290 AVERAGE OF THE ELEVATIONS. 



thrice exceeding the height of Mont Blanc, belong only to 

 the longitudinal chain which bounds the basin of the 

 Pacific Ocean, from 55 south to 68 north latitude, that is 

 to say, the Cordillera of the Andes. The only insulated 

 group that can be compared with the snowy summits of the 

 equinoctial Andes, and which attains the height of nearly 

 3000 toises, is the Sierra de Santa Marta ; it is not situated 

 on the east of the Cordilleras, but between the prolongation 

 of two of their branches, those of Merida and Yeragua. 

 The Cordilleras, where they bound the Caribbean Sea, in 

 that part which we designate by the name of Coast Chain 

 of Venezuela, do not attain the extraordinary height (2500 

 toises) which they reach in their prolongation towards Chita 

 and Merida. Considering separately the groups of the east, 

 those of the shore of Venezuela, of the Parime, and Brazil, 

 we see their height diminish from north to south. The 

 highest summits of each group are the Silla de Caracas 

 (1350 toises), the peak of Duida (1300 toises), the Itacolumi 

 and the Itambe * (900 toises). But, as I have elsewhere 

 observed, it would be erroneous to judge the height of a chain 

 of mountains solely from that of the most lofty summits. 

 The peak of the Himalayas, accurately measured, is 076 

 toises higher than Chimborazo ; Chimborazo is 900 toisea 

 higher than Mont Blanc; and Mont Blanc 653 toises 

 higher than the peak of Nethou.J These differences do not 

 furnish the relative average heights of the Himalayas, the 

 Andes, the Alps and the Pyrenees, that is, the height of the 

 back of the mountains, on which arise the peaks, needles, 

 pyramids, or rounded domes. It is that part of the back 

 where passes are made, which furnishes a precise measure 

 of the minimum of the height of the great chains. In com- 

 paring the whole of my measures with those of Moorcroft, 

 Webb, Hodgson, Saussure, and Eamond, I estimate the 

 average height of the top of the Himalayas, between the 



* According to th measure of MM. Spix and Martins, the Itambe de 

 Villa de Principe is 5590 feet high. 



f The Peak lewahir, lat. 30 22' 19" ; long. 77 35' T east of Paris. 

 Height 4026 toises, according to MM. Hodgson and Herbert. 



This peak, called also peak of Anethou or Malahita, or eastern peak 

 ef Maladetta, is the highest summit of the Pyrenees. It rises 1787 toises 

 and consequently exceeds Mont Perdu by 40 toisea. 





