TRAVELS IN 
where was a lake and fink which received and gave 
vent to its waters. 
The fountain, however, gradually ceafed to over- 
flow, and finally withdrew itfelf beneath the com- 
mon furface of the earth, leaving this capacious ba- 
fon of waters* which, though continually near full^ 
hath never fince overflowed. There yet remains, 
and will, 1 fuppofe, remain for ages, the dry bed of 
the river or canal, generally four, five, and fix feet 
below the natural furface of the land ; the perpendi- 
cular, ragged banks of which, on each fide, (how 
the different ftrata of the earth ; and at places, where 
ridges or a fwelling bank croffed and oppofed its 
courfe and fury, are va.fi heaps of fragments of 
rocks, white chalk, fcones, and pebbles, which were 
coliedted and thrown into the lateral vallies, until 
the main ftream prevailed over and forced them 
afide, overflowing the levels and meadows, for fome 
miles diftance from the principal firearm, on either 
fide. We continued down the great vale, along its 
banks, Quite to the favanna and lake where it vent- 
ed itfelfl, while its ancient fubterranean channel was 
gradually opening, which, I imagine, from fome hid- 
den event or caufe had been choaked up, and which* 
we may fuppofe, was the immediate caufe of the 
eruption. 
In the evening, having gained our encampment* 
on a graffy knoll or eminence, under the cover of 
fpreading oaks, jufi by the grotto or fink of the lake 5 
which lay as a fparlding gem on the flowery bo- 
form of the ample favanna * our roving aflbciates 
foc^n came in from ranging the forefis. We conti- 
nued our encampment at this place for feveral days* 
ranging around the delightful country to a great dif- 
tance,, 
