336 Analysis of Lite Labours of the Royal Academy 



shells and impressions of vegetables have been found there, pef''* 

 fectly similar to the species v^hich exist on the superilicnmbent 

 soil at present. 



While in Europe the principles of geological observation are 

 thus evolved, some zealous naturalists have been applying theni 

 to countries more remote, and have found Nature ever faithful tof 

 the same laws. 



The great labours of M. Humboldt on the structure and ele- 

 vation of the respective mountains of the two Americas are well 

 known. This learned traveller has presented a prelude to a 

 work which promises to be not less important, in a table of re- 

 sults obtained in India, on the height of different peaks of that 

 immense chain known to the ancients by the name of Imaiis, 

 and to which the Indians have ascribed the principal facts of 

 their mythology^ 



According to the trigonometrical measurements of Mr.Wefbb, 

 an English engineer, four of these peaks are more elevated than 

 Chimborazo ; and one of them, the highest mountain known at 

 present on the globe, is 4013 toises or 7821 metres ; and even 

 according to other calculations 4201 toises or S1S7 metres. 



M. Humboldt makes in his memoir a happy use of the laWs 

 of vegetable geography, in order to supply the heights of certain 

 ridges which it has not yet been found practicable to ascertain 

 by actual measurement. When a particular plant grows in any 

 place of a ridge, he determines by the latitude what height the 

 ridge cannot exceed. 



Within a space more limited M. Moreau de Jonnes, corre- 

 spondent of the Academy, has also made some very useful ob-' 

 servations. He has presented to the Academy a geological chart 

 of a part of Martinique, on which are marked with great care 

 the heights of the mountains and hills, and principally of an ex- 

 tinct volcana which appears to have given birth to these in- 

 equalities. 



The author has extended his researches to a great part of the 

 Antilles. The elevated centres of these islands consist of vol- 

 canic peaks which are named mornes ; the tufts of lava with 

 which they are overrun are called harres; and the denomination 

 of plainiers is used to designate the shelves {plateaux) which 

 they have formed in their descent. 



The islands where there is only one peak and one system of 

 eruption, such as Saba, Neva, St. Vincent, are the smallest, 

 and in an agricultural respect the least important. They have no 

 good ports, because such ports are nothing but the extremities 

 of the valleys left between two or more systems ; such as we see 

 in Guadaloupe, Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, &c. 

 Martinique in particular appears to owe its origin to six volcanic 



fires 



