NATURAL HISTORY. 23 



/tumid, if formerly the bottom of an ocean, be now so 

 i::urh elevated above the waters, and so completely se- 

 parated from them ? 



A little reflection will furnish us with at least plaus- 

 ible solutions. We daily observe the sea gaining ground 

 on certain coasts, and losing it on others. The ocean 

 has a general and uniform motion from east to west ; 

 there are whole provinces which human industry can 

 hardly defend from the fury of the wares, and there 

 are islands which have but lately emerged from the 

 waters, and regular inundations. History too informs 

 us of inundations and deluges of a more extensive na- 

 ture. Should not all this convince us, that the surface 

 of the earth has undergone very great revolutions, and 

 that the sea may have given up the greater part of the 

 ground which she formerly possessed? Lot us suppose 

 for example, that the old r.nd new worlds were for- 

 merly but one continent, and that, by a violent earth- 

 quake, the ancient Atalantis of Plato was sunk. 

 What would be the consequence? The sea would rush 

 in from all quarters, and from what is now called the 

 Atlantic Ocean, and vast continents would of conse- 

 quence be left dry. This great, revolution might be 

 effected by the sudden failure of some immense cavern 

 in the interior part of the globe, and an universal de- 

 luge would infallibly succeed. I am inclined however 

 to think, that to effect such a revolution would require 

 a very long period. Be these conjectures as they 

 may, it is certain that the revolution has happened, 

 and I believe that it has happened naturally. It is a 

 well-authenticated fact, that the ocean has a constant 

 motion from east to west; which motion, like the 

 trade-winds, is not only perceived between the tropics 

 hut through the whole temperate climates, and as near 



