♦ 45^ 



ment, excluhve of the third that we inhabit, and which he thinks, Is 

 flipping through our fingers. 



Dr. Hutton proves very clearly the neceflity of having two new worlds 

 going on at once, for otherwife we might remain a long time without 

 any world, obvioufly a very great inconvenience ; the pafTage in which 

 Dr. Hutton eftablifhes the necefEty of three worlds, is very interefling, 

 but quite too long for a quotation, I raufl; therefore, refer the rea« 

 der to his original work. Edin. Tranfaflions, vol. ift. pages 303 and 

 3°4. 



Examination of Dr. Hutton' s frji Propfttion a posteriori. 



* 



Hitherto we have proceeded in fome fort by fpeculation, and coa- 

 je£hire ; we will now try a mode of demonflration applied by Dr. 

 Hutton to his fecond and third propofitions, though not to his firft. 

 Wc will examine the Strata of the World, and try if they bear marks 

 of having been formed at the bottom of the fea from the detritus of 

 our continents, as Dr. Hutton aflerts. 



The coat of adventitious matter formed at the bottom of the fea, 

 in the manner fo minutely detailed, fliould be homogeneous, fmce the 

 detritus from different parts of the world mull be nearly the famej 

 and even Ihould they vary confiderably, where firft carried oS the 

 furface, they muft be io mixed by the agitation of great rivers in 

 their tedious journey from their fources, and ftill more in their long 

 travel over the bottom of the fea, that by the time they reach the 

 place of their deftination, its unfathomable regions, they fhould be formed 



into 



