13S THEORY OF THE EARTH. 



now the Olu-Degnitz, and reduced the Hypacyris 

 itself to almost nothing*. We should possess 

 proofs no less strong of the same kind, could we 

 be certain that the Oxus or Sihoun, which at pre- 

 sent discharges itself into the lake Aral, former- 

 ly reached the Caspian Sea. But we are in pos- 

 session of facts sufficiently conclusive on the point 

 in question, without adducing such as are doubt- 

 ful, and without being exposed to the necessity of 

 making the ignorance of the ancients in geo- 

 graphy the basis of our physical propositions, f 



* See the Geography of Herodotus by M. Rennel, p. 56. 

 et seq. ; and the Physical Geography of the Black Sea, &c. 

 by M. Dureau de Lamalle. There is only at present the 

 small river of Kamennoipost, that could represent the Ger- 

 rhus and Hypacyris, such as they are described by Herodo- 

 tus. 



M. Dureau, p. 170, supposes Herodotus to have made the 

 Borysthenes and Hypanis discharge themselves into the Pa- 

 lus Mseotis; but Herodotus (in Melpom. liii.) only says 

 that these two rivers fall together into the same lake, that 

 is, into the Liman, as at the present day. Herodotus does 

 not carry the Gerrhus and Hypacyris any farther. 



t For example, M. Dureau de Lamalle, in his Physical 

 Geography of the Black Sea, quotes Aristotle (Meteor, lib. i. 

 cap. 13.) as " apprising us, that, in his time, there still existed 

 several ancient periods and peripli, attesting that there had 

 been a canal leading from the Caspian Sea into the Palus Mse- 

 otis." Now, Aristotle's words at the place mentioned (Duval's 

 edition,!. 545. B.) are merely these : " From the Paropamisus, 

 descend, among other rivers, the Bactrus, the Choaspes, and 



