The geography of nature : or, The world as it is

Preface

In presenting to the American public a translation of the recent and very valuable work of M. Yulliet, entitled Esquisse (Tune nouvelle Geographie Physique,, we have assumed to call it " The Geography of Nature, or the World as it is." Its novelty, interest, and value consist in associating with each locaUty and region named a vivid description of its prominent natural productions and phenomena, aided by pictorial illustrations, and interesting facts drawn from natural history, and always aiming to promote both the intellectual and moral culture of the reader. Each ocean is characterized by its winds and currents, its curious and useful vegetables and animals ; each continent^ in its components of mountain, plateau, and plain, its rivers, lakes, and adjacent islands, is presented as a whole and in parts, indicating its aspect, climate, minerals, vegetables, animals, and population.

At a time when so much is being done in our country to awaken an interest in the study of physical geography, a work of this character comes in very opportunely as a collateral aid, supplying materials for elucidation and reflection. The general reader, no less than the youth-

4 PREFACE,

fill learner, cannot fail to reap a rich reward from its perusal.

The accomplished lady, by whom the labor of translation was performed, merits liigh commendation for the fidelity and accuracy with which she has rendered the original into English. The whole has been carefully revised, and many important additions have been made in various parts of tlie work, especially in that pertaining to North America. A large number of the pictorial illustrations have been redrawn, and greatly improved. We bespeak for the volume a place in private and public libraries in the school room and in the drawing room.

The Publishers.

CONTINENTS, 19

Chapter IV. — General Observations On The Oceans, 28

Tides, 28. — Waves — Depth of the Sea, 29. — Saltness of the

Sea, 30. — Evaporation, 31. — Currents of the Sea, 32. — Wa-

. terspouts, 33. — Animated Nature at the Bottom of the Sea, 34.

Section 3. Mountains of Asia

Himalaya, 85, — Sinechan, 88. — Yunling — Khin-gan Moun- 1 * (5)

b CONTENTS.

tains, 89. — Yablonnio ■— Altai, 90. — Thlan-Shan, 91. — Mong- Tagh — Bolor-Tagh, 92. — Ural — Caucasus, 93. — Taurus — Lebanon, 95.

Section 3. Plateaus op Africa

Plateau of Southern Upper Africa, 171. — Southern Terrace, 180.

— Terraces of the Eastern Coast, 186. — Northern Terrace, or Terrace of Lower Soudan, 188. — Western Terraces, or Congo, 192, — Plateau of Abyssinia, 194. — Plateau of Upper Soudan, 200.

Section 1. Boundaries, 249

North Sea, 250. — Baltic Sea, 252. — English Channel, 253. — Irish Sea, 255. — Bay of Biscay — Mediterranean, 256. — Adriatic Sea — Ionian Sea, 259. — The Archipelago — Sea of Marmora, 260. — Black Sea — Sea of Azof, 261.

Section 2. Peninsulas of Europe

Scandinavia, 262. — Jutland, 272. — Bretagne, 274. — Spanish Peninsula, 276. — Italy, 283. — The Turco-Grecian Peninsula, 290. — The Crimea, 296.

Section 3. Mountains of Europe

The Alps, 298. — The Jura, 306. — The Vosges — Cote d'Or, 307. — Cevemies — Auvergne — Limousin, 308. — Black Eorest

— Rauke Alp, 309. — Erz-Gebirge — Sudetic Mountains, 310.

— Moravian Mountains, Bohemian Forest, 311. — The Harz — Carpathian Motmtains, 312. — Scandinavian Mountains, 313.

— Pyrenees — Cantabrian — Iberian Mountains, 314. — Sierra Guadarama — Morena, 315. — Nevada — The Apemiines, 316.

— Dinaric Alps, 317. — Balkan Mountains — Pindus, 318. Section 4. Plateaus of Europe.

Swiss Plateau, 319. — Plateau of Bavaria, 320. — Bohemia, 321.

— Plateau of Transylvania — Old Castile, 324. — New Castile, 325.

Section 5. Plains op Europe

Plain of Russia, 326. — Germanic Plain, 334. — Holland and Belgium, 336. — Plains of France, 339. — Rhine — Hungary, 342.

— Plain of Wallachia, 345. — Arragon, 346. — Andalusia — Plain of the Po, 347.

Section 6. Lakes op Europe

Lalces of the Swiss Plateau, 348. — Lakes of Italy, 350. — Lakes of Hungary — Russia, 351. — Lakes of Sweden, 352.

Section 7. Rivers of Europe

Rivers which flow into the Arctic Ocean — the Baltic Sea, 353.

— Rivers of the North Sea, 354. — Rivers of the English Channel— of the Atlantic Ocean, 356. — Rivers of the Mediterranean, 358. — River of the Caspian, 362.

Section 8. Islands of Europe

Islands of the Arctic Ocean, 362. — Islands of the Atlantic Ocean, 364. — Anglo-Norman Islands — Islands of the Baltic, 373. — Islands of the Mediterranean, 374.

O CONTENTS.

Section 1. Extent and General Features, 380. Section 2. Bays and Gulps op America

Hudson's Bay — Gulf of St. Lawrence, 381. — Gulf of Mexico

— Caribbean Sea, 383. — Gulf of California, 385. Section 3. Peninsulas op America.

Labrador, 386. — • Nova Scotia, 390. — Florida, 392. — Yucatan, 397. — California, 399. — Russian America, 400.

Section 4. — Mountains op America.

The Andes, 401. — Rocky Mountains, 410. — Appalachian Mountains, 411. — Cordillera of Venezuela, 412. — Parima Mountains, 413, — Mountains of Brazil, 414.

Section 5. Plateaus and Declivities op America.

Terraces of Chili, 415. — Plateaus of Bolivia, 419. — Peruvian Plateau, 423. — Plateau of Quito, 426. — New Granada, 428.

— Plateau of Central America, 430. — Plateau of Anahuac or Mexico, 433. — New Mexico, 439. ~ New California, 440. — Oregon, 443. — Plateau of Brazil, 445.

Section 6. Plains op America.

Patagonia, 450. — Pampas of La Plata, 452. — Maritime Plain of Brazil, 460. — Plains of Guiana, 469. — Llanos of Orinoco, 474. — Plain of Magdalena, 476. — Valley of the Mississippi, 477. — Atlantic Plain, 484. — Basin of the St. Lawrence, 49 K

— Northern Plains, 495.

Section 7. Lakes op America, 503.

Lakes of the Northern Plain of North America — The Great Lakes, 504. — Lakes of Mexico, 507. — Lake Nicaragua — Maracaybo, 508. — Titicaca, 509.

Section 8. Rivers op America.

Rivers which flow into the Arctic Ocean, 509. — Rivers of the Atlantic Ocean, 510. — Rivers which flow into the Pacific Ocean, 516.

Section 9. Islands op America.

Arctic Lands, 516. — Greenland, 518. — Newfotmdland, 521. — Bermudas — Bahamas — Greater Antilles, 523. — Lesser Antilles, 527. — Falkland Islands — Terra del Fuego, 529. — Chiloe, 530. — 'Juan Fernandez — Gallapagos — Aleutian Islands, 531.

Section 4. Polynesia

Sandwich Islands, 596. — Marquesas, 598. — Low Islands, 599. — Society Islands, 600. — Austral Islands — Cook Islands, 602. — Navigator's — Friendly — New Zealand, 603. — Archipelago of Magellan — Marianne — Carolines, 609. — Pelew Islands— Mulgraves, 610.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF NATURE.