On the western aide of the great valley of the Ouse lie the Western Moorlands of Yorkshire, the general elevation of which is much greater than that of the Eastern Moorlands. These form part of the irregular tract of high land called the Pennine Chain, which, extend ing southward to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire hills, forms the great moorland district of England. The highest point of the Pen nine Chain is at Cross Fell, • few miles north-west of the north western angle of the county, where itjoins Westmorland and Durham, and approaches within 3 or 4 miles of Cumberland ; and from a little south of this point, which has an elevation of 2901 feet, is • ridge nearly coincident with the county boundary, with a steep escarpment towards the eastern side of the valley of the Eden. South of this point the Cumbrian Mountains join the western aide of the great Pennine range, the high lands of which, in its further progress towards the south, (sometimes spread out into exteuaive moors, some times present rounded mountain-tops, and in other places consist of a confused heap of rocky mountains, interspersed with numerous narrow valleys, which afford scenery of the most romantic and picturesque character. This portion of the range, which occupies the north-western extremity of the West Riding, forms the western portion of the wild district of Craven, and comprises, among its more elevated summits, those of Wharnside, or Wherneide, near the junc tion of the counties of York, Westmorland, and Lancashire, with an elevation of 2334 feet, according to the Ordnance Survey ; Ingle borough, a little farther south, 2301 feet ; Pcnyghent, or I'enuigant, rather more to the east, about 2270 feet ; a second mountain, die tinguished as the Oreet Wharnside, near Kettlewell, and still more to the east, 2263 feet ; Bow Fell, near Sedbergh, a few miles north of the firstsinentioned Wharnside, 2911 feet high, an elevation consider ably greater than that of any other mountain in this part of the county ; and Cam Fell, between the two Wharnaidee, 2245 feet high. The valleys of this district, the most extensive of which are Nidder dale, or Netherdale, the valley of the river Nidd, Wharfedale, and Airedale, are eo well wooded, cultivated, and studded with villages, as to present a beautiful appearance from the adjacent heights; and the picturesque character of the district, the roads of which afford some of the finest scenery in the country, is heightened by numerous small lakes, one of the principal of which is Malham Water, or 5Ialham Tarn, 0 or 7 miles east by north of the town of Settle, which is about a mile in diameter, and is situated upon the summit of an elevated moor. Though the general direction of the great range of mountains which occupies the western side of the county, and which is some times styled ' the back-bone of England,' is from north to south, it does not consist of a single ridge, but rather of several ranges, which, though very irregular in their disposition, mostly form small angles with the main direction of the mountain-range, thereby forming numerous long and narrow valleys, with a general direction from north to south. This billy district forms a kind of natural boundary between Yorkshire and Lancashire, and presents great difficulties in the construction of canals or railways, rendering necessary the execu tion of some extraordinary and costly works.
The Valley of the Ouse, or the Vale of York, commences very near the river Tees, on the northern boundary of the county, the basin of that river being separated from that of the Wiske, one of the affluents of the Ouse, by a narrow ridge of small elevation ; and, occupying the centre of the county, it extends southward to its opposite boundary. With the tributary valley of the Aire, which stretches westward about as far an Halifax, the breadth of this valley is about 50 miles ; while the Don, which joins the Aire near Snaith, drains a continuation of the valley towards the south-west to the very extremity of the county, between 30 and 40 miles from the confluence of the Ouse and Trent, and about 45 miles in a direct line from York. The northern part of this valley has a gentle slope towards the south, with the level surface broken by several bold swells; but south of the city of York the surface sinks into a perfect flat, and is in several parts marshy, especi ally along the course of the Ouse. The monotony of the level is only broken by low sandy hills, seldom rising to an elevation of more than 50 feet above the level of the sea, and which are found principally near the course of the Don, in the vicinity of Snaith, Thorne, and Doncaster ; and, owing to the extraordinary flatness of the country, the rivers Ouse, Aire, and Don have frequently altered their course.
That portion of the valley which lice immediately about the lower part of the Ouse, and between it and the Welds which separate the valley from the Holderness district, is called The Levels ;' and though fertile and pretty thickly inhabited, it is entirely flat. Farther south, towards Sheffield, and on the western side of the valley, the surface is diversified by the hills which gradually rise towards the mountain ous district.
Hydrography and description of the great valley of the Ouse and its principal tributaries will give a general idea of the position of the rivers of this county. The drainage of the extensive tract which supplies the waters of the Ouse tends towards the point where the Aire unites with the Ouse at Armin, about 20 miles S.S.E. in a straight line from the city of York, and to this point converge a great number of small rivers, commencing in the south west with the Bother, which flows from the border of the county near Rotherham, and embracing the numerous rivers which descend along the valleys of the high lands on the west of the county, and those which flow through almost the whole of the western and northern districts, as well as the drainage of the totally distinct high lands on tho north-cast, which finds its way into the course of the Derwent. In the article TRENT AND HUMBER the leading features of the great basin, of which this forms a part, are more fully described. It is computed that the drainage of about seven-ninths of the total area of Yorkshire, or about 4500 square miles, runs into the basin of the Humber; and, with the exception of the district between the Wolds and the sea, the whole of this district pours its waters into the Ouse.
The Ouse, which is sometimes called, to distinguish it from other rivers of the same name, the Northern Ouse, is formed mainly by the union of the Ure or Yore and the Swale. The total length of this stream may be estimated at from 130 to 135 miles, whether we reckon from the sourer) of the Swale or from that of the Ure.
The (Ire rises in the high mountains at the western extremity of the North Riding, near the border of Westmorland, and flows first towards the south-east, and then eastward, near Hawes and Askrigg, along Yoredale and Wensleydale to Middleham, receiving in its course several small tributaries on each side. A little below Askrigg the U] falls over a succession of limestone rocks, forming what is called ti Aysgarth Force. Below 3liddleham it is joined on the south by tl Cover, a stream which rises at the head of the long narrow valley Coverdale; and shortly afterwards it flows past Blasham, a few mils below which place it reaches the bonndary-line between the Nort and West Ridings, and receives on the right aide the small river Bine It then pursues a very irregular course by Tanfleld to Ripon, where 1 receives on the right the united streams of the Skell and the Lave At Ripon the Ure quits the boundary-line aud enters the West Ridien bnt it rejoins the boundary near Boroughbridge, and passes by the place and Aldborongh to the junction of the Swale. The unite stream—which, according to different authorities, may at this part b called either the Ure, the Swale, or the Ouse—continues in an irregula course to the south-east, forming the boundary of the North Riding a far as York, receiving the Linton with its tributaries on the left, am the much more important river Nidd ou the right side. At York th Ouse receives the river Foss on the left side, and from that city t near Cawood its conrae runs southward, a little inclining to the west Near Nnn-Appleton, a little above Cawood, it receives on the righ aide the Wharfe, and in the remaining part of its course the Ous constitutes the boundary between the East and West Ridinge Inclining now to the south-east, it pursues a very irregular cours, by Cawood and Selby, and, after receiving successively the Derwen on the left, and the Aire with its tributaries on the right side, it pus sues a very tortuous coarse near Howden ; and by the newly-former port of Goole, where it is joined by the Dutch River, or River Dune Navigation, to the conflnence with the Trent at Faxfleet, whence the united stream, under the name of the Humber, pursues an easter course to the ocean. [Timer A IC D HuseER.] The Ouse and its prin cipal northern tributaries have been the subject of several Acts for the improvement of the navigation.