Europe : — a popular Physical Sketch. 409 



the latter island, yet they are, particularly the Orkneys, less 

 rocky, and their rocks, chiefly sandstone and slate, are of 

 a less sharp form. They produce no trees, and agriculture, 

 (chiefly barley and oats) is insignificant. 



The British Isles. (Great Britain and Ireland) between 50° 

 and 58° 30' north lat. Both are of greater extent from N. to S. 

 than from E. to W., and are consequently of an elongated 

 shape, yet the length is proportionally greater in Great 

 Britain than in Ireland. The length of Great Britain from 

 N. to S. is 550 miles, that of Ireland 280 ; the breadth of 

 Great Britain varies from 60 to 280 miles \ that of Ireland 

 from 80 to 160. Although the sea cuts many friths into the 

 west coast of Ireland, yet the general outline is pretty regu- 

 larly rounded, whereas in Great Britain, in consequence of 

 her many bays, the breadth is very variable, and in Scotland 

 those bays (friths) are very narrow and deep. On the west 

 coast of Scotland, and between England and Ireland, are 

 found numerous islands, although none of considerable size 

 appear on the west coast of Ireland, or the east coast of Great 

 Britain. 



Scotland, or the northern part of Great Britain, is divided 

 by two natural lines of demarcation into three parts, viz., 

 the Highlands, the Midlands, and the Lowlands. The one 

 of these lines is formed by two deep friths, Murray Frith 

 and Loch Linnhe, a number of elongated lakes, Lock Lochy, 

 Lock Ness, &c. and by the Caledonian canal, all of which 

 rise but little above the sea, and form a ditch as it were, from 

 NE. to SW. separating the Highlands from the rest. The 

 other line of demarcation, running more towards E. and W. 

 is produced by the Clyde and Forth, and by an intermediate 

 low tract of country, through which is cut a connecting canal. 

 In all three parts of Scotland are found mountain chains 

 from SW. to NE., viz. two in the Midlands, one in the 

 Lowlands, and a fourth in the Highlands. The NE. coast 

 of the Highlands is rather flat, and the higher parts are 



