Mounrtarns are the most conspicuous and the most 
durable features of the land; they are the immediate 
offspring of the globe, and owe their origin less to surface 
action than any other of its features. They are generally 
composed of rocks of some description or other, of which 
there are three classes, which show that they have been 
' produced by different causes. The first are those which 
have been produced by deeply-seated action, without any 
access to the atmosphere, or other agent of combustion or 
melting. They may be termed subterranean rocks; and, 
so far as observation has gone, they range from granite 
upwards to the older porphyry, or to the more indurated 
species of the slaty or stratified rocks. 
Secondly, there are those which appear to have under- 
gone a greater or less degree of the action of combustion, 
which begin with porphyry and end with the more recent 
lavas which have been ejected from volcanoes. They may 
be termed igneous rocks, for though they have not, of 
course, been produced by fire, they show marks of its 
action. 
‘ Thirdly, there are stratified rocks, including, among 
others, the limestones, some of which are of crystalline 
texture, showing that they have been subjected to strong 
heat, under very great pressure. The whole of this third 
division may be regarded as consisting of debris, produced 
and accumulated by surface action; the limestones, gene- 
rally speaking, and also some of the others, having been 
formed in the ocean. 
Besides their varied composition, and the grandeur 
which they add to the landscape, mountains are exceed- 
ingly useful in the grand economy of terrestrial nature. 
If they rise to lofty elevations, and have their escarpments 
steep and precipitous, they are not in themselves fertile; 
but they are the causes of fertility in the surrounding lands. 
They conduce to this effect in various ways, by generally 
abounding in springs, and pouring down living streams of 
water in all directions; the overflowing of these streams 
fertilizes the soil of the places which their waters flood; 
and the mountains elaborate out of the atmosphere a con- 
stant supply of water for them. 
In most of the continents, and many of the islands, there 
are mountain summits which rise above the limit of the 
snow, and rise the higher the nearer they are to the equator. 
The snow melts to a certain extent, during the dry and 
warm season of the year, and thus gives out annually a 
highly beneficial supply of water. In high latitudes, where 
the elevation of the snow-line is less, and the melting of 
the snow produced more quickly, destructive floods often 
result, and carry everything before them; but, in all the 
more favorable places of the earth, the effect is generally 
the reverse. 
Mountains are thus most interesting subjects for study, 
independently of those useful materials with which they 
abound, and which are most easily worked or obtained in 
mountain districts. The hills are the bones of a country, 
and determine its form just as the bones of an animal do; 
for, according to the direction of the hills must be the 
course of the rivers. If the hills come near the sea, the 
rivers are short, and their course very rapid; if they are a 
long way from the sea, the rivers are long and compara- 
tively gentle. But rivers of the latter sort are generally 
navigable, and become large enough, near the sea, to be 
capable of receiving ships of great size. Here, then, cities 
will be built, and these will become rich and populous, and 
so will acquire popular importance. On the nature of the 
hills depend the mineral riches of a country; if they are 
| composed of granite or slate, they may contain gold, silver, 
tin, and copper; if they are composed of limestone, they 
are very likely to have lead-mines; if of sand or gritstone, 
it is probable that there will be coal at no very great dis- 
tance. On the contrary, if they are made up of the yellow 
limestone, or of chalk, or of clay, it is quite certain that 
they will contain neither coal, nor lead, nor any valuable 
But on the mineral wealth of a 
country, and particularly on its having coal or not, depends 
the nature of the employment of its inhabitants, if they are 
in a civilized state. 
Thus, then, on the direction and composition of the hills 
of a country depends, first of all, the size and character of 
its rivers. On the character of its rivers depend the situa- 
tion and importance of its towns, and its greater or less 
facilities for internal communication and foreign trade. 
And again, on the composition of the hills depends the 
employment of the people, their number in a given space, 
and in a great degree the state of morals, intelligence, and 
political independence. 
