The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and artAbbott, John Loraine
Science
The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and art
Abbott, John Loraine
Curiosities and wonders
Its eruptions have been most considerable during the earthquakes which
have desolated Sicily and a greater part of Italy. In the month of
March, 1786, after subterraneous thunders and roarings, which were heard
over all the islands, to the great terror of the inhabitants, and were
accompanied by frequent concussions, the crater threw out a prodigious
quantity of sand, mixed with immense volumes of smoke and fire. This
eruption continued fifteen days, and so great was the quantity of sand
ejected that the circumjacent places were entirely covered with it to a
considerable hight. The lava did not flow at the time, at least over the
edges of the crater; and indeed, such a current is not remembered by any
living person.
THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS.
BETWEEN INDIA AND THIBET.
“The great Himalayan snowy range,” says Mr. Fraser, “is only the high
elevated crest of the mountainous tract that divides the plains of
Hindoostan from those of Thibet, or Lesser Tartary. Far as they
predominate over, and precipitously as they rear themselves above the
rest, all the hills that appear in distant ranges, when viewed from the
plains, are indeed only the roots and branches of this great stem; and,
however difficult to trace, the connection can always be detected
between each inferior mountain and some particular member of its great
origin.
“The horizontal depth of this mountainous tract, on that side which
overlooks Hindoostan, is no doubt various; but, from the difficulty of
the country, a traveler performs a journey of many days before he
reaches the foot of the immediate snowy cliffs. The best observations
and surveys do not authorize the allowance of more than an average depth
of about sixty miles from the plains to the commencement of these, in
that part of the country that forms the subject of this narrative. The
breadth of the snowy zone itself in all probability varies still more;
for huge masses advance in some places into the lower districts, and in
others the crest recedes in long ravines, that are the beds of torrents,
while behind they are clothed by a succession of the loftier cliffs.
Every account we receive of a passage through them, (and this is no
doubt found most commonly where the belt is narrowest,) gives a detail
of many days’ journey through the deserts of snow and rocks; and it is
to be inferred, that on the north-east side they advance to, and retreat
from the low ground in an equally irregular manner. Indeed, some
accounts would induce the belief, that long ranges, crowned with
snow-clad peaks, project in various places from the great spine, and
include habitable and milder districts; for, in all the routes of which
we have accounts, that proceed, in various directions toward the
Trans-Himalayan countries, hills covered with snow are occasionally
mentioned as occurring, even after the great deserts are passed, and the
grazing country entered. The breadth, then, of this crest of snow-clad
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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