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from Greece ; Crete from the Morea; Con-stantinople from Asia Minor. We are toldthat the Chinese Islands' 1 , the Philippines,Borneo, Java, New Guinea, New Holland,are only Islands in consequence of theforce successfully exerted by the GulphStream upon the once intervening country.The Maldives 1 ’, Ceylon, and even Mada-gascar, are said to be mere remnants of aterritory which extended formerly fromthe promontory of Africa to that of Plin-dostan ; and the Atlantis of Plato is sup-posed by his commentators to refer to thesubmersion of another territory, no lessextensive, situated where the waves of theAtlantic now roll between America andEurope.

Leucada continuam veteres habuere coloni,

Nunc freta circumeunt. Zancle quoque juncta t’uisse,Dicitur Italiae, donee confinia pontusAbstulit, et media tellurem repulit unda.

Ovid.

Not one of these traditions, however, isentitled to the smallest credit; they are

* Button, Smellie’s Translation, vol. i. p. 177.b PEncyclopedic, Geographic Physique.

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