CHA P. X.

Of the Difference of Mountains and their Extent, and particularly of Burning Mountains.

PROPOSITION I

Some Mountains are of fmall Extent, and others run out to a great Distance.

T

HE latter Sort, called Ridges, or Chains of Mountains, are found almoft in every Country throughout the World; and fuch might be accounted one continued Mountain, if it were not for fmall Breaches or Paffages that fometimes intervene. They are indifferently extended feveral Ways; fome from North to South, others from Eaft to Weft, and fome to other Points collateral to the four Cardinal ones.

THE most celebrated Ridges of Mountains

are,

1. THE Alps, which feparate Italy from the neighbouring Provinces, extending themselves over vaft Tracts of Land, and ftretching out their Arms, or Branches, into distant Countries, viz. thro' France to Spain, where they are called the Pyreneans; and thro' Rhatia [i. e. the Country of the Grifons] where they are called the Rhelian Mountains; alfo thro' Hungary, where they are named the Hungarian Mountains; and above Dalmatia, where they receive the Name of the Dai matian Mountains; from whence they are furetch

ed thro' Macedonia into [Romania], and even to the Coast of the Black-Sea. But because there is in Dalmatia a confiderable Space between the Alps and the Dalmatian Mountains, the former is reckoned by fome to end here. Nevertheless they fend out one continued Ridge, which paffeth, with a winding Course, in the Form of a Half-Moon, thro' the whole Length of Italy, and divides it into two Parts even to the Streights of [Melina]; tho' it does not run every where directly forward in one Tract, but here and there fends out collateral Branches that run fideways from it. Several of thefe Mountains are diftinguished by particular Names, by Reason of their Altitude, or for fome other Caufe, as Monte Maffo, Gaurus, Monte di Capua, the burning Mount Vefuvius, &c.

2. THE Ridge of Mountains in Peru [called the Andes] is the longest in the World. They run in a continued Tract about 800 German Miles, (whereof 15 make a Degree) thro' all South America, from the Equator to the Streights of Magellan, and feparate the Kingdom of Peru, from other Provinces. And fo high are the Tops of these Mountains, that they are reported to tire the Birds in their Flight over them; there being but one only Paffage over them as yet difcovered, and that very difficult. Many of them are covered with perpetual Snow, as well in Summer as in Winter. The Tops of others are hid in the Clouds, and fome are raised above the middle Region of the Air. Several of the Spaniards, with their Horfes, have fuddenly expired upon the Tops of thefe Mountains, in their Paffage from Nicaragua to Peru, and growing stiff with the Cold, they, in a Moment, became immoveable as Statues. The Caufe of which feems to be no other than the Want of fuch Air as was fit

for

for Refpiration. There are alfo found among this Ridge of Mountains feveral that are fulphureous and fmoaking.

3. THERE are many other Ridges of Mountains between Peru and Brafil, which are stretched out thro' unknown Countries as far as the Streights of Magellan, where their Tops are covered with continual Snow, tho' they lie in the Latitude of 52 Degrees.

4. TO thefe may be added the Ridges of Mountains in Canada, and New England, whofe Tops are also perpetually covered with Snow, tho they are not fo famous as the rest.

5. MOUNT Taurus, in Afia, was antiently thought to make a Part of the largest and nobleft Ridge of Mountains in the World. It begins to fhew itself in the Leffer Afia near [the Gulph of Statalia], and runs from Weft to Eaft, under feveral Names, thro' divers large Kingdoms, and Countries, even to India; whereby all Afia is divided into two Parts, of which that on the North Side is called Afia intra Taurum, and that on the South, Afia extra Taurum. This Ridge is as it were fenced on either Side with feveral others that accompany it, among which the most celebrated are the Greater and Leffer Antitaurus, which feparate the Greater Armenia from the Leffer; alfo where Taurus itself paffes between Armenia and Mefopotamia, it fends forth many Branches towards the North and South.

6. THE Mountain Imaüs is extended North and South, and also East and Weft, in the Form of a Crofs. The North Portion of it, is now called Alkai: It is ftretched out fouthward as far as the -Borders of India, to the very Head of the River Ganges, and is computed in Length about 400 German Miles. It divides [Afiatic Tartary] into two

Parts

SECT. III. Parts, formerly called Scythia intra & extra Imai.

7. THE Mountains of Caucafus are about 50 Miles in Breadth, and extend themselves lengthway from the Confines of the Cafpian-Sea towards the Euxine-Sea. They are a fure Sea-Mark to thofe that fail in the Cafpian-Sea, to fteer their Course by. An Arm of them reaches to Mount Ararat in Armenia, upon which it is faid, in Sacred Scripture, the Ark of Noah refted; and the Turks and Perfians will have it to be preferved there to this very Day. Ararat is alfo not far from Mount Taurus, where all these Mountains are contiguous. We fhall treat of the Height of Mount Caucafus in Chapter xxx.

(

8. THE long Range of Hills in China, which comprehends the Damafian Mountains of the Antients towards the Weft, and the Ottorocoran towards the North. This Range is compofed of a vaft Number of Mountains, not altogether continued, but here and there affording a Paffage between them. The Mountains of Cambodia feem alfo to be a Part of this Range.

9. THE Mountains of Arabia are drawn out in three Ranks, whereof the holy Mount Sinai is a Part.

10. MOUNT Atlas, in Africa, is made famous by the innumerable Fictions of the Greek Poets. It's Rife is near the western Shore of Africa, from whence it ftretches itself to the eastward as far as the Confines of Egypt. Most of the Rivers in this Continent take their Rise from it; and tho' it lie in the Torrid Zone it is cold and covered with Snow in feveral Places.

11. THE Mountains of the Moon, near Monomotapa in Africa, fendeth out feveral Branches, which furround almost all Monomot apa, and are diftinguished by divers Names, as Zeth, [Gibel, Caph,]

&c.

&c. There are almost innumerable other Branches in Africa, feparated one from another only by narrow Paffages, infomuch that they all feem to be Parts of the fame Range of Mountains.

12. THE Riphean Mountains, in Europe, run from the White-Sea, or Mufcovian-Bay, to the Mouth of the River Oby; from whence they are called fometimes by that Name. The Muscovites call them Weliki Kamenypoys, i. e. the great ftony Girdle; because they fuppofe them to encompass the whole Earth. Near these there is another Ridge of Mountains, which the Ruffians call Joegoria; they reach from the South Borders of Tartary to the Northern Ocean. Several Rivers take 'their Rife from them, viz. Witfagda, Neem, Wiffera, and Petfiora. These are none of them well reprefented in Maps, and very often totally omitted. Alfo between Ruffia and Siberia there are, befides thefe, a triple Range of Mountains running from North to South. The first of these the Ruffians call Cofvinfcoy Camen, which is two Days in paffing over. The next to this (fome Vallies intervening) is called Chirginfcoy Camen, which is alfo two Days Journey over. The third, being higher than the reft, is named Podvinfcoy Camen, and in feveral Places is all the Year round covered with Snow and Fogs, fo that a Paffage is, with great Difficulty, obtained in four Days. The Town of Vergateria, in Siberia, is near this Range.

13. [THE Dofrine Hills,] which separate Sweden from Norway, arife near the South Promontory of Norway, and proceed in feveral Ranges to the fartheft Part of Lapland, being alfo diftinguished by feveral Names, as Fillefiel, Dofrefiel, &c.

14. THE Hercynian Mountains in Germany [now Fiechtelberg Mountains] furround Bohemia;

and