510 Europe : — a popular Physical Sketch. 



the east is the river Rhone, towards the west Tarn and 

 Allier. The northern part is called Montagne Forez. The 

 mean altitude is computed to be 3733 feet ; Pierre sur Haut 

 is 6400, Mont Mezin 5653, La Lozere 5653 feet. 



Jura, an elongated chain, runs from SW. to NE. be- 

 tween the rivers Saone and Doubs on the one, and the Rhine 

 and the NW. part of Switzerland on the other side. Rauhe 

 Alp continuing this direction on the opposite side of the 

 Rhine, and consists of a similar kind of limestone, is pro- 

 perly regarded as a continuation. The length of Jura is 

 140 miles, or 240 including Rauhe Alp. The chain consists 

 of several longitudinal valleys, whereas the transversal val- 

 leys are remarkably small and few. The side facing Swit- 

 zerland is full of precipices, whereas it slopes with terraces 

 towards France. The mean altitude is about 3733 feet, and 

 the highest peaks are pretty uniform, viz. Pre de Marmiers 

 5653 feet, Reculet 5653, Mt. Tendre 5546, and Dole 5546 

 feet. The mean elevation of Rauhe Alp between the rivers 

 Necker and Danube (Donau) is only 1706 feet, and Hohen- 

 berg reaches to 3413 feet. 



On either side of the Rhine, N. of Jura, appear several 

 mountains, which might be collected under the common 

 name of the Rhenish mountains. To the W. of the Rhine 

 the Vosges are situated, a longitudinal mass, extending 120 

 miles from S. to N., bounded on the W. and N. by the river 

 Moselle, of 2666 feet mean elevation, and with numerous 

 cupola-shaped rocks, of which Ballon de Sulz is 4586, Bal- 

 lon d' Alsace 4160 feet in height. East of the Rhine is the 

 Schwarzwald, bounded by the river Necker and the chain 

 of Odenwald, which again is surrounded by the Mayn. 

 Schwarzwald is 2666 feet (Feldberg the highest peak is 4800 

 feet) ; Odenwald has a mean elevation of 1066 feet (Malchen 

 is 1706 feet). Lower still, and less connected, are the moun- 

 tains to the north of the Odenwald, on the eastern bank of the 

 Rhine, viz. Spessart, Taunus, Vogelgebirge, Westerivald, 



