332 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE 



L 



Such, then, were the ideas fuggefted to Saufiure 

 by viewing the mountains of the Alps from the 

 higheil of their fiimmits. His great experience 

 his accurate knowledge of the obje6ts before 

 him, and the power he had acquired of diffi- 



pating thofe illufion 



to 



ch, in viewing 



IS 



mountainous tra(fls, the eye is peculiarly fub 

 jed:, all confpire to give great weight to hi 

 opinion. Yet, as this opinion is oppofed 

 that which he himfelf had fo long entertained, 

 before it can be received with perfedl confi- 

 dence, it will require to be verified by new ob- 

 fervations. It feems certain, that the beds of 

 rock here defcribed, differ from all ordinary 

 llrata, both horizontal and vertical, in the cir- 

 cumftance of their vaft thicknefs, three of them 

 being fo large as to form the main body of a 

 mountain. Their parallelifm cannot eafily be 

 afcertained ; and they have at bed but a very 



flight r( 



femblan 



to fuch beds as water is 



known to prod 



P 



97. Their parallelifm is difficult to be afcer- 

 led ; for, on account of the magnitude and in- 

 ^ffibility of the objects, it is impoffible to 

 :e the eve in any fituation, where it fhall 



not be much nearer to 

 whereof the parallelifm i 



part of the pla 



b 



ftimated, than 



to another. Indeed, one can perceive a caufe 



w 



hich 



