m 



imm 



pake* of the archkuhops of Cologne, which was built about the cloM 

 of Ik* IJlh century. 



And*nch n nt'uated in the ancient volcanic region of the Kif.-l. 

 (CoBLKrt.) from the quarries of Obei-Mendig and Nieder-Mendig, 

 two village, near it. Andernach obtain* the mill-stones which it ezporta 

 to foreign countries ; they are formed of baaaltic lava. Trass, a pul- 

 verued volcanic MihttaiMe,ii also exported in iarge quantities to Holland 

 for making the hydraulic mortar used in building dyke* and subaqueous 

 construction.. The Rhine at Andernach rum through a majestic defile. 

 Th whole neighbourhood it very picturesque, and especially intimating 

 to UM> geologist 



A NOES, an extensive mountain system which traverses South 

 America in all ita length from south to north. Towards the south its 

 rocky mm i preaa clow on the Pacinc Ocean ; but north of 42* 8. 1st 

 a hifly tract of varioiu width lies between the mountains and the 

 hora* of the ocean. The name mrdittrra ia properly given to the 

 highest part of the range, which ia always covered with snow ; but it 

 is alio applied to the lower chain*. 



It WM formerly supposed that one continuous range traversed the 

 American continent from one extremity to the other, and that the 

 Dial a Madre in Mexico and the Rocky Mountains in North America 

 were part of the same mountain system which extends over South 

 America ; but between the Sierra Madre and the Andes several breaks 

 occur on the Isthmus of Panama and that of Nicaragua, and these 

 openings are above 100 miles wide. The western of the three chains, 

 into which the Andes branch off north of the equator, advances 

 towards the Isthmus of Panama, but does not reach it We are not 

 exactly acquainted with the place where this mountain range ceases, 

 as that part of the country, owing to its insalubrity, is hardly ever 

 visited by travellers. But there in reason to suppose that the 

 continuous chain of the Andes does not extend north of the river 

 Napipi, an affluent of the Atrato, and that it terminates near 7* N. lat 

 There certainly occur some hills or mountains north of that parallel 

 (as the Peak of Candelaria, on the left bank of the Atrato and near 

 its month), between Chooo Bay, the innermost recess of the Gulf of 

 Darien, and the Bay of a Miguel in the Pacific ; but these hills seem 

 to be isolated and not connected with the range by a continuous 

 series of heights. 



The southern extremity of the continuous chain of the Andes 

 commences on the southern shores of the Ancon sin Salida, near 

 54* S. lat [Axcox six SALIDA.] The mountains which extend from 

 this inlet southward to Cape Horn and Cape Good Success on Strait 

 le Maire are broken into several isolated masses, and separated from 

 one another only by deep and for the most part narrow arms of the 

 sea. But as the shores of these narrow channels ore lined with high 

 and steep mountains, it is supposed with reason that these isolated 

 rntnnnn were once united to the chain of the Andes, and that they 

 were torn from it by some great convulsion of nature. They are 

 therefore included in this account of the Andes. 



The fhutkern Andti are the isolated mountain-masses which lie 

 south of the Ancon sin Salida. The most southern of these masses 

 is that which coven the southern parti of King Charles's South-Land, 

 or the principal Uland of the Tierra del Fuego group. It commences 

 at Cape San Paulo, on the eastern coast of the island, and runs hence 

 westward ; but in approaching the head of Admiralty Sound it turns 

 to the north-west, and terminates on the coast of the Strait of 

 Magaihaent between Admiralty Sound and Useless Bay. Towards the 

 sooth H extends to Beagle Channel ; and as the rocky and elevated 

 islands of Navarin and Hoste are separated from it only by this narrow 

 trait, they may be considered as appurtenances of the mass. From 

 Cape San Diego and Cape Good Success, on Strait Le Maire, this mass 

 extends westward to Brecknock Peninsula, on Cockburn Channel, a 

 distance of about 3SO miles. Its average width on King Charles's 

 South-Land may be rather more than 40 miles. The mountains which 

 lie close to Strait Le Maire are only high hills, but at a distance of 

 about SO miles from it they rise to a considerable height ; the summits, 

 called the Three Brothers, west of Cape 8t Vincent, not far from the 

 northern coast, rising to between 1200 and 1700 feet; whilst Bell 

 Mountain, not far from the southern coast, is 2000 feet above the sea. 

 The elevation of the mountains farther west is not known ; but near 

 87* W. long, three summits rise above the snow-line. The ridge 

 which runs alone the northern shores of Admiralty Sound rises to 

 from MOO to 8400 feet above the sea-level, and parts of it are covered 

 wish snow. The more extensive chain, which lies on the southern 

 side of that sound, rises to between 3000 and 4000 feet, and terminates 

 ia sharp ridges and peaks covered with perpetual snow. Mount 

 Darwin, west of 69* W. long., is 0800 feet high, and glaciers descend 

 from its southern slope to the Beagle Channel. Mount Sarmiento, 

 called also ' Voloao Nevado,' but not ascertained to be a volcano, near 

 Magdalen Hound, rises also to the height of 6800 feet Themountains 

 oa the southern islands though nigged do not attain the snow-line, 

 except the summit, of Dngjaw Mountains on Navarin Island. The 

 interior of this mountain r^ is not known. The coast Is lined 

 with rocks from 800 to 1800 feet high, and along it occur many 

 rooks nearly level with the water, distant 2 and even 8 miles from 

 the coast. Many inlet* internet the land in every direction, and 

 open into largs gl'. The height* dose to the sea are thickly wooded 

 toward* the esM; but barren on their western sides, owing to the 



ANDES. MS 



prevailing west winds. In the innermost recesses of the inlet* level 

 tracts of moderate extent are commonly found. 



