THE RIVER DORDOGJfE. 



T53 



fomeljmes takes place during very hard frod?, when the cold 

 has diminilhed the waters by the formation of much ice; 

 but this happens very feldom, and has never been more than 

 three times, in feverai ages. 



There is a maximum of depreffion in the waters neceflTary The manners- 

 to its appearance ; Wherefore the mariners in the neighbour- ^^^^^f^^^ ^j^^ ' 

 hood of Bourdeaux are in the habit of talking of it fome- bwnels of the 

 what in this manner, ** The waters have fallen fo much, the '■'^^''» 

 tide will encreafe to day to fuch a height, we ftiall have a 

 Mafcaret", and they load their barks accordingly, and take 

 precautions to avoid it. The mancEuvres of thefe mariner'? 

 have caufed fome naluralifts in the vicinity of Bourdeaux to 

 obferve long fince, that this phenomenon mud depend on a 

 natural caufe, conne6ted with the bed of the river, fince thefe 

 men can foretel, without being fcarcely ever miftaken, by the 

 depreffion of the water, whether the Mafcaret (liall appear 

 or not, although fometimes it has not appeared before for fome 

 years, becaufe the rains have prevented the waters from di- 

 min idling to the necefTary degree. 



No one has yet tried to explain the caufe of this fingular no account of 

 faa, not even M. Condamine, or if there be any works on the jjj^f""^^ °[^^ 

 fubje6t, they are unknovvn to the author though his ftudies have publjlhed. 

 been particularly direfled in the line where fuch information 

 might occur, and he has read much. In order to enable others 

 to account for the fa6ts, he mentions thofe which relate to it fuch 

 as he has himfelf feen, and fuch as he has been told have been 

 witneflTed for feverai ages. 



In the furaraer, or, more properly fpeaking, when the waters 

 are low, there appears at a little diftance from the jun6ilon of 

 the Dordogne with the Garonne, or at Bee d'Ambes, an ac-Itconfifts of an 

 cumulation of water, like a promontory, on the Hiore, which accumulation of 



• r I • 1 i- r 1 r r II Water, which 



IS from the thicknefs of a ton to that of a fmall houfe, and appears firft at 

 which rolls along with fuch velocity that no horfe, whatever ^^ d'Ambes, 

 might be his fpeed, could keep up with it. It follows the «"<! ruftes up 

 direftion of the fiiore, and makes a moft frightful noife. The gjeatvelo^ity^, 

 h®rfes and oxen, which feed in the meadows near the river, and a frightful 

 run away with their utmoft fpeed exhibiting the greateft ter- ""''f^ .^ 

 ror ; fo much fo that they remain trembling a long time after, cattle, 

 and cannot be driven back but with much difficulty. The ^"^ ^'^^ "*^*^' 

 ducks and geefe have alfo been feen to precipitate themfelves * 

 into the reeds at its approach, with the grealeft fpeed and af- 

 fright 



