Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/90

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almoft infinite number of others, every one of which, after it has fupplied the inhabitants of a whole tract of vaft extent, difcharges fo much water hourly into the fea,, that the mind is aftonifhed at the account, and would wonder whence only one of them could be fupplied. Thefe rivers, and a multitude of other fmaller ones, and befide thefe a great number of lakes of vaft extent are all fupplied by the hydrophylacia or refer- voirs of water treafured up in the bofoms of thefe hills, and could not have performed their office of watering thefe exten- five countries, had thofe refervoirs been placed any where ex- cept in fuch a lofty fituation in thefe Mountains. Kircher's Muhd. Subter.

The Alps, though they all fupply more or lefs of this profu- fion of water, yet they are not all equally hollowed for the re- ception of it, and consequently do not all contain fupphes for an equal trail: of land ; this is provided for by nature by a vaft number of other (mailer Mountains, which in feveral parts of the countries through which this chain panes, run from its fides like letter knots, and extend over fome fmaller or greater part of the country.

Thefe are a fort of auxiliary fupplies, and ferve for many countries in the place of the original heads ; but the rivers propagated from thefe, though fufficient for the occafions of the inhabitants of the lower country, yet do not difcharge thofe vaft quantities of wafte water into the feathat thofe which derive their origin from the greater Mountains do. The No- ne Mountains in Germany, the Vogefus, many mountains in Dauphiny, and thofe in Italy, which run from the fides of that long chain, which reaches like a fpme all along that country, are all of this kind, and all leave this benefit to the lower countries. The Pyrenean and Carpathian Mountains alfo yield a vaft number of rivers from their lides j and the rivers of Spain, of Poland, and of Hungary, all have evidently the fame origin from thefe high-feated refervoirs, in the chains of Mountains which pafs through them. The countries where extended plains are found for vaft traces uninterrupted by any of the links or knots of thefe vaft chains of Mountains, are the only places where thirft and drought are the definition both of animals and plants; and, in general, that country which has moft and higheft Mountains, is the moil: plentifully,- moft regularly, and moft conftantly watered by fmaller as well as larger ftreams.

The difpofition of Mountains on the furface of the globe feems more regular than is generally fuppofed by thofe who fee but a few of them in particular countries at a time ; they are dif- pofed in reality in ranges or chains, reaching to vaft extents, and in fome from pole to pole from north to fouth. One grand chain of Mountains reaches from Iceland through Scotland, England, and Germany, with a ft rait courfe to the Alps, which are as it were a vaft knot in this chain, more clofcly difpofed, and more eminent than the others Thefe are fucceeded in the fame feries by the Appennines, which run through the whole kingdom of Italy in the manner of the fpine of the back in animals, and are continued on in the fame feries by thofe of Sicily ; and from thefe the fame chain is carried on to Africa, and continues in what are called the Mountains of the Moon. From hence another vaft knot or link of this extenfive chain is carried on to the utmoft part of Africa, and terminates, as to our view, at the Cape of Good Hope ; and there is no reafon to doubt but that the chain is continued in the oppofite land, and fo on to the utmoft limits of the fouthern pole. From hence the fame feries makes its way again, and beginning anew as it were from the fouth pole, is carried on through the little known fouthern regions to the Magellanic Streights. Here Hie famous Andes Mountains of South America take it up, and along this vaft tract it is carried through this part of the new world into North America, and thence to the northern pole again, ter- minating where it began, or joining the other part of the chain where we took up the beginning of our account; fo that the whole feries making a vaft belt or circle round the globe, has no beginning nor end, but in our imagination, or in our igno- rance of the parts of the world through which it is carried in the fame regularity as in thofe countries whither commerce has led us, and where maps have fheen them. Another vaft chain of Mountains running with the fame re- gularity, and in the fame manner forming a belt round the whole globe of the earth, cuts this at right angles, and is con- tinued Jn its courfe. This goes through Tartary from a be- ginning far beyond our refearches up behind that vaft country, and continuing itfelf through the middle of Scythia, forms a feries that appears in the Eaft Indies, running along the mid- dle of that vaft region to Cape Comorin ; here the chain dips into the fea ; but if its courfe is exactly marked, it will be found to be continued in the fame rout through the ifland of Ceylon ; hence it is carried under water to its oppofite point on the limits of the earth, and hence through feas and lands not yet known to us, is carried on to the place in the back of Tartary, and from which wc have begun the account. We have but very frnall proofs indeed of its continuation through a vaft tract of this its courfe ; but we are to accufe for this de- fect not nature in her difpofal, but our own ignorance, What- ever little we do know plainly pointing out, that the chain is continued in the fame regular manner as the other, and placed exactly at right angles with it.

