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live globe abfolutely different from that which we inhabit, (and 

 with fuch I do not meddle) he will find the fame argument 

 equally to occur. 



In a fluid conftituted as that juft mentioned, it is evident, from 

 the laws of eledive attradion, that the various folids diffufed 

 through it muft fooa have coalefced in various proportions accord- 

 ing to the laws of this attradion and the prefence or proximity 

 of the ingredients, and thus have cryftallized into different groups, 

 which defcended to and were depofited on the inferior fohd kernel 

 of the globe. In thofc trafls in which the filiceous, and next 

 to it the argillaceous earth moft abounded, (and fuch trads 

 appear to have been by far the moft extenfive) granite and 

 gneifs appear to have been firft formed, and their formation 

 may thus be explained : Both thefe rocks confift of quartz, 

 felfpar and mica, in a variable proportion, but the quartz and 

 felfpar are generally the moft copious. Thefe ftones are them- 

 felves compofed of filiceous and argillaceous particles, and par- 

 ticularly the firft, principally of filiceous, the two latter admit- 

 ting alfo the argillaceous and a fmall proportion of the calca- 

 reous; the magnefian and in fome inftances of the barytic. Now 

 of thefe earths^ that fiiould coalefce firft, which with an equally 

 fmall affinity to water was at the fame time moft plentifully con- 

 tained in it, its particles being more within the reach of each 

 other's attradion. Hence we may conclude that the quartz firft 

 cryftallized, fcarce ever indeed perfedly, from the difturbance that 



•' muft 



