The surrounding country is remarkably bleak and naked. | sea), which leads from Genoa to Novi in Pied(Hamilton's E. 1. Gazetteer.)

ALMUNECAR, a sea-port town of Spain, Granada, lat.36° 7' 50'' N., long. 36 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.

ALMURRADIEL, a town of Spain, in La Mancha, 8 leagues from Manzanarez.

ALNMOUTH, a village of England, in Northumberland, at the mouth of the Alne, 54 m. E. S. E. Alnwick. It exports considerable quantities of corn and other produce.

mont. 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 ridges by the cols or mountain passes of Brous, Brovis, and de Tende. The last col is in the main ridge of the range, and rises to 5,984 feet above the level of the sea.

ALNWICK, a m. town of England, cap. co. NorBetween the plain of the Po and the valley of thumberland, on a declivity near the river Ålne, 275 m. N. by W. London. Pop. 6,788. There is a spacious the Rhone, the mountain mass lies in its greatest square where a weekly market is held, and a large town-extent S. and N., reaching from the shore of the house, where the co. courts meet, and the members for Mediterranean, or from nearly 43°, to the lake of the co. are elected; the assizes, however, are not held here, Geneva, or to nearly 46° 30 N. lat. Its length but at Newcastle. Alnwick was formerly fortified, and is here, consequently, about 230 m., and its vestiges of its walls and gates still remain. At the N. The watershed entrance to the town stands Alnwick Castle, once a prin- width averages about 100 m. cipal stronghold of the kingdom on the side of Scotland, between the rivers falling into the Po, and those and now a magnificent baronial residence of the Dukes emptying themselves into the Rhone, does not of Northumberland. It underwent, not many years ago, a complete repair and renovation, executed in good traverse the middle of the mountain region, but taste. At the entrance to the town, a column is erected is found at about 30 miles from its E. border. in honour of one of the Dukes of Northumberland. A On it rise some very high summits. The most cross, called Malcolm's Cross, stands on the spot where remarkable are, Mount Viso, 13,853 feet above Malcolm III. king of Scotland, is said to have been killed, the sea, and on whose E. declivities the Po takes 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 its origin; Mount Genevre attains 11,784, Mount of Scotland, anno 1093, and Dr. Percy's note on the same Cenis 11,795, and Mount Iseran 13,286 ft. above subject.) 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. (Fander Maelen, Dict. Geog. Fiandre 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, 7 m. E. Leyden. Pop. 2,200. It has manufactures of earthenware and pipes. ALPNACH, a village of Switzerland, cant. Unterwald, on the S. W. arm of the lake of Lucerne. Pop. 1,300. 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.)

louise 14,119 feet, and at least twelve others rise above 11,000 feet. The peculiar disposition of the valleys in this portion of the Alps has rendered the communication between France and 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

ALPS (THE), constitute (Caucasus ex-road of Mount Genévre, which ascends from the cepted) 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

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 clevation 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

ALPS.

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. With ridges continue in that direction to their termination in the neighbourhood of Vienna. the change of direction a change in the disposi The range is tion of the valleys is observed. 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 mounThis disposition of the ranges tain range. 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.

The highest
pass of the Simplon to Domo d'Ossola and the
shores of the Lago Maggiore.
2,325, and Domo d'Ossola 1,003 ft. above the
This road, made by order of Napoleon,
point of this road is 6,585 ft., the town of Brigg
sea.
partly at the expense of France, and partly of
is about 26 ft. wide, rising 14 inch each yard.
the then kingdom of Italy, is a noble work. It
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
Drance to its source, where it passes over the
on the Rhone, ascends the vale of the small river
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
the range is not divided by longitudinal valleys,
place in the Alps running W. and E. where
but is intersected by the two transverse valleys
of the Reuss and Tessino. Hence there has
existed time immemorial a line of communi-
cation in this point between Switzerland and
Italy. This is the road of the S. Gothard, uniting
It
Zurich and Lucerne with Milan, running first
(or of Lucerne) to Altorf, and afterwards in the
along the shores of the lake of the four cantons
valley of the upper Reuss to Andermatt.
passes the ridge at an elevation of 6,850 ft.,
Leventina, and runs in this valley to the Lago
descends to Aviolo on the Tessino in Val
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.

