128 Rev. Mr Smith o?? n Submarine Forest 



stratum whicli extends into the sea, is only four or five inches. 

 The general consistency of the latter was firm, and it adhered 

 so closely to the bed of sandy clay, on which it rested, that I 

 found it necessary to use the shaft of my hammer in separating 

 them, — and I succeeded, by poising the moss upwards in thin 

 lamina, hke those of slate-clay. The colour was brownish-black. 

 The remains of trees were very obviously seen in it, and I could 

 distinguish the birch by its bark, which presented its decisive 

 characteristics ; but I could not be equally satisfied in regard to 

 the more decomposed portions of trees which were crowded to- 

 gether, without any such obviously distinguishing property. 

 The whole appeared as if merely undei-going the putrefactive 

 process, while its fibrous texture and woody appearance seemed 

 to denote that fallen trees had contributed more to its formation 

 than decayed musci. 



Tliat other and smaller plants entered into its composition, 

 was also rendered obvious, since, on breaking the moss into small 

 pieces, it abounded with seeds, appearing as fresh as if the hand 

 of the gardener had sown them the day before. Upon drying, 

 they became darker in the colour, and split longitudinally, pro- 

 bably owing to their long immersion. In this state they were 

 submitted to Dr Hooker, who writes, " The seeds have the ap- 

 pearance of belonging to some plant of the natural order Legu- 

 minosfB, and Mr Drummond suggests that they may probably 

 be those of Genista Anglica." 



The existence of one such fact proves much. Marine depo- 

 sitions and organic remains being found in situations elevated 

 far above the present level of the ocean, have led all to con- 

 clude what the frequency of such facts fully demonstrates, that 

 the relative position of the sea and land has changed, and that 

 many portions of the earth which are now fertile in the higher 

 orders of plants, were once covered by the waters of the ocean- 

 If our knowledge were confined to a single observation of this 

 nature, we might not be entitled to call for such mighty agency 

 as the moving of the whole earth or seas to account for the phe- 

 nomenon, and the heavings of an internal volcano, would be 

 deemed a probable, because a more partially operating cause. 

 And when depositions and remains evidently non-marine, exist 

 in the bed of the ocean, though we must allow that an indivi- 



