EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. Ixxi 



counter-tides, half-daily, dally, weekly, lunary, half-yearly. 

 Thefe counter-tides fliould have produced others, on the 

 return, at the paffage of iflands ; fo that the Ocean would 

 have been reprefented as a vaft fluid liTuing from each Pole, 

 to make the circuit of the Globe, and forming, on it's 

 fhores, a multitude of counter-currents, and counter-tides, 

 all dependant on the efFufions of one Pole fingly. I fliould 

 have employed for this purpofe the beft authenticated ma- 

 rine Journals. 



It would, then, have been evidently clear, that the bays of 

 Continents, and even of Iflands, are fheltered from the ge- 

 neral Currents ; and I would have demonfl:rated, on the 

 contrary, that the courfe and the diredllon of all rivers are 

 adapted to thofe Currents and thofe tides of the Ocean, in 

 order to accelerate them in certain places, and to retard 

 them in others, jufl: as the courfe of brooks and rivulets is 

 itfelf adapted to the current of rivers, and for the fame end. 



I would have done more ; in order to vindicate Geo- 

 grapy from the charge of drynefs, and to unite the graces 

 which all the kingdoms of Nature communicate to each 

 other, inftead of arrows, I fliould have illuflirated my fub- 

 jecl by figures more analogous to the Seas, and have added 

 new proofs to the theory of thofe polar eff'ufions, by a repre- 

 fentation of feveral fpecies of fifhes of paflTage, which, at 

 certain feafons of the year, refign themfelves to their cur- 

 rents, in order to pafs from tlje one Hemifphere to the 

 other. 



This much is certain, that the principal point of their 

 union, as well from the one Pole as from the other, pre- 



c 4 cifcly 



