THE R T of the EA R Tff. 229 



folving power of water, and to the ftate in which thofe fub- 

 ftances might be left by the feparation of their menftruum ? 

 No ; far, far from this fuppofition is the conclufion that necef- 

 farily follows from natural appearances. 



WE have ftrata confolidated by calcareous ipar, a thing per- 

 fectly diftinguifhable from the ftalac"lical concretion of calca- 

 reous earth, in confequence of aqueous folution. We have 

 ftrata made folid by the formation of fluor, a fubftance not 

 foluble, fo far as we know, by water. We have ftrata confoli- 

 dated with fulphureous and bituminous fubftances, which do 

 not correfpond to the folution of water. We have ftrata con- 

 folidated with filiceous matter, in a ftate totally different from 

 that under which it has been obferved, on certain occafions, to 

 be depofited by water. We have ftrata confolidated by feld- 

 fpar, a fubftance infoluble in water. We have ftrata confoli- 

 dated by almoft all the various metallic fubftances, with their 

 almoft endlefs mixtures and fulphureous competitions j that is 

 to fay, we find, perhaps, every different fubftance introduced 

 into the interftices of ftrata which had been formed by fubfi^ 

 dence at the bottom of the fea. 



IF it is by means of water that thofe interftices have been 

 filled with thofe materials, water muft be, like fire, an univer- 

 fal folvent, or caufe of fluidity, and we muft change entirely 

 our opinion of water in relation to its chemical character. But 

 there is- no neceffity thus to Violate our chemical principles, in 

 order to explain certain natural appearances; more efpecially 

 if thofe appearances may be explained in another manner, con- 

 fiftently with the known laws of nature. 



IF, again, it is by means of heat and fufion that the loofe 

 and porous ftruclure of ftrata fhall be fuppofed to have been 

 confolidated, then every difficulty which had occurred in rea- 

 foning upon the power or agency of water is at once removed; 

 The loofe and difcontinuous body of a ftratum may be clofed 

 by means of foftnefs and compreffion j the porous ftruclure of 



tho; 



