92 
On the Geognostical Phenomena 
“ On the southern coast of Italy similar facts have been ob- 
served. Breislac, in his Topographia Fisica della Campania di. 
Roma, from certain appearances in the gulfs of Bajia and Naples, 
concludes, that, at the beginning of the Christian era, the level 
of the sea was lower on that part of the coast than it is now. 
The facts which he mentions are the following: Imo, The re- 
mains of an ancient road are now to be seen in the Gulf of Bajia, 
at a considerable distance from the land ; 2do, Some ancient 
buildings belonging to Porto Julio are at present covered by 
the sea ; Stio, Ten columns of granite at the foot of Monte 
Nuovo, which appear to have belonged to the Temple of the 
Nymphs, are also nearly covered by the sea ; 4 to, The pavement 
of the Temple of Serapis, now somewhat lower than the high- 
water-mark, though it cannot be supposed that this edifice, when 
built, was exposed to the inconvenience of having its floor fre- 
quently under water; 5lo, The ruins of a palace, built by Tibe- 
rius, in the Island of Caprea, are now entirely covered by the sea. 
“ Thus it appears that the level of the sea is sinking in the 
more northern latitudes, and rising in the Mediterranean, and it 
is evident that this cannot happen by the motion of the sea itself. 
The parts of the ocean all communicating with one another, 
cannot rise in one place and fall in another ; but, in order to 
maintain a level surface, must rise equally, or fall equally, over 
the whole of its extent. If, therefore, we place any confidence 
in the preceding observations, and they are certainly liable to no 
objection, either from their own nature or the character of the 
observers, we must consider it as demonstrated, that the relative 
change of level has proceeded from the elevation or depression 
of the land itself. This agrees well with the preceding theory, 
which holds, that our Continents are subject to be acted upon 
by the expansive forces of the mineral regions ; that, by these 
forces, they have been actually raised up, and are sustained by 
them in their present situation. 
“ According to some other facts stated by the same ingenious 
author, it appears that, on the coast of Italy, the progress of the 
sea in ascending, or of the land in descending, has not been 
uniform during the period above mentioned, but that different 
oscillations have taken place ; so that, from about the beginning 
of the Christian era, till some time in the middle ages, the sea 
rose to be sixteen feet higher than at present, from which height 
'it has descended till it became lower than it is now, and from 
