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THE PYRENEES AND ANDORRA, 



BY 

 WILLIAM BELLOWS. 



(Read January 26th, 1900.) 



PLATES XIV.- XVI. 



I. The Mountains 



In south-western Europe a continuous mountain range 

 runs from the Mediterranean on the east almost to Cape 

 Finistere on the west, a distance of considerably more 

 than 500 miles. The Asturian and Cantabrian mountains 

 make up the western section of this chain, whilst the 

 barrier of rock, snow, and forest standing between France 

 and Spain, and known to us as the Pyrenees,* forms the 

 eastern portion. 



The Pyreneean chain is, roughly speaking, 250 miles 

 long. Its highest peaks rise above the snow line ; and 

 within its depths may be found some of the grandest 

 scenery in western Europe. I sighted it first from the 

 windows of the train travelling south from Bordeaux to 

 Bayonne in the summer of 1895. ^^^^ had crossed the 



* Onisime Reclus states tliat the term Pyrenees may be derived from a word biren, 

 or piren, formerly employed in the Department of Ariege, signifying an upland, or 

 mountain meadow. 



