LEVElS OF FRANCE 343 



From this arrangement it follows, that the whole of the The whote I 

 Jura forms an amphitheatre of 60 leagues long, by 12 or 14 p^Thea^e"** 

 broad, the steps of which, or chains of mountains^ that 

 rise above one another in a line from north-east to south* 

 west, are level, each almost throughout its whole length. 



7. In the chain that separates the waters that fall into Chain that 

 the two seas, the loftiest summits, except the Haute.. Jo ux^™^^*^^ 

 l'Aiguillettc, are in the neighbourhood of Dijon. From 

 this point, following the chain to the south-west, the 

 highest summits are nearly on a level ; but the other sum- 

 mits of this chain decline to the north-east. 



Dijon and Besan^n are level with each other, and the 

 highest summits in the neighbourhood of these two cities, 

 separated by a plain of 14 or 15 leagues and a few hills, 

 are likewise on a level. The summit called Tasselot, the 

 highest near Dijon, is 306 toiscs above the sea : the rocks 

 of Montfaucon, the highest near Besanc.on, are 303 toises 

 above the sea. The other summits to the south-west of 

 Dijon and of Besaucon, in the two chains in which these 

 cities arc situate, are likewise on a level in their other 

 corresponding points on each side of the Saone, at 12 or 

 13 leagues distance, and in a length of 20 leagues. 



S. If all the valleys were filled up to the height of the Genera! level 

 summits of the mountains that border upon them, from the the^^Smit of 

 sea to the tops of the Alps, a very gently inclining plane the Alps. 

 would be formed. For instance, if a right line were drawn 

 from Havre to the loftiest summits of the mountains, that 

 form the groupe of St. Gotthard, it would cut the inter- 

 mediate chains of mountains nearly at right angles, passing 

 two leagues south of Paris, between Langres and Dijon, 

 five leagues north-east of Besan^on, two leagues north of 

 Neufchatel, and a little to the west of Berne. 



This line would be 160 of the old common French leagues 

 in length [445 miles], and the whole ascent would be only 

 1750 toises [3733 yards], the height above the sea of the 

 Glaetscherberg*, the loftiest summit of these mountains; 

 s£ that if the declivity were uniform, it would be a little 



* The height here given is not from actual measurement, hut 

 estimated from a compaiison with them that were measured, 



leu 



