132 ROSS — ON PARALLEL LINES OF ELEVATION, 



whicli many of the active volcanoes have appeared, for the first time, 

 in the present century, although along the old line of fracture. 

 Following this line of elevation along the Greater Antilles, we 

 reach the volcanic Lesser Antilles. Further on, near the coast of 

 Africa, we reach the volcanic Cape de Verde Islands. Crossing the 

 unknown interior we reach the volcanic district at the mouth of the 

 Red Sea. Still onwards and completing a semi-circumference of 

 the earth, we reach in Java the most active volcanic region known. 

 This belt extends nearly east and west from Java to New Britain 

 (inclusive), or an extent of three thousand miles. This axial line 

 seems to be about five degrees north of the great circle to which 

 it is (approximately) parallel. In America the apparent develop- 

 ment of this zone consists of four subzones : the West Indian, the 

 Yenezuelan, the Parimean Proper, and the Bolivian, which last 

 constitutes the watershed between the basins of the Amazon and 

 the JRio de la Plata. In Africa but two subzones are entirely 

 apparent, one on each side of the axial line. On the northern side 

 are the various parallel ranges of the Atlas Mountain region, and 

 on the south, mountain ranges extending east and west, so far as 

 the country has been explored, from Cape Verde to Cape Guardafui. 

 In Asia the apparent development of this zone is great in conse^ 

 quence of the elevation produced by its intersection with zones 

 Nos. 1 and 2. The Thian Chan, part of the Himalaya, and many 

 other mountain ranges, seem immediately connected with this zone. 

 In Australasia there are three subzones plainly apparent ; Java 

 and the Flores Islands, &c., on the axial line of the zone, with the 

 Eastern Archipelago on the north, and Australia on the south. 



Zone No. 4, or the Scandinavian, has its axial line in a volcanic 

 belt extending through the Azores, Iceland and Jan Meyen. 

 Spitzbergen, not, however, known to be volcanic, is in the same 

 line of elevation. Beyond this the Polar region is unexplored. In 

 the same line in Eastern Siberia are the Aldan Mountain ranges, 

 extending from the Arctic Ocean to the Sea of Okotsk. A line of 

 islands in that sea, and the long island Saghalien, carry this line 

 of elevation to the Japan Islands, which are highly volcanic, 

 as are also the Marianne and other island groups which continue it 

 to New Guinea (also volcanic), across which it is continued in a 



