agreeable prospect, the vista being beautified by a diversity of bushes, shrubs, and birch woods, besides many little The sea and the shore are also seen.

verdant spots.

At the summit, the view extends at once across the Island, eastwards towards the German sea, and westward to the Atlantic Ocean. Nature here appears on a majestic scale and the vastness of the prospect engages the whole attention, at the same time the objects in view are of no common dimensions: Just over the opening of the sound, at the south west-corner of Mull, Colonsay rises out of the sea like a shade of mist, at the distance of more than ninety miles. Shuna and Lismore appear like small spots of rich verdure, and, though nearly thirty miles distant, seem quite under the spectator. The low parts of Jura cannot be discerned, nor any part of Isla; far less the coast of Ireland, as has been asserted. Such is, however, the wide extent of view, that it extends 170 miles from the horizon of the sea at the Murray Frith, on the N. E. to the Island of Colonsay, on the S. W.

On the N. E. side of Ben Nevis is an almost perpendieular precipice, certainly not less than 1400 feet in depth: probably more, as it appears to exceed the third part of the entire height of the mountain. A stranger is astonished at the sight of this dreadful rock, which has a quantity of snow lodged in its bosom throughout the whole year. The sound of a stone thrown over the cliff to the bottom, cannot be heard when it falls, so that it is impossible to ascertain in that way the height of the precipice.

SNOWDON.

[See Plate, No. 20.]

THIS is the loftiest of the Welch mountains, its elevation above the level of the sea being 3720 feet, nearly three quarters of a mile. It is accessible on one side only, its flanks being in every other quarter precipitous. Its aspect soon convinces the spectator he is not to look to the Alps alone, or to the rocky regions of Altai, bordering on Siberia, for romantic scenes of wilderness, confusion, and disorder. Snowdon presents them in all their rude and native majesty.

In the ascent, a narrow path not more than nine feet in width, leads along the margin of a frightfal precipice of

nearly 1500 feet in extent, so perpendicular that it cannot be approached without terror; while to the north of the summit nearest to the one the most elevated, a semi-amphitheatre of precipitous rocks, also of a great height, is seen; and, behind this summit, another semicircle of equal depth and extent. The loftiest summit here appears to descend in the form of a sharp ridge, and beneath it another appears, which, on account of its colour, is called the BLACK ROCK. From the upper part of the valley one of these summits presents a grand, vertical, and very elevated point.

The bottom of each of the amphitheatres of rocks, thirteen in number, is occupied by a small lake of a circular form, and very deep. The one known by the name of Llyn Glass is remarkable for its green hue, derived from its being impregnated with copper, several mines of which line its borders. Than this mountain nothing in the Alps can be more arid and desert, those regions alone excepted which are too lofty to admit of vegetation. Here there is not a tree; not even a shrub: small patches of verdure, which sheep can scarcely reach, are alone to be seen. Its summit, or highest peak, is a flat of about eighteen feet only in circumference. Thence may be seen a part of Ireland, a part of Scotland, Cumberland, Lancashire, Cheshire, all North Wales, the Isle of Man, and the Irish and British seas, with innumerable lakes; while the whole Island of Anglesea is displayed so distinctly, that its flat uncultivated plains, bounded by the rich Parys mountain in the vicinity of Holyhead, may be descried as on a map.

CADER IDRIS.

To the south of Dolgellau, Cader Idris towers above the subject mountains, which seem to retire, to allow its base more room to stand, and to afford to their sovereign a better display. It stands on a broad rocky base, with a gradual ascent to its brow, when the peaks elevate themselves in a manner at once abrupt, picturesque, and distinct. The point emphatically named CADER, appears to the eye below to be little superior in height to the saddle; but the third point, or apex, which has a name expressive of its sterility, is neither equal in height, nor in beauty, to the

other two. On its loftiest peak a stone pillar has lately been erected, for the purpose of a trigonometrical survey.

CADER IDRIS is the commencement of a chain of primitive mountains, and is computed to be 2850 feet above the green of Dolgelly, and 3550 feet, nearly three-fourths of a mile above the level of the sea. A recent traveller has attempted to demonstrate that at some remote period it was a volcano of immense magnitude.

The tract to the south of CADER IDRIS, as far as Talylyn and Malwydd, is peculiarly grand. High and rugged mountains of every possible form close in on all sides, while huge masses of rock hang over, or lie scattered in mishapen fragments by the side of the road. To add to the effect of this scene, the river Difi forms one continued cataract for five or six miles, overflowing with the innumerable tributary torrents which precipitate themselves from the highest summits of the surrounding rocks; while, to crown the whole, the shady head of CADER IDRIS towers, the majestic centinel of the group.

