500 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE 



^'^ 



perficies of the fea Is thereby diminifiied, and that 



fuperficies is rendered lefs convex than it would 



be if the fea were fhallower. Thefe proportions 



are both capable of ftrid mathematical demon 



ftration. Hence the taking away of any particle 



of matter from the top of a mountain tends to di- 



niinilh the curvature of the horizontal furface un- 



d the 



11 of 



der the mountain, whe 



ft 



depofition of the fame particle at the bottom 

 the fea, tends to increafe the'curvature of this 



; general ten- 

 afe the curva- 



Th 



fuperficies where it is leaft. 

 dency, therefore, being to i 

 ture. where it is leaft, and to diminifti it where it 

 is greateft, muft be to bring about an uniform 

 curvature throughout, that is, a fpherical figure. 

 Thus, by the wafte and fubfequent ftratification 

 of the land, the diredion of gravity is continu- 

 ally altered ; it is more and more concentrated, 

 and the figure brought nearer to that which a 

 fluid would aftume. 



r 



43S. If now we fuppofe the body to revolve on 

 its axis, all other things remaining as before, the 

 furface bounding the fea will become different 

 from what it was in the former cafe, and will be 



F 



more fwelled out toward the middle or equatorial 



Ik 



regions. The land above the level of the fea will 

 ftill, as before, be worn down and depofited in 

 the bottom of the fea, fo as to form ftrata nearly 

 parallels *o ^^s furface i the tendency, therefore. 



r 



> 



\ 



: < 



^i 



IS 



f. 



