142 IV. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



county. — The remainder of Inverness, the waters of which 

 drain to the western coast, along with the detached por- 

 tion of Argyle which is situate to the north-west of Loch 

 Linhe, make up the vice-county of Westerncss. — Main- 

 Argyle and Cantire are separated by the Crinan Canal. — 

 The Clyde Isles include Bute and Arran, with Cumbray 

 and other small islets adjacent, between Cantire and Ayr. 

 — The Ebudes are islands belonging by political geo- 

 graphy to Argyle and Inverness. South Ebudes include 

 Islay and Jura, with adjacent islets. Mid Ebudes consist 

 of Mull and Coll, with their adjacent islets. North 

 Ebudes include Skye and Kum, also with their adjacent 

 islets. — East and West Ross are separated by a line 

 traced along the water-shed between the eastern and 

 western coasts ; East Eoss being considered to include 

 those detached portions of Nairn, situate to the westward 

 of the Murray Firth and Loch Beauly ; and the fragmen- 

 tary county of Cromarty as belonging to East or West 

 Ross, according to the geographical position of its de- 

 tached fragments. — East and West Sutherland are also 

 separated by the line of water-shed ; this being so traced 

 as to divide the south-eastern portion of the county from 

 the western and northern. — The other counties being un- 

 divided into vice-counties, their boundaries are those 

 shown on any maps, and do not call for special expla- 

 nation. 



8. Altitude of surface. — The mountains of Britain are 

 not sufficiently elevated to retain snow on their summits 

 through the year. But in depressions which face from 

 the south, and under the northern aspect of steep rocks, 

 snow may be found in isolated patches on the hills of 

 North Britain throughout the summer. It may thus be 

 said that the hills are high enough to enter the line of 



