268 Prof. Hausmann on the Geographical Characters 



two chains, which run parallel to each other. An erroneous 

 view has been taken up and propagated by many of the newer 

 geographers, viz. that the principal mountain groups in Spain 

 are mere continuations of the Pyrenees : they have assumed and 

 delineated in maps what they call an Iberian Mountain Chain, 

 which chain is said to arise in the west, in the mountains of 

 Asturias, at the sources of the Ebro, from thence to run in a 

 south-eastern direction towards the frontiers of Arragon and 

 Old Castile, where it assumes a southerly direction, and ranges 

 downwards to Cabo de Gata, where it terminates. It is con- 

 ceived that the other principal chains of mountains are lateral 

 branches of that Iberian mountain chain, and that they thus 

 form not longitudinal valleys, but transverse valleys. This er- 

 ror has arisen from a series of heights which range through 

 Spain, in the direction of the supposed chain, forming the prin- 

 cipal xvater-shed (divortia aquarum) between the Atlantic and 

 Mediterranean Seas, and which, therefore, in regard to the 

 surface of the Iberian peninsula, is of great importance, because 

 there is connected with it the striking phenomenon, that, with 

 exception of the Ebro, all the considerable rivers flow towards 

 the Atlantic Sea, and that the eastern acchvity is short, while 

 the western and south-western are long. But this series of 

 heights (hcihenzug), has not the characters of a connected 

 mountain chain (group), although single mountain masses are 

 found in its line of direction. Among these, the most distin- 

 guished are the Sierras de Molina, de Alharacin, de Cuenca, 

 on the borders of Arragon and Old and New Castile. Not only 

 the external aspect, but also the internal composition, go to 

 prove that the principal mountain chains of Spain are not mem- 

 bers of a great mountain system, or system of mountains. The 

 principal mountain chains which traverse the interior of Spain, 

 have the same general direction, which is from WSW. to ENE. 

 The most northern chain begins at the western frontier of Ar- 

 ragon, and forms, under the name Somosierra and Guadarrama 

 mountains, the boundary between Old and New Castile, and con- 

 tinues, under the names Sierra del Pico, Montana de Griegos, 

 Sierra de Gata, and at length unites with the Portuguese Sierra 

 de Estrella. This very striking mountain chain, which is so 

 much distinguished by its form and height, is much less con- 



