3. THE Artic Continent, or Groenland is furrounded on every Side with Seas and Streights. 4. THE Antarctic Continent, or Terra Auftralis Incognita. II. INTO Peninfula's, or Cherfonefuffes, which are Parts of thefe Continents. Of which fome are of a round Fi gure, whofe Lon Africa. [North and South America] Peloponnefus, or the Morea in gitude and Lati-Greece, Taurica Cherfonefus or tude are almost e qual, as Crim-Tartary. Cambaya or Guzarat. Others Cherfonefa d'or, or Malacca in India. Corea contiguous to Tartary. Ionia [as Smyrna] Cnidus and Myndus. Others which are almoft like Peninfula's, which are Italy, Greece, and proper Achaia. land. III. INTO Inlands of which there are three 3. [Nine] leffer ones Hifpaniola Candia Mindanao. Cuba Gilolo, Amboina, Timor, among the Corfica, Majorca, Cyprus, Negropont, Zealand in Denmark, and Jamaica in the Gulf of Mexico. See the Notes upon these Words in the next Chapter. Very H 3 That of Suez, between Africa and Asia. That between Jutland and Holstein. That joining Malacca to India. SECT. SECT. III. In which the Conftitution of the Earth, or the dry Part of the Terraqueous Globe, is explained, in four Chapters. CHA P. VIII. Of the natural Divifion of the Earth into Parts by the circumfluent Ocean. WHAT we shall exhibit in this Chapter, con cerning the Divifion of the Earth, and that in Chap. xv. about the Distribution of the Sea, will be of great ufe to young Students, for understanding, and remembring the Bounds and Situation of the feveral Countries on the Earth's Superficies : wherefore these two Chapters ought to be read throughout with great Attention, and compared with Maps, or the artificial terreftrial Globe. We faid before, in the preceding Chapter, that the Terraqueous Globe, as to it's conftituent Parts, may be beft divided into a Body of a firm Confiftence as Earth, and a fluid matter as Water; to which may be added the Atmosphere as a circumambient Fluid or Covering. IN the firft Place, we fhall treat of the Earth, or that Part of the Globe which hath Confiftence. H 4 PRO PROPOSITION I. Part of the Earth is covered with Water, and Part of it is raifed above the Superficies of the Water, and furrounded thereby. THE Truth of this Propofition is manifeft from Experience. Nevertheless there are fome Places which are now and then covered with Water, and at other Times dry and confpicuous, as the Islands near Norway, Scotland, and other Countries, to which may be added Sand-beds or Shelves, and Seafhores; but because these are fo fmall in comparifon of the reft, we fhall take no notice of them at prefent. Nor fhall we trouble our felves here with difputing whether the greater Part of the Superficies of the Globe be taken up by Land or Water, but leave it to be difcuffed in Chap. xviii. and confider here only the apparent Parts of the Earth which we call Islands, PROPOSITION II. The Parts of the Earth, which are raised above the Waters, are not always joined together by one continued Superficies, but often feparated one from another, and formed into Islands by the Interflux of the Sea. THESE may be diftributed into five Claffes, viz. Plats of Land or Islands, that are great, and Continents that are greatest; fome fmall, and others that are finalleft; and laftly fome of a middle Size. WE fhall treat of the Origin, and Cause of these Iflands in the proper Place, Chap. xviii, THO' |