ALPS. In a commercial point of view, the Alps are interesting to the extentthat they afford practicable passes for carriage roads, across or between their summits. These passes and roads are as follow :—In the llfaritime Alps, which extend from the Gulf of Genoa to Monte Viso, a distance of about 100 miles, the only carriage-', road across is by the Col de Tende, at an ele vation of 5887 feet, formed by Napoleon ; there are three or four smaller roads practicable for mules. In the Cottian Alps, which extend from Monte Viso to Mont anis, a distance of about 60 miles, the carriage-road of Mont Gen evre, formed by Napoleon, is the chief pass, leading from the valley of the Durance in France to Susa in Piedmont. In the Graian Alps, extending from Mont anis to the Col de la Seigne, about 60 miles, is Mont Cenis, one of the best known of the Alpine passes. This pass was only a mule-road till 1803, when Napoleon commenced a magnificent carriage road, which crosses the chain at a height of 6773 feet. The pass of the Little St. Bernard, which is supposed to be that by which Hanni bal entered Italy, crosses the Graian Alps to the Val d'Aosta. In the Pennine Alps, extend ing about 60 miles from Mont Blanc to the Simplon, are Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, and Mont Cervin, the three loftiest peaks in Europe. On each side of Mont Blanc are cols or passes of the mountains, usually traversed by pedes trians in their tours about Mont Blanc. There are three larger passes, however, viz. the Great. St. Bernard, with a Hospice at the height of 7963 feet above the level of the sea; the Cervin, at a height of 11,096 feet ; and the Simplon, the pass of which, at an altitude of 6578 feet, is one of Napoleon's most magnificent works. In the Helvetic or Lepontiam Alps, extending from the Simplon to Mont St. Gothard, a dis tance of about 60 miles, is the pass of St. Gothard, a valuable carriage-road from Swit zerland to Italy, which has a summit level 6890 feet high. In the Eltmtian Alps, which extend about 80 miles east from St. Gothard, are many good passes for travellers. One is the Mont St. Bernardin, at an elevation of 6700 feet ; another the Splugen ; another the Maloya, 8130 feet ; another the Stabil), 9174 feet ; and another the Brenner, 4660 feet—all of which connect Tyrol and the Grisons on the north with Lombardy on the south. In the Norio, Judas, and Gamic Alps, which bend round from the Tyrol towards the head of the Gulf of Venice, are the high roads from Salz.
burg to Venice, and from Vienna to Trieste. In these, as in most other parts of the Alpine chains, the neighbouring governments are vying with or rather aiding each other to add to the number of carriage-passes.
The central ranges of the Alps are, in a great measure though not altogether, composed of gneiss, mica slate, talcose slate, and others of the like character. Gneiss may be consi dered as very abundant : it constitutes the mass of Mont Blanc, and of several other lofty mountains. The mica slates occasion ally contain many minerals, among which may be enumerated garnet, staurotide, cyanite, hornblende, tourmaline, and titanite. Other portions of the Alps present newer geological formations, many of which will form a store house of materials for manufactures, as soon as man shall have located his industrial establish ments in those parts.
The number of mines worked in the Alps is not very considerable, when compared with the great extent of the mountains. A few gold and silver mines are worked, as at the Rath ausberg ; and others of copper, lead, iron, and anthracite. The iron-mines of Styria, Carin thia, and Carniola, are very productive. The Bleiberg in Carinthia yields some of the best lead in Europe. The quicksilver mines of Idria have been long celebrated. Salt is pro cured in many parts of the Tyrol and the neighbouring districts.
The vegetation ofilie Alps difiers in many respects from that of the plaiUS beneath. At the foot of the Alps, for instance, are rich vine yards, and wine is orie Of the Staple products of the country ; the forests consist of most of the common European trees. But at the low elevation of 1050 feet the vino is no longer Capable of existing ; at 1000 feet higher sweet Chestnuts disappear ; 1000 feet farther, and the oak is unable to maintain itself; at the elevation of 4.080 feet, less than one-third of the height of Mont Blanc, the birch, as well as almost every ether decidtious tree, ceases ; the spruce fir alone attains the height of 5900 feet, after which the growth of all trees is arrested, not by perpetual snow, which not occur for more than 8000 feet higher, but lid the peculiar state of the soil and air. ALSACE, is one of the most important manu facturing provinces ih France. It used to con sist of two districts, Tipper and Lower Alsace, one of which is now inchided in the Department of Haut Rhin, and the Other in that of Bas Both districts are watered by the Rhine.