particles with wliicii it was charged, being proportioned to thi 

 bulk of water that contained them, it is plain, that as the height 

 of water gradually decreafed, the depofitions from it on the 

 higher parts of the mountains mud have been le'^s copious than 

 on the lower, where they muft have been oftener repeated. 



Hence 2^ granitic mountains, generally the moft antient, 

 frequently have their northern or eaflern fides covered with 

 ftrata of gneifs or micaceous fliiflus, and this often with argillite, 

 or primseval fand-ftone, or lime-ftone, thefe being either of 

 fbmevvhat later formation or longer fufpendible in water. 



Hence 3"- different fpecies of ftone are often found at different 

 heights of the fame flank of a mountain, according as the 

 water which conveyed thefe fpecies, happened to be differently 

 impregnated at different heights ; during the firft aera its depofi- 

 tions formed the primitive ftony maffes, but after the creation 

 of fifli, lime ftone, fand-ftone, farcilites and fecondary argillites 

 in which pifcine remains are found, were depofited. But during 

 the fecond asra, viz that of the Noachian djluge, by reafon of 

 the violence and irregularity of its aggreffion, the depofitions 

 were more mifcellaneous and are found at the greateft heights ; . 

 yet in general they may well be diftinguilhed by the remains 

 of land animals, or of vegetables, or of both, which they prefent 

 in their ftrata (or at leaft by the impreffions of vegetables which 

 they bear) as thefe muft have been conveyed after the earth had 



been. 



