The surrounding country is remarkably bleak and naked. (Hamilton's E. 1. Gazetteer.)

ALMUNEÇAR, a sea-port town of Spain, Granada, lat.36° 47′ 50′′ N., long. 3° 51′ W. Pop. 2,100. The surrounding country produces cotton and sugar. The anchorage is fit only for small vessels, and should not be used by them except in cases of emergency, as the E. winds common on this coast are dangerous.

ALMUNIA, a town of Spain, Arragon, 18 m. N. E. Calatayud. Pop. 3,000.

| sea), which leads from Genoa to Novi in Piedmont. That portion of the range which begins at this road and extends E. to the sources of the Tinea, a tributary of the Var, is called the Maritime Alps, and does not contain any very high summits; but it is extremely steep, and is traversed only by one road practicable for carriages. This road connects the town of Nice with the town of Coni in Piedmont, and traverses three The last col is in the

ALMURRADIEL, a town of Spain, in La Mancha, 8 leagues from Manzanarez. ALNMOUTH, a village of England, in Northumber-ridges by the cols or mountain passes of Brous, land, at the mouth of the Alne, 54 m. E. S. E. Alnwick. Brovis, and de Tende. It exports considerable quantities of corn and other produce.

ALNWICK, a m. town of England, cap. co. Northumberland, on a declivity near the river Ålne, 275 m. N. by W. London. Pop. 6,788. There is a spacious square where a weekly market is held, and a large townhouse, where the co. courts meet, and the members for the co. are elected; the assizes, however, are not held here, but at Newcastle. Alnwick was formerly fortified, and vestiges of its walls and gates still remain. At the N. entrance to the town stands Alnwick Castle, once a principal stronghold of the kingdom on the side of Scotland, and now a magnificent baronial residence of the Dukes of Northumberland. It underwent, not many years ago, a complete repair and renovation, executed in good taste. At the entrance to the town, a column is erected in honour of one of the Dukes of Northumberland. A cross, called Malcolm's Cross, stands on the spot where Malcolm III. king of Scotland, is said to have been killed, in 1093, by a soldier, who came to offer him the keys of the castle on the point of a spear. (See Haile's Annals of Scotland, anno 1093, and Dr. Percy's note on the same subject.)

main ridge of the range, and rises to 5,984 feet above the level of the sea.

Between the plain of the Po and the valley of the Rhone, the mountain mass lies in its greatest extent S. and N., reaching from the shore of the Mediterranean, or from nearly 43°, to the lake cf Geneva, or to nearly 46° 30′ N. lat. Its length is here, consequently, about 230 m., and its The watershed width averages about 100 m. between the rivers falling into the Po, and those emptying themselves into the Rhone, does not traverse the middle of the mountain region, but is found at about 30 miles from its E. border. On it rise some very high summits. The most remarkable are, Mount Viso, 13,853 feet above the sea, and on whose E. declivities the Po takes its origin; Mount Genevre attains 11,784, Mount Cenis 11,795, and Mount Iseran 13,286 ft. above the sea. Farther N. is the immense mass of rocks that constitute Mont Blanc, whose highest point, the Bosse de Dromedaire, in lat. 45° 50′ N., long. 6° 51 E., 15,748 ft. above the sea, is the highest elevation to which the Alps attain. The valleys, both to the E. and W., branch off at right angles from the watershed. Those to the east are short, straight, and deep, and terminate in the plain of the Po; those to the west are of much greater length, and rather winding. On this side, especially in the dep. des Hautes Alpes, between the upper branches of the rivers Isere and Durance, are placed a considerable number of very high summits; Mont Loucyra attains 14,451 ft.,

