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GREAT BRITAIN. 



GREAT BRITAIN. 



74 



low tract extends eastward to the towns of Wells and Glastonbury. 

 South of this high tract is another plain, whose southern and more 

 eleyated portion is mostly covered with mosses and moors, and in 

 general is b-irren. The northern part belongs to the Vale of Taunton, 

 or of the Tone, which covers an area of about 100 square miles, with 

 an undulating surface. The soil is of great fertility, and produces 

 the finest crops, fruits, and herbage. 



The Quaiitock Hills be^in at some distance from the mouth of 

 the river Parret, on the southern shore of Bridgewater Bay, and run 

 westward along the coast and at a short distance from it ; in some 

 places they press close upon the sea. The widest portion of this tract, 

 called the Brendon Hills, is also called Esmoor; and Dunkerry Hill, 

 which may be considered as its eastern extremity, is stated to be 

 1668 feet above the sea. The Blackdown Hills, which form the 

 Bouthem boundary of the Vale of the Tone, extend westward to the 

 mouth of the Exe. 



To the west of the Blackdown Hills and the Vale of Taunton lies 

 the Vale of the Exe, or of Exeter, whose northern extremity reaches 

 the borders of Exmoor, and in that part is separated only by a hilly 

 tract from the Vale of Taunton. Its surface is mostly strongly undu- 

 lating, and in some parts even hilly. Contiguous to the Vale of the 

 Exe on the west is Dartmoor, a high plateau of irregular surface, in 

 some places covered with huge masses of granite, in others with 

 swamps, or a thin and poor soil. Dartmoor is separated from the 

 mountains of Cornwall by the comparatively narrow valley of the 

 river Tamar. The high lands of Cornwall extend in one continuous 

 mass to the most western point of England, the Land's End. 



8. England teat of the Grtat Wettera Vale, including Wales. — This 

 rt^gion, the most rugged and mountainous part of England, is inter- 

 sected, near its central parts, by two deep valleys, the upper extremi- 

 ties of which are lepaiated by some high lands not more than 15 

 miles across. These are, the valley of the small river Dyfi from 

 Machynlleth to Cardigan Bay, and the valley of the Upper Severn 

 from above Llanidloes to Melverley, where the river enters the Great 

 Wcsteru Vale. 



North Wales, or the country north of this natural line, contains in 

 iU central district a very extensive mass of high land, which occupies 

 more than one-third of the whole. The lowest tracts of this high 

 land are probably not much less than 800 feet above the sea, and the 

 cold climate, which is the consequence of such an elevation, renders 

 the whole tract unfit for cultivation, except in a few sheltered places 

 along the banks of the river.n. 



Along the north-western edge of this elevated tract extends the 

 Snowdon range, which contains the highest summits in Wales. It 

 begins near the mouth of the river Conway, whence it runs south- 

 south-west to the north-eastern comer of Cardigan 13ay, a distance 

 of 24 miles in a straight line. The width of the range varies from 

 5 to 7 miles. From both extremities it rises gradually towards the 

 centre, where it contains several summits more than 3000 feet high ; 

 the highest ia the extensive mountain mass known imder the name of 

 Snowdon, whose highest pinnacle, called Wyddfa, attains an elevation 

 of 3571 feet. A range of high hiUa branches off from this range 

 Booth of the highest part, and runs to Caernarvon Bay, where it ter- 

 minates south of Clynnog in the Rivell, which is 1886 feet high. 

 Between the Snowdon range and the Strait of Menai is an extensive 

 and tolerably level plain, but it is not low, the shores of the strait 

 being generally rocky and bold. The highest portion of the elevated 

 mountain region extends south of the Snowdon range, comprehend- 

 ing the central part and more than half of Merionethshire. Several 

 summits attain npwards of 2000 feet : the Arennig, between Llyu 

 Arennig and Llyn Tryverin, is 2809 feet high. The country inclused 

 by these ranges contains some fine picturesque valleys, among which 

 are those of Festiniog and Dolgelley. The Berwyn range, which con- 

 stitutes the south-south-east boundary of the high mountain region, 

 traverses the country from the Great Western Vale to Cardigan Bay. 

 The highest summits are Arran Mowddwy and Cader Idris. 



The country between the tributaries of the Upper Dee does not 

 differ In its general description from the elevated mountain region, 

 except that the hills decrease in height and in steepness as they 

 advance farther north. Several of these however attain the height of 

 1500 feet and upwards. The country extending from the Berwyn 

 range as far south ns the valley of the Severn is rather billy than 

 motyitainouB ; only a few of its summits exceed 1000 feet in elevation, 

 except near the Berwyn Mountains. 



The Plinlimmon range, which, beginning from the Plinliramon 

 Mountain at the source of the Severn runs along the southern side 

 of the valley of that river in the form of an arc, and terminates on 

 the west of the plain of Shropshire with the Breiddin Hills, forms a 

 natural boundar/ between North and South Wales. Plinlimmon 

 Mountain is a mass of rocks of great extent, whose highest summit 

 rises to 2463 feet. This range presents a great regularity in its out- 

 line, its surface consisting of a succession of gradual slopes and 

 rounded summits. 



Contiguous to the Plinlimmon range, and on its southern side, 

 extends a vast mountain tract of very desolate character. The towns 

 of Tregaron and t^ampeteron the Teify, of Llandovery on theTowey, 

 and of Llyswen on the Wye, lie on its edge and mark its extent ou 

 the west and south, while the Wye River bounds it on the east from 



Llyswen to Llangerrig. This is the most extensive waste of any in 

 England or Wales, and resembles the high lauds in Sutherland and 

 Ross-shire. The country between this mountain tract and Cardigan 

 Bay is extremely rugged north of the river Ystwith, and is noted for 

 its beautiful scenery, especially aloug the small river Rheidiol, where 

 the Devil's Bridge attracts many travellers. 



