42 CECONOMY 



//, which conftitutes the cruft of the earth, the 

 vegetable^ which adorns the face of it, and draws 

 the greateil part of its nourifhment from the 

 fojjil kingdom, and the animal^ which is fuftained. 

 by the vegetable kingdom. Thus thefe three 

 kingdoms cover, adorn and vary the fuperficies 

 of our earth. It is not my defign to make any 

 inquiry concerning the center of the terraque- 

 ous globe. He, who likes hypothefes, m.ay con- 

 fult Defcartes, Heimont, Kircher, and others. 

 My bufmefs is to confider the external parts of 

 it only, and whatever is obvious to the eye. 



As to the ftrata of the earth and moun- 

 tains, as far as we have hitherto been able to 

 difcover, the upper parts confift of rag-fione^ 

 the next oijlate^ the third of marble filled with 

 petrifadions, the fourth again with jlate^ and 

 laftly the loweft oi free-ftone. The habitable part 

 of the earth, though it is fcooped into various 

 inequalities, yet is eveiy where high in compa- 

 rifon with the water, and the farther it is from 

 the fea, it is generally higher. Thus thq wa- 

 ters in the lower places are not at reft, unlefs 

 fome obflacle confines them, and by that 

 means form lakes, and marfh^s. 



The fea furrounds the continent, and takes 

 up the greateft part of the earth's fuperficies, 



as 



