239 
der to pass from to the continent. But what is still more 
remarkable, the priest positively asserts, that Athens 
existed at the time of the Atlantidis, and that the Athe- 
nians led their fleets against the conquering Atlantidis. 
Now, according to the modern author's system, it re- 
sults, notwithstanding his commentary, that in the times 
of the Atlantidis, neither the straits of Gibraltar nor 
Athens existed, as the one was not yet open, and the 
other, with all the plains of Greece, was still submerged 
by the waters of the Mediterranean, which only disclo- 
sed it to burst through the straits, and swallow up 
the Atlantidis. How was it then possible that the Athe- 
nians, whose country did not exist, could oppose them- 
selves to the ambition of the Atlantidis? How could 
the fleets of either enter or leave the Mediterranean, 
which, according to the author's supposition, was at 
that time nothing but a lake closed up on all sides, and 
without communication with any other seas. 1 refer 
to the scientifical part of my African journey the detail- 
ed discussion of this subject. 
If we have shown that the Sahhara was a sea long after 
the last grand deluge of the globe, it will follow, that its 
surface, being but little elevated above the level of the 
sea, must form a kind of large bason, into which the 
waters, that fell as rain on the surrounding countries, 
pour themselves. It is besides probabie, that in the 
centre of Africa there would remain a great lake, or me- 
diterranean sea, like the Caspian sea in Asia, which 
would be an incontestable proof of the retreat of the 
Atlantic sea from the Sahhara. 
I have proved the little elevation of the Sahhara above 
the level of the sea^ from the rivers which, after their 
