PYRE

narrow defiles there is a perfect correspondencebetween the substances which form the two banksthe same strata, the same symmetry, and the sameinclination being everywhere perceivable.

Where the defile widens by the separation of twogreat mountains, others appear placed upon theirHanks ; and these are of one form and of the smooth-est surface, but on penetrating to a certain depth, thesolid rock is again seen, passing under the torrent,traversing the valley, and uniting itself to the oppo-site mountain. These secondary hills seem of poste-rior formation to the others, and are evidently composedof the wrecks of the primary.

The snow, which covers the most elevated part ofthe Pyrenees all the year, and the lower elevationsfor a great portion of it, never melts in such abun-dance as during the rains of spring and summer, whensouth and south-west winds prevail, and a storm drivesthem towards the mountains, for the sun has compa-ratively but a trifling influence. At this period dis-order and confusion everywhere prevail, and it is dif-ficult to picture the gloomy and terrible silence whichprecedes this scene of horror, or the universal noisewhich follows. The shock of thick conflicting clouds,the roaring of the winds, which are precipitated infurious blasts from the upper regions, or which sweepalong the deep valleys ; the long continued noise ofthe groaning thunder, and the flashes of lightningwhich dart through the air ; the impetuous descent ofvast masses of snow, called Lavanges, and thosegreat bodies of water which increase like a torrentand rush down on all sides, accompanied with thestunning noise and cracking of the rocks, display thestupendous operations of nature in all their terrors ;and hence these mountains present appearances ofdecrepitude and decay not to be equalled in any otherchain. It cannot, indeed, be difficult to conceive theravages these frequent and sudden deluges must pro-duce, which, taking their course from an elevation ofbetween 9000 and 10,000 feet above the 6ea, falloften over an almost perpendicular declivity, sweepaway every loose substance they meet with, and insi-nuate between the crevices of the rocks themselves,which afford a passage as the strata are more orless vertical. As they are frequently of differentnatures, some of them, like the schists and coarsegranites, permit an easy penetration, and quicklydivide. Sometimes, also, an inferior stratum, beingof a softer substance than the upper, is by degreeswashed away, and the whole mass being undermined,falls in with a tremendous crash ; while at others, inthese sudden deluges, the water forcing itself intocaverns, fills them all at once ; and as there frequentlyis no outlet, or if there be, one perhaps too small forthe discharge of such a body, the compression is sogreat that the sides break open and burst, and hencefollows all the disorder consequent upon such anexplosion.

Nor are the inferior mountains of secondary forma-tion exempted from the effects produced by the sud-den melting of the snow, for the water filtratingthrough the loose soil, introduces itself into the sand,loosens, and raises it up. It then forces a passage loritself with considerable noise, and soon issues as atorrent of liquid mud, which rolls gently along, sweep-■ng with it detached rocks, and all the other sub-stances that it meets in its way. Hence, when weconsider the rapid course of the Pyrenean torrents,which often gain upon three feet of descent a foot of

N E E S. 373

perpendicular fall, and sometimes much more, thequantity of earth and stones of every kind carriedaway by them, a part of which is deposited in theplains, while the lighter matters are transported to thesea, must be enormous.

To the causes which have been enumerated asmaterially contributing to the degradation and decayof the Pyrenean mountains, may be added anothernot less frequent or effective in its operations. It isthe Lavange, or impetuous descent of vast masses ofsnow, the avalanche of Switzerland. When the snowhas fallen in abundance, and before it has had time tofreeze, a blast of wind detaching it from the summits,precipitates it into the ravine below, and increasingin its course from that which it passes over, it sweepsalong immense masses of earth and rock, makingsometimes bridges over the torrents, and filling upthe valleys. This avalanche has the extraordinaryquality of being attended with a loud hissing noise,which commences with a strong wind. Nothing canthen resist the impetuosity of its course, and theexplosion is such that every obstacle is instantlyoverturned ; sometimes even whole villages.

As few ranges are so subject, as well from com-position as situation, to the action of those causeswhich contribute to the progressive lowering ofmountains, it would be important to ascertain theconsequent diminution of height in the Pyrenees.M. Gensonne, from observations which he thoughtsufficient to ground an opinion, concludes that theyare reduced about ten inches in height every century ;but vague as such an estimate must necessarily be, itis impossible not to admit that a considerable dimi-nution must have taken place, for not only the vastplain of Landes, extending from Armagnac betweenthe rivers Adour and Garonne to the sea, but Highand Low Chalosse, Bearn, and Navarre, are coveredwith immense quantities of rolled stones, all bearingunequivocal characters of the wrecks of mountains ;and the lofty elevation upon which the town ofSt. Sever is built, is also formed, from its summit to agreat depth, of these transported fragments. Thusthe ruins of the Pyrenees are carried a very consi-derable distance to the north and west in France,while on the south they are scattered as far as Spain ;and hence, however remote the period, time aloneis wanting to verify the memorable expression ofLouis XIV. to his grandson,—“ Posterity will oneday be able to say, ‘ The Pyrenees are no more.’ ”

In the revolutionary division of France, thoseparts of the Pyrenean chain which extended into theancient provinces of Gascony, Bearn, and Roussillon,have been divided into three departments :—1, thatof the Eastern Pyrenees, extending from the coast ofthe Mediterranean to the lofty summit of Canigouand the banks of the Garonne ; 2, that of the HighPyrenees, forming the centre j and 3, that of theLow or Western Pyrenees, stretching from the Gaved’Oleron to the coast of the Atlantic.

The Eastern Pyrenees are of no very importantelevation w here the road passes over them from Per-pignan to Gerona, but the views in every part of theascent are extremely beautiful, vines and olives flou-rishing to a considerable height, and, where no longeraccessible to the efforts of industry, the mountainsare covered with groves of oak and cork trees, mostof them of great size and age. The trunks of thelatter, when recently stripped of their bark, are of adusky red colour, but the operation of peeling cannot