High as many of the mountains of the globe appear to 
be, when contrasting their height with any well-known 
object, they are insignificant in comparison with its general 
‘mass. Sir John Herschell compared the inequalities on 
the earth’s surface to the roughness of the rind of an 
orange, the highest mountain being about five miles in per- 
pendicular elevation, would be only 1-1000th part of the 
earth’s diameter, consequently, on a globe sixteen inches 
in diameter, such a mountain would be represented by a 
mineral whatsoever. 
MOUNTAINS OF THE WORLD. 
protuberance of not more than the 1-100th part of an 
inch. Now as there is no entire continent, nor even any 
very extensive tract of land known, whose general eleva- 
tion above the sea is anything like half this quantity, it 
follows that if we could construct a correct model of our 
earth, with its seas, continents, and mountains, on a globe 
sixteen inches in diameter, the whole of the land, with the 
exception of a few prominent points and ridges, must be 
comprised on it within the thickness of thin writing paper, 
and the highest hill would be represented by the smallest 
visible grain of sand. 
Baron Humboldt has shown, by the closest calculation, 
that the entire range of the lofty Alps, which cover an area 
of 45,000 square miles, would, if reduced to powder, and 
spread over.the continent of Hurope, only raise its general 
surface twenty-one and a half feet; and that the Pyrenees, 
which divide France from Spain, would only have the 
effect of raising the same continent six feet; while the 
central table-land of Spain, the greatest height of which 
is only 1920 feet, would, if applied to the same purpose, 
raise the general land of Europe to the altitude of seventy- 
sia feet. 
The mean height of Europe has been determined to be 
671 feet above the level of the sea; Asia, 1154 feet; and 
the united continent of America, 949 feet. South America, 
separated from the northern portion, maintains a general 
elevation of 1151 feet—about the same as that of Asia. 
THE PRINCIPAL MOUNTAINS IN THE WORLD, WITH THEIR 
HEIGHT IN FEET. 
MOUNTAINS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
Name. Country. Height in ft. 
Mr. Str. Extras, Russian America.... «. 17,780 
PRO ROGATEPEDL, GMeCXiCO%eccicecoulcesseneconese wee: .». 17,700 
OrIZABA (Peak), Mexico... 
IzractHuatL, Mexico 
Mr. Hooper, British America. 
NevapbA oF Touuca, Mexico.. 
S1eRRA NEVADA, Mexico........0 vecesces 15,450 
Mr. Brown, Rocky Mountains, Waser - 15,800 
Mr. FAIRWEATHER, Russian America... ROCIO - 15,000 
Frimont’s Prax, Rocky Mountains, U. §. 
De Perots, Mexico., ty 
Lone’s PEAK, Rocky “Mountains, U. 8. 
