of Deny and Antrim. 1 97 



towards the discovery of the operations by which such stu* 

 pendous effects have been produced. 



Some, to escape the difficulties in which this question is 

 involved, ascribe our inequalities to original formation; as 

 if the world had come from the hand of the Creator with 

 the variegated surface which now contributes so much to its 

 beauty ; but the frequent interruptions, and resumptions of 

 the strata in our area, with the perfect resemblance of the 

 corresponding parts, however great the interval by which 

 they are separated, can scarcely leave a doubt that these 

 strata were at first continuous ; of course, the figure of our 

 surface at that time must have depended on the original po- 

 sitions and inclinations of these strata, which, as appears 

 by the 3d fact, are now unconnected with the superficial 

 line, the figure of which is governed by their abruptions and 

 removr.ls alone. 



Naturalists have differed much in opinion as to the direc- 

 tion in which the causes acted that produced the inequalities 

 on the surface of our globe ; some referring us to the bowels 

 of the earth as to the scene of action ; while others assert 

 that the operations were performed upon the surface itself. 



But the slightest inspection of our facades will at once 

 prove that the first hypothesis cannot be correct ; for obli- 

 quity of direction must have been the result of a- disturbing 

 cause acting from below ; whereas parallelism and a steady 

 rectilineal course distinguish the basaltic arrangements of 

 which I have been treating. 



We have, it is true, occasional depressions of our strata, 

 where they obviously have subsided, and no doubt from a 

 failure of support below ; but in no instance that I have met 

 with, in our area, are these attended by the slightest con- 

 cussion ; the permanent and subsided parts, with us still 

 preserve their parallelism, and the continuity of their mate- 

 rial 5 whence it is probable this event took place previous to 

 the induration of the strata, and of course antecedent to the 

 period to which I limit myself. 



Buffon ascribes our superficial inequalities to the agitation 

 of the waters while they covered our earth, and argues from 

 the resemblance these inequalities bear to the waves of the 



N3 sea; 



