4-4! Mr Johnston on the Elevation of 



beneath, elevating the narrow neck which divides them, should 

 thus produce a junction. 



Now, such appears to be what has actually taken place in 

 Scandinavia. We have one great chain of mountains running 

 nearly the whole length of Norway and Sweden, till it termi- 

 nates in the North Cape. Another smaller range, in a similar 

 direction, through Finland, and beyond the head of the Both- 

 nian Gulf, we find the latter inclining to the west, till it joins 

 the former. A line of elevation is thus traced surrounding the 

 basin of this inland sea, and embracing the entire country in 

 which any rise of the land has been recently observed. 



We need not rest satisfied, therefore, with simply considering 

 the rising of these northern countries to be a compensation for 

 the depression at the equator, but we may safely, I think, refer 

 the rise to the line traced out by the ranges of mountains just 

 described. It is probably due not only to the same force by 

 which these mountain-chains were at first thrown up, but to this 

 force exerted in precisely the same lines of direction. The cen- 

 tral action is upon the mountain-chain, and the lower land rises 

 gradually along with it. 



There are two circumstances, independent of theory, which 

 chiefly incline me to adopt this view. The first is, that when 

 we go south beyond a certain latitude, where we may suppose 

 that the elevation of the distant mountains ceases sensibly to 

 affect the general level, we find no rise observable along the 

 coast. The second is, that the rise is strikingly observable to- 

 wards the head of the Bothnian Gulf, where the crossing of the 

 Finland to the Norwegian range may not be without influence 

 in increasing the efi^ect. The same view also accounts for the less 

 sensible and general rising on the Finland coast, for the moun- 

 tains in that country cannot compare in altitude with the Scan- 

 dinavian range. 



Besides, if the central action of the elevating force lie upon 

 the mountains, these should rise more than the low country, 

 and there should be a considerable drainage towards the coast. 

 Now, the interior of Sweden^ in many provinces, exhibits, al- 

 most at every step, the results of drainage. In numerous 

 places, the only spots of arable land are narrow strips gained 

 from the lakes ; and land long cultivated presents very frequently 



