Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/666

Rh ALPS travellers have of late years explored the unfrequented parts of the Alps, this group continues to be very im perfectly known, although it offers abundant attractions to the naturalist and the lover of picturesque and grand scenery. Chief Peaks of the Lombard Alps. Legnone 8,568 Pizzo tiei Tre Signori, about 8,600 Grigna (Monte C odcno) 7,908 Corno Stella 8,845 Aralalta 6,585 Moute Arera 8,255 Monte Redorta 9,980 Pizzo del Diavolo 9,574 Pizzo di Cocca 9,705 Monte Presolana 8,202 Monte Frerone 8.676 Monte Blumonc 9,321 Chief Passes in the Lombard Alps, Passo di San Marco (Morbegno to Val Brembana), bridle-path ... Passo del Salto (Sondrio to Val Seriana), footpath about Presolana Pass (Castione to Val di Scalve), footpath Aprica Pass (Sondrio to Edolo), carriage road Tonale Pass (Edolo to Val di Sole), carriage road Gampen Pass (Cles to Meran), bridle-path about Croce Domini Pass (Breno to Lodron), bridle-path about Passo di S. Valentino (Val di Finn to Tione), snow about Passo del Lago Ghiacciato (Ponte di Legno to Pinzolo), snow Passo di Lares (Pinzolo to Val di Fum), glacier Ginevrie Pass (Pinzolo to Val di Non), bridle-path Bocca di Brenta (Pinzolo to Molveno), snow Meiidelscharte (Cles to Botzen), bridle-path Crozzon di Laris 10,889 Monte Adamello 11,832 Care Alto 11,352 Presanella, or Ciina di Nar- dis 11,688 Ciina delle Rochette 10,777 Brenta Alta (?) 10,771 Monte Baldo (highest peak La Colma) 7,212 Mendola (Monte lloen) 6,919 Monte Bondone 7,412 5,997 7,500 4,2(55 4,052 6,483 4,000 6,500 9,300 9,437 9,230 5,200 8,502 4,964 11. Vindelician Alps. Reference has already been made to the contrast offered by the orderly arrangement of the Eastern Alps, as compared with the far more complicated and irregular disposition of the masses that make up the Western and Central Alps. In the former we have a broad zone of crystalline or metamorphic palaeozoic rocks, extend ing from the upper valley of the Adige to the frontier of Hungary, flanked on either side by a parallel zone of secondary rocks, which rise into peaks that do not much exceed the limit of perpetual snow. The northern zone extends for a distance of fully 260 miles from the lake of Constance to the neighbourhood of Vienna, with an average width varying from 30 to 40 miles. For the greater part of that distance this is separated from the central range by broad and deep valleys, through which the Inn, Salza, and Enns flow from west to east, till each of them, turning abruptly northward, runs through an opening that cuts across the general strike of the stratification to reach the plain of South Germany. In geological structure and general aspect the mountains of this tract show many common characteristics, and convenience supplies the only good reason for dividing it into two main groups, separated by the valley of the Inn, the greatest of the tributaries which the Alps send to the Danube. Of the western portion of this region the larger part belongs to Bavaria, but a considerable share lies in the Austrian provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg; and on this account the designa tions Bavarian Alps and North Tyrol Alps are open to objection, and have the further disadvantage of excluding the Alpine districts of Bavaria and North Tyrol lying east of the Inn. The name Sudbian Alps is liable to the serious objection that none but a very small part of this district was ever included in the circle of Suabia. On the whole, it seems that the region lying north of the Vorarlberg road and the valley of the Inn, between the lake of Constance and the latter river, may best be termed the Vindelician Alps. The whole was included within the territory of the Vindelfci before that powerful tribe was conquered by the Romans, and their territory joined to that of the Rhajtians to form a single Roman province. In height the mountains of this division fall considerably short of those hitherto enumerated, not more than four or five exceeding 