AND PARTS ADJACENT. 361 



firm land, is a fpacious, but moderately deep and very 

 fafe harbour. Only in two places is the main fea to 

 be difcerned between the iflands. 



It fhonld feem as if this whole plain about Hieres 

 had formerly been a bay of the fea. M. Bufching, in 

 his geography, fays, that heretofore there was a haven 

 clofe by Hieres ; and that afterwards the fea retired 

 about two thoufand paces. We may eafily guefs what 

 fort of a retreat of the fea this was, as well as thofe 

 perhaps which are faid to have happened in various 

 other places. The bay was very fhallow * and has been 

 gradually filled up by the ftones and earth left in it by 

 the river, which fwells to a great height after heavy 

 rains. There is therefore no doubt but the water has 

 retired ; fi nee it was forced back by the earth and the 

 ftones. The like filling' up of fhallow bays, into which 

 rivers flow, rauft necefiarily in procefs of time be lefs 

 frequent ; beoaufe, after fwellings of the rivers many 

 thoufand times repeated, the ftreams flowing into them 

 from the fides, all the (tones and earth on the mores 

 have been carried away, fo that thofe ftreams and ri- 

 vers at prefent have foiid banks. It frill happens, that, 

 after long and heavy rains, or the fudden thawing of 

 the fnow collected on the mountains during the win- 

 ter, the river overflows its banks, and deluges the 

 country round to the height of five or fix feet. But, 

 as it now forces but little quantities of Hones and earth 

 before it in its courfe, fo fuch inundations leave no 

 confiderable tract of land behind. 



Befides this river, here and there are feveral fmall 

 poor ftreams iffuing from the narrow v allies that run 

 between the mountains, which gradually collect into a 



rivulet ; 



