M. Bonnard's Notices, Sfc 263 



the Weser, either to the south by the Sose and Oder which 

 unite to join the Leyne, or to the north by the Innerst and 

 Ocker. We should also remark the branch of the Lerchen 

 Kopfe, which, commencing at the western side of the 

 Brocken, and situated between the valley of the Ocker and 

 that of the Radau, extends towards the N.W. ; and especi- 

 ally that of the Bruchberg, whose commencement appears 

 to be the same as the last, and which extending towards the 

 S.W. separates the valleys of the Sieber and the Sose, and 

 forms a nearly continuous ridge from the Brocken to the 

 environs of Hertzberg, where it gradually lowers towards 

 the plain. These small chains are generally elevated from 

 700 to 900 metres [2296 to 2952 feet] above the level of 

 the sea. 



Two principal and rather even platforms should also be 

 noticed in the Hartz : the one on the west of the Brocken, 

 comprises the towns of Clausthal and Zellerfeld with their 

 environs; its general elevation is 580 metres [1902 feet, 

 6 inches] ; the other, on the east, comprises the countries 

 of Elbingerode and Hiittenrode, it is 50 metres [164 feet] 

 less elevated. Cultivated fields occur on the latter, and rye 

 and oats are reaped ; potatoes were first cultivated on the 

 former in 1806 round Clausthal. This last is still more 

 remarkable for the fine meadows with which it is covered, 

 furnishing an abundance of excellent hay, and mostly in 

 two crops. The valleys which furrow these two platforms 

 are not deep. 



The remainder of the Hartz is in general uncultivated, 

 except on the S.E. where the ground is much lower ; the 

 sides of the mountains are covered with fir-tree forests, or 

 waste tracts, which are but the remains of ancient forests, 

 destroyed, either by fires and storms, or by the ravages of 

 an insect named borken kofer (dermestes typographus ?) or 

 from the carelessness with which the wood was formerly cut 

 in a climate whose severity renders numerous precautions 

 necessary for the reproduction of forests. A few meadows 

 are found at the bottom of the valleys, but they are of small 

 breadth. The sides of the mountains, though steep, are 