JAMES’s PEAK, 
LARAMIE PEAK, ss US he -- 11,000 
STERRA DE Cobre, Cuba........ seoceesuetene 9,000 
SERRANIA GRANDE, St. Domingo.... 9,000 
Sourn Pass, Rocky Mountains, U.S. 7,489 
HUE IMTS!; Jamaica vecccscesevecteseorseccs seeeme neers 7,486 
Buack Mr., or Mr. MircHet, North Carolina, U. 8. 6,476 
Roan Mr., North Carolina......csscsscscsusttentssertease PROTOSS 
GRANDFATHER Mr., North Carolina docaug 5,560 
Mr. Wasuinaton, White Mountains, U.S. 6,226 
Mr. Apams, Ke ecarecesteretens 5,759 
Mr. Jerrerson, ce 5,657 
Mr. Mapison, £6 2, nL A Cea 5,415 
Mr. Monror, sf 5,349 
Mr. Franky, ee 4,850 
Mr. PLEASANT, G serecaeereee 4,715 
Mr Miamoy, New XOrk rs. sesccesatrsscocsscecitor contentions 5,468 
Mr. McInryru, New York... 5,200 
Dix’s PEAK, a ise 5,175 
Mr. Sewarp, ce 5,150 
Mr. McMartin, G 5,000 
Sanranonr Mr., werd, ketses sieteossecsiecccarce Teteeeene 5,000 
Bura DE CosimurriAcuic, Sierra Madre, Mexico... 7,918 
Mr. MANSFIELD, Green Mts., Vermont.......2cc00seee 4,279 
Peaks oF OTTER, Virginia...........00e 4,260 
Rowunp Top, Catskill Mountains. nee 38,800 
Hieu Peak, ce Os 3,700 
Sapp.e-Back Mr,, Massachusetts. Saceno boc Meese 38,500 
MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
Aconcagua (volcano), Chilian Andes..........sceeeee 23,915 
CHIMBORAZO, Hquador...... .sseoscecees cose sone 21,427 
NEVADA DE Soreto, Bolivia... see. 21,286 
NEVADA DE ILurMAnl, Bolivia. woos 21,145 
Arequipa (volcano), Peru.. pees 20,000 
Coropaxt, Equador........ eceeres eee 18,890 
Toxtima (volcano), New Gain a eee 18,000 
Cerro DE Porost, Bolivia....... neree eeceg Osh 00 
PICHINCHA, Hquador ........sc0seeeeee soe 15,940 
Sma DE Caraccas, Venezuela.... . 8,700 
ORGANMTS. yp Brazile coves souclcovecasccianee 7,458 
Mr. Sarmiento, Terra del Fuego.. - 6,822 
Cave Horn, Terra del Fuego .....cccoccccoocsccccesveceee 1,870 
MOUNTAINS OF EUROPE. 
Mr. EvBROUZ,* Caucasian Mts....,..00ssseccseesessesvee 17,700 
Mr. KAsBecx, Gs Coc sesssee 15,345 
soe 15,781 
Mont BLANC, Alps...soeseoveeseeoes 
15,585 
IVI ONT AOS As aiuucscumacscesincccocioonsccctecctes ere 
* Elbrouz and Kasbeck, the two greatest elevations of the Cau- 
casian range, are frequently placed among the mountains of Asia. 
This range is the dividing line between Europe and Asia in the 
south. Elbrouz and Kasbeck being on the north side of the Cau- 
casian range, we have considered them as more properly belonging 
to the European quarter of the world. Mont Blanc, which has 
heretofore been considered the highest point in Europe, is, if our 
position be correct, superseded by Mt. Elbrouz, which is 1919 feet 
higher. 
Name. Country. Height in ft. 
Ortier Spirze, Alps... Sbeteucapheaseees LO;430) 
CERVIN, ‘es 14,837 
Furca,. Keone seee 14,040 
JUNGFRAU, Ua eee, eee Lost aU 
Scureckyworn, “ ...., -- 13,397 
Cenls, KG . 11,460 
Great Sr, pee Alps. 
Srreron, Alps... neitert 11,000 
Mr. Gornarn, Alps.. reaeseas A esse 9,970 
Lirrte Sr. Bernarp, Alps. - 9,594 
MuLacHazen, Spain........ 
Perpu, Pyrenees ... 
