The Natural Hiflory PartKli 



great Inundations of the Sea ; which, 

 furioufly rufliing forth, and overflow- 

 ing the adjacent Territories, bore thefe 

 Bodies out upon the Earth along with 

 it : but returning at length more lei- 

 furely and calmly back again, it left 

 them all behind. 



Many were of Opinion, that the 

 Sea frequently flitted and changed its 

 place : that (everal parts of the Globe 

 which are now dry Land, and habita- 

 ble, lay heretofore at the bottom of the 

 Sea, and were covered by it: that par- 

 ticularly the very Countries, which 

 prefent us with thefe Spoils of it, were 

 anciently in its pofleffion ; being then 

 an Habitation of Sharks and other 

 Fifhes : of Oyfters, Cockles, and the 

 like ; but the Sea, in tra£t of time, re- 

 treating thence, and betaking it felf in- 

 to nev/ Quarters: gaining as much 

 ground on the oppofite Coafl:s, as it 

 lofl: upon thofe, left thefe Shells there 

 as Marks of its ancient bounds and 

 Icat. 



Amongft ths reft there were indeed 



fome who believed thefe to be Remains 

 of the General Deluge, and Co many 

 Monuments of that calamitous and fa- 

 tal Irruption, lliefe lali alfuredly 



were 



