Salt Tortuga. Blanco. Guinea and Angola Negroes in the pearl-fifhery, cruelly forcing them to tear up the oysters from the rocks, to which they ftuck, in which employment many of_them were deftroyed by fharks, and other voracious fish. In the year 1620, this island was invaded by the Dutch, who demolished the caftle; fince which time it has been, in a manner, abandoned by the Spaniards, and it is now principally inhabited by the natives, who had fome particular indulgences from the court of Spain for their tame fubmiffion to Columbus. North-weft from Margarita, in the latiude of ten degrees, thirty-five minutes north, lies the ifland of Salt Tortuga, fo named on account of a large falt pond at the east end of it, within two hundred paces of the fea, where merchant fhips take in falt in the months of May, June, July, and Auguft: but though there is a small harbour in the ifland, it is barren, rugged, and uninhabited. The island of Blanco lies north of Margarita, in latitude 11 deg. 15 min. north; but is remarkable only for its turtle-fifhery. THE THE CONCLUSION OF THE MODERN HISTORY. INTRODUCTION. Wherein the Geography of the Globe of the Earth is confidered in a new Light, with a View to future Difcoveries. HE furface of our earth is not like that of the planet TJupiter, divided alternately by belts and parallels to the equator, but from pole to pole by two tracts of land, and two of fea. The principal tract is the old continent, whofe greatest length is found by measuring in diagonal from the easternmost point of North Tartary, along the borders of the Linchidolen Gulf, where the Ruffians have a whale-fifhery, to Tobolfki; from thence across the Cafpian and Red Seas to Monoemuigi and the empire of Monomotapa, and from thence to the Cape of Good Hope. This line, the longeft that can be measured on the old continent, is about ten thoufand eight hundred miles, and is no where interrupted, except by the Cafpian and Red Seas, the extent of which is very inconfiderable in an enquiry including the whole furface of the globe, as divided into four parts. This extraordinary length could neither be obtained by measuring in meridians, nor by lines parallel, or nearly fo, to the equator. The longeft on the former plan, from Cape North, in Lapland, to the Cape of Good Hope, in Africa, is only about feven thousand five hundred miles; B. b 2 and and on the latter plan, from Breft, in Britany, to the easternmost coaft of Cochin China, about fix thoufand nine hundred miles: whence it is evident, that the greatest] length of the old continent, from the eafternmost cape of North Tartary to the Cape of Good Hope, is about ten thoufand eight hundred Englifh miles. This line mult, therefore, be regarded as the middle, or center line of that tract of land diftinguished by the name of the Old Continent, because, in measuring the surface of the earth on both fides of this line, the part on the left is found to contain feven million four hundred and thirteen thousand two hundred and seventy-eight fquare miles, and that on the right seven million four hundred and nine thoufand and fixty-one fquare miles, a furprifing equality, which is next to a demonftration that this line is not only the longeft, but the true middle line of the old continent, which, according to this admeasurement, contains about fourteen million eight hundred and twenty-two thoufand three hundred and thirty-nine fquare miles, fomewhat lefs, indeed, than a fifth of the furface of the whole globe; but yet a vaft tract of land inclined to the equator in an angle of thirty degrees. The new continent must also be regarded as an immense tract. Its greatest length fhould be taken from the mouth of the river Plata, to that fwampy country, which lies beyond the lake of Affinoboils. The line of admeasurement trikes from la Plata to the lake Caracares, from thence through the country of the Mataguais and Chiriguanis, to Pocono, Zongo, and Zamas; from thence to St. Fé and Carthagena, through the Gulf of Mexico, croffing Jamaica, Cuba, and the peninfula of Florida, to the Apalachian mountains; from thence to Fort Louis, in Louifiana, and lastly to the people that dwell beyond the lake of Aflinoboils, where it terminates in land not yet difcovered. This line, which is interrupted only by the Gulf of Mexico, a kind of mediterranean fea, is in length about feven thousand five hundred Englifh miles, dividing the new continent into two equal parts, of which that on the left contains about three million two hundred and feven thoufand eight hundred and fifty-eight fquare miles; and that on the right three million two hundred and twelve thousand seven hundred and feventy-eight fquare miles. This continent, like the other, is inclined to the equator in an angle of thirty degrees, but in an oppofite direction; the old continent firetching from north-eaft to fouth-west, and the new from north-weft to fouth-eaft. The fum of thefe two continents, taken together, amounts to no more than than twenty-one million two hundred and forty-two thoufand nine hundred and feventy-nine fquare miles, not a third of the furface of the