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II E M A Pv K S ON 'T H % 



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TOR MA- of an ifle between Tercera and St. Michael; if we compare the 



-drata and flrudure of thefe new iiles, and of feme in the x'^tiantic, 

 and the South-Seas ; if we recoiled, that fome of thefe illes have 



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flill volcanos, and that others are ilill fubjecfk to earthquakes j we 



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cannot help fufpeding, that thefe ifles might probably have had the 



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fame origin, by being raifed from the bottom of the ocean by a fire, 

 >or, as I may call it, afub-marine volcano. The O-Taiieiteans 

 and inhitbitants of the Society Illes feem to be very well acquainted 

 with earthquakes. Their mythology acknowledges a God, called 

 "O-Maoowe, whom they think to be the God and Creator of the 

 fiin, and who in his anger fiiakes the earth, and caufes earthquakes; 

 which they exprefs by the phrafe O-Maoowe toorore te 



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;WHENN0A, (i.e.) Maoowe fhakes the earth; w^hich certainly 

 Teems to me to prove, that they are not quite flrangers to this 

 tremendous phenomenon. 



I mufl not alTert that the foregoing obfervations, make it certain 



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'that thefe illes were raifed by earthquakes and fire; but I think the 



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■ opinion probable ; nor do I imagine that all the high ifles, were 

 ;thus thrown up by fire and earthquakes, from the bottom of the 



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ea. Many of them may have exifled before, nay, they have 



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perhaps conflituted greater lands, and were only difmembered 



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the fmking of the intermediate parts : and as we have already once 

 entered into the land of fables and mythology, I mufl beg leave 



to 



