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sea must have risen sixteen palms since that pavement was laid. 

 The existence of two pavements of different dates shows further 

 that great changes of level took place before the present temple was 

 built : but Signor Nicolini goes further, he advances a confident 

 opinion that the level of the Mediterranean, in relation to the land, is 

 even now changing. 



In support of this doctrine, he not only refers to the phaenomena 

 of the temple of Serapis, but points out others in its neighbour- 

 hood, all tending to the same conclusion : he states, that in the year 

 1808 he spent ten days or more in sketching at this spot, and never 

 once saw the pavement flooded, whereas during the last five years he 

 has never once found it dry; that in 1790 the old road near the 

 Serapeum being subject to be flooded, a new one was made at a 

 higher level; and that at the commencement of the new road there 

 is now visible, two palms below the sea level, the pavement of an 

 old landing-place; that boats now pass near the promontory of 

 Puzzoli over a mass of tufa, which derived its name of " The Table," 

 from having been formerly used as such by sea-faring people ; 

 that the ground floor of the Aspizio dei Capuccini is now under 

 water ; and that near Pizzo Falcone modern marks are seen on the 

 tufa many inches under the level of the sea at low water. 



Before I quit this branch of the subject, I would wish to suggest 

 to future visitors of this temple, the following topics of inquiry. 



What parts of the building have undergone repair? Can the date 

 of these repairs be deduced from the nature of the materials em- 

 ployed, or the character of the workmanship ? 



Where is the pavement out of level, and to what amount? Are 

 the subsided parts under the lines of thoroughfare, or can their sink- 

 ing be traced to imperfect construction? Is the foundation such as 

 an architect would call secure? Does it stand on stratum No. 6 of 

 Mr. Babbage's section ? 



Were there roofs to the bath-rooms ? 



Would the fragments No. 6, 7, 8, form one column, or more than 

 one ? Was the original number of large (cipollino) columns greater 

 than four ? 



Is the tufaceous deposit on No. 7 the same as that on the walls? 



Are all the water lines horizontal ? 



Brick-work is found in the strata which buried the temple. What 

 is the character of this brick-work ? Is it reticulated ? 



Draw up a detailed and exact account of the strata. 



What is the nature of the thermal spring? Evaporate a few 

 gallons of the water, and send the deposit to the Society. 



The plan which accompanies Mr. Babbage's paper being copied 

 from that of Jorio, it is desirable, in order to prevent confusion and 

 save expense, that this plan, with the numbers attached to it, should 

 be adopted in any future description. 



In the concluding part of the paper, Mr. Babbage proceeds to 

 show in what manner existing causes may possibly elevate conti- 

 nents and mountain ranges, and a similar train of reasoning seems to 

 have presented itself to Mr. De la Beche's mind about the same 



