54 Analyses of Books. [Jan . 



■which he conceives to have been at an intense temperature 

 throughout, when first it reached its actual orbit, perhaps 

 launched from the sun, according to Buffon's notion. The 

 rapid and prodigious superficial vaporization to which it must 

 have been subjected in open space, suddenly congealed a solid 

 crust around it (granitic). On this the primaeval ocean was 

 deposited by the gradual condensation of the aqueous vapours 

 which the furce of gravity confined to the vicinity. The other 

 aeriform fluids generated during its vaporization united to form 

 the atmosphere of the planet. But as the caloric of the nucleus 

 began again to spread tov.-ards the surface, expansions took 

 place beneath this crust, which was broken through and raised 

 on numerous points. In this age of turbulence the schistose 

 rocks, gneiss, mica slate, and the earlier (so called) transition 

 strata were deposited, the transported and suspended fragment- 

 ary particles (particularly the mica) subsiding to the bottom 

 wherever the ocean was sufficiently tranquil, and the substances 

 held in solution by it (carbonate and sulphate of lime, muriate 

 of soda, &.C.) being precipitated at the same time as its waters 

 cooled. The mineral characters and organic remains of these 

 rocks testify to these circumstances of the archaic ocean, as the 

 inferior disturbance, the less crystalhne texture, and more per- 

 fect organized remains of the later strata, indicate their formation 

 at a period of less turbulence, when elevations of the globe's 

 crust were less frequent and violent, when the temperature of the 

 ocean and atmosphere had diminished, and the quantity of water 

 taken into circulation through the atmosphere, and returned in 

 torrents o\\ the surfaces of the new continents, had proportion- 

 ately decreased. 



The author, after remarking on the wonder-working spirit 

 which has dictated most theories on this subject, closes with 

 these words : " The theory of the globe, which I have hazarded 

 above, and which I am aware requires much ulterior develope- 

 ment, and perhaps some corrections, to render it complete, con- 

 sists simply in the application of those modes of operation 

 which nature still employs on a large scale, in the production 

 before our eyes of fresh mineral masses on the surface of the 

 earth, to explain the origin of those which we find there already. 

 If, alter fair discussion, and with all reasonable allowances, it is 

 found adequate to this purpose, its truth will be established oh 

 the soundest possible basis — the same upon which rests the 

 whole fabric of our knowledge on every subject vvhatsoever; 

 the supposition, namely, that the lav/s of nature do not vary, 

 but that similar results always are, have been, and will be pro- 

 duced by similar preceding circumstances." 



An appendix is added, containing a list of known volcanos in 

 recent or habitual activity ; and an examination into the appa- 



