country and large islands in the Atlantic, named Atlantides, greater than
Europe and Africa, and that the kings of these parts were lords of a
great part of Spain; but that, by the force of great tempests, the sea
had overflowed the country, leaving nothing but banks of mud and gravel,
so that no ships could pass that way for long after. It is also recorded
by Pliny[12], that close by the island of Cadiz, there was a well
inhabited island called Aphrodisias, towards the Straits of Gibraltar,
abounding in gardens and orchards; but we have now no knowledge of this
island, except from the bare mention of it in ancient authors. The Isle
of Cadiz is said to have been anciently so large as to join the continent
of Spain. The Açores are held to have been a continuation of the
mountains of Estrella, which join the sea coast beside the town of Cintra;
and the Sierra Verde, or Green-mountains, which reach the coast, near the
city of _Sasin_ in the land of _Cucu_, or the island of Moudim in which
Algarbe is situated, are supposed to have reached to Porto Santo and
Madeira. For it is considered as an indubitable fact, that all islands
derive their roots from the firm land or continent, however distant, as
otherwise they could not stand firm. Other authors say, that from Spain
to Ceuta in Barbary, people sometimes travelled on foot on dry land; that
the islands of Corsica and Sardinia were once joined; that Sicily was
united with Italy, and the Negropont with Greece[13]. We read also of the
hulls of ships, iron anchors, and other remnants of shipping, having been
found on the mountains of Susa, far inland, where there is now no
appearance of the sea having ever been. Many writers affirm, that in
India and Malabar, which now abounds in people, the sea once reached the
foot of the mountains; and that Cape Comorin and the island of Ceylon
were once united; also that Sumatra once joined with Malacca, by the
shoals of Caypasia; and not far from thence there is a small island which,
only a few years ago, was joined to the opposite coast. Ptolemy advances
the point of Malacca three or four degrees to the south of the line;