ALOST (Flem. Aalst), a town of Belgium, prov. East Flanders, on the Dender, about half way between Brussels and Ghent. Pop. 14.807. It is surrounded by walls, and is clean and well built; the parish church, the largest in the country, is not finished; it has a college, and several other educational establishments; a townhouse, remarkable for its antiquity, with manufactures of linen, cotton, lace, hats, &c., print-works and dyeworks, breweries and distilleries, tanneries, soap-works, iron and copper founderies, and potteries. Vessels of small size come up to town by the river; and it has a considerable commerce in the produce of its manufactures, and in hops of an excellent quality, grown in the neighbourhood, rape oil, &c. At Alost is the tomb of the celebrated Thierry Martens, the friend of Erasmus, who introduced the art of printing into Belgium. (Vander Maelen, Dict. Geog. Flandre Orientale, p. 3.) ALPHEN, a town of the Netherlands, prov. S. Hol-Mont Loupilla 14,144 ft., Mont Pelioux de Valland, cap. cant. on the Rhine, 74 m. E. Leyden. Pop. louise 14,119 feet, and at least twelve others rise 2,200. It has manufactures of earthenware and pipes. above 11,000 feet. The peculiar disposition of ALPNACH, a village of Switzerland, cant. Unterwald, the valleys in this portion of the Alps has renon the S. W. arm of the lake of Lucerne. Pop. 1,300.dered the communication between France and A very singular road, called the Slide of Alpnach, is constructed in the immediate vicinity of this town, for conveying trees from Mount Pilatus to the lake, from which they are forwarded to Holland, &c. (See App. to Inglis's Switzerland.)

ALPS (THE), constitute (Caucasus excepted) the most extensive and at the same time the highest mountain system of Europe. They extend from the banks of the Rhone in France on the W., to the rivers Verbas and Narenta on the E.; of which the former falls into the Save, a confluent of the Danube, and the latter into the Adriatic. Hence they occupy the whole space between the 5th and 18th degree E. long., forming a vast semicircular bulwark which encompasses, on the N., Italy and the Adriatic Sea. The extremities of this semicircle approach 43° N. lat., but the great body of the range occupies the space between the 46th and 48th degrees N. lat.

The Alps are closely united to two other mountain ranges; on the W. to the Apennines, which traverse Italy in its whole length; and on the E. to the Balkhan, which covers Turkey and Greece with its numerous ramifications. The boundary line between the Apennines and the Alps is difficult to determine. It seems to be most expedient to suppose that the Alps begin on the W. side of the great road over the Bochetta pass (2,550 ft. above the level of the

Italy comparatively easy. The roads follow the valleys up to the watershed, and have then only to traverse one high ridge. Three great carriage roads lead over it. The farthest to the S. is the road of Mount Genévre, which ascends from the banks of the Rhone along the valley of the Durance to Briançon, and traverses the ridge N. of Mount Genévre, where it attains 6,197 ft. above the sea; whence it descends in the valley of the river Dora to Susa. The second is the road of Mount Cenis, which on the side of France may be said to begin at Grenoble. It ascends first the valley of the Isere, and afterwards of the Arc, a tributary of the former, and traverses the ridge N. of Mount Cenis, where it is 6,784 ft. above the sea. Hence it descends into the valley of the Dora to Susa. The latter is by far the most used of all the roads over the Alps; and it is stated that annually from 16,000 to 17,000 carriages of all kinds, and from 45,000 to 50,000 horses and mules, pass along it. The third carriage road is that of the Little S. Bernhard, which ascends the valley of the Isere, passes the ridge between Mount Iseran and Mont Blanc, and descends in the valley of the Dora Baltea to Aosta. It attains in its highest point to an elevation of 7,200 ft. above the sea; and it is most commonly supposed that it was by it that Hannibal penetrated into Italy. This portion

of the Alps comprehends what commonly are called the Cottian, Graian, and partly the Pennine Alps, together with those of Dauphiné and Savoy.

