cften. This kind o f prophecy, is not founded on ideal chimeras,
but on vifible fails, which correfpond together, and
reciprocally
flowed. In like manner, fome ¡Hands, and large pieces, of the continent, a-
bouc Grade, have, within thefe few ages, been covered, by the fea, which
every day advances and threatens frefh mifchief; thus alfo the fea gained,ground
near Malamous, and covered a large tract pf inhabited land, the ruins of
which may ftill be feen underwater in a calm: thus alfo the ancient City
of Coma, oppoiite to Rimini, is covered by the waves,, and more than a
mile from land j and thus alfo the fuburbs of Pola in Iftria are fubmerged,
and along the fhore, at low water the mofaic pavements are discovered, as well; as
at Sipar not far from Porano, feveral palms under water. I f the ingenious
illuftrator of the things of America were to make a voyage of obfervation along
the cpafts of the Adriatick, he would fee, that there.is no prolongation o f land
in this part of the Mediterranean, that does not proceed from .importations or
other local caufes ; and, where thefe do not operate, the land lofes. As the
obfervations made on the Baitick by the learned Hierna, Snedenbergins, Kalm,
Celfrns, Dalin, Lir.naus and JValierius, lofe nothing of their truth when com.
pared with thofe which others have made on the Adriatjpk, fo thefe are not
the lefs true for being diametrically oppofite to tbofe of the North. Who.
ever, depending on partial obfervations, and led by the fpirit of fjftem, draws
general conclufion6 concerning the receffion o f the lea from the land, certainly
reafons ill ; but it is much worfe to fet phyfical truths at variance with Religion
-needltflly, and to treat the aflertors of an opinion, whether well or ill
founded, as hereticks. The Bifhop of Abo and Menander have given a fcan.
dalous example of this, in mixing bad phylicks with the revealed truths. Th e
fury of thofe two men, which they found means, to communicate to the body
o f the Swedifh Clergy, went fo far as to accufe the celebrated Dalin and Lin-
txu i, together with the moft illuflrious obferrers in the Kingdom, of herefy
before the Diet in 1747, nor was the unfavourable reception they met with
ipfticiem to appeafe them.
Perhaps the truth is, that the fea fometimes lofes, and fomtimes gains,
not only in different fnuations, • but alfo in the fame in the courfe of years
and ages. Th e daily and occafional caufes ;pf thofe changes are , fometimss
plainly feen, but oftener remain involved in darknefs as well as other per.
o ament caufes o f the revolutions, and their unknown periods.
reciprocally enforce one another, from one end o f the earth
to the other.
O f the fmall Ijlands adjacent to C h e r s o and O s e r o .
The fmall illand, or rock o f Giitim, which lies a mile to
the eailward o f the coaft of Cherfo, near the hamlet of Belley,
would not be worth mentioning on account of its extent, which
is not half a mile in length, nor for it's produdls^ becaufe it
is quite defert and uncultivated. T h e ’ Tea beats "againft it
furioufly on the north eaft fide,.and though it is defpnded by
the roughnefs o f the marble, yet even that is corroded apace,
and the ruins o f it are feen under the water. The concavities
made by the waves are full o f lichens, and ftoney mafles,
which are o f a fine pale red colour; and among them are
great quantities o f Echini marini, and generally one fpecies only
o f Bucini, and two o f Patellce. There ■ was,-in former times,
as the inhabitants o f Cherfo fay, a monaftery o f nuns on this’
ifland, which is altogethe plain, and might be made very ufe-
ful. On one point o f it, there are itill fome ruinous walls, but
1 did not go near them. Inftead o f nuns, it is now inhabited
by a great number o f rabbits, which find good pailure; the inner
part o f the ifland producing plenty o f grafs. The particularity
that diilinguiihes Gutim, and makes it o f importance in
the eyes o f a naturalill, is the foflil bones found there,' in twp
places above ground. One o f thefe is near the fea j and the
other, which we could not find, tho’ well known to the fiiher-
men and ihepherds, is in the heart of the ifland.
On the other fide that is to the weft o f Cherfo, and three
.miles from S, Martino, lies the ifland Levrera, peopled like,-
O o o wife'