ON THE UNIVERSAL DELUGE. 438 



4000 feet, as well as in the plains of the north of Europe, 

 at a great distance from their original position, and con- 

 cerning whose coming hither so much light has lately 

 been thrown by Messrs Buch and Escher, are a very 

 probable proof of these debacles ; while every circum- 

 stance renders it evident that these blocks were swept 

 along by the currents thus created, to the place where 

 they are now found. The Greek writers have also pre- 

 served accounts of such revolutions, which, although not 

 unquestionably authenticated, are yet stamped with the 

 impress of historical testimony. Herodotus has the fol- 

 lowing passages directly relative to the country where 

 the Greeks place their second or Deucalionic deluge. 

 " Thessaly must formerly have been an inland sea, sur- 

 rounded by high mountains. On the east it was bound- 

 ed by Pelios and Ossa, whose bases were united ; on the 

 north by Olympus ; on the west by Pindus ; and on the 

 south by Othrys. Thessaly lay in the midst of these 

 mountains in the form of a basin, into which, in conjunc- 

 tion with other copious streams, the five well-known rivers, 

 the Peneus, the Apidanus, the Orochomenus, the Eni- 

 peus, and the Pamisos, emptied themselves. These rivers, 

 which are collected in their basin from the mountains 

 which encompass Thessaly, after their junction under the 

 name of Peneus, in which they lose their former appella- 

 tion, open towards the sea through a narrow valley. 

 According to tradition, this valley and opening did not 

 formerly exist ; so that the rivers and the Lake Brebeis, 

 which did not formerly bear these names, having their 

 confluence in this place, rendered the whole of Thessaly 

 an inland sea. The Thessalians affirm that Neptune 

 opened the valley for the passage of the river Peneus, 



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