of the Mineral Kingdom.” ~ 283 
watery process, without the agency of fire, after having the ori- 
Zinal matter of the whole globe once thoroughly vitrified in the 
sun. 
Both the Count and our author strenuously insist upon the 
waste of the superficies of the mountains, and of the rocky shores 
of the ocean, by the force of the tides and storms, as an infallible 
proof of the gradual destruction of the existing dry land, and 
they both infer from hence the successive changes of habitable 
worlds as a necessary consequence. 
I have in my Essays fully investigated and explained dliase 
matters. I have pointed out the utmost extent of the waste of 
the mountains ; and I have acknowledged, that the weight of 
mighty waves, propelled by the tides and stormy winds, have 
powerful effects in undermining and wasting the rocky shores’; but 
then I have made it evident, that this waste and destruction only 
advance to a certain length and degree, where it stops; and I 
have drawn the line, and pointed out the depredations of the 
‘waves with some exactness; and have made it evident to our 
senses, that hitherto they come, but no farther. 
In some places, the sands are interposed to defend the rocks, 
and the very slow diminution of the sands by attrition is abun- 
dantly made up by fresh supplies furnished by the rivers. In 
other places, the rocks are covered by a shelly incrustation, the 
work of small testaceous tribes, which perfectly defends these 
rocks against any injury from the waves. 
We may suppose, that all or most of our maritime coasts were 
at first exposed to the ravages of the ocean. At present, the 
greatest part is defended by the sands and testaceous incrusta- 
tions ; and it is rational to suppose, that, in the course of time, 
all the shores of the ocean will be perfectly defended by these 
means. 
With respect to the real encroachments which the sea has 
hitherto made, or may hereafter make, upon the land, I think 
we may safely conclude, that a million of acres of new land have 
been made from the sediment of the rivers for-every single acre 
of the rocky shores that has been wasted by the waves of the 
sea. 
This is no supposition; it is a fact abundantly evident to our 
senses; and it is a sort of retrograde operation towards the suc- 
cessive change of worlds contended for by our philosophers. 
Dr. Hutton investigates a considerable number of fossil bodies} 
and explains their phenomena to countenance his own hypo- 
‘thesis. It would extend this preface to too great length, were 
I to examine what he has advanced upon them all. 
At present, I will only take notice of the testaceous tribes of 
the ocean, He tells us, that these exuvie, being found in the 
body 
