[ 294 ] 



furface endlefs to detail (and belonging rather to the na- 

 tural hiftory of its particular geographic divifions than to a 

 general furvey of the whole) but alfo have prepared, by 

 loqfening its bafis, many other changes that took efFed fome 

 centuries after, as I have already hinted ; of thefe however 

 fome are fo important by their connexion either with the paft 

 tranfadions of the inhabitants of the globe, or with the adlual 

 external appearance or fubterraneous ftate of the countries with 

 which we are beft acquainted, that they cannot be totally paffed 

 over in filence ; fuch are the total feparation of Afia from Ame- 

 rica, the coardation of the Baltic, the feparation of the Cafpian 

 from the Black Sea, and the jundion of this with the Mediter- 

 ranean and of the Mediterranean with the Ocean, and laftly, 

 the feparation of Ireland from Britain and of Britain from the 

 Continent. 



These events are either totally omitted by hiftorians, or only 

 flightly mentioned by that hiftory from its mixed nature ftiled 

 fabulous ; in fuch cafes imagination has commonly taken up 

 the pen of the hiftorian, but poflefling neither the inclination 

 nor the talents neceflary for converting natural hiftory into 

 romance^ the account I flball give of them muft be very fhort, 

 and fuch as is fuggefted by the moft probable traditions or 

 adlual appearances. 



I*. Of the feparation of Afia from America wc have no 

 tradititional account j it is certain however that they were once 



joined, 



