with in many Parts of the Land. Thus we read, that they dig Salt out of the Earth in Poland, in Tranfylvania, in Tyrol, in Spain, in Leffer Afia, in Perfia, and upon the Banks of the Cafpian Sea, which laft is carried throughout all Ruffia. There is à Mountain of Salt in Cuba, and the Ifland of Ormus in the Perfian Gulph, is faid to confift for the most Part of nothing but Salt; in all Africa they ufe fuch Mineral Salt; in Peru there is an unfathomable Mine of it; in the Kingdom of Mafulipatam in India they dig fo vaft a quantity thereof, that all the Indians furnish themselves from thence. See this more largely in Varenius's Geography, lib. i. cap. 11. §. 1.

Can we then, fince Salt may juftly be reckon'd among the Minerals and Productions of the Earth, afcribe to Accidental and Ignorant Caufes, the great Benefit that hereby befals the whole Earth, namely, that the Sea does alfo abound in it? Wherefore, if one were to fee a quantity of Flesh put into a Veffel of Pickle, by which it is preferved from Putrefaction, would any one fay, that the Salt grew there, and that the Flefh was put into it by mere Chance?

SECT. LVIII. Bays and Gulphs of the Sea for the Reception of Rivers.

If this be not enough to fhew the Hand of GoD to unhappy Mortals; yet an Atheist must at least acknowledge, that a great Part of the World would be render'd uninhabitable by the Inundation of Rivers, if the Earth were not washed round about by the great Sea, and which is very wonderful, if the Sea did not tranfmit great Branches, Arms, or Bays, from itself into the Land, in order (befides other Ufes) to receive likewife the discharged Waters of the Rivers into its Bofom, to

mix therewith the Great and Salt Sea, and fo to yield new Matter for Vapours, and thereby for Rain, and for continuing the Circulation of the faid Rivers. From whence it comes, that this whole Structure and great Work would have been. still in vain, if the Coasts adjacent to the Sea, and to these Bays and Gulphs, were not lower than the Inland Countries and Regions remote from the Sea. Now fhall it be faid, that a Matter of such Importance, and upon which the Preservation and Welfare of whole Nations depend, is brought to pass without a wise Design?

To give an Inftance thereof: In case the mighty Arm of the Northern Ocean, which is commonly called the Eaft-Sea, lying between a great Num-, ber of Countries, were not, as one may fay, dug out and prepared on purpose to receive likewife all the Rivers that discharge their Waters into it, (and which Varenius terms, exceeding great ones) how difficult would it have been to them to have found their way into the Ocean; and how many Provinces would it have render'd uninhabitable, by their Inundations, if the Streights of the Sound, and thofe of the Great and Little Belt, were ftopt, and all the Rivers ceafe falling into the faid Eaft Sea?

The fame would happen, if those rich and noble Coafts of that great Gulph which is commonly called the Mediterranean, and which Coafts are of so vaft an Extent, were not fo low, that the Rivers by their Weight could run down thither, and from all Parts discharge their mighty Streams, as it were into a Common Drain formed for that Purpose.

For thefe Reasons it is, that the Paffage thro' the Dardanells to Conftantinople is fo very difficult, on account of a Current occafion'd by the Dif charge of fuch great Rivers as the Danube, the

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Nieper

Nieper or Boryfthenes, the Tanais, or Don, and others which carry their Waters thro' these Streights See Rebbe's Navigation, p. 84.

Now all thefe Waters feem to discharge themfelves finally into the great Ocean through the Streights of Gibralter; and, as at the Dardanells, do there likewife produce a continual Current outwards.

But I was very much furpriz'd at what one of the Principal Sea-Officers of Holland informed me of; namely, that having often paffed the faid Streights, befides the known Currents in the Mediterranean Sea, which run Eastwards along the Coast of Barbary, and Weftward on the oppofite Coaft, it was experimentally known to all Seafaring People, that there was a continual Current from the Ocean through the faid Streight, fetting inwards. This they infer; because those that will go into the Mediterranean, can always pafs through this Streight by Laveering or Tacking, even tho the Wind be contrary; and yet, in the fame Circumftances, can they pafs from the Mediterranean into the Ocean, but with much Time and Difficulty.

And when I enquired of that Gentleman, what became of that vaft quantity of River Waters which are continually discharged into the Mediterranean, and which feem to have no other Out-let but through the aforefaid Streights; he was pleased to answer me, that fome were of opinion, that either the Heat of the Sun exhaled thofe Waters from the Sea, or as others thought, that there were in the fo named Gulph of Narbonne, or in other Places, fome fubterraneous Cavities at the Bottom of the Sea, whereby these Waters were difcharged; at least it was experimentally known, that there is an uncommon Motion of the Sea-Waters,

ters in the faid Gulph more than in any other Places.

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Now, whether this or any thing else be the Caufe why the Mediterranean Sea, which on the Eaft-fide, and all round, does perpetually receive the Waters of fuch great Rivers, and on the West fide those of the Ocean, has not in fo many Ages been fo far filled therewith, as to overflow the adjacent Countries: This is certainly true, that the Divine Providence does herein difplay itfelf after a wonderful manner; whereby GoD has given a convincing and ocular Demonstration, that he will not be bound by any neceffary Laws of Nature, but is able to perform all things according to his own good Pleasure, producing in fuch a little Corner of the World, as is the Distance of the Streights of the Dardanells from thofe of Gibraltar, fuch an amazing Work as the making Place for the Discharge of those mighty Rivers, after two fuch different and unaccountable Ways. Numberlefs would be the Wonders that might be produced upon this occafion from the Natural Histories of the Seas and other Waters; we fhall therefore refer our Readers to those that have given Relations and Descriptions of the Sea and Land, all which if we were to repeat, would be an endless Work.

SECT. LIX. The Ufes of the Sea.

BUT because we have been prolix enough upon this Subject, let the Atheist go farther with us, and obferve, how the Sea does not only furround the whole Earth, in order, as has been faid before, to receive into its Bofom the Rivers and fresh Waters, and preferve them from Corruption by its Salts, till they become ufeful again, but likewife, how the faid Seas are the only Means by which

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which Commerce and Traffick can be carried on; and each Part of the Globe, that has the Advantage of lying near them can enjoy, by the help of Shipping, all the Advantages and Conveniences of the moft inland Countries: So that the Great Creator has vouchfafed not only to take care of thofe that lye near the Sea, but likewife of all that live in the very Heart of the Continent, by the means of Rivers, and by the imbaying or breaking of the Ocean many Leagues up within the Continents themfelves; Inftances of which have been given in the Eaft and Mediterranean Seas.

Let us produce another Example: If Holland, which has hitherto been fo fignally bleffed by GOD, but which is furrounded with unfruitful Countries and barren Heaths, had been obliged to have fed its Inhabitants with nothing but what itfelf produced, perhaps there would not have been a more miferable and defective Nation in all Europe: Whereas now, by the help of the Sea only, every thing that the old or new World can afford, either for Neceffity, Convenience, or Ornament, are brought hither in great abundance. Can then a Dutchman ever look upon the Sea without thinking at the fame time, how much he is indebted to him that made it?

SECT. LX. The Force of the Sea in bearing Burdens; and Convictions from thence.

WERE there no Sea, what vaft Machines fhould we ftand in need of? What a Strength of an unexpreffible Number of Men and Beafts would there be wanting to bring home to us thofe mighty Burdens which an Indian or an Eaft-Country Fleet does now fupply ? the more because the Merchants muft then have been obliged to pafs thro' the Countries of other People, it may be of Enemies,

or