muft have been overflown, and confequently Africa mull, have
been an ifland, later than 2000 years ago, whereas there is .every
reafon to fuppofe that, many ages before that period, the
ifthmus was pretty much in the fame ftate in which it now ia
The progreffive retreat of the ocean cannot therefore be general.
It is evident, at the fame time, to ufe the language of the facred
hiftorian, “ That all the high hills, that were under the whole
“ heaven, were covered mountains that are now feveral thou-
fand feet above its level, and as many thoufand miles removed
from its ihores, bear the molt unequivocal indications o f . this
truth. But this effedt may, perhaps with more plaufibility,. be
afcribed to the operation of fome fudden caufe, fome convulfion
in the globe of the earth, or fome check in its diurnal or annual
motion, which produced an univerfal change upon its furfacej
and by which “ the waters under the heaven were gathered, tp-
“ gether unto one place, and the dry land appeared.” Whether
this change happened at the firft creation, or the earth was,
deluged at fome fub.fequent period, an idea that the hiftory of
all the civilized nations on earth feem to glan?e.at, we nriufl; be;
content to remain in ignorance; for,man, with all hi.s boafted’
philofophy, will never be able to folve the queftioris which. the,
Hebrew poet has put into the mouth of the Almighty. “ Who
“ fhut up the fea with doprs, when, it bfajp forth, as if it had
“ iflued out of the, womb, ? When I made, the cloud the gar-
“ ment thpreof.and thick darkjjefs, a ftyaddlipg band fpr h, and
“ brake up far, it my decreed place, and fet bars and doors, and
“ faid, Hitherto ihak.thou, come but no further, and here lhall,
‘i, thy proud waves be flayed i”
Before
. Before we erofled the mountains through the Attaquas kloof, I
had oceaflon to vifit Moflel Bay, which lies about 24 miles to
the, font Award, of it. The uncertainty o f procuring an annual
fupply of grain, fuflicient for the confumption of the town and
the garrifon, on account of the frequent failure in the crops,
bad determined the government to renew the encouragement
which the Dutch Eaft India .Company had found it prudent to*
hold out for the cultivation of corn in that part of the diftridt
of Zwellendam which was contiguous to Moflel Bay. The
building they eaufed to be erected for depofiting grain was capable
of containing ten thoufand bulhels-, and was faid to be-fre-
quently filled ; but the whole. quantity I was able to procure
in the neighbourhood, at an advanced price, including both
wheat and barley, did not exceed fifteen hundred buihels.
The Dutch were in pofleflion of a few charts of the coaft and
bays, within the limits of the fettlement, but they were- can*.
fidered by Admiral Pringle fo very incorrect, that he difpalched
his Majefty’s brig the Hope, having on board Lieutenant Rice,
as I have already obferved, with inftruifions to furvey, and
take the foundings of, all the bays to the eaftward, but particularly
of Moflel. Bay, Plettenberg’s Bay, and Algoa Bay. From,
this furvey the annexgd chart of Moflel Bay was copied, as alfo
the following obfervations-:
The outermoft point of the bay,.called Cape Saint Blaize, lies-
in latitude 34° io' fouth; longitude 22” ib' eaft (I make it hr-
the general chart which I conftniaed 22° 45' eaft). The, variation
of the compafs in 1797 was 27° 54' weft. The time of
1 high