374 Elements of Mineralogy, 



part of the globe, are granitical. Thus the 

 Alps and Pyrenees are the loftieft in Europe** 

 and particularly fuch of them as confift of 

 granite, the Altaifchan, Uralian and Cau~ 

 cafus in Afia> and the Andes in America. 

 From them the greateft rivers derive their 

 origin. The higheft of them never contain 

 metallic ores, but fome of the lower contain 

 veins of copper or tin, as thofe of Saxony^ 

 Silefta and Cornwall. The granitic ftones 

 next the ore always abound in mica ; petre- 

 faclions are never found in them. 



Many of the granite mountains of Afia 

 and America form large plat-forms at about 

 half their height, from which feveral lofty 

 fpires arife. No fuch plat-forms have been 



obferved in the Alps or Pyrenees. 



2* 



That the formation of thefe mountains 

 preceded that of vegetables and animals is 

 juflly inferred from their containing no or- 

 ganic remains either in the form of petrifac- 

 tion or impreffion, from their bulk, exten-r 

 fion and connection, which feem too confi- 

 ^erable to be afcribed to fubfequent caufes, 

 and from their ufe and neceffity for the pro- 

 duction of rivers, without which it is hard 

 to fuppofe that the world bad exifted at any 

 period fmce the creation of animals. Moft 

 liaturaiifts are at preient agreed that granites 



