21 



Sacred Volume contains, has been more implicitly 

 obeyed than that which says of the limits of the ocean, 

 " hitherto shalt thou come and no farther,"* or in 

 other words, thou shalt come here and no farther, and 

 here shall thy proud waves be stayed. 



But, lest my opinion should be considered as not 

 only groundless, but opposed to numerous circum- 

 stances which tend directly to prove a contrary opi- 

 nion ; 1 shall take a superficial view of the subject, and 

 ofl'cr a few remarks in support of my assertions. 



It will readily be admitted that considerable ad- 

 vances have been made, by alluvial formations, in 

 various parts of the world, on the ancient limits of the 

 ocean ; at the same time, it will not be denied, that 

 considerable inroads have been made on the land in 

 different parts of the world, by the raging or overflow- 

 ing of the sea. Many places have suddenly, or gra- 

 dually disappeared from above the surface of the 

 ocean, and many have as suddenly, or as gradually, 

 risen above the surface. Numerous cases of this kind 

 could be enumerated if it were necessary ; however, a 

 few facts, it is presumed, will suffice in the present 

 case. 



The alluvial district on the Atlantic coast of Ame- 

 rica, is, perhaps, as large as that which skirts the 

 margin of any country in the known world ; the rea- 

 sons of which will be hereafter assigned. 



* Job Chap. 38, verse llth.- Chap. 26, verse 10th, Jere- 

 miah 5, 22d. 