Mr. Erna (voleano), Sicily - 10,963 
Pic Buanc, Pyrenees .......c.sse00s ees «- 10,200 
Mr. Scarpus, Balkan Mountains .. - 10,000 
Sonmirz, Carpathian ......ccccee cee see 8,540 
OrBELus, Greece....... ci 8,500 
GuADARRAMA, Spain. 8,496 
WELINO, Naples. cececcccontrn cee 8,397 
SNEEHATTAN, Norway... - 8,125 
SkaGToLTeN, “ ,.... 8,097 
DovRAFELD?, tela or 4,875 
Mr. Parnassus, Greece. ie 8,000 
Tageetus Mr., . 7,900 
ATHOs, “ 6,770 
Mr. Otympus, ce 6,500 
Hexicon, ; « 5,740 
DELPHI, « 5,725 
Sr, Angexo, Lipari Islands Bustenccccwes 5,260 
SrromBotut (voleano), Lipari Islands 3,000 
SNOEFIALS, Iceland .......csccseeecceoee oo 5,100 
Puy pe Dour, France...... 4,750 
Ben Muuicpuv, Scotland bases 4,418 
Ben Nevis, 4,358 
Cairn Gorm, ca 4,050 
Ben Lawers, oe 3,944 
Bren More, scuetecens « 3,900 
Ben Wyvis, Ta er 8,720 
Mr. Vesuvius (volcano), Naples, 3,978 
Mr. Hecua (voleano), Iceland.. 3,970 
SNowDpDONn, Wales ......000seceee anes 3,558 
Caper Inis, “ ...... 3,550 
Skippaw, England feecee ab 3,022 
Cuevior Hinzs, England... a 2,658 
Paps oF Jura, Scotland.. 2,470 
PLINLIMMON, Wales ......+. 2,460 
SNAEFELL, Isle of Man........ 2,000 
PentLanp Hints, Scotland...... - 1,700 
Watvern Hits, England... 1,450 
Rock or Gipraurar, Spain...... eetsosienccsceetsceiasteae 1,439 
MOUNTAINS OF ASIA. 
Kuncuineinga,* Himalaya Meuntains.......... 28,178 
DHAWALAGHIRI, sé FLY 28,073 
JEWAHIR, <e 25,747 
JAMNOUTRI, ef 25,500 
‘DHAIBAN, cs 7 24,740 
Hixpoo Koosn, Gs ne 20,800 
CHUMALAREE, MEDI betiscscsseccsssstecseestteee 23,930 
Mr. ARARAT, Armenia. seeeecdet 17,100 
KLIOUTSHERSKI, Kamtschatka... 
AWATSKA (volcano), Kamtschatka. 
Mr. Lepanon, ee Siatete Wiaescaxsess 
Mr. Otympus, Asia Minor.. 
Mr. Horses, Arabia Petra... 8,590 
Mr. Srv, ‘ 7,500 
PopRroGALua, CeIn Neawacea 8,280 
Mr. Metin, China.... 8,200 
Jesso Peak, Japan... . 7,680 
ApDAMs’s PEAK, Ceylon..... - 7,420 
Mr. Ina, Asia Minor..... 5,440 
Mr. Sion; Palestines-cse eee 2,700 
Mr. Carmen, “ 6 2,255 
Mri TABOR) se hak car corto csrerer ce ele ee eee 2,050 
MOUNTAINS OF AFRICA. 
Mr. KInmANDJOR.......0008 Pecccccealcesvenees secestohecctass 20,000 
Min SKNIAGS, ccooscesiccorecece -»» 19,500 
Mr. Kresu, ‘Abyssinia Miatredescaeessnecertene --- 15,000 
PEAK oF TENeERIFFE, Canary Islands..... eee 12,170 
WinTstn,Moroeco%s.csccccesccseees 11,200 
CLARENCE PEAK, Fernando Po.. 10,650 
Nrevvetpr, Cape of Good Hope... . 10,000 
CoMPASSBERG, ss enseseonssectnesecssed 10,000 
Fogo Prax, Cape Verde Tslands..c\scteccsckceeeeaee 9,150 
Voucano Mr., Isle of Bourbon.... 7,680 
Frigo, Canary Islands........ Wise 7,400 
Peak oF Pico, Azores.. 6,900 
Kompure, Cape of Good Hope. oon 5,000 
Tae Mr., case 3,582 
Devit’s PEAK, st Caste teOeet eee 3,315 
GREEN Mr., Isle of Ascension... 2,868 
Drana’s Pasi; St. Helena....... 2,692 
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE... ....000e Scadveeceut 1,000 
MOUNTAINS OF OCEANICA. 
