The Natural Bijlory 



not encroach upon the Earth, nor the 

 Earth gain ground of the Sea. That 

 there never were any Iflands, or other 

 confiderable parcels of Land, amafled 

 or heap'd up : nor any enlargement, or 

 addition of Earth made to the Conti- 

 nent, by the Mud that is carried down 

 into the Sea by Rivers. That although 

 the Ancients were almoft unanimoufly 

 of Opinion that thole Parts, where 

 Egypi^ now is, were formerly Sea : and 

 that a very confiderable portion of that 

 Country was recent, and formed out 

 of the Mud difcharged into the neigh- 

 bouring Sea by the iV/'/e^ that yet this 

 tra8: of Land had no fuch Rife, but is 

 as old, and of as long a ftanding, as 

 a^j upon all the whole Continent of 

 K^frka : and hath been in much the 

 fame Natural Condition, that it is at 

 this day, ever fmce the time of the 

 Deluge ; its Shores being neithe^^ ad* 

 vanced one jot further into the Sea for 

 this three or four thoufand Years, nor 

 its Surface railed by additional Mud 

 depofed upon it by the yearly Inunda- 

 tions of the N^/e. That neither the 

 Palus M^otis^ nor the Euxine^ nor any 

 other Seas, fill up, or by degrees grow 

 ii;iallower. That SalmjdeJJm^ Themi^ 