From the Bettws Hills, which occupy the centre of the Pliulimmon 

 range, and lie south of Newtown on the Severn, a range issues, 

 running due south, not far from the boundary-line between England 

 aud Wales, but still within the latter country. It terminates uear 

 Crickhowell ou the Usk, and is divided into two parts by the wide 

 valley in which the Wye flows from Llyswen and Whitney. That 

 portion which lies north of the Wye is called Radnor Forest, and one 

 of its summits attains 2163 feet. South of the Wye is the Black 

 Forest, or Mynydd y Cader, whose highest summit, the Cradle Moun- 

 tain, or Pen y Ciider Fawr, is higher than PlinUmiaou, being 2515 feet 

 above the sea. The eastern offsets of this range enter Herefordshire, 

 where they terminate, and are followed by the undulating Plain of 

 Hereford, a country of great fertility, and one of the gardens of 

 England. It extends north and south about 30 miles, aud east aud 

 west perhaps 20 miles ; it is divided from the Great Western Vale by 

 the Malvern Hills, which extend aloug the boundary-line between 

 Worcester and Hereford iu an uninterrupted range for about 9 miles 

 north and south ; but their greatest breadth east and west does not 

 exceed two miles. The Malvern Hills are separated by the wide 

 valley of the river Ledbury, an affluent of the Wye, from another 

 range of hills, which are much lower and run southward until they 

 terminate not far from the place where the Wye enters the Severn. 

 The southern and higher portion of this range, which is called Dean 

 Forest, rises to an average elevation of 900 feet. 



The highest land in South Wales begins iu the eastern districts of 

 Caermarthenshire, traverses the soutliern part of Breokuook, aud 

 enters the northern portion of Monmouthshire. This i-auge is called, 

 at least through a considerable part of its extent, the Black Moun- 

 tains, or Forest Fawr. Its highest summits are the Caermarthensbire 

 Beacons, on the boundary-line between Caermarthen aud Brecknock, 

 which riso to 2596 feet, aud the Brecknockshire Beacous, about 5 

 miles S.W. from the town of Brecknock, which attain an elevation of 

 2862 feet, and are the highest mountains in South Wales. 



Some miles south of the Forest Fawr, and nearly opposite to its 

 centre, are the mountains of Glamorgan. This mountain system is 

 upwards of 36 miles long, and extends nearly 15 miles in width, from 

 Merthyr Tydvil on the north, to Llantrissaut ou the south. Along 

 the southern declivity of this mouutain-system is the Plain of 

 Glamorgan, which extends over the southern district of that county. 

 Its surface is undulating aud intersected by numerous hills aud 

 ridges of small elevation. This is the most fertile tract in South 

 Wales; its soil being excellent and productive both in corn and 

 grass. At the western termiuatiou of the Forest Fawr begins the 

 Vale of the Towy, which extends on both sides of that river with 

 an average breadth of 2 miles to its mouth, a distance of abuut 

 30 miles. The most western promontory of South Wales is traversed 

 by a range of high hills, which are conuected with the high lands 

 south of Lampeter on the Teify. The country south of this range, to 

 Caermarthen Bay, Milford Haven, and St. Bride's Bay, presents the 

 appearance of an uneven plain, intersected by numerous detached 

 hills, or rocky eminences, of an irregular aad conical shape. 



Climate. — Being situated nearly in the middle of the temperate 

 zone. Great BriUiiu enjoys the advantages arising from such a 

 geographical position ; aud in addition to this it has, in common with 

 the greatest part of Western Europe, the mildness of climate peculiar 

 to this portion of the globe. The difference between the climate of 

 Great Britain aud the ueighbouring continent is chiefly due to its 

 insular position, and its being exposed to the winds which blow 

 across the wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Great Britain is not 

 subject to the same degi-ee of beat in summer, or of cold in winter, 

 as the continental countries lying in the same parallel. Differences 

 in latitude of course cause considerable variety of temperature 

 throughout the island. London is probably about the same elevation 

 above the sea as Wick iu Caithness is. In Loudon the mean 

 temperature of the whole year is 5039° ; in summer 62"32°, in 

 autumn 51'35°, iu winter 3912', and in spring 4876". At Wick the 

 mean annual temperature is 46'7°; iu summer 5377°, in autumn 

 48'35, in winter 4035°, and in spring 4441°. The south-western 

 part of England, especially the peninsula between the English and 

 Bristol Channels, has a much milder climate than the districts 

 farther east. Thus the mean annual temperature of Plymouth is 

 52"1°. But this observatiou cannot be extended to the whole western 

 coast. At Glasgow the mean temperature of the year is 4775". 

 The highest mean range of the thermometer throughout Great 

 Britain may be fixed at about 80", and the lowest about 10°; the 

 cases being rare iu which it exceeds the former and falls below the 

 latter ; but on the continent of Europe, within the latitudes of Great 

 Britain, it nearly every year attains 90°, aud sinks as low as zero. 



Tiie air of Great Britain contains a greater quantity of moisture 

 than that of most other countries, which shows itself in the frequency 

 and duration of fogs ; and it appears to be a fact that Great Britain 

 has a greater number of rainy days than the countries of continental 



