hy the Precession 'of the Equinoxes, SIS 



that the architect traced the meridian as correctly as his im- 

 perfect means permitted. 



If we now examine the globe to find at what period the 

 meridian at Cairo was precisely in the same direction as at 

 present, we shall perceive that the parallel of longitude, or in 

 other words the meridian, intersects the polar circle at 82° 30^ 

 from the pole, or 5940 years since, and 640 years after the 

 period we have supposed, of the final retreat of the waters of 

 the pole ; the tradition of which being so recent, the pyramids 

 were probably erected to preserve the remains of royalty from 

 the ravages of a future deluge. By the same method we find 

 that the tower of Belus at Babylon was built 4680 years 

 since. 



We have seen that the pole of the equator passes in its 

 revolution directly over Lyons : at that period Kamtschatka 

 will be distant only a few degrees from the equator ; the Isle 

 of Skye will be due south of London, and Alderman Jones's 

 Sound in the latitude of Lyons ; and there can be little doubt 

 that then Asiatic Russia and North America will form one 

 continent, as Icy Cape will be in lat. 26° 30' ; Inverness-shire 

 will probably be then the Spitzbergen of the globe, and Ben 

 Nevis the Black Point Mountain of the island.* 



Our globe seems also satisfactorily to account why the debris 

 of the Alps are found in Lombardy ; those of the Jura, across 

 the Lake of Geneva ; those of Scandinavia, on the other side of 

 the Baltic ; and those of England, drifted from north-west 

 to south-east; such being the line of direction of the waters of 

 the pole : and future observations will probably prove that the 

 debris of Judea and Arabia Petrsea are from the Anti-Libanus 

 and the mountains which stretch along the coast of the Red 

 Sea. 



That great naturalist, Baron Cuvier, whose work on fossil 

 remains is a stupendous monument of genius and application, 

 declares, in the most decided manner, that this motion of the 

 pole of the equator can account for no natural phenomena : 

 " the revolution," says he, " was sudden, instantaneous ; and 

 no slow motion can produce a sudden effect." 



Happily we have no popes in science, and are, therefore, 

 not bound to believe in the infallibility even of the greatest 

 authorities: we bow to them with respect, but must have 

 a reason for our faith. 



Let us suppose the waters of the pole advancing against 

 the chain of the Alps ; it is a matter of little importance whe- 



* In the table of the heights of the mountains of the globe, Ben Nevis 

 follows immediately after Black Point, it being only 50 yards lower. 



