A L P 
The Pennine Alps, and glaciers of Savoy, are al fo juflly 
-reckoned among the molt fttipendous works of Nature. 
Here immcnfe mafles of ice, lodged upon the gentler de¬ 
clivities of the Alps, exhibit reprefentations beyond 
■conception fantijftic and pidurefque. in the journey to 
the valley of Chamouni, we have a magnificent pro (peel 
of a chain of mountains, equally inaccefilble, and covered 
with ice ; and above the reft that of Mount Blanc, whofe 
top appears to reach, and even pierce, the higheft region 
of the clouds. The chain upon which this mountain looks 
down like a giant, is compofed of mafles of rocks, w hich 
terminate in fpikes or fpires, called the Needles, and which 
are ranged like tents in a camp. Their Tides appeal light¬ 
er and more airy, from the ornament of feveral hollow 
breaks and furrows fretted in the rock itfel'f, as well as 
from the different ftreaks and panes of ice and fnow, w hich, 
without changing tire general character of their form, or 
the majefty of their appearance, give them a pifiYurefque 
variety. Lower down, the eye furveys with ravifhment 
the gills'of ice, and the feveral glaciers, extending almoft 
into the plain, whilft this appears like an artificial garden, 
embelliftied with the mixture of a variety of colours. We 
have a pifturefque-oppofition to this chain, which is form¬ 
ed by innumerable mountains at the diftance of near 50 
leagues, between whofe tops we have a glimpfe of thofe 
feveral plains which they environ. 
Near Chamouni is the Glacier de Bois, or Valley or Sea 
•of Ice ; to attain which it is neceffary to afeend the M011- 
tanverd, or Green Mountain, fo called from its verdure, 
it is impoflible to deferibe the beauty o-f this enormous 
glacier, or the fenfations excited on a view of it. No bet¬ 
ter idea can be conveyed to the mind than by imagining a 
ftorrny Tea fuddenly furprized by a froft. The mountains 
which furround this frozen valley are, ift, Mount Char- 
mos on the right; 2d, Mount Mallet in the back ground 
•3d, Periades; 4th, the Great Jorra of an extraordinary 
height; 5th, 1’Aiguille du Moine ; 6th, that of Dru, 
which is oppofite to a little hermitage, where people com¬ 
monly ftop to dine on the provifions they carry with them. 
This Montanverd is alfo very curious, being half covered 
with ice and fnoiv, and, in intermediate fpaces, with ex¬ 
cellent paftures, where cattle feed. 
Although it be difficult to afeertain the length and 
breadth of the fea of ice, as objects appear nearer on high 
mountains than in valleys, where the air is more denfe, 
yet it may fairly be conjedtured to be three quarters of a 
league broad and five leagues long; that is terfay, the fpace 
which the eye comprehends from Montanverd : for the 
fea of ice may extend about twelve leagues. A more cu¬ 
rious and at the fame time a more dreadful feene than this 
cannot be-conceived, at once prefenting the image of the 
frozen fea and the verdure of the temperate zone. It is 
poftible todefeend from the Montanverd on the fea of ice, 
and even to crofs it, but the dangers are many on account 
■of the large crevices which it is neceflary to ftep over, that 
are more than a hundred feet deep ; however, M. Beau¬ 
mont palled fafely over them. It is.a matter of much fur- 
prize, on corning to this place, to find the waves, which at 
fome diftance appear inconfiderable, to be more than eighty 
or an hundred feet in height. 
From hence there is a very fteep and narrow path, 
through a foreft of firs and larches, which takes about an 
ftiour to defeend, in order to return to a place whers there 
is a little wooden bridge to crofs over the Arveron ; when 
-another moft aftonithing objeft prefents itfelf, an entire 
mountain of ice, formed by the fall of the glacier, feen 
from the Montanverd, which defcends into the valley. 
