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 terreftrial 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 exan.ination, 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 colier we find its temperature: this is verified by obfervation; for when a very great length of line is l

the weight at the bottom of it, and the line it

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 increases 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, ufed 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; so 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 fea are justly deemed unfaihomable, 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

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 these 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,

bottom, come up as cold as ice; and this, whether the line has really reached the fubmarine earth or not: indeed, in this par ticular, 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, ufed 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 currents 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 juftly deemed unfathomable, but are not, therefore, bottomlefs.

; and

We have alfo on land many holes and caverns, which have the reputation of being unfathomable: I am 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,

depths, can poffibly refult from fuch inquiries: but that philofophical curiofity has occafionally engaged itself in such attempts, though to little purpose, is certain.

Of this kind is that cavern called Elden-hole, in Derbyshire; which, Dr. Plot tells us, was founded by a line of 2,800 feet, without finding the bottom, or meeting with water: yet its mouth at the top is not above forty yards over. This immeasurable cavern runs perpendicularly downward; and its fides feem to tally fo plainly as to fhew that they once were united. Those who vifit the place, generally procure ftones to be thrown into its mouth; these are heard for feveral minutes, falling and striking against the fides of the cavern, producing a found that refembles diftant thunder, dying away as the ftone goes deeper..

Nature feems to have thought, that no inhabitants of the globe were entitled to penetrate beyond the fuperficies, or would fo far prefume to overpass their limits as to inquire into tranfactions of the chambers of darkness: having made ample provifion for their well-being in regions suited to their properties and talents, why fhould they explore the receffes of her domain, and pry into what he had fedulously concealed? But that fomewhat might be found to gratify curioficy, or to offer occafional utility, here and there the prefents us caverns, or excavations, whofe properties may hint at what paffes beyond our penetration; and very frequently fhe offers fillures, or cracks, of earth, which difcover a little of the nature of that compo-. fition we inhabit thefe fiffures may be confidered merely as enlarged ideas of fuch as appear after a feries of dry weather,:

in