THE EARTH. I Ca 



Erarce a rock or a fjuirk sand, scarce an inflexion of the shore, or 

 the jutting of a promontory, that has not been minutely describ- 

 ed. But as these present very little entertainment to the ima- 

 •rination, or delight to any but those whose pursuits are lucra- 

 tive, they need not be dwelt upon here. While the merchant 

 and the mariner are solicitous in describing currents and sound. 

 ings, the naturalist is employed in observing wonders, though 

 not so beneficial, yet to him of a much more important nature. 

 The saltness of the sea seems to be foremost. 



Whence the sea has derived that peculiar bitterish saltness 

 which we find in it, appears, by Aristotle, to have exercised the 

 curiosity of naturalists in all ages. He supposed (and mankind 

 were for ages content with the solution) that the sun continu- 

 ally raised dry saline exhalations from the earth, and deposit- 

 ed them upon the sea ; and hence, say his followers, the 

 waters of the sea are more salt at top than at bottom. But, 

 unfortunately for this opinion, neither of the facts is true. 

 Sea-salt is not to be raised by the vapours of the sun ; and sea., 

 water is not salter at the top than at the bottom. Father Bohours 

 is of o])inion, that the Creator gave the waters of the ocean 

 their saltness at the beginning : not only to prevent their cor- 

 ruption, but to enable them to bear greater burthens. But their 

 saltness does not prevent their comiption ; for stagnant sea- 

 water, like fresh, soon grows putrid : and, as for their bearing 

 greater burthens, fresh water answers all the purposes of naviga- 

 tion quite as well. The established opinion, therefore, is that 

 of Boyle,' who supposes, " That the sea's saltness is sup- 

 j)iied not only from rocks or masses of salt at the bottom of 

 the sea, but also from the salt which the rains, and rivers, and 

 other waters, dissolve in their passage through many parts of 

 the earth, and at length carry with them to the sea." But as 

 there is a difference in the taste of rock-salt found at land, and 

 that dissohed in the waters of the ocean, this may be produced 

 by the plenty of nitrous and bituminous bodies that, with the 

 salts, are likewise washed iiito that great receptacle. These 

 .-ubstances being thus once carried to tbe sea, must for ever 

 remain there ; for they do not rise by evaporation so as to be 

 returned buck from whence they came. Nothing but the fresh 



1 ni.ylp^vol. iii. p. --^ai. 



