tainous regions of the earth.

If there is so much of the solid parts worn and washed away upon the
surface of this earth, as represented in our Theory; and if the rivers
have run so long in their present courses, it may perhaps be demanded,
Why are not all the lakes filled up with soil; and why have not the
Black and Caspian Seas become land or marshy ground, with rivers passing
through them to the ocean? Here is a question that may be considered
either as being general to all the lakes upon the earth, or as
particular to every lake which should thus find a proper explanation in
the Theory. With regard to the last of these, the question has already
been considered in this view, when the particular case of the Rhone was
taken as an example; and now we are only to consider the question as
general to the globe, or so far as belonging to the Theory, without
particularising any one case.

It must be evident, that the objection to the Theory, here supposed to
be made, is founded necessarily upon this, that the solid basis of
our continent, on whose surface are found the lakes in question, is
preserved without change, because, otherwise, the smallest variation in
the basis may produce the most sensible effects upon the surface; and in
this manner might be produced dry land where there had been a lake, or a
lake where none had been before. But, as the present Theory is founded
upon no such principle of stability in the basis of our land, no
objection, to the wasting operations of the surface of the earth, can be
formed against our Theory, from the consideration of those lakes, when
the immediate cause of them should not appear.

The natural tendency of the operations of water upon the surface of
this earth is to form a system of rivers every where, and to fill up
occasional lakes. The system of rivers is executed by wearing and
wasting away the surface of the earth; and this, it must be allowed, is
perfect or complete, at least so far as consistent with another system,
which would also appear to be in nature. This is a system of lakes with
which the rivers are properly connected. Now, as there are more way
than one by which a lake may be formed, consistent with the Theory, the
particular explanation of every lake must be left to the natural history
of the place, so far as this shall be found sufficient for the purpose.

There are many places which give certain appearances, from which it is
concluded, by most intelligent obs