Reflections on the Noachian Deluge. 1 1 



It Is undoubted that the surface of the Earth, ahnost universally 

 presents the evidences, of a most violent and over-whelming 

 Torrent, or rather, perhaps, a succession of such, the Waters of 

 which (assisted perhaps by some Tidal reversion of the action of 

 Gravity, as has been maintained by Mr. Farey in your work) were 

 able to move vast masses of earthy Matters, mixed with gravel 

 Stones and even with large Holders and very heavy Blocks of 

 Stone, and to lodge them on tops of Hills,and on the surfaces of 

 Plain>i of considerable elevation; such Hiils and Plains, and the 

 Valleys which intersect them, having most evidently existed in 

 their present form and shape, at the time of these early ox gravel 

 Floods, which most evidently did not excavate the Valleys, or in 

 any material degree abrade or alter the contour of the Hills. 



Now the mistake of Professor Buckland, and of all those who 

 have preceded him, in referring these tumultuous events, to the 

 Deluge !ia|)|jening in the da\s of Noah, consists, in not having 

 carehilly considered tiiC ivords used by Moses in describing the 

 Noachian neUh^e, which if they had done, instead of taking on 

 trust, the absurd interpretations of those words, or rather the fa- 

 brifications wiiich were framed by Dr. Woodward and many 

 other writers of the two last Centuries, the Professor must, by 

 this examination <f Moses' ti'ords, have four.d, that the same, 

 throughout, refer to a quiet effusion oj Water upon the surface 

 of the Earth, for the avowed purpose and for no other, but that 

 of drowning the degenerate race of Mankind, whose crimes c.nd 

 violences had filled the Earth; and that in point of fact, accord- 

 ina to M' ses, the surface of the Earth, was not torn up or moved, 

 so as in anv material degree to disturb and root up the Vegetable 

 races! ; nor did it annihilate any of the race of Fishes, not 

 even the most torpid and helpless of the species of Shell-Fish ! 

 The vegetable earth or Mould, fit for the growth of useful plants 

 (the evidently slow result of long periods of decomposition, and 

 the accmnulation of decayed vegetable matters) wa^ not, ac- 

 cording to Moses, either washed away, or covered, by naked and 

 fresh-moved Ruhbish, because Noah on quitting the Ark, or very 

 soon after, planted a vineyard !. 



Whereas, the Gravel Floods* which the Professor has laboured 

 to identiiv with this Noachian Deluge, must, undoubtedly, liave 

 left tl>e entire surface of the earth, as tUterly mi fit for the im- 

 mediate reception and support of Men, and of granivorous Ani- 

 mals, or even of Plants, as the Sea Beach and Sands now are, 

 on which the Tide and Waves of the Ocean daily lash : besides 

 whicli, the Bones of Men, and more especially tiieir implements 

 and works of art, ought to be found buried in or under the gra- 

 velly mixtures, if such had in reality been moved by the Noachian 



15 2 Deluge, 



