an extensive range of mountains in the northern parts of Asia. It begins at the vast mountain Bogdo, passes above the head of the Irtisch, and then takes a course, rugged, precipitous, clothed with snow, and rich in minerals, between the Irtisch and Oby; then proceeds by the lake Telekoi, the rise of the Oby; after which it retires, in order to comprehend the great rivers which form the Jenesei, and are locked up in these high mountains; finally under the name of the Saimne, it is uninterruptedly continued to the lake of Baikal. A branch insinuates itself between the sources of the rivers Onon and Ingoda, and those of Ichikoi, accompanied with very high mountains, running without interruption to the north-east, and dividing the river Amur, which discharges itself into the east, in the Chinese dominions, from the river Lena and Lake Baikal. Another branch stretches along the Olecma, crosses the Lena below Jakouts, and is continued between the two rivers Tongouska to the Jenesei, where it is lost in wooded and morass plains. The principal chain, rugged with sharp-pointed rocks, approaches and keeps near the shores of the sea of Ochhotz, and passing by the sources of the rivers Outh, Aldan, and Maia, is distributed in small branches, which range between the eastern rivers which fall into the Icy sea; besides two principal branches, one of which, turning south, runs through all Kamtschatka, and is broken, from the Cape Lopatka, into the numerous Kurile isles, and to the east forms another marine chain, in the Aleutian islands, which range from Kamtschatka to America; most of them, as well as Kamtschatka itself, distinguished by volcanoes, or the traces of volcanic fires. The last chain forms chiefly the great Cape Tschutski, with its promontories and rocky broken shores.

The summits of the highest of the Altai mountains are covered with perpetual snow. The loftiest range of this extensive chain, is composed of granite. Another range of inferior height consists of shistus, which lies on the side of the granite mountains. Beside these rocks, there are strata of chalkstone, limestone, and marble. The Altai mountains abound in metallic ores. Gold, silver, and lead mines, have been discovered in them, with great abundance of copper and iron. The two latter have been wrought to a considerable extent, and have been found productive.