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 W. of it Mount Rosa, the second highest summit of the Alps, being 15,170 ft. above the sea. stands Mount Cervin, or Matterhorn, the third highest summit, rising to 14,778 ft. Then folE. of low Mount Combin, which has 14,136 ft., and Mount Velan, which attains 11,040 ft. Mount Rosa, and near it, is the Cima de Saci, This chain comprises the 13,740 ft. high. 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 found, not far W. greatest European glacier 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, E. of the road over the S. Gothard pass, the they form a sublime contrast with the sea of ice that surrounds them. The most famous of these summits are the Finsteraarhorn, 14,085 ft.; mountain system widens considerably; so that the Monch (Monk), 13,507 ft.; the Jungfrau between 90 and 13° E. long., its average breadth But at the same time the high summits are less (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.; and the Eiger, 15,032 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 It is the pass of the S. Gothard is called the Rhaetian Alps, or the Alps of the Grisons. divided into four ridges, which enclose three longitudinal valleys; those of the Upper Rhine, of central valley is divided by a high transverse ridge the Inn and Mera, and of the Adda. The 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 Geneva and Bern in Switzerland, and Milan in Lombardy. The road runs along the shores of the lake of Geneva, and enters at its eastern extremity the valley of the Rhone or of Valaise. It then ascends the valley as far as the town of Brigg, and passes thence over the S. range by the

which runs W., and falls into the lake of Como,
or rather of Mesola; and the E. and much
longer by the Inn, which falls into the Danube.
The valley of the Upper Rhine, extending first
F 2
E. N. E., turns afterwards suddenly N., and
affords two openings towards the low country;
one to the lake of Constance, and the other to

the lake of Wallstadt. Thus the town of Chur or Coire, situated where the Rhine turns N., has an easy communication both with Germany and Switzerland. Though a small place, by far the greater part of the commercial inter- | course between Bavaria, Wirtemberg, Baden, and Switzerland on one side, and Italy on the other, is carried on by the road passing through it. The canton of the Grisons, sensible of the advantage accruing from this commercial intercourse, has constructed three excellent roads over the range, which divides the affluents of the Rhine from those descending into the plain of the Po. A road runs from Coire along the Rhine to the place where the Vorder Rhein and Hinter Rhein join, and thence ascends in the valley of the latter to the village of Splüghen in the Rheinwald. At this place the road divides in two. One continues to ascend the valley of the Hinter Rhein to a village called also Hinterrhein, and passes thence over the high mountain ridge to S. Bernardino; it is called the road of S. Bernardino. From this village it descends in the Val Misocco or Miso along the river Moosa, which opens near Bellinzona into the small plain surrounding the N. extremity of the Lago Maggiore. This road, which rises to 6,390 ft. above the sea, has been made in modern times to avoid the heavy duties which the Austrian government laid on the foreign commodities passing through its territories; for from Bellinzona they now can pass to Turin and Genoa without traversing any portion of the Austrian dominions. The other road leaves the Rhinwald at the village of Splüghen, and directly passes over the mountain ridge to Val Giacomo, which opens into Val Bregaglia near Chiavenna. The highest part of this road between Splüghen and Isola is 6,580 ft. above the sea. Another road runs from Coire nearly directly S. over some mountains of moderate height, till it enters the valley of Oberhalbstein, which it ascends nearly to its upper extremity, where it divides into two branches, of which the E. passes Mount Julier at an elevation of 7,285 ft.; it leads to the valley of Engadien, and is not a commercial line of communication. The W. road passes over the Maloga and descends into Val Bregaglia, where it continues to the town of Chiavenna. It rises to 8,250 ft. above the sea, and though practicable only for small carts, is much

used.

The next road farther E. is rather a military than a commercial line, and was recently made by the Austrian government to open a carriage communication between the newly acquired Valteline and Tyrol. It begins at Innsbruck, ascends along the Inn as far as Finstermünz, near the boundary line between Tyrol and Switzerland; turns then southward, and passes the watershed of the Alps between Nanders and Reshen, where its highest point is about 4,500 ft. above the sea. Then it descends along the valley of the Adige to Glurns; but a few miles S. of this it leaves the valley, and turning S. W. traverses a very lofty lateral chain of the Alps, which at the place where it is crossed by the road is called Monte Stelvio. It then rises to the height of 8,960 ft., being the highest elevation of any carriage road in Europe. From this point it descends rapidly into the valley of the Adda to Bormio and Sondrio, and thence to Milan. It is commonly 16 ft. wide, and has been made at a vast expense, and with great skill.

This road encircles on three sides an extensive mountain region, filled up by snow mountains and glaciers, occupying the greater part of the

country between Innsbruck and Glurns, and displaying the wildest scenery of the Alps. Eternal snow covers here a space not much less in extent than that which surrounds the Finsteraarhorn and Virgin, and it is likewise overtopped by numerous steep summits of a pyramidical form, many of them rising to more than 10,000 ft. above the sea; as the Gebatch Ferner 12,288 ft., the Wildspitz Ferner 12,364 ft., the Glockthurm 11,284 ft., and others. Where the road traverses Monte Stelvio it passes near another mountain group, less in extent, but rising to a greater elevation. In it is Mount Ortelor or Orteler, the highest summit in Tyrol, 12,823 ft. above the sea; and near the latter Mount Hoch Ishernowald 12,422 ft., and Mount Zebru 12,281 ft. high.