9000 feet. It is impossible to consider a mao of this region without being struck by the fact, that although the general slope inclines northward towards the plain of Bavaria, or southward towards the 111 and the Inn, nearly all the ridges and minor valleys lie east and west parallel to the course of those rivers and to the outcrop of the sedimentary strata, Avhich is equally the direction of the line of depression followed by the Vorarl berg road forming the southern boundary of this group. Chief Peaks of the Vindelician Alps. Mittagspitz 6,851 Rothewand 8,842 Schafberg 8,774 Ma delegabel 8,674 Mieniingergebirge (highest) 8,856 Karwandlspitz 8,259 Kreuzspitz 7,156 Edkorspitz 8,911 Lavatscherspitz 9.081 Vomperjoch 7,505 Soiernspitz 7,303 Juifen 7,144. Biberkopf 8,543 Widderstein 8,294 Hoch Vogel 8,501 Stanzerkopf 9,041 Muttekopf 9,077 Zugspitz 9,716 Chief Passes in the Vindelician Alps. Arlberg Pass (Bludenz to Landeck), carriage road 5,902 Haldenwanger Eck (Schrecken to Oberstdorf), footpath 6,070 Schrofen Pass (Oberstdorf to Steg in Leehthal), bridle-path 5,569 Madelejoch (Oberstdorf to Holzgau), footpath about 7,000 Kaiserjoch (Steg to Petneu in Stanzerthal), footpath about 7,000 Zamserjoch (Elbigen Alp to Landeck or Imst), footpath about 7,000 Fern Pass (Lermoos to Tells), carriage road 4,063 Seefeld Pass (Partenkirch to Zirl), carriage road 3,900 Geissel Pass (Mittenwald to Lennoos), footpath 4,258 Stempeljoch (Scharnitz to Hall), footpath, 7,346 Haller Anger (Schaniitz to Schwaz), footpath 5,835 Plumserjoch (Hinter-Riss to Pertisau), bridle-path 5,492 Pfans Joch (Fall to Pertisau), footpath about 5,800 Stockeralp Pass (Schliersee to Brixlegg), bridle-path about 4,000 HorhagPass (Bairisch-zell to Kufstein), bridle-path about 4,000 12. Northern Noric Aljjs. We have already spoken of the broad mountain zone extending from the Inn to the neighbourhood of Vienna, and bearing a general resem blance in orographic and geological character to the group last described. For reasons given hereafter, it seems impossible to preserve the ancient designation Noric Alps for any portion of the central chain of the Eastern Alps, but the name Northern Noric Atys seems the most suitable for a region which was altogether included in the Roman province of Noricum, and which closely coincides with the northern half of the Alpine district known to them as Alpes Noricce, The boundaries of this division are easily determined. To the north and east the mountains subside towards the valley of the Danube. To the west it is bounded by the Inn, which bends first to north-east, then to north, to enter the plain of Bavaria. On the south side the boundary runs from the Inn through a part of the Zillerthal, over the low Gerlos Pass, and along the valleys of the Salza and the Enns, evidently forming a single line of depression; but where the Enns enters the defile of Gesaiise, a broad and low valley, through which runs the road from Rottenmann to Leoben, seems to form the most natural division between this and the central chain. The line of separation is completed by the valley of the Mur and the depression of the Semmering Pass, over which the railroad is carried to Vienna. The highest peaks of the Dachstein group form the most considerable prominence in the entire range of the Northern Alps; but the average height of the mountains of this division does not exceed that of the Vindelician Alps. Chief Peaks of the Northern Noric Alps. Thorhelm 8,548 Holie Salve 5.993 Rettenstein 7,750 Scheffauer Kaiser 7,611 Birnhorn 8,635 Staufen 5,950 Watzmann 8,988 Untersberg (highest point)... 6,467 Hohe Goll 8,266 Hochkalter 8,595 Uebergossene Alp or Iloch- konig 9,643 Tannengebirge (Raucheck)... 7,947 Schafberg 5,837 Hbllkogl 5,754 Trauustein 5,538 Thorstcin 9,677 Dachstein 9,845 Sarstein 6,558 Grimming 7,700 Grosser Pricl 8,238 Waschenegg 8,112 Buchsteiu 7,269 Hochthor 7,478 Eisenerzer Reichenstein 7,082 Kaiserschild 6,817 Oetschcr 6,320 Brandstein 6,542 Hochscluvab 7,441 Raxalp 6,575 Schneeberg 6,809