Ne-w PidJkahons. ■ 16^ 



filiceous porphyries, jafpers, See. were produced. In the 

 confufed agitation of all parts of the flood, fulphur and me- 

 tallic fubftanccs encountering, formed pyrites ; while pit-coal 

 was alfo compofed by the affociation of petrol with carbon. 

 After the formation of combuliiblc compounds fo eafily de- 

 compofable, heat fiifficieut for their combuftion was foon 

 afforded from the inccfiant fwlidification of matters which 

 had been hitherto fluid. A decompofition of water, by means 

 of heated iron, was one of the firlt eft'efts from the rifing in- 

 tcnflty of the general heat. The combuftible matters were 

 generally inflamed, and manv volcanic fires burft out from 

 the bolbm of the abyfs. Gas-azot, gas-oxygen, and after- 

 wards carbonic acid gas, were, in great quantities, evolved 

 from the conflagration, and dift'ufed into an atmofphere fur- 

 rounding the earth and waters. The eruptions of the fires 

 naturally difordL'red the depofitions of the rocky ftrata, and 

 puflied up many vertical or inclined elevations througJi t he layers 

 whicli might otherwifc have been, in general, nearly hori- 

 zontal. Such was the origin of the loftieft primitive moun- 

 tains, the Alps, the Andes, and thofe elevated ranges which 

 occupy fo exlcnfive a fpacc in the north of Afla. Plains were 

 formed by the depofition of llony particles from the chaotic 

 flood in the intervals between the mountains, and with a dif- 

 fufion too loofe to admit of their being united in cryftals as 

 they were depofited. The volcanic eruptions, by w'hich the 

 lirft mountains were elevated, could not but fcoop out exca- 

 vations to receive the fubfiding waters of the fca. The ca- 

 verns of the primitive nucleus of the globe were even laid 

 open by thofe fires ; and, into them, the fuperticial waters 

 fhrunk, till a coniiderable extent of dry and folid furface was 

 left bare under the atmofphere. At a level of between 8,500 

 and 9000 feet above that at which it now flandsy the ocean 

 became for a while flationary. It was fuon after furnifhed 

 with fiQies. The difiiitcgralion of the primary rocks, the de- 

 pofition of animal cxuvia;, ami the ccnitinued precipitation of 

 the folid matters fufpended in the waters of the fea, then 

 compofed thofe ftrata of rocks vvhich, from their containing 

 animal remains, are denominated ftc^tudary. The earth was 

 ^bout the fame lime clothed v.ilh vcgvialion, and made the 



refidcnco 



