344 ^^ ^^^ Changes of Temperature and Soil 



and the Boryfthenes were uninhabitable on account of the 

 feverity of the cold which prevailed in them. But all that 

 has been traced out of the banks, and even the origin of 

 this river, does not lie beyond the 55th degree of latitude ; 

 confequently is on the fame parallel with the northern part 

 of England and Gerniany, the middle of Lithuania, and the 

 middle of Ruffia. Between thefe two rivers Strabo places 

 alfo the Rhoxolani, who in general are confidered as the 

 anceftors of the Ruffians ; and he adds, that all the diftri6ts 

 farther north were uninhabitable on account of the cold. 

 In another place he fays, that all the northern part of Bri- 

 tain was very thinly peopled on account of the cold, and 

 that he believed all the countries lying beyond it to be un- 

 inhabited. Now no part of Great Britain extends beyond 

 the 60th degree of north latitude; confequently that parallel 

 includes all Norway, almoft the whole of Sweden, and the 

 half of Ruffia. Thcfc countries, therefore, in the time of Stra- 

 bo, that isj about the period of Auguftus, were confidered as 

 uninhabited. The ancients, in general, fpeak of ail the land^ 

 which lay beyond the 55th degree of north latitude as filled 

 with lakes, morafles, ice, fnow, and fogs, almoft like thofe 

 countries to the north of Hudfon's Bay. 



Thefe, in my opinion, are fufficicnt and unqucftionable 

 proofs of the exccffive feverity which prevailed 3000 years 

 ago in the climate of thofe countries of Europe King between 

 the latitude of 44° and 50^ north latitude, and fully eftablilh 

 the difference between the ftate of their temperature in thofti 

 periods and what it is at prefent. The more northern lands, 

 which the ancients, on account of their unfupportable cold, 

 confidered as uninhabitable ; Iceland, Norwav, Lapland^ 

 and the northern part of Ruffia and Siberia, are habitable, 

 and inhabited at prefent, as is well known, though exceed- 

 ingly cold. The ancients alfo fpeak of effects produced by 

 the cold of winter in Italy, Greece, Lefler Afia, See. which 

 at prefent are certainly unknown. The foil of the latter 

 countries, as well as tiiat of the ancient AlTyria, Chaldea, 



Palcllinc, 



