200 Geological Queries regarding 
confusion of the inquisitive mind of man; but it is a real and 
visible fact, which may be viewed, examined, and thoroughly in- _ 
vestigated by the man of leisure and abilities; and I am per- 
suaded, that if Dr. Hutton will read my papers upon this sub- 
ject, he will be convinced of the errors of his hypothesis. 
Now, it being clearly demonstrated, that no strata are formed 
in the bed, or under the waters of the ocean, all our author’s 
investigations and reasoning upon that subject of course fall to 
the ground ; and I have in my essays made it evident to a de- 
monstration, that if, for argument’s sake, we allow the particles 
of matter carried down by the rivers to be spread out over the 
bounds of the ocean, and to subside in it, we should, in that 
event, have no coal, no limestone, freestone, nor any other use- 
ful fossil body. 
We should have no such thing as strata, nor bed, nor division 
of any kind whatsoever, but all would be one uniform solid 
mass of sediment, compounded of all things. It is in vain to 
say it would be otherwise. The known and acknowledged laws 
of Nature forbid it ; and all the experience we have of sediment 
proves the fact, that all would be a blended indistinguishable 
mass, as I have fully shown in my essays, to which I refer for 
clearing up the point under consideration. If we can suppose 
any order or distinction in sediment, it must agree with the laws 
of gravitation; of course the heaviest particles would subside, 
and take possession of the lowest place, from which they would 
not be dislodged by the lightest. 
But we need not descend to particulars. Stratification must 
be performed by a shallow spread and flow of water: but we 
cannot allow of stratification, nor of any distinction of strata of 
different qualities under the bed or waters of the ocean, without 
a miracle for each ; and we need not have recourse to miracles, 
when the phenomena of Nature can be as well and better ex- 
plained upon rational and mechanical principles, agreeable to 
the known laws and visible operations of Nature. But I will 
not insist upon this topic here. I have already confuted this 
part of the Buffonian theory, and the Huttonian differs but little 
from it. [To be continued. ] 
XXIX. Geological Queries regarding the Strata of the Vicinity 
of Bridlington; and some Acknowledgements to NATHANIEL 
Joun Wincu, Esq.,@8c. By A CoRRESPONDENT. 
To Mr. Tulloch. 
Sir, — I avenaiinns the causes of the ebbing and flowing of 
the Spring of Water, which rises in Mr, Rennie’s Bore-hole in 
Bridlington 
