3«! 0?i the ^Hneralogkal Geography^ 



terniiue the physical bouodaries of the district which it wa* 

 our oLject to study. 



The basin of the Seine is separated for a long space 

 from that of the Loire by an extensive high plain, iho 

 greater part of which vulgarly bears the name of Beauce, 

 and the middle and driest part of which extends from the 

 north-west to the south-east, over an extent of more thaa 

 forty leagues, from Courville to Montargis. 



This plain is bounded towards the north-west by a higher, 

 and in particular a more broken district, from which the 

 rivers Eure, Aure, Hon, Rille, Orne, Mayenne, Sarte, 

 Huine, and Loire, arise. The highest part of this district 

 is between Sees and Mortagnes, and which formerly com- 

 posed the province of Perche, and a part of Basse-Nor- 

 mandie, and which now belongs to the department of the 

 Orne. 



The line of separation between Beauce and Perche pa«:ses 

 close by the towns of Bonnevalle, Alluye, Iliers, Cour- 

 ville, Pontgouin, and Verneuil. 



On all other sides the plain of Beauce overlooks every 

 surrounding district. 



Its slope towards the Loire is not interesting to our sub- 



The slope towards the Seine is divided into two incli- 

 nations, one of which on the wer^t looks towards the Eure, 

 and the other on the cast looks towards the Seine. 



The first proceeds from Dreux towards Mantes. 



The other begins from the neighbourhood of Mantes, 

 passes by Marly,, Meudon, P.daiseau, Marcoussy, the 

 Ferte-Alais, Fontainebleau, Nemours, &c. 



But it must not be concluded that these two inclined plane* 

 are straight or uniform ; on the contrary, they are in all direc- 

 .tions unequal and rugged, to such a degree that, if this vast 

 plain were surrounded with water, its edges would furnish 

 gulfs, capes, and straits, and would be every where sur- 

 rounded by small islands. 



In the same manner in our environs, the long mountain 

 on which are situated the woods of St. Cloud, Ville- 

 d'Avray, Marly, and Aluets, and which extends from St. 

 Cloud to the confluence of the river Maulde in the Seine, 

 would form an island separated from the rest by the strait 

 in which Versailles is situated, the little valley of Sevres, 

 and the great valley containing the park of Versailles. 



The other mountain in the Torm of a fig leaf, on which 

 are situated Bellevue, Meudon, the woods of Verriere, and 

 ^hgse of Chaville, would form ^ second island separated 



fro^^ 



