14 Europe : — a popular Physical Sketch. 



Altogether separated from the principal chain are Serra 

 Monchique, a small elongated chain along the south coast of 

 Portugal, the highest peak of which, Serra de Foja, is 4053 

 feet, and Montserrat, south of the Pyrenees, attaining a simi- 

 lar elevation. 



The plains of the Spanish peninsula are hut insignificant ; 

 the largest are those in Catalonia and Arragon, the coast 

 plains in Valencia, and those in central Portugal, 



The islands of Majorca and Minorca are mountainous; 

 the Silla Torellos on the former is 5121 feet, on the latter 

 the Silla Toro is 4800 feet above the sea. 



In consequence of the south and north margins of the 

 table land being situated so near the sea, the rivers here 

 must be small, and as it slopes towards west, most of 

 the large rivers have their mouths in the Atlantic, as 

 for instance the Minho, Douro, Tagus, Guadiana, and 

 Guadalquivir. The greatest rivers on the opposite side, 

 proceeding to the Mediterranean, are Ebro, Guadalaviar, 

 Xucar, and Segura. The Spanish peninsula possesses no 

 lake of considerable extent. Most of the Spanish moun- 

 tains present primary rocks; the table land is chiefly com- 

 posed of a red sandstone, which tends to give the country an 

 arid appearance. The principal metals are lead, (parti- 

 cularly in the province of Jaen,) tin, (in Gallicia,) iron, cop- 

 per, silver, and quicksilver. The most important mines are 

 those worked in Gallicia and Serra Morena. Also meer- 

 schaum is found ; rock salt is very common in Catalonia. At 

 Gibraltar a kind of limestone appears, containing many fos- 

 sil remains of mammalia; no active volcanoes exist on the 

 peninsula, but basalt in several places. 



Our knowledge of the climate is rather imperfect ; that 

 of Lisbon and Madrid however is known, and shows a 

 remarkable difference between the west coast and the table- 

 land. 



