what fide 

 of a mountain they iflue, if from any ; their courfe at moft dis- 

 covers the depreflion of the general level of the country. 



In 1798, the celebrated traveller and circumnavigator, John J. R. Fofter, 

 Reinhold Fofter, publifhed a geological trad which merits f *Univerfal f a ft : 

 i . i, , r ~T • , i r ii thatlh e S- and 



much more attention, as all the facts were either oblerved by s. E. fides of 



himfelf, or related to him by the immediate obfervers. In this mountains are 



he ftates as a fact univerfally obferved, that the fouth and fouth- 



eaft fides of almoft every mountain are fteep, but that the 



north and north-weft fides are gently covered and connected 



with fecondary ftrata in which organic remains abound, which 



he illuftrates by various inftances, fome of which have been 



already, and others will prefently be mentioned. 



At prefent this faft attracts the greateft attention, being ob- 

 vioufly connected with the original ftructure of the globe, and 

 clearly proving that mountains are not mere fortuitous eruptions 

 unconnected with tranfactions on the furface of the earth, as has 

 of late been confidently advanced. 



* It is to be regretted that he fcarce ever quotes his authorities. 



S 2 I (hall 



