Grote.] "1« [Septi 19. 



Third, Thai the river terraces and the valleys, whiGh they line, were 

 formed after the drainage system had been re established by withdrawal of 

 the water to a level below that a1 which the streams had previously flowed. 



It will be seen that the last conclusion leads to one of wider application. 



So long time had elapsed between the beginning of this drainage and the 

 coming of the great Hood, thai deepening of the water-ways had become 

 not more rapid than the general wasting of the adjacent country ; for we 

 find comparatively gentle slopes down to the line of the highest river ter- 

 race. But after the drainage bad been re-established, the rate of How must 

 have been more rapid than before, so as to increase the corrasive power of 

 the streams to far beyond what it had been, for in the newer parts of the 

 valleys the sides are abrupt. There must, therefore, have been a change 

 of altitude with respect to tide-level, to lead to this increased rate of flow 

 and the consequent increased speed with which the channel-ways were 

 deepened. 



It would appear then, that, after the submergence following the glacial 

 period, the continent rose to a greater height than it had before the sub- 

 mergence, or that the ocean was drawn off to a lower level than before ; 

 the result in either case being the same — Lo depress the mouths of the 

 great rivers, to increase the fall of the streams, and therefore to cause the 

 deepening of the channel-ways. 



The Philosophy of the Biblical Account of Creation. 

 By Aug. B. Grote, A. M. 

 {Bead before the American Philosophical Society, September 19, 1879.) 

 Mr. Grote introduced his subject with a list of works which he had con- 

 sulted, by the following authors : Keil, Kuenen, Colenso, Bleek, Sharpe, 

 Haverick, Geiger, Goldziher, Geo. Smith, Delitzsch, Cory, H. C. Rawlin- 

 son, Geo. Rawlinson, Von Herder, Arnold, Spiegel, Simrock, Max Midler, 

 and Prof. Adolf Duschak. 



He then gave in brief the historical distribution of the Shemitic languages 

 and their literary remains ; following this with the Hebrew texl (in En- 

 glish letters) of the first two chapters of Genesis, and in opposite columns 

 his own translation, with that of the authorized English version in paren- 

 thesis, thus : 



20. Vayyomer Elohim Yishr'tzu 20. And Elohim (God) said: Let 

 hammayim sheretz nefesh chayyah the waters abound with (bring forth 

 v'of y'ofef alhaaretz, alp'nay rakee- abundantly) creeping (the moving) 

 ah hashamayim.* creature living (that hath life) and 



fowl shall fly (that may fly) above 

 the earth in the face (in the open) 

 of the expanse (firmament) of hea- 

 ven. 



♦Syntactically the word "v'of" and fowl, besides being the subject of 

 "y'ofef" (shall fly) may be tie- objed of " Yishr'tzu " (abound with . The com- 

 mon English version gives it exclusively as the object, and supposes a relative 

 pronoun understood. 



