Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/664

Rh 62G ALPS Loffelhorn 10,138 Galenstock 11,956 Dammastock 11,920 Sustenhorn 11,519 Gross Spannort 10,515 Titlis 10,627 Uri Rothstock 9,620 Niesen 7,763 Brienzer Rothhorn 7,917 Pilatus (Oberhaupt) 7,290 Chief Passes in the Bernese Alps. Col de Cheville (Bex to Sion), bridle-path 6,680 Sanetsch Pass (Sion to Saanen), bridle-path 7,369 Rawyl Pass (Sion to Zweisimmen), bridle-path 7,943 Gemmi Pass (Kandersteg to Leuk), bridle-path 7,553 Lotschen Pass (Kandersteg to Turtman), glacier 8,796 Tschingel Pass (Kandersteg to Lauterbrunnen), glacier 9,252 Petersgrat (Lauterbrunnen to Kippel), glacier 10,550 Lotschen Liicke (Kippel to the ^Eggibchhorn), glacier 10,512 Kleine Scheidegg (Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald), bridle-path... 6,768 Grosse Scheidegg (Grindelwald to Meyringen), bridle-path 6,910 Monch Joch (Grindelwald to Viesch), glacier about 11, 600 Strahleck Pass (Grindelwald to the Grirasel), glacier 10,994 .Briinig Pass (Brienz to Sarnen), carnage road 3,648 Engelberger Joch (Meyringen to Engelberg), bridle-path 7,244 Susten Pass (Meyringen to Wasen), carriage road (?) 7,440 Triftlimmi (Trift Glacier to Grimsel), glacier about 10,200 Geschenenlimmi (Geschenen to Stein Alp), glacier about 10,170 Surenen Pass (Engelberg to Altdorf), bridle-path 7,562 7. North Swiss Alps. Attention has already been called to the great line of valley that traverses Switzerland from Martigny to Coire. The range of high peaks lying on the north side of this valley is interrupted at one point only, where the Reuss flows through the deep defile of the Devil s Bridge from Andermatt to Altdorf, and this breach in the continuity of the range has been here regarded as the eastern limit of the Bernese Alps. The range extend ing eastward from that boundary to the neighbourhood of Coire might perhaps be considered as a prolongation of the range of the Bernese Alps ; but independently of the inconvenience of assigning such wide boundaries to a single group, there are geologic as well as orographic grounds for preferring to class this along with the dependent ranges lying further north as a separate division of the Alps. With regard to the latter ranges, those lying between the valley of the Reuss and the Lake of Lucerne, on one side, and the ancient valley of the Rhine, which included the lakes of Wallenstadt and Zurich, on the other, manifestly correspond to the outer ranges of central Switzerland, which we regard as appendages of the Bernese Alps. The case 13 somewhat different as regards the small detached group culminating in the Hoh Sentis, and lying in the angle between the ancient course of the Rhine and the modern Rhine valley from Sargans to the Lake of Con stance. This is so far separated orographically and by geological structure that it might properly rank as a separate division, but it is on the whole more convenient to reckon it as an outlying portion of this group. The Oberalp Pass, a few miles east of Andermatt, forms the watershed between the Reuss and the main branch of the Rhine, and the waters meet again at the confluence with the latter of the united streams of the Aar and the Reuss at Waldshut, so that the entire territory comprehending this division of the Alps is enclosed between the two first- named rivers. Chief Peaks of the North Swiss Alps. Crispalt (Piz Giuf) 10,164 Oberalpstock (Piz Cotschen) 10,925 Tddi 11,887 Piz Tumbif, or Brigelserhorn 10,663 Bifertenstock, or Piz Durgiu 11 ,237 Hausstock 10,355 Segneshom 10,870 Calanda 9,213 Bristenstock 10,089 Scheerhorn 11,142 Claridenstock :... 