THE EARTH. 



39 



every day more difficult, and will, at one time 

 or other, be totally obstructed. The same 

 may be remarked with regard to the Wolga, 

 which has at present seventy openings into 

 the Caspian sea; and of the Danube, which 

 has seven into the Euxine. We have had an 

 instance of the formation of a new island not 

 very long since at the mouth of the Humber, 

 in England. " It is yet within the memory of 

 man,' r says the relater,* " since it began to 

 raise its head above the ocean. It began its 

 appearance at low water, for the space of a 

 few hours, and was buried again till the next 

 tide's retreat. Thus successively it lived and 

 died, until the year 1666, when it began to 

 maintain its ground against the insult of the 

 waves, and then first invited the aid of human 

 industry. A bank was thrown about its rising 

 grounds, and being thus defended from the 

 incursions of the sea, it became firm and so- 

 lid, and, in a short time, afforded good pas- 

 turage for cattle. It is about nine miles in 

 circumference, and is worth to the proprietor 

 about eight hundred pounds a year. 1 " It would 

 be endless to mention all the islands that have 

 been thus formed, and the advantages that 

 have been derived from them. However, it 

 is frequently found, that new islands may of- 

 ten be considered as only turning the ri- 

 vers from their former beds ; so that in pro- 

 portion as land is gained at one part, it is lost 

 by the overflowing of some other. 



Little, therefore, is gained by such acces- 

 sion; nor is there much more by the new is- 

 lands which are sometimes formed from the 

 spoils of the continent. Mariners assure us. 

 that there are sometimes whole plains unroot- 

 ed from the main lands, by floods and tem- 

 pests. These being carried out to sea, with 

 all their trees and animals upon them, are 

 frequently seen floating in the ocean, and ex- 

 hibiting a surprising appearance of rural tran- 

 quillity in the midst of danger. The greatest 

 part, however, having the earth at their roots 

 at length washed away, are dispersed, and their 

 animals drowned; but now and then some 

 arc (bund to brave the fury of the ocean, till 

 being stuck either among rocks or sands, 

 'hoy again take firm footing, and become per- 

 manent islands. 



8 Phil Trans, vol. iv. p. 251. 



As different causes have thus concurred to 

 produce new islands, so we have accounts of 

 others, that the same causes have contributed 

 to destroy. We have already seen the power 

 of earthquakes exerted in sinking whole ci- 

 ties, and leaving lakes in their room. Them 

 have been islands, and regions also, that have 

 shared the same fate ; and have sunk with 

 their inhabitants never more to be heard of 

 Thus Pausanias b tells us of an island called 

 Chryses, that was sunk near Lemnos. Plin; 

 mentions several ; among others, the island 

 of Cea, for thirty miles, having been washed 

 away, with several thousands of its inhabi- 

 tants. But of all the noted devastations of 

 this kind, the total submersion of the island 

 of Atalantis, as mentioned by Plato, has been 

 most the subject of speculation. Mankind, in 

 general, now consider the whole of his de- 

 scription as an ingenious fable ; but when fa- 

 bles are grown famous by time and authority, 

 they become an agreeable, if not a necessary, 

 part of literary information. 



" About nine thousand years are passed," 

 says Plato, " since the island of Atalantis was 

 in being. The priests of Egypt were well 

 acquainted with it; and the first heroes of 

 Athens gained much glory in their wars with 

 the inhabitants. This island was as large as 

 Asia Minor and Syria united; and was situa- 

 ted beyond the Pillars of Hercules, in the At- 

 lantic ocean. The beauty of the buildings, 

 and the fertility of the soil, were far beyond 

 any thing a modern imagination can conceive: 

 gold and ivory were every where common ; 

 and the fruits of the earth offered themselves 

 without cultivation. The arts and the courage 

 of the inhabitants, were not interior to the 

 happiness of their situation; and they were 

 frequently known to make conquests, and 

 overrun the continents of Europe and Asia.'' 

 The imagination of the poetical philosopher 

 riots in the description of the natural and ac- 

 quired advantages, which they long enjoyed 

 in this charming region. " If," says he, " we 

 compare that country to our own, ours will 

 appear a mere wasted skeleton, when oppo- 

 sed to it. Their mountains, to the very tops, 

 were clothed with fertility, and poured down 

 rivers to enrich the plains below/' 



b Pausanias, 1. 8. in Arcad. p. 509- ' Plato in Critia. 

 M 