PENMAN MAWR.

THE Country of Caernarvon, in which this mountain is situated, claims precedency over every other in Wales, for the loftiness of its mountains, and the multitude of the eminences which in a curved and indented chain, occupy nearly the whole of its extent.

In proceeding from Conway to Bangor, by a route at once picturesque and romantic, and amid a scenery which varies at every step, Penman-mawr discloses to the traveller its bulky head. It protrudes itself into the sea, and exhibits a fine contrast to the fertility which it interrupts, by a rude view of grey weather-beaten stones and precipices. The passage over the mountain was formerly terrific; but the road has been latterly widened, and secured, near the verge of the precipice, by a small wall about five feet in height. It forms the most sublime terrace in the British Isles, winding round the mountain on the edge of the abrupt cliff; while the vast impending rocks above, the roaring of the waves at a great distance below, and the frequent howling of the wind, all unite to fill the mind with solemnity and awe.

SKIDDAW.

THIS English mountain, which has an elevation of 3530 feet, nearly three fourths of a mile, above the level of the sea, is situated in Cumberland. It is more remarkable on account of the scenery over which it presides, and which exceeds in beauty whatever the imagination can paint, than for those bold projections and that rugged majesty which might be expected, but which will be here sought in vain. Except at such a distance as smooths the embossed work of all these rich fabrics, and where its double summit makes it a distinguished object to mark and characterize a scene, it may be considered as a tame and inanimate object.

WHARNSIDE.

In the map of Yorkshire, by Jeffries, the height of this mountain is greatly exaggerated, its elevation above the sea not being more than 2500 feet, nearly half a mile. As it is situated in the midst of a vast amphitheatre of hills, the prospect it affords is diversified with pleasing objects. On its summit are four or five small lakes, two of which are about nine hundred feet in length, and nearly the same in breadth. A thin seam of coal also occurs near the top, and another is said to correspond with it on the summit of the lofty Colm-hill, on the opposite side of Dent-dale. Numerous caves and other natural curiosities abound here, as well as on Pennigent, about six miles to the eastward of Ingleborough. These latter mountains do not possess any particular interest.

STROMBOLI.

[See Plate, No. 19.]

THIS is the principal of the cluster of small Islands, lying to the north of Sicily, named the Lipari Isles, the whole of which contain volcanoes. At a distance its form appears to be that of an exact cone, but on a closer examination it is found to be a mountain having two summits of different heights, the sides of which have been torn and

shattered by craters. The most elevated summit, inclining to the S. W. is agreeably to Spallanzani, about a mile in height.

In this volcanic mountain the effects of a constantly active fire are every where visible, heaping up, destroying, changing, and overturning every instant what itself has produced, and incessantly varying in its operations. At the distance of one hundred miles the flames it emits are visible, whence it has been aptly denominated the lighthouse of that part of the Mediterranean Sea.

seen.

From the more elevated summit, all the inner part of the burning crater, and the mode of its eruption, may be It is placed about half way up, on the N. W. side of the mountain, and has a diameter not exceeding 250 feet. Burning stones are thrown up at regular intervals of seven or eight minutes, ascending in somewhat diverging rays. While a portion of them roll down towards the sea, the greater part fall back into the crater; and these being again cast out by a subsequent eruption, are thus tossed about until they are broken and reduced to ashes. The volcano, however, constantly supplies others, and seems inexhaustible in this species of productions. Spallanzani affirms that, in the more violent eruptions, the ejected matter rises to the height of half a mile, or even higher, many of the ignited stones being thrown above the highest summit of the mountain.

The erupted stones, which appear black in the day-time, have at night a deep red colour, and sparkle like fire-works. Each explosion is accompanied by flames or smoke, the latter resembling clouds, in the lower part black, in the upper white and shining, and separating into globular and irregular forms. In particularly high winds from the S. or S. E. the smoke spreads over every part of the island. Spallanzani observed this volcano on a particular night, when the latter of these winds blew with great violence. The clear sky exhibited the appearance of a beautiful aurora borealis over that part of the mountain on which the volcano is situated, and which from time to time became more red and brilliant, in proportion as the ignited stones were thrown to a greater height. The violence of the convulsions depends on that of the wind.

The present crater has burned for more than a century,