W A T E Pv AND THE OCEAN 



> 



rivers, have likewife their fources in mild and temperate climates, 

 and the main diredion of their courfe is from South to North ; and 

 the coaft of the Northern ocean,, not reckoning its fuiuofities, runs 



The fmall 



which are formed 



in general Weft and Eaft. 



in high latitudes, have, properly fpeaking, no fources, no fprings, 



^ ■ 



but carry off only the. waters generated, by the melting of fnov/ in 

 fpring, and by the fall' of rain in the fhort fummer, and are for 

 the o-reatefl part dry in autumn. And the reafon of this phsenor 

 menon is obvious, after confidering the conflitution of the earth 



climates. At Yakutfk, in about 6z' 



m thofe high Northern 

 North latitude,, the foil 



.lly frozen, even in the height 



tne 



of fummer, at the depth of three feet from the furface. In 

 years 1685 and 1686, an attempt was made to dig a well ; and a 



_ 



man,, by great and indefatigable labour, continued during two 



fummer-feafons, fucceeded fo far in this labor 



tafk, that he 



laft reached. the depth of 91 feet ; but the whole earth at this depth 



no water, which forced him to defift 



was frozen*, and he met with 



from fo frultlefs an attempt *. And it is eafy to infer from hence, 

 how impolTible it is, that fprings fhould be formed in the womb of 



ernally frozen foil. B 



now compare 



with 



the 



fituatioa of the pretended unknown Auflral lands. 



The coaft of 



J 



»► 



J 



h 



* Gmelin's Voyage to Siblria. vol. 2. p. 520 — 523 



ICE. 



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