LINES OF ELETATION. 353 



Andes, comprises in America, over a long and narrow zone 

 of 3000 leagues, all the summits exceeding 1400 toises high. 

 In Europe, on the contrary, even considering the Alps and 

 the Pyrenees as one sole line of elevation, we still find 

 summits far from this line or principal ridge, in the Sierra 

 Nevada of Grenada, Sicily, Greece, the Apennines, perhaps 

 also in Portugal, from 1500 to 1800 toises high.* The 

 contrast between America and Europe, with respect to dis- 

 tribution of the culminant points, which attain from 1300 to 

 1500 toises, is the more striking, as the low eastern moun- 

 tains of South America, of which the maximum of elevation 

 is only from 1300 to 1400 toises, are situated beside a Cor- 

 dillera of which the mean height exceeds 1800 toises, while 

 the secondary system of the mountains of Europe rises to 

 maxima of elevation of 1500 to 1800 toises, near a principal 

 chain of at least 1200 toises of average height. 



MAXIMA OF THE LINE OF ELEVATION IN THE SAME 

 PARALLELS. 



Andes of Chile, Upper Peru. Knots Group of the Brazil Mountains ; a 



of the mountains of Porco and little lower than the Cevennes ; 



Cuzco, 2500 toises. 900 to 1000 toises. 



Andes of Popayan and Cundina- Group of Parime Mountains ; little 



marca. Chain of Guacas, Quindiu, lower than the Carpathians ; 1300 



and Antioquia. More than 2800 toises. 



toises. Littoral Chain of Venezuela; 80 toises 



Insulated group of the Snowy lower than the Scandinavian Alps ; 



Mountains of Santa Marta. It 1350 toises. 



is believed to be 3000 toises high. Group of the West Indies , 1 70 toises 



Volcanic Andes of Guatimala, and higher than the mountains of 



primitive Andes of Oaxaca, from Auvergne, 1140 toises. 



1700 to 1800 toises. Chain of the Alreghanies ; 160 



Andes of New Mexico and Upper toises higher than the chains of 



Louisiana (Rocky Mountains) and Jura and the Gates of Malabar; 



further west. The Maritime Alps 1040 toises. 



of New Albion, 1600 to 1900 



toises. 



* Culminant points; Malhacen of Grenada, 1826 toises; Etna, 

 According to Captain William Henry Smith, 1/00 toises ; Monte Corno of 

 the Appenines, 1489 toisea. If Mount Tomoros in Greece and the Serra 

 Gaviarra of Portugal, enter, as is alleged, into the limit of perpetual snow, 

 those summits, according to their position in latitude, should attain froaa 



VOL. HI. 2 A 



