_. found in Siberia. ; » 
J an cian of ferruginous particles to have been 
melted by the effects of lightning, 
Should it be afked how fuch maffes originated, or be 
what means they were brought into fuch an infulated pofi- 
tion; this queftion would be the fame as if it were afked 
how the planets originated. . Whatever hypothefes we may 
form, we muft cither admit that the planets, if we except 
the many revolutions which they may haye undergone, 
either on or near their furface, have always been fince their 
firft formation, and ever will.be the fame ; or that nature, 
acting on created matter, poffefies the power to produce 
worlds and whole fyitems, to deftroy them, and from their 
materials to form new ones. For the latter opinion there 
are, indeed, more grounds than for the former, as alterna- 
tions of deftruétion andcreation are exhibited by all organifed 
and unorganifed bodies on our earth; which gives us reafon 
to, fufpect that nature, to which greatnefs and fimallnefs, 
confidered in general, are merely relative terms, can produce ~ 
more effects of the fame kind on a larger feale. But many 
_variations have been obferyed on diftant bodies, which, in 
fome meafure, render the laft opinion probable. For ex- 
ample, the appearing and total difappearing of certain ftars, 
when they do not depend upon periodical changes. If we 
now admit that planetary bodies have ftarted into exiftence, 
we cannot fuppofe that fuch an eyent can have otherwife 
taken place, than by conjeéturing that either particles of 
matter, which were before difperfed throughout infinite 
fpace, in a more foft and chaotic condition, have united 
together in large mafles, by the power of attraction; or that 
new planetary bodies have been formed from the fragments 
of much larger ones that have been broken to pieces, cither 
perhaps by fome external fhock, or by an internal explofion. 
Let whichever of thefe hypothefes be the trueft, it is not 
improbable, or at leaft not contrary to nature, if we fuppofe 
that a large quantity of fuch material particles, either on 
account of their too great diftance, or becaufe prevented by 
Bg a ftronger 
