ON MOUNTAINS. 101 



these districts with occasional showers : even the flat 

 and fertile fields of Egypt owe their fertility to the 

 River Nile, a lineal descendant of the Abyssinian 

 mountains. There are mountains within the Torrid 

 Zone that possess a tropical climate at their base, a 

 temperate climate at a certain elevation above the 

 sea, and per|>etual snow at their summits. Teneriffe 

 is of this kind, and the Andes afford other examples. 

 The traveller, in his ascent, meets with a gradual 

 succession of different vegetables and animals whose 

 natures are suited for, and governed by, the temper- 

 ature and other circumstances due to their elevation 

 above the sea level. Without changing his parallel 

 of latitude he may, in a few hours, pass from a torrid 

 to a frigid zone. In such a journey there are some 

 peculiarities that occur which require notice. We 

 reach the region of clouds and get enveloped in mist, 

 moisture, and rank vegetation. We then emerge 

 into blue sky, keen air, and bright sunshine ; while 

 the white fleecy clouds lie beneath our feet, and 

 conceal from our view the whole world and its con- 

 cerns, unless it be that a craggy cliff* or clump of 

 trees breaks through the upper stratum of clouds, 

 and appears like a black ship in a white ocean of 

 clouds. Above, we behold a region of perpetual 

 snow and, perad venture, a cone, giving out volumes 

 of light blue smoke or white steam. A little higher 

 up, and the cold becomes very sharp and pinching, 

 the barometer now stands at 18®., the thermometer 

 at 27*^., of Farenheit, and water is found to boil at a 

 temperature of 190 ''. instead of 212®. 



The mountaineer is a child of liberty : though 

 clad in humble garb he possesses an elevated mind 

 and heroic qualities. He detests tyranny in any 

 shape, and looks down with disdain on the serfs of 

 the plain. His ancient dialect, primitive manners, 

 and picturesque costume, are carefully preserved and 

 faithfully transmitted down from one generation to 

 another. 



A mountain is a natural acropolis of liberty ! The 

 natives of the mountains of Switzerland won their 



