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as the tides of the ocean check the currents of rivers. 

 Under such circumstances, thousands of districts 

 would have retained their forest trees entire ; for rains, 

 in continued and incessant torrents will never beat 

 down forests, unless assisted by currents ; whereas, 

 it is said in the appalling decree that every living 

 substance that I have made, will I destroy from off the 

 face of the earth." Hence, we are justified in the 

 conclusion, that currents of inconceivable force and 

 rapidity were not only consequences, but the most 

 efficient agents in the fulfilment of this decree. 



That they flowed from the two poles of the earth 

 is, after viewing all the exising facts, the most rational 

 inference that can be drawn ; and in fact, one that 

 scarcely admits of any other conclusion. 



Uuder these impressions, I shall proceed to obviate 

 the apparent inconsistencies before mentioned, and to 

 examine, still further, the probable consequences of 

 these two powerful and opposite currents. 



I have observed, that from the north pole, there are 

 but two outlets ; the one into the Pacific ocean 

 through the comparatively, narrow channel of Bheer- 

 ing's straits ; the other, through an immense channel, 

 into the Atlantic ocean, between the coasts at Green- 

 land and North Cape on the northern coast of Lap- 

 land. And that these two outlets are situated almost 

 diametrically opposite to each other, on the two sides 

 of the globe. 



Under these circumstances, whether the waters that 

 flowed from the north pole, were the results of the 



