58 THE HISTORY OF 



made fiom depositions of mud at its opening : it is not less than sixty 

 miles long, and about twenty broad. La Loubeie informs us,* in his 

 voyage to Siam, that these sand-banks increase every day, at the 

 mouths of all the great rivers in Asia : and hence, he asserts, that the 

 navigation up these rivers becomes every day more difficult, and will, 

 at one time or other, be totally obstructed. The same may be re- 

 marked with regard to the Wolga, which has at present seventy open- 

 ings 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," says the relator,t "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 first invited the aid of human industry. A bank was 

 thrown about its rising grounds, and being thus defended from the in- 

 cursions of the sea, it became firm and solid, and, in a short time, 

 afforded good pasturage for cattle. It is about nine miles in circum- 

 ference, and is worth to the proprietor about eight hundred pounds 

 a year." 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 be often 

 considered as only turning the rivers from their former beds ; so that 

 in proportion as land is gained at one part, it is lost by the overflow- 

 ing of some other. 



Little, therefore, is gained by such accessions ; nor is there much 

 more by the new islands which are sometimes formed from the spoils 

 of the continent. Mariners assure us, that there are sometimes whole 

 plains unrooted from the main lands, by floods and tempests. These 

 being carried out to sea, with all the trees and animals upon them, 

 are frequently seen floating in the ocean, and exhibiting a surprising 

 appearance of rural tranquillity in the midst of danger. The great- 

 est part, however, having the earth at their roots at length washed 

 away, are dispersed, and their animals drowned ; but now and then 

 some are found to brave the fury of the ocean, till being struck either 

 among rocks or sands, they again take firm footing, and become per- 

 manent islands. 



As different causes have thus concurred to produce new islands, so 

 we kave accounts of others that the same causes have contributed to 

 destroy. We have already seen the power of earthquakes exerted in 

 Milking whole cities, and leaving lakes in their room. There 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| tells us of an island, called Chryses, that was sunk near 

 Lemnos. Pliny mentions several; among others, the island Cea, for 

 thirty miles, having been washed away, with several thousands of its in- 

 babitants. But of all the noted devastations of this kind, the total 



Tettrcs Curicuses et Edifiantes, sec. xi. p. 234. f Phil. Trans, vol. iv. p. 2^1 



t Tausanias, 1. 8. in A read. p. 500. 