At Mont Blanc the direction of the range is changed. It runs hence E. N. E., and the N. ridges continue in that direction to their termination in the neighbourhood of Vienna. With the change of direction a change in the disposition of the valleys is observed. The range is divided into two or more ridges, running nearly parallel, and including extensive longitudinal valleys. From the ridges enclosing these longitudinal valleys short transverse valleys descend S. and N. to the plains which bound the mountain range. This disposition of the ranges renders the communication between Italy on one side, and Switzerland and Germany on the other, much more difficult than the communication between Italy and France; for the roads must either traverse two or more ridges, or great deflections must be made to avoid one of them.

pass of the Simplon to Domo d'Ossola and the shores of the Lago Maggiore. The highest point of this road is 6,585 ft., the town of Brigg 2,325, and Domo d'Ossola 1,003 ft. above the sea. This road, made by order of Napoleon, partly at the expense of France, and partly of the then kingdom of Italy, is a noble work. It is about 264 ft. wide, rising 14 inch each yard. In some places it is tunnelled to a considerable distance through the solid rock. It is the only carriage road over this range; but another road, used only by mules, has obtained celebrity by Napoleon having passed it in 1800, previously to his famous Italian campaign. This is the road of the Great S. Bernhard; it begins at Martigny on the Rhone, ascends the vale of the small river Drance to its source, where it passes over the chain near the celebrated Hospice at an elevation of 8,051 ft. above the sea, and descends hence to Aosta on the Dora Baltea.

E. of the sources of the Rhone is the only place in the Alps running W. and E. where the range is not divided by longitudinal valleys, but is intersected by the two transverse valleys of the Reuss and Tessino. Hence there has existed time immemorial a line of communication in this point between Switzerland and Italy. This is the road of the S. Gothard, uniting Zurich and Lucerne with Milan, running first along the shores of the lake of the four cantons (or of Lucerne) to Altorf, and afterwards in the valley of the upper Reuss to Andermatt. passes the ridge at an elevation of 6,850 ft., descends to Aviolo on the Tessino in Val Leventina, and runs in this valley to the Lago Maggiore, and thence to Milan. This much frequented road has only in modern times been rendered practicable for carriages, on account of the poverty of the small cantons which it tra

verses.

It

That portion of the mountain system which lies between Mont Blanc and the road of the S. Gothard is less broad than any other part. It probably does not measure more than 80 m. across in a straight line; but its valleys, both to the S. and the N., but especially the latter, known by the name of Highlands of Bern (Berner Oberland), are considered as exhibiting the richest mountain scenery in the Alps.

E. of Mont Blanc the range is divided into two high ridges, which enclose the valley of Valaise, and unite about 8° 30′ E. long., at the sources of the Rhone. The southernmost of these ranges, which is immediately connected with Mont Blanc, contains nearly in its middle Mount Rosa, the second highest summit of the Alps, being 15,170 ft. above the sea. W. of it stands Mount Cervin, or Matterhorn, the third highest summit, rising to 14,778 ft. Then follow Mount Combin, which has 14,136 ft., and Mount Velan, which attains 11,040 ft. E. of Mount Rosa, and near it, is the Cima de Saci, 13,740 ft. high. This chain comprises the greater part of the Pennine and a portion of the Lepontine Alps, but is commonly called the Alps of Valaise. In the chain which encloses the valley of Valaise on the N. the greatest European glacier is found, not far W. of the source of the Rhone. Here a great part of the chain rises above the line of congelation, and is always covered with ice. It is stated to have an area of 200 sq. m. Many high summits rise out of it in the form of pyramids; and as the snow does not adhere to their steep sides, they form a sublime contrast with the sea of ice that surrounds them. The most famous of E. of the road over the S. Gothard pass, the these summits are the Finsteraarhorn, 14,085 ft.; mountain system widens considerably; so that the Monch (Monk), 13,507 ft.; the Jungfrau between 9° and 13° E. long., its average breadth (Virgin), 13,713 ft.; the Schrekhorn, 13,454 ft.; may be estimated at between 120 and 130 miles. the Vischerhörner in Grindelwald, 13,333 ft.; But at the same time the high summits are less and the Eiger, 13,032 ft. high. The glaciers of numerous, a few only attaining 12,000 ft., though Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, which attract a great number still exceed 10,000 ft., and pass so many travellers, are only small detached the line of congelation. The height of the portions of this immense glacier. W. of the mountain passes shows evidently that the elegreat glacier the chain still contains many sum-vation of the whole mountain mass has rather mits rising to 11,000, and even to 12,000 ft. of increased than decreased, at least W. of the pass elevation; as the Altels, the Blümlisalp, and over the Brenner. others. It may be considered as terminating on the W. with the Diablerets, or Teufels-hörner, which attains about 10,000 ft. of elevation. W. of them the mountains are of moderate height, and towards the lake of Geneva they sink into elevated hills. This chain goes commonly by the name of Alps of Bern (Berner Alpen).

