OUTLINES OF GEOLOGY. 



17 



would be more probable to consider, as belonging to this 

 chain, the Caucasus, the Carpathian mountains, the Yosges, 

 the Cevennes, and the Pyrenees. 



(2.) The celestial mountains (Thian Chan) of the Chinese. 

 This chain rises on the shores of the Pacific to the north of 

 the peninsula of Corea, and can be traced to the neighbour- 

 hood of Samarcand. Its most lofty point is called Bogdo 

 and is covered with perpetual snow and glaciers. In the 

 same line with this we find Arrarat, and may consider as / 

 lying in its prolongation, the northern mountains of Asia 

 Minor, of Thrace, the Alps, and those of the north of 

 Spain. 



(3.) The chain of Kuen-lun, which is first found separa^ 

 ting the basins of the two great rivers of China, and rising 

 at the sources of the Yellow River, above the limit of per- 

 petual congelation. Passing through Thibet it enters Persia, 

 under the name of Hindoo Kho, and, after an interruption 

 by the basin of the Euphrates, rises again under the name 

 of Taurus, in Asia Minor. Its mean latitude is 35°, and 

 may thus be considered as comprising the mountains of 

 Greece, and those of the south of Spain. 



The two last named chains may be almost considered as 

 forming one system, in consequence of the number of trans- 

 verse ridges which unite them, and the elevated table lands 

 they enclose. 



(4.) The chain of Himmalaya rises from the Pacific, op- 

 posite to the island of Formosa, and reaching to the greatest 

 heights which have yet been measured, passes to the north 

 of the two Indies, until it appears to merge in the Hindoo 

 Kho. Pursuing its mean direction, we however find in the 

 same line, the southern mountains of Persia, those of Syria, 

 and Atlas. 



Africa, as far as we can learn, contains a separate 

 system. 



3* 



