ALHf 



TW wDv ofUM Rho* Md UM great hollow of UMUke of Geneva 

 Mijant* UK Alps fro* UM Jura. which cham to** * <*** 

 e^^ w,th grs** in of th* Alp*. T^JutmhasageiMml 

 VnfllioB ort*v*ygfth-at* rtf* aneial point* of connection with tlio 

 eoBlrtl nujv but th* -r~* dtrlinr* i UM chain called the Jorat, which, 

 ehiof oa'l team the Dent-da-Jaiuan, in UM Bern*** Alps, runs in 

 dirwUu* and forming UMD oorUMrn boundury of the 



wMterty dirwUu* and forming UM^D oorMrn ounury o e 

 |^. ^ UMMTS kutiv the Jura al the Deotde-Vaulioa on the outheni 

 ife of UM Vallurb* in UM Swiss Cantoo of Vnud. [Jriu.] This 

 UM tn UM wtsr which flow to UM Lake of UOT snd 



isrto UM Rhone from those which join th* Aar and descend 



. ,. 



From UM great bend of UM Alp* near Mont-Blanc the central ma** 

 runs toward* UM source* of the Drave. and Salsach through the Orisons 

 and UM Tyrol a* far as the UroavGlookner, where it is divided into 

 two main branches. But between Mont-Blanc and the Oross-Olookner, 

 and about UM meridian of ' 45' E. long., a chain detaches itself 

 aai taii aid frotm about Mont-Saptimer, and runs part the sources of 

 UM Ian to those of the Lech. This elevation separate* the affluent* 

 of UM Lake of Constance and the Rhine from those of the Danube. 

 Bat, Wore reaching the sources of the Lech, this offset sends out 

 anwUMr. which runs along the left bank of the Inn. This second range 

 mnfrJBT UM ttofaUin mountain, which has an elevation of about 9700 

 feat aad contain* the well-known salt-beds of Hall. Of the two great 

 of UM Groav-Glockner the northern branch continues it* 

 i to Vienna on the Danube. The southern branch may 

 1 a* subdivided into two ; one of which runs towards the 

 of the Drave and the Danube ; the other take* first a 

 ulliailj direction till it approache* th* Gulf of Venice near Fiume ; 

 the* it III*M a south-easu-rly course, and under the name of the 

 IMnarw Alps may be considered as a prolongation of the great 

 ii*a sj*Uin of Europe. Indeed, the great mountain-chain of 

 UM Grecian peninsula, a* well a* the Balkan which terminates at the 

 Black Sea, may be geographically considered as a prolongation of the 

 Alpine siatant The mountains generally considered as comprehended 

 within to* denomination of th* Alps lie between 44* and 48 N. lat, 

 6* 40' and 18* K. long. But our description of .them is here chiefly 

 confined to the mam mass. The other portion* will be noticed more 

 particularly in th* several countries to which they belong. 



By geographers th* Alp* have been divided as follows : 1, The 

 Maritime, or those extending nearly in the form of a semicircle 

 from Monte-Casaino to Monte- Viao, a distance of about 100 miles. 

 2. Th* Cottian, from Monte-Viso to Monte-Cenis, about 60 miles. 

 S, The Graian, from Monte-Cenis to Mont-Blanc, about 60 miles. 

 4, Th* Pennine, which chain bounds the southern side of the ValaU, 

 from Mont-Blanc to Monte-Rosa, about 60 miles. 6, The Lepoutiau 

 Alps, extending from Monte Bow to Mont-8t-Gothard, about 60 

 ail**. , The Khrtian, which extend from Mont-tit -Gothard to the 

 I>ryh*rren-8pita, in the Tyrol, east of the valley of the Adige, and 

 include the greater part of the Orisons and the Tyrol, about 80 

 mile*. 7, The Noric, which extend from the Dreyherren-Spiti to the 

 Hohwartxbom it UM bead of the basin of the Muhr, whence two chains 

 apriag, on* a prolongation of the Noric Alps through Styria, which is 

 eoBtimMd by UM eeondary mountains of Senimering and Kalemberg 

 to UM Danube near Vienna ; and the other, called the Styrian Alps, 

 which separate the Muhr from the Drave. 8, Southward from the 

 DreylMii**) OpiU. skirting the Pusterthal, and then running eastward 

 to UM smith of the Drave, are the Carnic Alps, extending to Mont- 

 Tcrg loa at UM head of the Save ; but having previously sent out from 

 MoBte-Croos at the bead of the Tagliamento a long range south- 

 easterly to UM neighbourhood of Verona, whilst nearly on the opposite 

 aid* annh*r ofiboot run* eastward, separating the valley of the Drave 

 from Uiat of the Save. , From Mont-Terglou to Mont-Kleck are the 

 Julian Alps, which run in a south-east direction parallel to the Adriatic. 

 At M"tu Klrck. which i* generally taken as the termination of the 

 Alps in thi* direction, the Dinario Alps running southeastward 

 through Croatia and Dalmatia connect the system of the Alp* with 

 rof UM Balkan. 



