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muft have proceeded either from igneous fufion or folution in 

 water. The hypothefis of igneous fufion wars with every notion 

 which experiment has taught us to form either of fire or its fuel, 

 or the properties and appearances of the various fubftances fup- 

 pofed to be fubjeded to it, as I have fhewn at large in a former 

 difi"ertation contained in the Tranfadions of this Academy ; the 

 latter perfedly accords, and much more perfedly than I was then 

 aware of, with all the properties and charaders that all the 

 folids now known exhibit, thofe confefiTedly of volcanic origin 

 folely CKcepted. 



The difficult folubility in water of moft of the folids which 

 the globe at prefent exhibits, and the immenfe quantity of that 

 fluid requifite to efFed their folution, forms the only difficulty 

 that has hitherto embarrafled geologifts, though it has prevented 

 fcarce any of them from admitting that folution. Moft of them 

 have fuppofed that at that early period fome menftruum exifted 

 capable of effeding it. This difficulty however proceeds folely 

 from inattention to the firft demonftrated fad, namely, that the 

 globe at its origin, at leaft to a certain depth, was a liquid mafs ; 

 therefore the folids that at prefent compofe it were not originally 

 in a folid ftate, whofe converfion into a ftate of liquidity would 

 certainly require more water than is known to exift, but were at 

 the very commencement of their exiftence in that ftate of mi- 

 nute divifion which aqueous folution requires, but which no 

 known exifting quantity of that fluid would be able to effcd. 



Now 



