[ 58 ] 



produdlibility of any fimple earth. Our author's conclafion, how- 

 ever, is, " That all the ftrata of the earth, not onlythofe confift- 

 '• ing of calcareous raafles, but others fuperincumbent on thefe, 

 " have had their origin at the bottom of the fea, by the colletTlion 

 " offand, gravel, fliells, coralline and cruftaceous bodies, and of 

 *' earths and clays varioufly mixed, fcparated and accumulated," 

 page 2 21. Various geological obfervations contradicfl this con- 

 clufion. There are many llratified mountains of argillaceous 

 flate, gnelfs, ferpentine, jafper, and even marbie, in which either 

 faiid, gravel, ihells, coralline, or cruflaceous bodies are never or 

 fcarce ever found *. 



The general amount of our author's rcafoning however is, 

 " That nine-tenths perhaps, or ninety nine hundredths of this 

 " earth, fo far as we fee, have been formed by natural opera- 

 " tions of the globe, in coUedling loofe materials and depofiting 

 " them at the bottom of the fea; confolidating thofe colledlions 

 " in various degrees, and either elevating thofe confolidated 

 " mafles above the level on which they are formed, or lowering 

 " the level of the fea." How ill fupported by fads this con- 

 clufion is we have already fhewn ; and our author himfelf 

 will prefently difcover, for he adds, " There is a part of the 

 " folid earth, which we may at prefent negled, not as being 

 " perfuaded that this part may not alfo be found to come under 

 " the general rule of formation with the reft, but as confidering 

 " it as of no confequence in forming a general theory which 



" iiiall 



• I Gerh. Gefch. p. 72. 85. 2 Gerh. 413. 



