THEORY of the EARTH. 275 



collected at the bottom of the fea, and to form thereof a mafs 

 of permanent land above the level of the ocean, for the purpofe 

 of maintaining plants and animals. The power appointed for 

 this purpofe is, as on all other occafions, where the operation is 

 important, and where there is any danger of a fhortcoming, 

 wifely provided in abundance ; and there are contrived means 

 for difpofing of the redundancy. Thefe, in the prefent cafe, 

 are our volcanos. 



A VOLCANO is not made on purpofe to frighten fuperflitious 

 people into fits of piety and devotion, nor to overwhelm devoted 

 cities with deftruction ; a volcano fliould be confidered as a fpi- 

 racle to the fubterranean furnace, in order to prevent the unne- 

 cefTary elevation of land, and fatal effects of earthquakes ; and 

 we may reft allured, that they, in general, wifely anfwer the 

 end of their intention, without being in themfelves an end, for 

 which nature had exerted fuch amazing power and excellent 

 contrivance. 



LET us take a view of the moft elevated places of the earth ; 

 if the prefent theory is juft, it is there that we fhould find vol- 

 canos. But is not this the cafe ? There are volcanos in the An- 

 des ; and round the Alps we find many volcanos, which are in 

 France upon the one fide, and in Germany upon the other, as 

 well as upon the Italian fide, where Vefuvius ftill continues to 

 exhibit violent eruptions. 



IT is not meant to allege, that it is only upon the fummit of a 

 continent volcanos fliould appear. . Subterraneous fire has fome- 

 times made its appearance in burfting from the bottom of the fea. 

 But, even in this laft cafe, land was raifed from the bottom of the 

 fea, before the eruption made its exit into the atmofphere. It 

 muft alfo be evident, that, in this cafe of the - new ifland near 

 Santorini, had the expanfive power been retained, inftead of be- 

 ing difcharged, much more land might have been raifed above 

 the level of the ocean. 



M m 2 Now, 



