501 



of land, to the isles of Lobos and Coche. The 

 partial retreat of the waters on the coast of Cu- 

 niana * is incontestable, and the bottom of the 

 sea has been raised -f* at several epochs, by the 

 effect of earthquakes ; but these local pheno- 

 nomena, already so difficult to explain by the 

 action of volcanic force, the changes in the di- 

 rection of currents, and the swelling of the 

 waters which are the necessary consequences, 

 are still far removed from the effects which are 

 manifested at once on several hundred square 

 leagues. 



5. Group of the Mountains of Parime. It 

 is essential to mineralogical geography to de- 

 signate by one name the whole of the moun- 

 tains that form one system. In order to attain 

 this end, a denomination which belongs only to 

 a partial groupe, might be extended over the 

 whole chain ; or a name employed, not suscep- 

 tible by its novelty of giving rise to homogenic 

 mistakes. We know how confused the orogra- 

 phy of the interior of Asia has remained, from the 

 obstinacy with which the vague names of Mus- 

 tag, properly called Mussur, have so long been 

 preserved. The mountaineers designate every 



* Vol. iii, p. 184. 

 + Vol. ii, p. 220. Compare also Bollingbroke, Voyage 

 to Demerary, p. 201. Ideas of the progressive and con- 

 tinued heaving-up of the land prevails also in Sweden and 

 the Molucca islands. 