To the E., but at some distance from these mountain masses, is the road over the Brenner, which may be considered as the E. boundary line of the Rhaetian Alps. This road begins at Innsbruck, ascends the valley of the small river Sill, and passes thence over the watershed between the Inn and the Adige, where, N. of Storzing, it attains the elevation of 4,643 ft. It then descends in the valley of the Eisack from Brixen to Bolzano or Botzen, and thence to Roveredo and Verona. It is one of the most frequented commercial roads over the Alps.

This road may be considered as separating the W. from the E. Alps. The latter are distinguished from the former by being more distinctly divided by longitudinal valleys running W. and E.; by the greater number of separate ridges; their greater width and lesser elevation; the number of snow-topped mountains being comparatively few, and none of them occurring E. of 14°E. long. The northern half of this mountain region is known by the name of the Noric Alps; and the southern by those of Carinthian, Crainian or Julian, and Dinarian Alps.

Not far distant from, and nearly parallel with, the N. border of this mountain region, extends a very long longitudinal valley from 11° to 15° E. long.; but it is divided by two transverse ridges into three valleys, in which flow the rivers Inn, the Upper Salzach and the Upper Ens, all of them running E. To the S. of the valley of the Salzach is placed the highest part of the Noric Alps. Many summits rise above the snow line, and between them are many extensive glaciers. The highest summits are the Gross Glockner, 12,567 ft.; the Gross Wiesbach or Krummhorn, 11,844; and the Ankogel, 11,873 ft. above the sea. The longitudinal valley south of this range is divided by a transverse ridge into two valleys, of which the W. is drained by the Eisach, which runs W. and falls into the Adige. The E. valley is drained by the Drave, running E., and one of the largest tributaries of the Danube. The mountain chain dividing these from the plain of Lombardy is much less elevated, rising only in a few summits to above 8,000 ft., and none of them exceeding 9,000 ft. above the sea. Only the Terglou, which rises near 14° E. long., at the sources of the Save, attains a height of 9,884 ft., and is by many considered as the most E. snow mountain of the S. range of the Alps.

E. of 14° E. long. the Alps are divided into 5 ridges by 4 longitudinal valleys, all of them opening to the E. These valleys are traversed by the rivers Fns, Muhr, Drave, and Save. The Muhr suddenly turns S., and running through a wide and open transverse valley empties itself into the Drave. The ranges enclosing these valleys on their N. and S. sides gradually decrease in height as they advance towards the

ALPS.

E.; so that when arrived at 16° they may rather be termed hills than mountains, except the ridge which divides the valley of the Drave from that of the Save, which preserves its mountainous aspect beyond 18° E. long.; where, at the confluence of the Drave with the Danube, it sinks into low hills, but rises again into mountains towards the confluence of the Danube and of the Save, where it takes the name of Sirmian Mountains, 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.

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. This ridge may be considered to terminate with the Schnieberg, near Neustadt, rising 6,882 ft. This ridge sends numerous lateral branches to the N., which terminate close to, or at a short distance from, the Danube, between Linz and Vienna. But they rarely attain the height of 4,000 or 5,000 ft.

bridge separating the valleys by the pass of
Innich, and descends the Eisach in the wide
valley of Puster to Brixen, where it joins the
road over the Brenner.

The road between Vienna and the towns on
the Adriatic runs in the beginning along the E.
skirts of the Alps to Neustadt on the Leitha,
whence it ascends the ridge called the Som-
mering, on whose summit it is 3,337 ft. above the
sea. Hence it descends along the small river
named river it passes through Grätz to Marburg
Mürz to Bruck on the Muhr. Along the last-
on the Drave. It then traverses the range sepa-
rating 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
runs in the valley of the Muhr westward, begin-
which connects Linz with Italy. The most N.
ning at Bruck, and traversing Leoben, Indenburg,
and Muran; at St. Michael it joins the other road.
The Dinarian Alps, which may be considered
The S. runs in the valley of the Drave, between
Marburg and Villach, and traverses Klagenfurt.
as the link connecting the mountain system
with the Balkhan mountains, occupy the country
between the Gulph of Quarnero or Fiume and
Mount Dinara, their highest summit (near 44°
the rivers Verbas or Verbriza and Narenta in
Turkey, and have obtained their name from
The principal ridge runs nearly parallel to the
N. lat. ), which rises to 6,046 ft. above the sea.
Adriatic, at a distance of about 30 miles more or
less, and forms at the same time the watershed
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
Save run nearly S. and N. Opposite the Gulph
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
But the lines were not judiciously
the names of the Caroline and Josephine roads;
They run over a succession of steep
the former rising at one point to 4,576 ft. above
the sea.
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
This road
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
begins on the coast at Fiume, ascends directly
interior of Hungary to the coast.
the mountains, passes through Kumenjak and
On three sides the Alps are surrounded by
Skerbuteryak, and terminates at Carlstadt on the
Culpa, where this river begins to be navigable.
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-