80 On the Constancy of the Level of the Sea in general , 
and observations of the natives of Otaheite, and of the Moluccas 
and Sunda Islands, regarding the retreat of the sea in several 
parts of their coasts. We are disposed to stand neutral in this 
matter. The geographers * who have collected the greatest 
number of facts relating to the level of the inland seas, and of 
the ocean in its various regions, find nearly as many in favour 
of a rise as in favour of a fall of level. The very distribution 
of contrary indications leads them to believe in a partial dis- 
placement of the mass of waters from one region towards another, 
and even from the one side of an inland sea towards the oppo- 
site side ; a displacement which might be owing to fugitive or 
more or less durable causes, such as a variation of temperature 
in the Polar Regions, the action of winds and of currents, modi- 
fied by the greater or less quantity of water in the rivers that 
feed the different basins, upon the sides opposed to their direc- 
tion. 
Are the facts contained in the memoir in question of a nature 
to overthrow this opinion ? They do not appear so to us. 
The two series of observations which are adduced, only shew a 
fall upon the coasts of Sweden properly so called; that is to say, 
upon the west coast of the Baltic, and the east coast of the 
Cattegat. Two observations only have been made upon the 
coast of Finland, towards the extremity of the Gulf of Bothnia. 
These facts would perfectly accord with the opinion of those who 
think that the currents determined from the north to the south 
of the Baltic by the numerous streams which rush into it, push 
the waters toward the south shore, that of Pomerania, Mecklen- 
bourg, and Holstein, and that the waters consequently gain upon 
the land on this coast, as numerous historical facts attest, while 
they retire along the northern shores, — -those of the Gulf of Both- 
nia. Be this as it may, the question as to the constancy of the 
level of the sea cannot be considered as decided, until a long 
series of observations shall have been made upon authentic and 
perfectly fixed measures, erected upon all the shores of the dif- 
ferent seas, and of the different regions of the ocean. Those 
which have been published in the Swedish Transactions, furnish 
* Malte Brun, Precis de la Geogr. Univers. tom. ii. p. 459 % Catteau Calleville, 
Tabl. de la Mer Balt. tom. i. p. 158-188. 
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