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Remarks tending to explain the Geological History of' the 

 Earth, By Professor Esmark.* 



xF we carry back our investigations with regard to the structure 

 of the earth to its original formation, we find all involved in 

 thick darkness. There have not been wanting, however, inge- 

 nious men, who have formed theories on this subject ; we find 

 some of these even among the Greek philosophers. Among 

 these, two opposite opinions especially prevailed ; some consider- 

 ed fire as the chief agent in this process ; others water. Anax- 

 archus from Lampascus averred, that in his country the moun- 

 tains had stood under water. Aristotle, Eratosthenes, Strabo, 

 and Plutarch, supported his opinion. In later times, nobody 

 doubts this fact, as we find petrified animals on the highest 

 mountains. In America, such have been found on the Andes, 

 at the height of 12,000 Rhenish feet above the level of the sea -f-. 

 At first it was believed that these petrifactions were remains of 

 the general deluge ; but a more accurate investigation discover- 

 ed, that they could not all be derived from this source ; for, as 

 we find on the highest mountains, and inclosed in the bowels of 

 the earth, petrifactions of animals in every stage of their growth, 

 and arranged in classes such as we still find alive in the sea, it 

 may be readily inferred, that the duration of the flood was not suf- 

 ficient to produce that amazing multitude of organic forms, the 

 remains of which are now to be found in the bosom of the 

 earth, but that these places must have once been the bottom of 

 the sea. 



In considering these petrifactions with attention, we may ob- 

 serve the following peculiarities among them : — 



1. That the greater part of these petrifactions consist of sea 

 animals and sea plants. 



* It being our intention to lay before our readers, as occasion may offer, 

 statements of the opinions on the formation of the Earth entertained by dis- 

 tinguished writers, we now communicate the ideas on this subject by Es- 

 mark, from the Christiania Journal. 



+ Colonel Gerard found many ammonites at a height of 16,200 feet above 

 the seEj in the Himalya range of mountains. 