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As the continual flux and reflux of that vaft body of feas from the eaft weftward, might by its force do fome mifehief to the compages of the earth, provident nature has contrived for the ftrengthening the great frame of this globe, certain tranfverfe chains or belts of mountains, which are fo difpofed as to ftrengthen and keep together the whole machine in the moft ftrong and Lifting manner. One feries of thefe runs directly from the eaft weftward from the utmoft limits of the Chinefe empire, through that whole vaft country, and where thefe are flopped by the boundaries of that country, they are continued through the weft of Scythia, India, and the Cafpian Sea, Ame- rica, Afia Minor, Macedonia, and to the Rhsetian Moun- tains, which carry on the chain to the Mountains of Narbon, Gaul, and thefe to the Pyreneans ; and thefe are carried on weftward in the fame direct chain, fo far as we are able to trace them, and apparently run on toward the point from which the account began, fo as to form as regular a circle as the others, were every link of it expofed to our fight, by our knowledge of the regions through which it panes, and many of which are yet left to future difcoveries. The hafty judgers of this fyftem may fuppofe, that it wants due weight, becaufe the chains of Mountains here defcribed do not appear to be regularly carried on through the bottom of the fea from the laft link on one land to the firft on the op- pofite land to it ; but the whole chain feems broken abruptly at either promontory, and only to be renewed, not continued, at the other ; but it is very probable, that though not fo evi- dent to our eyes, thefe chains of Mountains are continued un- der the bottoms of the deepeft feas in the fame regular manner as on the openeft land, though their heads do hot appear above the furface of the water; but are only feen at thofe places Where the fcattefed iflands happen in their courfe, till they ar- rive at the main land again: This difpofition is not to be fup- pofed owing to chance or irregularity, but appears contrived by the wifdbm of the great Creator.

The vaft body of feas that furrounds the globe with its necef- fary and perpetual flux, required a clear and free bed to roll its immenfe congeries of waters En ; and the tops of the Moun- tains appear to have been discontinued in the courfe of this fluid, that it might have a free channel, and no flops or hin- drances rn its courfe, to fpread its waters over the whole earth.

Cock of the Mountain, Vrogallus, in zoology. See the ar- ticle Urogallus.

MOURNING, (Cycl.) among the antients, was exprefled vari- ous ways, as by tearing their clothes, by wearing fackcloth, laying ajide crowns, and every other mark of joy. Plutarch, in his life of Cato, relates, that from the time of his leaving the city with Pompey^ he neither fhaved his head, nor, as ufual, wore the crown or garland. Sometimes public grief was teftified by a general fa.ft. Hofm. Lex. in vcc. MoeJIitia. See the article Fasting.

Among the Romans a year of Mourning was ordained by law for women who had loft their hufbands. In public Mournings at Rome the fhops were fhut up, the wo- men laid afide all their ornaments, the fenators their laticla- vian robes, and the confuls fat in a lower feat than ufual. See Pitifc, in voc;

The antients had a remarkable way of Mourning for foldiers^ {lain in battle. The whole army attended the funeral folemnities with their arms turned upfide down, it being cuftomary for Mourners, in moft of their actions, to behave themfelves in a manner contrary to what was ufual at other times. In thofe places where it was the fafhion to wear long hair, Mourners were fhaved ; and where others fhaved ^ Mourners wore long hair. Their conjecture therefore is frivolous, who imagine that the foldiers turned the heads of their fhields downwards, left the gods, whofe images were engraven upon them, fhould be polluted with the fight of a corpfe; fince not the gods only, but any other figures, were frequently reprefented on fhields; nor did the few only near the corpfe, but the whole company held their fhields in the fame pofition : Not to men- tion that other arms were alfo pointed downwards. Potter^ Archxol. Graec. T. 2. p. 103.

The Mournings of the Eaftern nations of Indians are much more clofely followed, though of much fhorter du- ration than ours. After the death of a near relation they mourn fifteen days, during which time they eat nothing but rice and water. They are not to chew betle, or to ufe the common warnings in this time ; but they are to do acts of charity, fuch as diftributing food to the poor ; and prayers are faid, intreating the Almighty to forgive the fins of the dead perfon, and to aflign him a good place in the other world. On the fixteenth day, that is the day after the finifhing of the time of Mourning, they make a folemn feaft according to their abilities, and invite to it all their friends and neighbours. After this they annually^ on this day, give food to the poor, and renew their prayers for the happinefs of the dead perfon. Phil. Tranf. N°. 243.

MOUSE, Mus, in zoology. Seethe article Mus.

Sahte-Movsz. See the article Sable.

MousE-is<zr, in botany. Sec the article Myosotis.

MovsE-Deer. See the article MoosE-Deer.

MOUTH {Cycl.} — Whether the Mouth of a fustus be necef-
 * fary