Rubiaceæ, 280, 285.
Rupunuri, Lake of, 187.
Sabrina, sudden appearance of, attributed to volcanic subterranean
fire, 360.
Sacramento River in California, 207.
Sahama, elevation of the, 205.
Sahara, the great desert of, two races of men separated by the, 19,
140;
disquisition on, 89–93;
traverses Africa like a dried-up arm of the sea, 110.
St. Bernard, Mount, height of, 35.
Salamanca, in Mexico, elevation of, 208.
Salt Lake, Great, 206.
Saltillo, elevation of, 208.
Samarang, edible clay of, 146.
Samothrace, traditions of, 216, 262, 265;
aborigines of, 262;
position of, 262.
San Fernando de Atabapo, 161.
San Juan del Rio, elevation of, 208.
San Luis Potosi, elevation of, 208.
Sanariapo, on the Orinoco, 163.
Sand-martin, hybernation of the, 242.
Sand-spouts, fury of, when passing over the steppes, 14, 137, 266.
Santa Barbara de Arichuna, mission of, 198.
Santa Fé del Nueva Mexico, elevation of, 208.
Sapajous, nocturnal cry of the, 199.
Sarcoramphus Papa, the, 240.
Saussureæ, growing on the Asiatic steppes, 4.
Savannahs of South America, 98;
on the borders of the Orinoco, 162;
inhabited by the Guareke Indians, 163;
overflowed in April, 187.
Saxifrage, 233.
Schomburgk, Sir R., his antiquarian researches in South America,
147–151;
his observations on the sources of the Orinoco, 176;
his journey across the continent of South America, 177;
his account of the Lake of Amucu, 186.
Sculptured rocks, in South America, 147–151.
Sea, on the uniformity of its level, 264, 265.
Sea-coasts, length of time before vegetation appears on the, 10.
Sea-water, on the phosphorescence of, 245;
attributed to luminous mollusca, 246, 247.
Sea-weeds, phenomenon of their accumulation on the western coast of
Africa, 56;
of the ocean, 47–50.
Seeds, transferred to barren rocks, 214.
Senegal, inhabitants to the south of, 19.
Serpents, periodic torpidity of, 243.
Shátúl Pass, elevation of, 76.
Sierra Nevada of California, observations on the, 205, 206;
situation of, 207.
Sierra Parime, mountain-chain of the, 22.
Silao, elevation of, 208.
Silla, ascent to the summit of the, 232.
Silver, value of, obtained from the mines of Gualgayoc and other
Peruvian mountains, 405.
Simplon, Mount, height of, 35.
Sipapo, on the Orinoco, 163.
Sisgun, elevation of the plain of, 234.
Sitka, situation and temperature of, 104.
Siwah, oasis of, 44.
Snow, mountains eternally covered with, 9.
Snow-line of mountains, 73 _et seq._;
of the Himalaya, 236.
Solano, Don José, documents of, 181.
Spanish race, inhabitants of parts of the Andes, the Canaries, the
Antilles, and the Philippines, 192.
Springs from the bed of the ocean, 155, 174;
which rise from different depths, dependent on internal heat,
373–379.
Stag, a native of South America, 133.
Stars, glorious spectacle of the, at the Equator, 231, 349.
Steppes and Deserts, general view of, 1–21;
in the Caracas, 1;
sterility and monotony of, 2;
the heaths of northern Europe may be regarded as such, 2;
in the interior of Africa, 3, 9;
in central Asia the largest in the world, 3;
covered with various plants and herbs, 4;
have retarded civilization, 5;
of South America, 6 _et seq._;
of Africa, causes of their sterility, 10;
towns sprung up on the rivers of, in South America, 14, 137;
fury of the whirlwinds passing over the, 14;
drought of the, and mirage, 15;
genial effects of rain after drought, 16, 138;
like a vast inland sea, 17, 139;
the view of the regions by which they are bounded in Africa and
America, 19, 140;
illustrative notes to the article on, 22–125;
tracts of, covered with naked rock, 28;
of northern Asia, 57;
extending from the mouth of the Orinoco, 83;
of Central Africa, 94, 95;
vegetation of, 95;
the different features of, in Africa and Asia, 153;
various terms for expressing in the Arabic and Persian languages,
191, 202;
of South America, may be regarded as mere local phenomena, 216.