Mouna Kz, Sandwich Islands........... sae sataaen tert lpsUD 
Movuna Roa, G A .. 16,020 
Mouna KiranzA, «“ on 5,173 
Mr. OPHIR, Sumatra.....cccocessececess +. 13,840 
QGunone Dempe (volcano), Sumatra. ee 12,465 
PEAK, Otaheite, or Tahiti............. eee 10,895 
Ben Lomonp, Van Diemen’s Land.......... + 4,200 
Forest Hitt, New South Wales.... ceo OSD 
* This mountain, so far as our present knowledge goes, may be 
regarded as the highest on the globe; Dhawalaghiri, formerly con- 
sidered the highest, is now found to be a little over 100 feet lower, 
according to actual measurement. A new determination of the 
Dhawalaghiri, however, it is said, gives this mountain the first 
rank among all snow-capped mountains of the Himalaya range. 
LENGTH OF THE PRINCIPAL MOUNTAIN-CHAINS IN THE WORLD, 
WITH THE HEIGHTS OF THEIR CULMINATING POINTS. 
Length. Culminat- Height 
Mountain Chains. 
PyrEneEEs, from the Mediterra- 
nean to the Bay of Biscay... 
Alps, west of Genoa, to the 
southern extremity of Italy. 
Aups, from Mont Blane to the 
shennan aeneee 
Miles. ing Points. in feet. 
} 225, Pie Nethou, 11,168 
800, Monte Corno, 9,523 
frontiers of Hungary, beyond | 450, Mont Blane, 15,750 
Gratz and Laybach 
ScanpINAvIAN System, taking 
successively the names of 
Thulian, Dovrefield, and sai | 900, Sneshaelien, 8,122 
Ten Mountains... .ssccscccccsese J 
Caucasus, from the Black Sea 
to the Caspian, bionging | 700, Elbrouz..... 17,796 
equally to Europe and Asia 
Urat, common to Europe and 
Asia, from the Arctic Ocean 
to the river Ural, where it 
flows from east to west.. 
Aural, forming the southern 
boundary of Siberia, from the 
affluents of the Irtish to Lake 
Baikal.. 
THIAN- CHAN, from) the intereeod 
tion with the Bolor to the 
centre of Mongolia..........00.. 
KovEn.vn, the northern bound- 
ary of Thibet, from the Bolor 
Chain to the sources of the 
seeeeee 
14 Gases teres tssedesce 
Yellow River.. ox 
HIM ALAYANS, from the frontiers 
of China Proper, including 
the Hindoo Koosh, or Indian 
Caucasus, and the Persian 
Elbrouz, to the south-western 
extremity of the Caspian Sea, 
Bouor-TaGu, a meridional chain 
prolonged from the Punjaub, 
in lat. 324°, across the Hima- + 
laya and the Kouenlun ay 
late 452 Ore sce Sacdacuecertectes 
Artas, from Cape Gehr, on ta 
APPENINES, from the mte| 
| ginga....... 
800, Tutucan- 
eiors of the Atlantic, to the 
Gulf of Sidra, on the Medi 
terranean.. 
Anpes, from Cape “Horn. to the 
Isthmus of Panama... vi 
Rocky Movunrarys, of “North 
America, including the Sea 
Alps of California ‘and of the 
North-west Coast..........ssccce 
4550, Aconcagua, 
1600, Karakorum, 18,000 
2800, Kunchin- 
28,178 
1250, Deneskin Ka- 
MEN wecccoace OOO 
884, Bieloukha.. 11,063 
Mouteani, 20,480 
2000, Miltsin...... 11,400 
23,915 
i om Mt. St. Elias, 17,780 
ELEVATION OF SEVERAL REMARKABLE LOCALITIES, WITH SOME 
OF THE HIGHEST ALTITUDES ATTAINED BY MAN, 
eight 
ip feet. 
