98 HISTORY OF 



the spoils of the continent. Mariners assure us, that there are 

 sometimes whole plains unrooted from the main lands, by Hoods 

 and tempests. These being carried out to sea, with all their 

 trees and animals upon them, are frequently seen floating in the 

 ocean, and exhibiting a surprising appearance of rural tranquil- 

 lity in the midst of danger. The greatest part, however, hav- 

 ing the earth at their I'oots 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 stuck 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 have accounts of others, that the same causes 

 have contributed to destroy. We have already seen the power 

 of earthquakes exerted in sinking 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 inhabi- 

 tants 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 of Cea, for thirty 

 miles, having been washed away, with several thousands of its 

 inhabitants. But of all the noted devastations of this kind, the 

 total submersion of the island of Atalantis, as mentioned by 

 Plato, has been most the subject of speculation. Mankind, in 

 general, now consider the whole of his description as an ingenious 

 fable ; but when fables are grown famous by time and authority, 

 they become an agreeable, if not a necessary, part of literary in- 

 I'ormation. 



" About nine thousand years are passed," says Plato," " since 

 the island of Atalantis was in being. The priests of Egypt 

 were well acquainted with it ; and the first heroes of Athens 

 gained much glory in their wars with the inhabitants. This 

 island was as large as Asia Minor and Syria united ; and was 

 situated beyond the Pillars of Hercules, in the Atlantic ocean. 

 The beauty of the buildings, and the fertility of the soil, were 

 far beyond any thing a modern imagination can conceive : gold 



1 Pausanias, I. 8. in Arcad. p. 505. 



2 Plato in Critiu. 



