[ 3^° 1 



Mutavere fltum, rupit confinia Nercus 

 Vidor, & abfciffo interluit asquore montes. Claudian. De 

 Rapt. Pro/erp. Lib. i. 



The fteep abrupt coafts from Genoa to Leghorn, defciibed by 

 Fcrber in his twenty-fecond letter, muft be afcribed to the rupture 

 of the ftrata, as tides, fcarcely fenfible in this fea, cannot be even 

 fufpeded of having aded fo powerfully upon them. The rapi- 

 dity of the Rhone and of moft of the rivers that fall into this 

 fea on the European fide alfo indicate the great inclination of 

 the ftrata of the interior countries towards it, a natural confe- 

 quence of the depreflion of their primitive fupport. The moun- 

 tains of Swifferland difcover alfo veftages of a fhock on the fouth 

 eaft, as I have already noticed, the detail of which I leave to the 

 many excellent geologifts of that country. 



The communication of the Euxine with the Ocean by means 

 of the Mediterranean being thus formed, its level gradually fub- 

 lided, the canal which joined it with the Cafpian dried up; as 

 few great rivers fall into this (only the Wolga and the Ural) it 

 was foon reduced by evaporation to its prefent level, which is faid 

 to be lower than that of any other fea, and thus the fait , deferts 

 that border it, were formed, and its feparation from the Aral ef- 

 feded. 



5« The 