10,709 Selbsanft 9,921 Karpfstock 9,180 Saurenstock 10,026 Scheibe 9,587 Mythen (higher peak) 6,244 Glarnisch (highest peak, Bachistock) 9,584 Murtschenstock 8,012 Mageren 8,294 Churfirsten (highest peak, Scheibenstoll) 7,554 Faulfirst 7,916 Hoh Sentis 8,215 Chief Passes of the North Swiss Alps. Oberalp Pass (Dissentis to Andermatt), carriage road 6,732 Kreuzli Pass (Dissentis to Amsteg), footpath 7,710 Sand Grat Pass (Dissentis to Stachelberg), glacier 9,138 Clariden Grat (Amsteg to Stachelberg), glacier 9,842 Kisten Pass (Ilanz to Stachelberg), snow 8,281 Panixor Pass (Ilanz to Elm), bridle-path 7,907 Segues Pass (Reichenau to Elm), snow 8.612 Sardona Pass (Elm to Vattis), glacier about 9J500 Ramin Pass (Elm to Sargans), footpath 6.772 Klausen Pass (Altdorf to Stachelberg), bridle-path 6^437 Pragel Pass (Schwyz to Glarus), bridle-path 5,062 Kamor Pass (Weissbad to Rliti), bridle-path about 5,300 8. Lepontine Alps. The portion of the Alpine chain lying between the Simplon and Spliigen passes, and form ing the boundary between the tributaries of the Po and those of the Rhine, presents some peculiar orographic characteristics. The line of watershed is pretty nearly parallel to that great line of depression traced across Switzerland by the valley of the Rhone, the Urserenthal, and the valley of the Vorderrhein ; and a tendency to parallelism with the same system may be traced in many parts of this group. But the dominant direction of the secondary valleys and ridges is that of the meridian ; and on the south side we find a series of long valleys running from north to south, with occasional slight distortions. The most considerable of these are partly occupied by the two famous Lombard lakes Maggiore and Como which have from an early period attracted the admiration of strangers to this region. Ancient geographers limited the term Lepontine Alps to the portion of this group that sends its drainage on the south side to the river Ticino ; but the ranges between the Spliigen and Bernardino passes, and be tween the lakes Maggiore and Como, evidently belong to the same system, and must be united in any natural arrange ment of the Alps. On considering a tolerably correct model, it is impossible not to be struck by the fact that all the valleys that contain the most considerable streams of the central Alps appear to radiate from the neighbour hood of the St Gotthard Pass. If we measure from the summit of that pass to the head valleys of the Rhone, the Aar, the Reuss, the Vorderrhein, the Ticino, and the Toccia, we find that the most distant lies within 9 English miles from that point. This fact has doubtless a signifi cance which we are not yet able fully to appreciate, but scarcely suffices to justify the view of those who regard the- St Gotthard Pass as in some special sense the central point of the whole system of the Alps. It is worth remarking that, so far from being distinguished by superior height, the neighbouring peaks are surpassed by all the surround ing groups, and that the valleys are much deeper than in many other districts, and especially than those of eastern Switzerland. Chief Pealcs of the Lepontine Alps. Piz Vial, or Gallinario 10,387 Piz Valrhein 11,148 Vogelberg 10,564 Piz Terri 10,333 Piz Cavel 9,659 Fanellahorn 10,243 Lochliberg 9,990 Piz Beverin 9,843 Tambohorn 10,748 Cima di Balniscio 9,967 Monte Camoglie 7,304 Monte Leone 11 ,696 Wasenhorn 10,628 Ofeuhorn,or Punta d Arbola 10,728 Bliimenhorn 10,932 Monte Basodine 10,748 Pizzo Rotondo 10,489 Pizzo di Campo Tenca 10,096 Pioda di Crana 7,959 Cima di Laurasca 7,264 Badus, or Six Maduna 9,616 Scopi 10,499 Cima Camadra 10,509 Chief Passes in the Lepontine Alps. Rittcr Pass (Viesch to Isella), snow 8,854 Albrun Pass (Viesch to Premia), bridle-path 8,005 Gries Pass (Obergestelen to Formazza), bridle-path 8,050 Nufenen Pass (Obergestelen to Airolo), bridle-path 8,009 Passo di San Giacomo (Formazza to Airolo), bridle-path 7,572 Furka Pass (Obergestelen to Hospenthal), carriage road 7,992 St Gotthard Pass (Hospenthal to Airolo), carriage road 6,936 Criner Furka (Locarno to Val Formazza), footpath 7,631 Passo di Narret (Locarno to Airolo), footpath 8,013 Passo dell Uomo (Dissentis to Airolo), footpath 7,257 Lukmanier Pass (Dissentis to Olivone), bridle-path 6,289 Greina Pass (Trons to Olivone), bridle-path 7,743 Disrut Pass (Ilanz to Olivone), footpath 7,953 Scaradra Pass (Ilanz to Ghirone), snow 9,088 Passo di Buffalora (Val Calanca to Mesocco), bridle-path 6,686 Bernardino Pass (Hinterrhein to Val Mesocco), carriage road 6,769 Valserberg Pass (Ilanz to Hinterrhein), bridle-path 8,225 Lochlibrrg Pass (Reichenau to Spliigen), footpath 8..1C5