i6 



m that direction ; and it is as probable as other- 

 wise, that this progression continues to the 

 pole itself, if land extend so far. The centre 

 of the frozen zone, then, may be the acme of 

 their vigour, as that of the torrid is to the ele- 

 phant. Thus nature seems to have drawn a 

 belt of separation between these two tremen- 

 dous animals, the breadth of which belt, in- 

 deed, is not so precisely known, though at 

 present we may suppose it about 6f degrees of 

 latitude ; to have assigned to the elephant the 

 regions south of these confines, and those north 

 to the mammoth, founding the constitution of 

 the one in extreme heat, and that of the other 

 in the extreme of cold. When the Creator 

 has therefore separated their nature as far as 

 the extent of the scale of animal life allowed 

 to this planet would permit, it seems perverse 

 to declare it the same, from a partial resem- 

 blance of the tusks and bones. But to what- 

 ever animal we may ascribe these remains, it is 

 certain, that such an one existed in America, 

 and that it was the largest of all terrestrial beings 

 of which any traces have been known to ap- 

 pear." Such are the conclusions of the inge- 

 nious author of ^^ JSCotes on Virginia y 



