THEORY of the EARTH. 265 



ON the one hand, the fubfiding of the furface of the ocean 

 would but make the former land appear the higher j and, on 

 the other, the finking the body of the former land into the fo- 

 lid globe, fo as to fwallow up the greater part of the ocean after 

 it, if not a natural impoflibility, would be at leaft a fuperfluous 

 exertion of the power of nature. Such an operation as this 

 would difcover as little wifdom in the end elected, as in the 

 means appropriated to that end 3 for, if the land be not wafted 

 and worn away in the natural operations of the globe, why 

 make fuch a convulfion in the world in order to renew the 

 land ? If, again, the land naturally decays, why employ fo ex- 

 traordinary a power, in order to hide a former continent of 

 land, and puzzle man ? 



LET us now confider how far the other propofition, of flrata 

 being elevated by the power of heat above the level of the fea, 

 may be confirmed from the examination of natural appear- 

 ances. 



THE flrata formed at the bottom of the ocean are neceflarily 

 horizontal in their pofition, or nearly fo, and continuous in 

 their horizontal direction or extent. They may change, and 

 gradually afrume the nature of each other, fo far as concerns 

 the materials of which they are formed ; but there cannot be 

 any fudden change, fracture or difplacement naturally in the 

 body of a ftratum. But, if thefe flrata are cemented by the 

 heat of fufion, and creeled with an expanfive power acting be- 

 low, we may expect to find every fpecies of fracture, difloca- 

 tion and contortion, in thofe bodies, and every degree of de- 

 parture from a horizontal towards a vertical pofition. 



THE flrata of the globe are actually found in every poflible 

 pofition : For from horizontal, they are frequently found verti- 

 cal ; from continuous, they are broken and feparated in every 

 poflible direction ; and, from a plane, they are bent and doubled. 

 It is impomble that they could have originally been formed, 

 by the known laws of nature, in their prefent flate and pofition; 



L 1 and 



