HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



153 



they, who have fo exaggerated the lakes of America, 

 had forgotten the nature of their own continent. The 

 lake of Chapalla, which, in the geographical maps, is 

 honoured with the magnificent name of Mare Chapalli- 

 cum, or fea of Chapalla, which we have alfo feen and 

 coafted round three times, is hardly a hundred miles in 

 circumference. But if the rivers Don, Wolga, Boryft- 

 henes, Danube, Oder, and others of the ancient conti- 

 nent, though lefs by far than the Maragnon, the river of 

 Plata, that of Maddalena, St. Lawrence, Oroonoko, 

 Miffiffippi, and others of the new world, are neverthe- 

 lefs extremely fufficient, according to what Buffon fays, 

 to form thofe lakes which are fo great, that they have 

 always been efteemed feas, what wonder is it that the 

 monftrous rivers of America make fmaller lakes and 

 marines ? Mr. de Paw fays, that thofe lakes appear re- 

 ceptacles of water, which have not yet been able to 

 hTue from thofe places formerly overflowed by a vio- 

 lent agitation given to all the terraqueous globe. The 

 numerous volcanos of the Andes, or American Alps, 

 and of the hills of Mexico, and the earthquakes which 

 are inceflantly felt in one part or other of thofe Alps, 

 let us fee that that land is not yet at repofe even in our 

 day. But if that violent agitation was general over the 

 terraqueous globe, how came the lands of Peru and 

 Mexico to be inundated, which are fo highly elevated 

 above the level of the fea, as BufFon and de Paw both 

 confefs, and not the lands of Europe, which are fo very 

 much lower ? Whoever has obferved the flupendous 

 elevation of the inland countries of America, 'will not 

 eafily perfuade himfelf that the water could rife fo as to 

 cover them without inundating Europe. Befides, we 

 may alfo fay, that Vefuvius, Etna, Hecla, and the nu- 

 Vol. III. X merous 