the whole globe, which is computed at feventy-five millions of fquare miles. It is befides obfervable, that these two lines which traverfe the old and new continents, dividing each into equal parts, both terminate in the fame degrees of latitude, as well to the north as to the fouth; and it is no less remarkable, that the two continents lie oppofed to each other in contrary directions. It is likewife very remarkable, that the countries bordering upon thefe lines, that is, within a moderate distance of fix or feven hundred miles on each fide of them, are more ancient, generally fpeaking, than thofe at a greater distance. Whoever will take the pains to pursue this idea, may be convinced that Europe, and perhaps China and the eastern parts of Tartary, are new countries compared with Arabia the Happy and the Defart, Perfia and Georgia, Turcomania, Circaffia, and the innermoft parts of Taitary. Thus, in the new continent, the Terra Magellanica, the eastern coaft of Brafil, the country of the Amazons, Guiana, and Canada, are new to Tucuman, Peru, the Terra Firma, Mexico, and Miffiffippi. To thefe obfervations may be added two very fingular facts; the firft, that as the two continents are opposed to each other, the old is more extended to the north of the equator than the new; and on the contrary, the new ftretches farther to the fouth than the old: thus, by each having its center, the one in fixteen or eighteen degrees of north latitude, and the other in fixteen or eighteen degrees of fouth latitude, they seem both defigned by Providence as a counterpoize to each other. The fecond fact is, the remarkable conformity be-tween the two continents, in that both are nearly divided into two parts, each of which parts would be encompassed by the fea, were it not for the two little ifthmufes of Suez and Panama. Thefe are the principal remarks which an attentive infpection into the general divifion of the earth has produced. It may, however, appear too precipitate to form a new hypothefis upon thefe premifes; but as none hitherto have confidered the divifion of the earth in the fame point of view, it will not be improper to add a few reflections. It is certainly very fingular, that the line which gives the - greatest length to the terreftrial continents fhould likewife divide them into two equal parts; and, it is no lefs remarkable, that thefe two lines fhould begin and end in Bb 3.. the the fame degrees of latitude, and have both the fame de grees of inclination to the equator. These comformities may lead in general to fomething which may hereafter be discovered, and of which we are now ignorant; but we fhall proceed to illuftrate what has already been obferved, that the most ancient countries are those which are the higheft, and approach nearest to thefe lines, and that the laft inhabited are the lowest and fartheft removed from them. Thus, for example, in America, the country of the Amazons, Guiana, and Canada, appear to be the laft peopled. By cafting an eye over a map of thofe countries, any one may fee, that waters every-where overfpread them that they abound in lakes and wide rivers, certain indications of newly inhabited lands. On the contrary, Tucuman, Peru, and Mexico, are high lands, extremely mountainous, and border on the line which divides the continent. In like manner, the interior parts of Africa, on the old continent, appear to be high and mountainous, and are without doubt very ancient, in comparison of which even Egypt, Barbary, and the weftern coafts, as far as Senegal, may be regarded as new lands. Afia is likewise an ancient country, and perhaps the most ancient of any yet mentioned, efpecially Arabia, Perfia, and Tartary; but the irregularities of that vaft tract of land, as well as thofe of Europe, would require a feparate treatise to explain them. Let it fuffice then, in general to obferve here, that Europe is a new country; the tradition concerning the migration of its people, and of the first introduction of arts and sciences into it, being an almost incontestable proof of the truth of this affertion. Befides, it is not many centuries ago, fince is abounded with marshes and Jakes, and was covered with forefts; whereas in the oldest inhabited countries, there are but few forefts, fewer stagnations of water, no fwamps, but on the contrary, much heath and furze, and vaft ridges of mountains, whofe fummits are dry and barren, but whofe fides abound in paftures, and are fertile to this day to a degree of luxuriance fcarce known to new countries. Nothing is more certain, than that men cut down forefts, drain off waste waters, deepen the fhallow currents of great rivers, and, in procefs of time, give the earth a quite different face to that of other countries uninhabited, or but lately peopled. The ancients were acquainted with a very inconfiderable part of the globe: the whole continent of America, the arctic countries, the Magellanica, a great part of the inland countries of Africa, were entirely unknown to them ; neither were they certain that the torrid zone was habitable, notwithstanding they had in their navigations fur rounded |