80 THE WONDERFUL CENTURY. CHAP. ix. 



condensation on every side of the mountains would leave 

 a partial vacuum which would set up currents from 

 every direction to restore the equilibrium, thus bring- 

 ing in more super-saturated air to suffer condensation 

 and add its supply of water, again increasing the in- 

 draught of more air. The result would be that winds 

 would be constantly blowing toward every mountain 

 range from all directions, keeping up the condensation 

 and discharging, day and night and from one year's end 

 to another, an amount of water equal to that which falls 

 during the heaviest tropical rains. The whole of the 

 rain that now falls over the whole surface of the earth 

 and ocean, with the exception of a few desert areas, 

 would then fall only on rather high mountains or steep 

 isolated hills, tearing down their sides in huge torrents, 

 cutting deep ravines, and rendering all growth of vege- 

 tation impossible. The mountains would therefore be so 

 devastated as to be uninhabitable, and would be equally 

 incapable of supporting either vegetable or animal life. 



But this constant condensation on the mountains 

 would probably check the deposit on the lowlands in the 

 form of dew, because the continual up-draught toward 

 the higher slopes would withdraw almost the whole of 

 the vapor as it rose from the oceans and other water- 

 surfaces, and thus leave the lower strata over the plains 

 almost or quite dry. And if this were the case there 

 would be no vegetation, and therefore no animal life, on 

 the plains and lowlands, which would thus be all arid 

 deserts cut through by the great rivers formed by the 

 meeting together of the innumerable torrents from the 

 mountains. 



Now, although it may not be possible to determine 



