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water, principally that of the fea. It 

 would be fuperfluous to (how, fince it is 

 generally known, that the volcanos fcattered 

 over the globe, and which at prefent throw 

 out fire, are either furrounded by the fea, 

 ot at a fliort diftance from it ; and that 

 thofe which have long fince ccafed to burn 

 are, for the moft part, at a confiderable di- 

 ftance from it. The confervation, and we 

 may likewife fay the origin of thefe fubter- 

 ranean conflagrations, have therefore a 

 fecret relation to the waters of the fea. 

 There is little doubt but thefe waters com- 

 municate by fecret paflages with the fpa- 

 cious caverns and profound depths which 

 exiftj certainly, in burning mountains ; and, 

 though we are not able to difcover this im- 

 mediate communication from without, it 

 is fufficlently vifible by its effed:s ; I mean 

 the fudden retiring of . the fea at the time of 

 the moil violent eruptions, occafioned, pro- ,' 

 bably, by the vail: volume of its waters 

 abforbed in thofe immenfe caverns. One 

 of thefe retirings of the fea, according to 

 the obfervation of Pliny the younger, hap- 

 2 p^ied 