The second isolated mountain system of the Southern Andes runs 

 in a general direction from south-east to north-west ; and is divided 

 longitudinally by the western portion of the Strait of Magalhaens, 

 The eastern portion of this mountain region forma the most southern 

 termination of the South American continent, and is called Brunswick 

 Peninsula. The western portion is out in a transverse direction by 

 Bother arm of the sea, called Barbara Channel The two islands thus 

 fanned are called Clarence and Santa Ines. Brunswick Peninsula is 

 divided from the mountains that lie farther north on the American 

 continent by a narrow sound called Jerome Channel, which nins north 

 and east into a wide sea-basin, called Otway Water, the north-eastern 

 shores of which reach the plains of Patagonia. Its eastern extremity 

 is divided from the central portion of the Strait of Magalhacns by a 

 low isthmus about six miles wide. This mountain region is much 

 less in extent than that farther north ; it is also less elevated. The 

 highest mountains occur at no great distance from the eastern shore 

 of Brunswick Peninsula, where a short range of rugged rocks appears 

 to be always covered with snow. The mountains lying along the 

 southern coast of that peninsula are less elevated, those near Cape 

 Froward rising only to 2500 feet Still less elevated is the range of 

 rocks which constitutes the south-western and southern shores of the 

 peninsula, the highest summit, Mount Cruz, near Port Gallant, not 

 attaining more than 2200 feet The rugged rocks which cover the 

 surface of the islands of Santa. Ines and Clarence do not much exceed 

 2000 feet Where this region borders on the Pacinc its rocky, high, 

 and steep shores are lined with many rocks and islets. The western 

 slope of the mountains is barren and bare. The eastern sides of 

 Santa Ines and Clarence present also naked crags, relieved however 

 in the lower parts by some stunted shrubs. On Brunswick Peninsula 

 the valleys and the heights that screen them are covered with trees of 

 a large size, intermixed with shrubs and underwood ; only the upper 

 part of the mountains is bare. 



The third isolated mass of the Southern Andes extends from 

 Jerome Channel and Otway Water to the Ancon sin Salida, and lies 

 between 58 80' and 82 S. lat. Skyring Water, which at its eastern 

 extremity is united to Otway Water by a long narrow channel, called 

 Fitzroy Passage, divides this region nearly into two parts, its western 

 extremity being divided from Glacier Bay only by an isthmus 

 four miles across. The most extensive depression of the Southern 

 Andes lies on both sides of Otway Water, for neither the hills of 

 Brunswick Peninsula, nor those of Ponsonby Land, as the country 

 between Otway Water and Skyring Water is colled, rise above the 

 line of trees, with the exception of one or two summits. But along 

 the southern shores of Skyring Water, towards the west, the 

 mountain* must attain a much greater elevation, as immense glaciers 

 descend from them, and approach the shores of that inland sea. Not 

 less elevated are the mountains which occupy the isthmus between 

 Skyring Water and Glacier Bay : the name of the last-mentioned inlet 

 indicates their nature. The' high mountains continue along the 

 eastern coast of Smyth Channel to the shores of Ancon sin Snlidn, 

 Mount Burney rising to 6800 feet above the sea level, and probably 

 2000 feet above the snow-line. Toward the east the mountains north 

 of Skyring Water lower considerably, nnd the southern extremity of 

 Obstruction Inlet is only surrounded by high hills, whieh ' 

 the east border on the plains of Patagonia. The region just described, 

 is overgrown with trees and bushes, and along the inland seas occur 

 many extensive tracts of land apparently not destitute of cultivation ; 

 but the western slope of the mountains along the shores of Smyth 

 Channel is bare. 



The Pal ay onion Andet. On the northern shores of the Ancon sin 

 Salida the continuous range of the Andes begins; and here t 

 chain commences to run in a northern direction nnd in a straight 

 line. It continues in that direction to 42 8. Int. On the south 

 commence two parallel ranges of mountain*, inclosing the Canal of the 

 Mountains. [Axcox RIN SALIDA.] The steep mountains which 

 inclose this inlet an broken here and there by deep ravines filled 

 with frozen snow, and surmounted by extensive glaciers, from win. h 

 huge avalanches frequently descend. It would therefore seem that 

 these two ridges attain an elevation of more than 4000 feet above the 

 sea level. They unite on the isthmus between the Pacific and Last 

 Hope's Inlet, the eastern shore of which is formed by the plains of 

 Patagonia. We may therefore conclude that the Andes contiguous 

 to the Ancon sin Salida, are less than 20 miles wide. The mountains 

 continue northward close to the shore, so as to leave no level ground 

 along the beach. It seems also that the highest part of the range 

 occurs at a very short distance from the sea ; for though the rocky 

 misses are indented by numerous inlets, no river above the size of a 

 short mountain torrent finds its way into the Pacific. Many parts of 

 the range that extends along Mesier Channel, which separates 

 Wellington Island from the continent, are covered with snow. St 

 Andrews Sound, Eyre Sound, and Iceberg Inlet, are surrounded by 

 snowy mountains and glaciers. In the parallel St. Andrews Sound, 

 the Andes occupy a width of about 40 miles, and on the eastern edge 

 of the range rises Mount Stokes, near the source of the Santa Cruz 

 which falls into the Atlantic, to an elevation of about 6400 feet. East 

 of this summit the plains of Patagonia are covered with a layer of lava, 