Strachey, Lieut., his observations on the snow-line of the Himalaya,
74.
Strato, his statement respecting the primeval convulsion of the waters
of the Mediterranean and the Euxine, 163.
Strychnos, an Indian poison, 152.
Stylites, seat of the, 13, 136.
Sugar-cane, varieties of the, 24, 25, 26.
Sun, worship of, by the Peruvians, 430, 431.
Sun and Moon, representations of, on the rocks of the Orinoco, 165.
Swimming couriers of the Rio de Guancabamba, 399, 400.
Swiss scenery, 217.
Sydney, situation and temperature of, 109.
Synanthereæ, 95.
Syracuse, the painting of “The Rhodian Genius” at, 380–385.
Tacarigua, lake of, 1;
its surrounding scenery and vegetation, 22.
Tapir, traits of the, 197.
Tartar steppes, 4.
Tayé, an animal of California, 127.
Taxus baccata, peculiar properties of, 320.
Teboco, rocky falls of, 185.
Teguayo, Lake of, 207.
Temi, the river, blackness of its water, 160.
Temperatures, mean annual, of South America and Europe, tables of, 100,
101.
Teneriffe, Peak of, the volcano, 371, 379.
Tepu-mereme, carved rock of, 148.
Terebinthiaceæ, 280.
Terra del Fuego, temperature of, 108.
Terra-firma, coast of, 23.
Theobroma, delicate blossoms spring from the roots, 230, 348.
Theobroma Cacao, of South America, 26.
Thian-schan, the mountain-chain of, 63, 64, 66.
Thibet, mountain plateau of, 55;
elevation and geographical situation of, 60 plains of, 61.
Tibbos, nomadic tribes of Africa, 50.
Tiger, American, traits of the, 195, 196, 197;
its nocturnal roar, 199.
Tiliaceæ, 194.
Timpanogo, Lake of, supposed to be the Great Salt Lake, 35;
longitude of, 206.
Titicaca, Lake of, elevation of the plateau of, 58.
Tomependa, town of, on the Andes, 401, 428.
Tomo, island of, 164.
Toparo, on the Orinoco, 163;
mouth of the, 166.
Tortoises, periodic torpidity of, 243.
Trees, immense size and antiquity of, 271–276;
on the relation existing between the annular rings and their age,
274;
natural families of, 274;
heights to which they grow, 327.
Trinidad, asphaltic island of, 155;
originally torn from the mainland, 175.
Tropical winds favourable to the mariner, 154, 174.
Tropics, beauties of evening scenery, 173;
contain every variety and magnitude of vegetable forms, 217, 231.
Tuamini, the river, blackness of its water, 160.
Tuaryks, nomadic tribes of Africa, 50.
Tukiuish, an Asiatic tribe, 5.
Tula, elevation of, 208.
Tundra, the name of cryptogamic plants in the arctic regions, 95, 96.
Turtle, curious mode of catching, by means of the sucking-fish, 257,
258.
Tuyu, a bird of South America, 6.
Tzana, lake of, its elevation, 58.
Uivitari, island of, 163, 165.
Umbellaria Grœnlandica, 266.
Umbellifera, 285, 286.
Ummibida, ruins of, 44.
Uniami, mountain of, 163.
Ural chain of mountains, 63.
Uraricapara river, 183, 184.
Urns used for preserving the ashes of the dead, 171, 172.
Urticeæ, 245.
Uruana, engraving on the rocks of, 164.
Valencia, lake of, 24.
Vanilla form of the Orchideæ, 173, 226, 230;
the fragrant, 230.
Vapour, the precipitation of, 217, 266.
