Chap. 46.] [ 313 ] 



C ii A P. XLVI. 



MOUNTAINS. 



T)~tjlinfti<in. between Hills and Mountains Mountains primaeval or 

 jecondary.^ Granite Mountains only fuppofed in general primteiial. 

 -Some Litne^ftonf Mountains pritnee i vaL'~- Alluvial Mountains, ~> 

 E, it ire and ftrattfied Mountains. Mountains homogeneous and be* 

 terogzn(:(.:;.-!~Cosfitfed Mountains.- Volcanic Mountains. Height 

 of Mountain^ , ho=iu meafured. Computed Heights of the moll re- 

 ~ markable Mountains.' Line of Congelation in different Parts of ths 

 Wcrld. 



ELE V AT I O N S, confifting chiefly of clay, fand, 

 ' or gravel, are called hills. Thofe which con-? 

 fid chiefly of (lone are called mountains. Mountains 

 are divided into primaeval, that is, of equal date with 

 the formation of the globe, and fecondary or alluvial. 

 Among primeval, thofe of granite hold the firft place. 

 The higheft mountains and moft extenfive ridges 

 throughout the globe are of that kind ; as the Alps 

 and Pyrenees, in Europe; the Altuifchan, Uralian, 

 and Caucafus, in Afia ; and the Andes, in America. 

 The higheft of them never contain metallic ores ; but 

 fome of the lower contain ores of copper and tin. 

 The granite next the ore always abounds in mica. 

 Petrifactions are never found in thefc primaeval moun- 

 tains. 



That the formation of thefe mountains preceded 

 that of vegetables and animals, is juftly inferred from 

 their containing no organic remains, either in the 

 form of petrifaction or impreflion. Naturalifts are 

 agreed, that granites were formed by cryftallization. 

 This operation probably took place after the forma- 

 tion of the atmofphere, and the gradual excavation 



of 



