to our habitation. Thofe who have attended to this, inform us, that the fca has three times the furface of the land; and Dr. LONG mentions, his taking the paper of a terrestrial globe, and feparating the land from the water; the weight of the paper reprefcating the fea was 349 grains, that of the land 124 grains, which feems to be near enough the truth.

In fo great a proportion of the earth's furface, covered by water, we may well fuppofe, are contained an infinite variety of particularities, of which we are totally ignorant, `and to which our acquaintance never will extend. Obliged, therefo:e, to form a judgment of what is beyond us, by what has undergone examination, we with you not to conceive of the bottom of the fea as one uninterrupted wafte; but, though great part, like African deferts, may deferve that defcription, yet elfewhere it has its verdant plains, its forefts, its trees, its plants, and thefe have their inhabitants of various forms, properties, and degrees of life. Thus in much of the fea around the Weft-India iflands, it is not uncommon, in clear weather, to fee the bottom, its herbage, and the turtle feeding upon it. And in our own northern feas, many branches (apparently broken off from large trees) of as real wood as grows upon land, have occafionally been gathered from the deep. The fequel of thefe remarks will appear hereafter.

The deeper we dive (or examine, by any method) into the fea, the caller we find its temperature: this is verified by obfervation; for when a very great length of line is let down, the weight at the bottom of it, and the line itfelf, near its bottom,

pro

bottom, come up as cold as ice; and this, whether the line has really reached the fubmarine earth or not.: indeed, in this particular, we are liable to deception from various caufes; and in founding very great depths, are feldom certain in nouncing them unfathomable. For, (1) The denfity of the water naturally increafes as it advances to the center; fo that a weight, however fkilfully conftructed or directed, muft of neceffity advance perpetually into a medium more fimilar to itfelf. (2.) The line, used in these experiments, is of a buoyant nature; in confequence, the greater length of line is ufed, the greater power is exerted counter-active of the weight; fo that, after all poffible efforts the weight may reach within a little space of the bottom, yet no fuch effect appear when examined. (3.) It is impoffible to determine what cur rents are at the bottom of the fea; but it is evident their velocity must have its effect upon any body immerged in them fhould they bear that body confiderably out of the perpendicu lar, it may have no perceivable effect on the upper part of so great length of line as is fometimes employed; efpecially, if that part be in still water. Circumfcribed, therefore, by these impediments, in our fubmarine researches, we admit, that many parts of the fea are justly deemed unfathomable, but are not, therefore, bottomlefs.

and

We have alfo on land many holes and caverns, which have the reputation of being unfathomable: Kam not, indeed, certain that experiments have been fo often applied to thefe, as to many parts of the fea; because no benefit, equal to what navigation expects from accurate knowledge of marine

depths,

to our habitation. Those who have attended to this, inform us, that the fea has three times the furface of the land; and Dr. LONG mentions, his taking the paper of a terrestrial globe, and feparating the land from the water; the weight of the paper reprefeating the fea was 349 grains, that of the land 124 grains, which feems to be near enough the truth.

In fo great a proportion of the earth's furface, covered by water, we may well fuppofe, are contained an infinite variety of particularities, of which we are totally ignorant, and to which our acquaintance never will extend. Obliged, therefore, to form a judgment of what is beyond us, by what has undergone examination, we with you not to conceive of the bottom of the fea as one uninterrupted wafte; but, though great part, like African deferts, may deferve that defcription, yet elfewhere it has its verdant plains, its forefts, its trees, its plants, and thefe have their inhabitants of various forms, properties, and degrees of life. Thus in much of the fea around the Weft-India iflands, it is not uncommon, in clear weather, to fee the bottom, its herbage, and the turtle feeding upon it. And in our own northern feas, many branches (apparently broken off from large trees) of as real wood as grows upon land, have occafionally been gathered from the deep. The fequel of these remarks will appear hereafter.

The deeper we dive (or examine, by any method) into the fea, the colier we find its temperature: this is verified b fervation; for when a very great length of line is 1 the weight at the bottom of it, and the line itf

bottom, come up as cold as ice; and this, whether the line has really reached the fubmarine earth or not.: indeed, in this particular, we are liable to deception from various caufes; and in founding very great depths, are feldom certain in pronouncing them unfathomable. For, (1) The denfity of the water naturally increases as it advances to the center; so that a weight, however fkilfully conftructed or directed, muft of neceffity advance perpetually into a medium more fimilar to itfelf. (2.) The line, used in thefe experiments, is of a buoyant nature; in confequence, the greater length of line is used, the greater power is exerted counter-active of the weight; fo that, after all poffible efforts, the weight may reach within a little space of the bottom, yet no fuch effect appear when examined. (3.) It is impoffible to determine what cur rents are at the bottom of the fea; but it is evident their velocity must have its effect upon any body immerged in them; and should they bear that body confiderably out of the perpendicu lar, it may have no perceivable effect on the upper part of fo great length of line as is fometimes employed; efpecially, if that part be in ftill water. Circumfcribed, therefore, by thefe impediments, in our fubmarine refearches, we admit, that many parts of the sea are justly deemed unfaikomable, but are not, therefore, bottomlefs.

We have alfo on land many holes and caverns, which have the reputation of being unfathomable: I am not, indeed, cer been fo often applied to thefe," caufe no benefit, equal to curate knowledge of

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to our habitation. Thofe who have attended to this, inform us, that the fea has three times the furface of the land; and Dr. LONG mentions, his taking the paper of a terrestrial globe, and feparating the land from the water; the weight of the paper reprefeating the fea was 349 grains, that of the land 124 grains, which feems to be near enough the truth.

In fo great a proportion of the earth's furface, covered by water, we may well fuppofe, are contained an infinite variety of particularities, of which we are totally ignorant, and to which our acquaintance never will extend. Obliged, therefo:e, to form a judgment of what is beyond us, by what has undergone examination, we with you not to conceive of the bottom of the fea as one uninterrupted waste; but, though great part, like African deferts, may deferve that description, yet elfewhere it has its verdant plains, its forefts, its trees, its plants, and thefe have their inhabitants of various forms, properties, and degrees of life. Thus in much of the fea around the Weft-India iflands, it is not uncommon, in clear weather, to fee the bottom, its herbage, and the turtle feeding upon it. And in our own northern feas, many branches (apparently broken off from large trees) of as real wood as grows upon land, have occafionally been gathered from the deep. The fequel of thefe remarks will appear hereafter.

The deeper we dive (or examine, by any method) into the fea, the colder we find its temperature: this is verified by obfervation; for when a very great length of line is let down, the weight at the bottom of it, and the line itself, near its bottom,