[ 25° ] 



thofc whole height over the prefent feas amounts to 8500 or 9000 

 Icct, or more. This height comprehends moft of the Eaftern 

 heights of Siberia, between latitude 49° and 55'', and of the ex- 

 tenfive regions of Great Tartary, Thibet, the defert of Coby 

 or Chamo, and China, reaching in fome places to latitude 35'*, 

 and extending in the Northern parts from the fources of the 

 Irtifh, long. 95°, and in the more Southern from the heads of the 

 Ganges and Bourampooter, long. iio°, Hohanho and Porentfho 

 to long. 190** at the leaft, and perhaps ftill farther into the un- 

 known parts of Eaftern America. 



In Europe only the fummits of the Alps, Pyrenees, and of a 

 few other mountains were uncovered, but in America the nar- 

 row but long chain of the Cordeliers muft have raifed its fummits 

 far above the ocean ; this fad is a neceflary inference from that 

 which I am next to mention. 



The level of the antient ocean being lowered to the height 

 of 8500 or 9000 feet, then and not before, it began to be peopled 

 with j^^. I fliall therefore from its fimilitude to our prefent 

 Jeas henceforward denote it by this denomination, to diftinguith 

 it from the chaotic Jiuiti, whofe compofition was fo different and 

 contained no fifh. 



That the creation of fifli was an event fubfequent to the 

 emerfion of the trads juft mentioned and to the redudion of 



the 



