Origin of the Grand Outline Features of the Earth. 383 
we find the Cape Palmas coast of Africa, or rather the Kong 
mountains adjoining, and the Pyrenees between Spain and France, 
having the same trend as the northeast of South America. 
3. In the eastern continent, the western coast of Europe and 
eastern of Africa have a striking parallelism, in which the north 
coast of Asia, from the Obo Gulf to the northeast cape, partakes ; 
and so also the east coast of Asia, the east coast of Hindostan, 
and also the island of Madagascar. These are northeast trends. 
Again, we observe that the Red Sea, Adriatic and British isles, 
the Persian Gulf, Western Hindostan, and the coast from Calcutta 
by Malacca, are nearly parallel lines, having the northwest trend. 
Whatever may be said of the exceptions and irregularities, there 
are evidently too many coincidences to be set aside as mere acci- 
dent ; and the two courses have accordingly been considered by 
Humboldt, the great geographical lines of the globe. 
We might pursue the same course with the mountains. But 
the general parallelism of the chains with the coast lines, is so 
obvious that we barely allude to them in this brief outline of the 
subject under discussion. 'The fact is plainly true with respect 
\ 7 
New Holland, on one side, and nearly also with the coast of Cal- 
ifornia and Guatimala on the other ; and moreover, these lines are 
\* Comptes Rendus, May 12, 1845. Tchihatchef observes that the occidental 
chain runs x. w,and s. &., and the other or oriental, x. £. and s.w He mentions 
that a similar system exists in the Alps; but us the identity of direction is not ex- 
act, he considers the two systems diflerent. 