High mountains of granite furround thefe glaciers, and 
form, by their irregular ftrata, fitperb cafcades, mixing 
their waters with the Arveron, which iflues from a moft 
beautiful-grotto above an hundred feet high, compofed 
-entirely of ice.—The wonderful effe&s of mafles of ice 
-scontrafted with the impending woods and -rich paftures 
•that crown this grand and uncommon feene, added to the 
frightful r.oife fo frequently heard-of enormous bodies of 
A L R 37* 
It breaking off from the mountain and dafhing themfelves 
to pieces in the Arveron, inuft create an admiration and 
furprize more readily felt than exprefled ; and raifes in our 
minds an anxious wiftn, that, before our mortal journey 
be brought to an end, we could explore the wonders of the 
Per,nine Alps, and participate in that awful and philofophic- 
pleafitre which muft be excited amid fuch auguft and ro¬ 
mantic feenesi 
Alps, Lower, a department of France, including part 
of the late province of Provence, is fo called from its vi¬ 
cinity to the mountains of the fame name. 
Alps, Upper, a department of France, including part 
of the late province of Dauphiny. 
ALFUX AR'RAS, or Alt ax arf.s, mountains of Spain, 
in the province of Granada, on the coaft of the Mediter¬ 
ranean lea. They are about feventeen leagues in length 
and eleven in breadth, reaching from the city of Velez to 
Almeria. They are inhabited by Moors, who are the re¬ 
mains of the difperlion and ruin of their empire. They 
embraced die Chriftian religion; but preferve their own 
manner of living, and their language, though much cor¬ 
rupted. Here is a rivulet between Pitros and Portugos, 
which dyes linen that is dipped in it black in an inftant. 
Near this rivulet is a cavern, from which proceeds fo ma¬ 
lignant a ftenm, that it deftroys fuch animals as come near 
it. The Morifcos 'cultivate the foil extremely well, and 
plant fruit-trees ; fome of which grow to a prodigious 
height and thicknefs, and give the mountains a very agree¬ 
able afpefh 
ALQUIE'R, a liquid meafure, ufed in Portugal to 
meafure oil.twoof which make an almond. See Almond. 
ALQUIEOU', or Arqjjifou, is a fort of lead-ore, 
which, when broken, looks like antimony. It is ufed 
by the potters to give a green varnifii to their works, and 
thence is called potter's ore. It is met with in Cornwall, 
Sec. The potters mix a fmall portion of manganefe with 
thealquifou, and then the varniih or glazing on their ware 
is of a blackilh hue. 
ALRE'ADY, adv. At this prefent time, or at fome time 
paft ; oppofed to futurity ; as, Will he come foon? He is here 
already. Will it be done? It has been done already. 
Methinks, already I your tears furvey, 
Already hear the horrid tilings they fay, 
Already fee you a degraded toaft, 
And all your honour in a whifper loft ! Pope . 
ALRE'DUS, Alured, or Aluredus, of Beverley, 
one of the moft ancient and heft Englilh hiftoriaus. He 
wrote in the reign of Henry I. It is generally believed 
that he was educated at Cambridge, and that he after¬ 
wards became one of the canons and treafurer of St. 
John’s at Beverley. And we learn in a note of Bifttop 
Tanner's, that, for the fake of improvement, he travel¬ 
led through France and Italy ; and that at Rome he be-- 
came domeftic chaplain to Cardinal Othobonie. He died 
in'the year 1129 ; leaving behind him the following works : 
1. The Annals of Alured of Beveriey, Oxford, 1726. 
It contains an abridgement of our hiftory from Brutus to 
Henry I. written in good Latin ; and with great accura¬ 
cy. a. Libertatcs eccleficeS. Johannis de Bcverlac, &c. a ma- 
nufeript in the Cotton library. It is acoileiftionot records 
relative to the church of Beverley, tranflated from the 
Saxon language. 
ALRES'FORD, Hants, i. e. the Ford of Aire, fo cal¬ 
led from the river of that name, now generally called the 
river Itchen, which rifes not far from this place, and 
unites four conftderable ftreams within the liberty of 
Alresford. It is fituate 20 miles from Southampton, and 
feven and a half from Wincheftcr, and lies in the great 
road from thofe two places to London, from which it is 
diftant 57 miles and a quarter. It -Hands exactly in the 
center of the capital towns of the four adjoining counties 
of Wilts, Berks, Surry, and Stiflex, being 31 miles from 
Salilbury on the weft, fame diftance from Reading on the 
N. E. and from Guildford on the eaft, and ChicLefter on 
•the 
