The New Hampshire Gazette

The Pyrenean Mountains.

This prodigious range of Mountains extends from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, a distance of two hundred and twelve miles, and many parts of them are one hundred miles in width. The roads or passes are four in number. The first and greatest is that which Joseph Bonaparte took on his route from Bayonne to Madrid. This road for about 22 leagues lies through the Pyrenees. The second pass is from Perpignan to Barcelona, a distance of fifty miles through the mountains, where in many places one hundred armed peasants may arrest the march of an army, and where neither houses, provisions or accommodations can be found. The third pass leads from Bayonne to Pampeluna, the capital of Navarre--this difficult defile is only passable between the months of May and October. The fourth road is that which leads from Terbes in Bigoree to Sarragoa. It is a track merely pervious to muleteers during the summer, but in winter the wolves and snows render it totally impassable. There are nearly sixty other narrow passes, called openings, most of which are rugged, intricate and hardly passable for laden beasts, and even those are frequently blocked up with snow.

The Pyrenees present in profile, a mighty amphitheatre, declining by steps about four hundred yards each. The point of Vignemal is three thousand four hundred and fifty six yards in perpendicular height; from hence is a rapid declivity to la Somma de Seuha, which is three thousand two hundred and fourteen yards in height. The peak of Annia in height is two thousand five hundred and sixty yards. The fourth range declines to the level of the mountain of Hory, the height of which is sixteen hundred and two yards. The level of the mountain of Hrla, about the vale of Baman which is the sixth, is thirteen hundred and thirty four yards in height. The seventh is that of La Rhune, about St. Jean de Luz, which is nine hundred and twenty four yards high. The mountain of Aizquibel on the border of the sea, and which is the eighth of the above series of steps, rises above its surface five hundred and fifty six yards. This mountain terminates in a very precipitate decline to the very edge of the ocean. The peaks of these mountains are formed of a naked rock and mostly covered with snow all the year. In the valleys the heat is frequently so intense, as to be fatal to human life on extraordinary exertion, & the fogs are so impenetrable as to render many parts of the mountains utterly impassable.