70 



Maillas ; and, from its height, it could not have been formed 

 in the common way: he, therefore, assures us, that the in- 

 conceivable force of subterranean fire, I'a fait sortir, toiite 

 formec, de I'mterieur de terre ; that is, it was forced up, 

 ready made. (Page 280.) 



Though Mr. St. Fond chuses to call these, explosions of 

 his volcaniques, yet, he takes care to inform us, that they 

 have nothing volcanic but the name. For Roche Rouge, 

 a pyramidal basaltic rock, 100 feet high by 60, was forced 

 up, (I may say, like a peg,) par I'effort d'une explosion vol- 

 caniqiie, de I'intcrieur de terre, without being preceded, or 

 followed, by any other volcanic phaenomenon; as there are 

 neither scoria nor porous lava, nulle couUe de lave, no cra- 

 ter, nor apparent volcano, in the neighbourhood. (Vol. 

 Eteints, page 364.) 



Nor does Mr. St. Fond limit his volcanic explosions to 

 the land only: for he assures us, that Rocher St. Michel, 

 and Rocher Corneille, though in the province of Velay, 

 in the heart of France, were formed by submarine erup- 

 tions. (Page 341 and 344.) 



What opinion the reader will form, of these mighty 

 agents, which Mr. St. Fond introduces, to help him through 

 his difficulties, he must determine for himself: but Mr. 

 Dolomieu considers the discovery of them, as a superior 

 effort of human sagacity. He can now get over his own 

 difficulties, and account for the formation of the basaltic 

 mount Paterno, which, he admits, could not have been 

 formed by the common volcanic process; and of La Mothe;, 



whose 



