136 Journey to the Frozen- Sea, and 



Another question still remains to Be decided. Has 

 the mammoth originally inhabited the countries of the 

 pole, or those of the tropics? The thick hair with 

 which this animal is covered seems to indicate that it 

 belonged to the northern regions ; to this it does not 

 seem reasonable to start objections, although several 

 writers have done so : but what remains inexplicable is, 

 to ascertain, how came the mammoth to be buried in 

 the ice ? Perhaps the peninsula of Tumut has been 

 slowly formed. In course of time a general inunda- 

 tion must have covered all the north part of the globe, 

 and caused the death of this animal ; which, after hav- 

 ing floated for some time among the masses of ice, was 

 finally driven by a gust of wind upon the sand-bank not 

 far from the shore. The sea, upon afterwards retiring 

 within its limits, must have buried the body of the 

 mammoth. But of what use are all these hypotheses, 

 even if they had a high degree of probability ? How 

 can wc reconcile facts which seem so contrary ? Two 

 years ago similar relics were found in the environs of 

 Kirengsk, upon the banks of the Lena, at a greater dis- 

 tance from the sea, and they had fallen into the bed of 

 the river : others have been found in provinces further 

 south from the Wolga ; and they have been discovered 

 in Germany and in Spain. These are just so many 

 incontestable proofs of a general deluge. We must be- 

 lieve that the country of the mammoth was of immense 

 extent : but I shall not at present prosecute inquiries 

 which might lead us into a labyrinth of hypotheses : I 

 shall merely add, that it appears incontestable to me 

 that there has existed a world of a very ancient date ; 

 and Cuvier, without intending it, gives evident proofs 



