STUDY IV. 231 



the mountains of Beotia, and communicates them, 

 undoubtedly, to the Euripus, through the moun- 

 tain which feparates them. " It receives," fays 

 he, '' feveral fmall rivers, the Cephifus and others, 

 ** which water that beautiful plain, whofe circiim- 

 " ference is about fifteen leagues, and abounds 

 *' in corn and paftuie. Befides, it was formerly 

 *' one of the moft populous regions of Beotia. 

 *' But the water of this lake, fometimes, fwells fo 

 " violently, by the rains and melted fnows, that it 

 " pnce inundated two hundred villages of the plain. 

 " It would even be capable of producing a regular 

 •' annual inundation, if Nature, afiified, per- 

 *' haps, by Art *, had not contrived for it an out- 



" 1er, 



* Spon, undoubtedly, did not confider what he was faying, 

 when he fuggerted an idea of the poifibiHty of Art affilling Nature 

 in the conftruetion of five fubterranean canals, each ten miles 

 long, through a folid rock. Thefe fubterranean canals are fre- 

 quently met with in mountainous countries, of which I could 

 produce a thoufand inftances. They contribute to the circula- 

 tion of waters, which could not otherwife force a paflage through 

 extended chains of mountains. Nature pierces the rocks, and 

 fends rivers thi"ough the apertures, jufl as flie has pierced feveral 

 of the bones of the human body, for the purpofe of tranfmit- 

 ting certain veins. I leave to the Reader the profecution of this 

 new idea. I have faid enough to convince him, that this Globe 

 is not the produéVion of diforder or chance. 



I fliall conclude thefe obfervations, with a refledion refpeft- 

 ing the two Travellers, whom I have been quoting : it may, 

 perhaps, have a good moral efFed:. Spon was a Frenchman, and 



Q 4 George 



