m 



These two alluvial banks so uniformly accompanying 

 each other, upon almost all rivers of any magnitude, 

 where there is an alluvial formation upon their borders, 

 constitute the only, yet unequivocal indications, at 

 least, of two general deluges over this part of the con- 

 tinent ; and to which I alluded in a former part of this 

 essay. 



I say general ; the one was probably such ; the other 

 may have been partial ; that is, not rising to so great 

 a height as to cover the highest mountains, or even the 

 highest hills. These two deluges happened at two 

 different epochs, probably, not very remote from each 

 other. 



But the circumstances that favour the opinion of a 

 north east and south west current is, that, in general, 

 the alluvial banks on the north and east sides of the 

 rivers are considerably the widest, with few excep- 



ocean, may be two or three hundred feet, and these are. called the 

 sand nil's, when we find ourselves on the entrance of a vast plain, 

 generally level, which extends west sixty or seventy miles, rising 

 gently, as the former, but more perceptibly." 



Thirdly, " The next ascent, or flight, is of much greater, and 

 more abrupt elevation, and continues rising by broken ridges and 

 narrow levels, or vales, for ten or fifteen miles, when we rest again 

 on another extensive nearly Ifvd plain of pine forests, mixed with 

 various other forest trees, which continues west forty or fifty miles 

 farther." Bartram's Travels, page 28, SO and SI. 



These plains are represented as being composed, (at the sur- 

 face at least,) of sand and small gravel; and while their existence 

 affords a powerful support to my opinion, they likewise prove the 

 striking correspondencies that prevail in the general and promi- 

 nent features of those two immense districts. 



