The cities Herculaneum and Pompeii, in Italy, were entirely destroyed, A. D. 79, by an irruption of Vesuvius.
Herculaneum was discovered by digging away the ashes and lava, in the year 1713. Pompeii was discovered about forty years afterwards.
The height of mountains is measured from the level of the sea.
The highest mountains in the world are the Himmaleh mountains, in Asia.
The second in point of elevation are the Andes mountains, in South America; Chimborazo is the highest peak.
The highest mountain in North America is Mount Elias,—in Europe, Mont Blanc,—in Africa, the Atlas mountains.
A traveller in South America has lately asserted, that he has discovered a mountain in Peru, which is higher than the Himmaleh mountains in Asia. If this be a fact, it will probably soon be confirmed by the testimony of other travellers.
The highest volcanic mountain in the world is Cotopaxi, one of the Andes, in South America. Other celebrated volcanoes are Popocatepetl, in North America,—Mount Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvius, in Europe,—and Mount Hecla, in Iceland.
Mountains are sometimes found standing alone; but generally many of them are united in a range, or ridge, which extends many miles, and, in some instances, through the whole extent of a continent.
In ascending mountains it will be found, that as you proceed towards the top, the climate grows continually colder; and after passing beyond the height of about 17,000 feet from the level of the sea, you arrive at a region where snow and ice cover the ground during the whole year. This contributes much to the coolness and salubrity of the climate of countries where such high mountains are found.