76 BRITISH AMERICA.

North American regions, are, as yet, but very imperfectly known.* A great chain of mountains, known by the general name of the Alleghanies, rises abruptly out of the Gulf of St Lawrence, at Percé, between Bay de Chaleur and Gaspe, and following nearly the course of the river St Lawrence, until op- posite Quebec, bends to the southward, and entering the UnitediStates, divides the Atlantic coast from the basin of the Ohio. The mountains of North Ame- rica are generally covered to their summits with trees. They have also a greater continuity in their ridges, and more regularity of outline, than those of Europe. They are, besides, far from being so high as those of Europe, Asia, or South America.

The loftiest part of the Alleghanies is but 2958 feet above the level of the sea. Kellington Peak, Vermont, 3866 feet. The Kaatskill Mountain, 3550. The White Mountains, in NeW«Hampshire, 6800 feet Neither the Algonquin, nor any other moun- tain north of the St LaWrence, is considered much above 2000 feet high.

The nucleus of the Alleghany chain appears, and

* I regret being unable to give a more satisfactory account than will be found in this work, of the geology and mineralogy of America; my knowledge of these interesting subjects being chiefly confined to whatI have observed on the banks of rivers and lakes, 0n the faces of cliffs, and on the shores of the sea. Although America afl'ords to the naturalist a rich field for enquiry, yet it is a task of no ordinary difliculty to surmount the obstacles common to a Wilderness country, rendered almost impassable by dense forests, fallen trees, swamps, rocks, mountains, and water~courses.