do mifchief to the land ; or, at leaft, {hall 

 (: never correct its ill qualities. 



At all times, when governments have 



taken thefe different objects into confider- 



: ation, we have feen entire countries change 



: their face. What have not the Dutch 



' done, by damming out the fury of the fea, 



c and fecuring themfelves from inundations, 



; with which they are inceffantly threaten- 



i ed ? How many lakes and marfhes have 



' been happily drained ? In China, we fee 



" two of their fineft provinces gained from 



" the fea, by the induftry of the inhabitants. 



; (Thefe two provinces are called Kiang-nan 



" and Iche-kiang. Their fertility is extraor- 



" dinary.) 



" In Perfia, on the contrary, a dry coun- 

 " try, where the land requires being water- 

 " ed, what efforts are made, and with what 

 " fuccefs, for conducting ftreanis of water ? 

 " Among that nation, if any one has the ait 

 " of conducting water, or fountains, in any 

 " place where it never was before, he has the 

 " enjoyment of the advantages of it for five 

 " generations. The charge of fuperintend- 

 " ing the water was, among the Perfians, the 

 " moil important in the ftate. All thefe ex- 



" amples 



