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weftern flanks, which he inftances in the Swedifh and Norwegian 

 mountains, the Alps, the Caucafian, the Appcnine and Ouralian 

 mountains ; but the declivities bearing a fouthern or northern 

 afped he does not mention. 



La Metherie, in the 4th vol. of his Theory of the Earth, of 

 which the fecond edition appeared in 1797, a work which abounds 

 in excellent obfervations, p. 38 1 ,* produces numerous inftances 

 of the inequality of the eaftern and weftern declivities, but fcarce 

 any of the northern and fouthern, w^hofe difference he does not 

 feem to have noticed, but he makes a remark which I have not 

 feen elfewhere, that the coafts of different countries, prefent 

 fimilar declivities. 



With regard to eaftern and weftern afpeds he thinks that a 

 different law has obtained in Africa from that which has been 

 obferved in other countries, for in that vaft peninfula he imagines 

 the eaftern declivities of mountains are the fteepeft and the 

 weftern the gentleft. Of this however he adduces no other proof 

 but that the greateft rivers are found on the weftern fide; this 

 proof feems infulBcient, as, if mountains be fituated far in- 

 land, great rivers may flow indifcriminately from any fide of them, 

 and fometimes few rivers flow even from the fide whofe defce'nt 

 is moft moderate, for inftance, from the eaftern fide of the moun- 

 tains of Syria ; the Elbe and the Oder, two of greateft rivers in 



Gerniany, 



* It is to be regretted that he fcarce ever quotes bis authorities. 