That portion of the range which approaches the pass of the S. Gothard is called the Rhaetian Alps, or the Alps of the Grisons. It is divided into four ridges, which enclose three longitudinal valleys; those of the Upper Rhine, of the Inn and Mera, and of the Adda. The central valley is divided by a high transverse ridge The depression of this chain at its western into two, of which the W. or shorter, called the extremity has afforded an opportunity of esta-Vale of Bregaglia, is drained by the river Mera, blishing a carriage communication between which runs W., and falls into the lake of Como, Geneva and Bern in Switzerland, and Milan in or rather of Mesola; and the E. and much Lombardy. The road runs along the shores of longer by the Inn, which falls into the Danube. the lake of Geneva, and enters at its eastern ex- The valley of the Upper Rhine, extending first tremity the valley of the Rhone or of Valaise. E. N. E., turns afterwards suddenly N., and It then ascends the valley as far as the town of affords two openings towards the low country; Brigg, and passes thence over the S. range by the one to the lake of Constance, and the other to

E.; so that when arrived at 16o they may rather | bridge separating the valleys by the pass of be termed hills than mountains, except the ridge Innich, and descends the Eisach in the wide which divides the valley of the Drave from that valley of Puster to Brixen, where it joins the of the Save, which preserves its mountainous road over the Brenner. The road between Vienna and the towns on aspect beyond 18° E. long. ; where, at the confluence of the Drave with the Danube, it sinks the Adriatic runs in the beginning along the E. into low hills, but rises again into mountains skirts of the Alps to Neustadt on the Leitha, towards the confluence of the Danube and of the whence it ascends the ridge called the SomSave, where it takes the name of Sirmian Moun-mering, on whose summit it is 3,337 ft. above the tains, or Fruzka Gora. This latter group may be considered as the most E. offset of the Alps, but rises hardly to more than 3,000 ft.

The range which divides the valleys of the Muhr and of the Ens turns S., and continues for a distance in that direction, forming the E. boundary of the transverse valley of the Muhr; but on the boundary line between Styria and Hungary, it subsides into low hills, which are followed by flat high ground, connecting the Alps with the forest of Bakony. This name is given to a low mountain range which separates the two plains of Hungary from one another, terminating where the Danube suddenly turns southward, and which may also be considered as one of the E. offsets of the Alps.

sea.

Hence it descends along the small river Along the lastMürz to Bruck on the Muhr. named river it passes through Grätz to Marburg on the Drave. It then traverses the range separating the Drave and Save, passing through Wendish, Teistritz, Cilli, and the Trojana pass to Laybach. Between this place and Triest is the mountainous country called the Adelsberg and Karst. Near Adelsberg the road rises 2,271 ft. above the sea; it thence descends to Senosetsh, and passing over the Karst arrives at Triest. From the pass of Adelsberg a road branches off to Fiume.

Two carriage roads unite this road with that which connects Linz with Italy. The most N. runs in the valley of the Muhr westward, beginning at Bruck, and traversing Leoben, Indenburg, and Muran; at St. Michael it joins the other road. The S. runs in the valley of the Drave, between Marburg and Villach, and traverses Klagenfurt.

