Europe : — a popular Physical Sketch. 13 



will be easy, for in the west the table land slopes gently 

 towards the sea. This extensive table land presents se- 

 veral mountain chains, viz. one in the north, another in the 

 south, and three intervening chains ; the first mentioned two 

 take a somewhat regular direction east and west, the inter- 

 vening ones run more N. E. and S. W. ; each of these five, 

 and particularly the three intervening chains, consist pro- 

 perly speaking of several smaller ones, to all of which are at- 

 tributed particular names, but as their course is pretty much 

 the same, they will here be comprised under common names. 



The chain forming the northern margin of the table land 

 between the bay of Biscay and the river Douro, might be 

 denominated the Asturic Gallician mountains, and consi- 

 dered as a continuation of the Pyrenees. They attain a 

 considerable height, particularly in the western part ; the 

 statements, however, of their elevation are too contradictory 

 to be relied upon. The highest peak is called Pennas 

 d'Europa. 



The second chain, between the Douro and Tagus, is the 

 Guadarama, the western extremity of which is called Serra 

 d'Estrella. The highest peak is Penalura, 8230 feet. St. 

 Ildefonso, the highest castle in Europe, is elevated 4053 feet 

 above the sea, and the pass leading near it 5120 feet. The 

 third chain is Serra Guadeloupe, between the Tagus and 

 Guadiana ; the fourth, Serra Morena, between the Guadiana 

 and Guadalquivir, are much lower than the two first men- 

 tioned chains. 



Serra Nevada, forming the southern margin of the table 

 land, has a considerable elevation. Cerro de Mulhacen is 

 11,594 feet, surpassing the highest peaks of the Pyrenees. 

 The Albuj arras, reaching 9280 feet, may be considered as 

 promontories to Serra Nevada. 



In the east the table land is bounded by several small 

 interrupted mountain chains, which hardly admit of being 

 classified under one general denomination. 