UM mountain-muni which stand up sgaiast the central 

 i like bultiiasai and dope down Car into UM plains on each side, 

 are mme great ranges of mountains which join the main chain 

 *f the Alps at cote angles; snob are the Bernese Alps, descending 

 * UM OeJlenstocfc at Moavat-Oothard, and extending to the 

 Mttk of UM l^keof Oeneva; the chain east of Si-Oothard, which 

 vU UM VorderRhein from the HinterRbein ; awl a line of moun- 



, on the north of UM valley of UM Inn, and 

 [ eloaa: UM enurn of that river. The main crest of the Alps 

 am llni of UM waters Is UM southern edge of UM basin of 

 * I "V wfc * ** H divides from UM Valteline, the Vinohgau, and 

 ""?"!" Tke syatem of UM line oouetltutsjs an unbroken 

 raew* whisk SSSMMI be av^ded (except toooe eaw aeatioaed below) 



*eJy to Franoe, Bayoy, gwitMtkod, 



' 



the equator and the North Pole. 

 ween Monte-Viso and the 

 the main mass of the Alps. 

 of central Europe smk 



down on one side towards the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, on the 

 ..thcr towards the Atlantic and the North Sea. The slope towards 

 the north is long and gradual ; towards the south very abrupt. 

 Mont-St.-Oothanl which U nearly in the centre of tho system, U 

 140 miles from the Gulf of Uenoa, 190 from the Adriut 



In the great chain of the Bernese Alps the Finstcr-Aar-Hom and 

 the Jungfrau attain the height of 14,307 and 13,710 feet above the sea 

 respectively. [SWITZERLAND.] 



The great valleys of the Alps lie nearly in the direction of the main 

 chain ; such are the Vallais in which the Rhone flows, the valley of 

 the Inn, which is about 150 miles in length, and the still longer valley 

 of the Drove, which is above 200 miles long. The transverse \ 

 are comparatively short : on the south side, where they communicate 

 with the valley of the Po, they ore nearly at right angles to the main 

 chain, and terminate in lakes, such as those of Maggiure, Como, Ac. 

 The valley of the Adige in the longest transverse valley of tlic Alpine 

 chain. The valleys on the Italian side are much lower than those on 

 the north side : the surface of the Lago-Mnggiore is 678 feet above the 

 level of the sea; that of Lake Luzern has an elevation of 1400 feet. 

 The Lake of lirieni is about 1900 feet above the level of the sea, and 

 that of Thun only a little lower. 



The breadth of the Alps varies at different parU of the system. 

 The direct distance from Bellinzona, on the Italian side, to Alton' in 

 Switzerland, which, however, does not comprehend the whole breadth 

 of the Alpine mass, is about 50 miles. The direct distance from Aosta 

 to Fribourg, across the valley of the Rhone, is above 70 miles. East 

 of the Orisons the range increases considcniUy in breadth ; from the 

 Wiinu-See, between the Isar and the Lech in Bavaria, to a point a little 

 north of Verona is a direct distance of 160 miles. 



The heads of tho Alpine valleys terminate frequently in narrow, 

 wild, and rocky denies, from some of which there is no practicable exit 

 in the direction of the crest of tin- inountaiiiH, but more generally thf 

 defile leads to a depression in the main ridge, call! .: >'':. nud pre- 

 senting a natural means of communication between the valleys on 

 opposite sides of the system. The most celebrated of these pisses 

 will nuw be noticed in the order observed in the previous ]>art of this 

 article. 



Tke Maritime Alpt. Italy may be entered from France, and the 

 Alps may be avoided, except as to the capos, which terminate the 

 chain, by entering Nice from IV". m. > . The most southern pass 

 across Uie Alp* it that by the Col-de-Tende ; it was made practicable 

 for mules by the Dukes of Savoy and for carriages by Napoleon, 

 great buttresses of the Alps are crossed before reaching the Col- 

 de-Tende; they are the Col-de-Brous and the Col-de-Brovis. Thf 

 pass of the Col-de-Tende is very dreary, though tho .-Irvation is not 

 considerable, being only 888 feet above the lcn I of tin' m-u. The 

 route, after descending from the Alps, passes through Cnni und 

 Savigliono to Turin ; this is tho only great carriage-road ov< 

 Maritime Alps. There are many lines of communication with France 

 practicable for mules : by the valley of the Stura, in Piedmont, and 

 the Col-d'Argentiore, to the valley of the Ubaye, in France; and by 

 the Val V'raita, in Piedmont, over the Col-d'Agnello, to the valley of 

 the Uuil in Dauphiny. 



Monte-Vino, which terminates this division, is one of the most 

 splendid mountains in the chain ; iU peak rises 12,582 feet above the 

 sea-level. Wherever the line of the Aim can be seen in the Win of 

 the Po, this fine mountain is distinguished. The rivers which have 

 their rise in th* Maritime Alps are numerous : on the Piedmontese 

 side the Oesso, the Htura, the Main, and the Vraita, are feeders of the 

 Po, which rise* at the foot of Monte-Viso, and in its course collects all 

 tho streams of Piedmont : those which flow into the province of Nice 

 and France are the Roya, the Var, and tho Ubaye, which falls into 

 UM Durance. 



TV CaHinn Alpt. The only carriage-road across this division of tin' 

 Alps is that of the Col of Mont-Gcnevre ( 6868 feet high ), which was 

 executed by order of Napoleon ; thin pass was known to the Romans. 

 It leads from the valley of the Durance in France to Susa and tho 

 valley of iK.ra-Kiparia or Susina in Piedmont At Susa the ancient 

 road to Mont-Oenevre passed under a triumphal arch, which still 

 exists. Another route across the Cottian Alps is by the valley of 

 Bardonncche, whence a stream flows into the Dora Susina : this valley 



