282 



which once gradually collected at the bottom of 

 that ocean. 



A long conversation followed, but I cannot 

 trust myself to write it ; it principally turned on 

 the wonderful changes that have taken place 

 in the level of the ocean. What extraordinary 

 causes could have lowered it to its present level, 

 or else have raised up the land out of its bosom ? 

 If the land has really subsided, what can 

 have become of the enormous quantity of water 

 which once flowed round the tops of the loftiest 

 mountains ? These questions, he said, have 

 long engaged the attention of philosophers, and 

 many ingenious theories and fanciful supposi- 

 tions have been advanced to solve them. He 

 slightly mentioned some of them ; but merely 

 to gratify our curiosity, strongly advising us to 

 repress our anxiety about causes till we were 

 in possession of facts. 



2Sth. CANADA EXTRACTS. 



" Loghouse, April 5th. You can scarcely 

 conceive, when I saw your handwriting, the 

 thrill of delight it gave me your letter was a 

 real feast I could not sleep that night, from 

 the fulness of my head and heart. 



" The snow, I am told, continues later this 

 year than usual ; in some places it was three 

 feet deep, and is still deep, though it has gone 



