195 



It is from this, that the Ethiopians assume to them- 

 selves a share of credit, iu saying that Egypt is in- 

 debted to them for its origin.* 



It is to this, that Peiresc and Colonne predicted 

 that Venice would, one day, be united to the continent. 



To the same cause, Ifircker and others attribute the 

 formation of the alluvial district at the mouth of the 

 Tiber ; and to the same also, Piganiol imputes the for- 

 mation of the alluvial grounds, by the Vidourle and 

 Vistre. 



From this cause, it is alleged, that the plains of 

 llpussillon have been formed at the southern extremity 

 of the Pyrennees,f and it is from this process, which 

 is supposed to be in active operation in those moun- 

 tains, that Louis the XIV. was led to observe to his 

 little son, that the time would arrive, when the Py- 

 rennees would be reduced to a level with the vallies, 

 or in other words, that posterity would one day say, 

 the Pyrennees no longer exist.f 



It is pretended by some, and I have even heard it 

 alleged, that this was not the true intent and meaning 

 of the expression of Louis to his son : but, on the 

 contrary, (as at that time it was hoped and expected 

 that Spain would one day be united to France,) that 

 the Pyrennees would no longer exist as a boundary 

 between the two countries. 



* Mineral de Pyrennees, by Palassau. 



t Palassau, Mineral de Pyrennees, page 302. J Do p. 87. 



