CnAIIf or TOLCANOIS. 
325 
t'olcanoea of the Virgins * If it were certain that the 
siiountaiiis of California belong to the western branch of the 
Andes of Anahnac, it might be said that the volcanic fire; 
still burning, abandons the central Cordillera when it re- 
cedes from the coast, that is, from the volcano of Coliina ; 
and that the fire is borne on the north-west by the penin- 
sula of Old California, Mount Saint Elias, and the peninsula 
of Alaska, towards the Aleutian Islands and Kaniscliatka. 
I shall terminate this sketch of the structure of the 
Andes by recapitulating the principal features that charac- 
terize the Cordilleras, north-west of Darien. 
Lat. Mountains of the isthmus of Panama, yera- 
gua, and Costa Itica, slightly linked to the western chain ot 
iMew' Grenada, which is that of Choco. , , 
Lat. Mountains of Nicaragua and Guatimala; 
line ol volcanoes N. 50° VT., for the most part still burning, 
from the gulf of Nicoya to the volcano of Soconusco. 
Lat. Ib^ 18°. Mountains of gneiss-granite in the province 
of Oaxaca. , , . , 
Lat. 18i°-19i°. Trachytic knot of Anahuae, parallel with 
the Nevados and the biu-ning volcanoes of Mexico. 
Lat. 19i°-20°. Knot of the metalLferous mountains ot 
Ouanaxuato and Zacatecas. „ . , ■ j. 
Lat. 21f-22'. Division of the Andes of Aiiahuac into 
three chains : , „ , , • t i. 
Eastern chain (that of Potosi and Texas), continued by 
the Ozark and Winconsin mountains, as tar as Lake 
Central chain (of Durango, New Mexico, and the Eocky 
Mountains), sending on the north of the source of the 
river Platte (lat. 42°), a branch (the Elack Hills) to 
N.E., widening greatly between the parallels 46 and 
50°, and lowering progressively as it approaches the 
mouth of Mackenzie Eiver (lat. 68°). 
■Western chain (of Cinaloa and Sonora)._ Linked by spurs 
to the maritime Alps, or mountains of Cabtomia. 
IVe have yet no means of judging with precision the 
elevation of the Andes south of the knot of the mounta»na 
* Volcanes de lae Virgenes. The highest 
the Cerro de la Giganta (700 toises), appears 
volcano. 
summit of Old California, 
to be also an extinguished 