Vegetation, length of time before it fixes itself on the sea coast, 10;
different characters of, in Africa and South America, 10;
natural history of the vegetable covering of the earth, 214;
vegetation most exuberant in the tropics, 217, 220, 231;
entire families of, 221;
the vegetable forms by which the aspect of Nature is principally
determined, 221–229;
their numerical relations and geographical distribution, 276 _et
seq._;
ratio of distribution, 285;
as yet imperfectly explored in South America, 292–294;
the leading vegetable forms instructive to the landscape painter,
346;
general view of, 349–352;
similarity of vegetable forms, 351.
See Plants.
Venezuela, littoral chain of, 22;
its extent and elevation, 22;
description of, 23.
Vermes, parasitical, 251.
Vesuvius, elevation of, and various measurements of the margins of the
crater, 363, 376, 377;
great eruptions of, 364–366, 368 _et seq._;
Rocca del Palo, the highest northern margin of the crater of, 376,
377;
measurement of the Punta Nasone, and of the Hermitage of Salvatore,
377;
height to which the scoriæ rise from the bottom of the crater, 378.
Vilfa, species of, 232.
Villa de Leon, elevation of, 208.
Vital force, dissertation on, 380–389;
illustrated by Epicharmus from the painting of the “Rhodian Genius,”
383;
symbols of its existence and extinction, 384;
definition of, 386;
illustrative note, 386–389.
Viverræ, a native of South America, 12, 134.
Volcanos, still active in the Californian chain of mountains, 37, 38;
of Aconcagua, 205;
of the interior of Asia and of the New World, 65;
general view of their structure and mode of action in different parts
of the earth, 353–375;
previous to the eighteenth century, all our knowledge derived from
observations of Vesuvius and Etna, 355;
sudden volcanic fissures in various parts of the earth, 356, 357;
various heights of, 358;
craters of elevation, the importance of, 359;
various groups of, with fire-emitting mouths, 359;
the table-land of Quito one immense volcanic hearth, 360;
the subterranean fire progressive from north to south, 360;
earthquakes evidence of subterranean volcanic communication, 360,
361;
elevation of Vesuvius, and various measurements of the margins of the
crater, 373, 376, 377;
great eruptions of, 364–366, 368 _et seq._;
in the chain of the Andes, penetrate above the snow-line, 367;
caused the lofty summit of Mount Carguairazo to fall in, when the
whole surrounding country was covered with mud and fishes, 367;
volcanic origin of pumice, 369;
Pompeii buried by an eruption of Vesuvius, 369;
Pliny, account of, 369, 370;
the summits of upheaved masses of trachyte and lava, 370;
Peak of Teneriffe, 371;
sudden appearance and disappearance of, 371;
what generates the heat of, 372–374;
volcanic phenomena the result of connection between the interior and
exterior of our planet, 373;
illustrative notes of, 376–378.
Waraputa, cascade of, 149.
Wada-dhára, elevation and vegetation of, 79.
Water, peculiar blackness of some of the South American rivers, 160.
West wind, phenomenon of its prevalence on the African coast, 46.
Western currents of the ocean favourable to the mariner, 154, 174.
Wha-satch mountains, 207.
Wheat, first culture of, in New Spain, 130.
Wheel animalcules, wonderful revivification of the, 211, 240, 241.
White Sea, myth of the, 185.
Willows, one of the vegetable forms by which the aspect of Nature is
principally determined, 229, 331, 342.
Words, changes in the meaning of, 191.
Worms, immense variety in the depth of the waters, 212.
Xagua, gulf of, springs of fresh water in the, 174.
Yanaguanga, paramo of, 407.
Yaruros, savage tribe of, 197.
Yew, its geographical distribution, 322;
its great longevity, 273.
Yucatan, architectural remains in, 131, 132.
Zacatecas, elevation of, 208.
Zahara, phenomenon of the west winds on the African coast attributable
to, 46.
Zambos, tribe of the, 197.
Zoophytes, the calcareous, 251.