[ 3»f ] 



5° The entire feparatlon of Great Britain from the Continent 

 mufl have happened long after the deluge, and that of Ireland 

 from Great Britain at a ftill later period ; for wolves and bears 

 were anciently found in both, and thefe mufl have palTed from 

 the Continent into Britain and from this into Ireland, as their im- 

 portation cannot be fufpeded. Thefe events as I already faid muft 

 have been prepared and have commenced by the (hock communi- 

 cated during the rupture and depreflion of the bed of the Atlantic. 

 The divulfive force that feparated Britain from Germany feems 

 tx> have been direded from north to fouth, but gradually weaken- 

 ed in its progrefs, Hence that ifland is fharpened to the north- 

 wards, but the imprefllon muft have been confiderably weakened 

 by the oppofition of the granitic mountains that form the Shet- 

 land and Orkney Ifles. The loofer ftrucSture of the calcareous or 

 argillaceous and arenaceous materials of the more fouthern parts 

 offered lefs refiflance, was more eafily preyed upon, and gave 

 way to what is now called the German ocean, while thefe materi- 

 als themfelves were fpread over Weftphalia, &c. or formed the 

 fubfoil of Flanders, Holland and the fand-banks on its coafl:. The 

 rupture of the ifthmus that joined Calais and Dover was probably 

 cffe<fled by an earthquake at a later period, and gradually widen- 

 ed by tides and currents. Ireland was protedled by Scotland 

 from the violence of the northern fliock, hence its feparation 

 from Scotland appears to have been late and gradual. That from 

 England was probably diluvial and efFeded by a fouthern fhock. 



All 