Culminating point of the aie ag Kanohingigges 
Himalaya.. festacheonlS 
Ascent of ferry, Xp Tondone in "7833, ‘being the 
greatest height ever attained by a balloon ots . 27,000 
Culminating point of the Western Continent, Acon- 
cagua, An des sieressies serecesecss 25,919 
Ascent of Gay Lussac, i ina a balloon, ‘ab Paris, 4 in 
1804.. codeesedeneene cscs as 90U 
Highest flight of. the Condor ‘of the “Andes. + 21,000 
High est point reached by Humboldt on Chimborazo, 
: In 1820.00... ccccnesoecseconsccitoes sileneeceetey ne anna 19,500 
Manering Pass, in the Himalaya, crossed by Captain 
Gerard....... ciqeesecate Tesececetecteerceneetetntereeatenae 18,612 
Highest snow-line of the Himalaya... +» 16,500 
Mines of Potosi - 16,080 
Highest Pass of the Andes, in Bolivia............ «» 16,000 
Good crops of wheat raised in Chinese T'artary...... 16,000 
Highest snow-line of the Andes..........4. sseeseee vooe 15,800 
Highest habitation of man in the Old World—table- 
land of -Thibet...:cc..sc.-.csseeesshiasg ectceucapeuenaeent 13,600 
Highest inhabited eee on the Andes, farm of Anti- 
sana. FP} cede cocvesistenanel Wa aaiemateitn 
Potosi, great ‘square of the city .. nas tone «. 13,314 
Titicaca Lake, Bolivia, South America..........0+s0+0 13,000 
Culminating point of the Antarctic lands, Mount 
Erebus, supposed to be a volcano......ssse0e eee -. 12,400 
Poplars found by Gerard, in the Himalaya, 12 feet 
IN Pr thesseseeses oes escenecoceseiseasescoe LO;00G 
Cuzco, ancient Capital of "Peru. duos sienecteWaceuder - 11,380 
Highest European Pass, that of’ Mont Cervin, Pons 
nine Alps...... wueaesee ogee ececcsevarvahetisvertubeaaes 11,100 
Riobamba Pass, Andes...... ¥ eaeres 10,800 
Highest growth of Peruvian bark 9,590 
Quito, city... if 9,540 
Pass of Sta Maria, ‘house, ‘highest ‘permanent habi- 
tation in Europe........ a éduvbucsveretanene wopenecneccas, (D920 
Greatest height of the peach, ‘apricot, and walnut, 
growing luxuriantly in the Himalaya......... 9,000 
Highest carriage-road in Europe, across Mont Stel. 
vio, Rhactian Alps’....:..cc-. <esosseese ts susveeetesnin IatG OU 
Santa Fe de Bogota, Columbine oC . 8,650 
Pass of the Grimsel, Bermeee Alps.. - 8,400 
Quito; -plaing<...:ecssecs tes aOR anne . 8,000 
Hospice, St. Besnard 7,965 
Mexico, city... 7,470 
Hospice, St. Gothard... 6,808 
Highest village of Europe, Soglio, in the ‘Grisons.. 6,714 
Source of the Loire.. eee saneesestestereaeree ert OUEs 
Culminating point of “Great. “Britain, Ben Nevis, 
Scotland ........scsesecsonsssecuseserepeenes Sonadershare 4,368 
Culminating point of England and "Wales, Snow- 
do eehadtatesseres 3,571 
Culminating point ‘of Ireland, Gurrane Tual Magil- 
licuddy Reeks, Kerry.........es0e6+ 3,440 
Culminating point of England, Sea-Fell, “Cumber- 
land.. nese edoceecevertete 15, L0G 
Longwood ‘House, residence ‘of ‘Bonaparte, St. He- 
lena... nGuecaras ses steeges euceeeaeaa eee 
Great Pyramid, Egypt... we te ecocacvecscscenene 576 
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