The most N. ridge of the Noric Alps, which skirts the valleys of the Salzach and Ens on the N., is broken through by these rivers where they turn N. to run to their recipient, the Danube. The Dinarian Alps, which may be considered This ridge may be considered to terminate with as the link connecting the mountain system the Schnieberg, near Neustadt, rising 6,882 ft. above the sea. This ridge sends numerous with the Balkhan mountains, occupy the country lateral branches to the N., which terminate between the Gulph of Quarnero or Fiume and close to, or at a short distance from, the Danube, the rivers Verbas or Verbriza and Narenta in But they rarely Turkey, and have obtained their name from between Linz and Vienna. Mount Dinara, their highest summit (near 44° attain the height of 4,000 or 5,000 ft. Through this part of the Alps lie the roads by N. lat. ), which rises to 6,046 ft. above the sea. The principal ridge runs nearly parallel to the which the towns of Linz and Vienna communicate with Italy and Triest and Fiume. Adriatic, at a distance of about 30 miles more or There are especially two great roads, with dif-less, and forms at the same time the watershed ferent branches; having, as central points, the towns of Villach on the Drave in Carinthia, and of Laybach on the Save in Carniola. The first, uniting Linz on the Danube with Italy and Triest, runs in the beginning mostly along the banks of the river Traun, in a W. S. W. direction, to the town of Salzburg on the Salzbach: it then follows the valley of the last-mentioned river up to the place where it is divided by a transverse ridge from that of the Ens, and then passes over that ridge to Radstadt. Hence it directly ascends the elevated range which separates the valley of the Ens from that of the Muhr, and is known by the name of the Tanern. The highest point of this road, at Hirschwand, rises to 5,290 ft. above From S. Michael, in the valley of the Muhr, the road ascends again to pass over the third range, which divides the valley of the Muhr from that of the Drave. This chain, however, is much lower. The road leads to Spital on the Drave, and thence follows the banks of the river to Villach. From Villach it ascends the valley of the Gail, a tributary of the Drave, to Tarvis, where the roads leading to Italy and Triest separate. The road to Italy turns W., traverses the most S. ridge by the pass of Ponteba, 2,572 ft. above the sea, and descends through the valley of the Tella to Treviso and Venice. The road to Triest runs from Tarvis S., attains its highest point at the pass of Predil (3,840 feet high), and descends thence in the valley of the Isonzo to Goerz or Goriza, whence it turns S. to Veith and Triest. This road is connected with that over the Brenner by a transverse road, uniting the valley of the Drave with that of the Eisach. It ascends along the Drave from Villach to Spital and Lienz, passes over the transverse

the sea.

between the rivers falling into the Adriatic or
joining the Save. Lower ridges, mostly parallel
to the principal ridge, fill the country between it
and the sea; but those branching off towards the
Opposite the Gulph
Save run nearly S. and N.
of Quarnero, the higher mountains cover only a
space of less than 80 miles from W. to E.; and
as here the fertile plains of Hungary approach
nearest the sea, the Austrian government, desirous
of devising some means by which the abundant
produce of that country could be brought to the
markets of the commercial world, made in the
last century two roads over the numerous ridges
which traverse the country. They are known by
the names of the Caroline and Josephine roads;
the former rising at one point to 4,576 ft. above
But the lines were not judiciously
the sea.
They run over a succession of steep
chosen.
acclivities and declivities; and as they traverse a
country destitute of water, they could only be
used by light carriages and mules. But in the
beginning of this century a company of private
individuals constructed another and very supe-
rior road, on which all steep slopes have been
avoided; so that it is practicable for carriages
conveying the most bulky commodities from the
This road
interior of Hungary to the coast.
begins on the coast at Fiume, ascends directly
the mountains, passes through Kumenjak and
Skerbuteryak, and terminates at Carlstadt on the
Culpa, where this river begins to be navigable.

On three sides the Alps are surrounded by plains. On the S. by that of Lombardy, on the N. by those of Switzerland and Bavaria, and on the E. by the great plain of Hungary. The plain of Lombardy is less elevated than those of Switzerland and Bavaria; for the Lago Mag

F 3