GEOI.OGT, 31 



learned from the Bible, from reason and from observa- 

 tion; and yet we have the strongest evidence, that this 

 order was not strictly and minutely pursued through the 

 whole process of bringing the earth into the state in 

 which it is now presented to our view. The whole of 

 the mineral kingdom, all rocks and metals, soils and 

 mountains, were not completed before the creation of 

 the vegetable and animal kingdoms were commenced. 

 So far from it, rocks, soils, and metals, are daily form- 

 ing at the present time. In many instances, vegeta- 

 bles and animals are deposited in solid rocks far below 

 the surface of the earth. Nay, whole mountains of a 

 great height, and hundreds of miles in extent, are com- 

 posed of little else than the relics of animals. The 

 greater part of these animals were evidently different 

 kinds of shell fish. But fishes, of the kind that swim, 

 are also found inclosed in solid rocks. In one instance, 

 the relics of one fish were found in the mouth of another, 

 apparently in the act of struggling for his freedom, when 

 both captive and captor were suddenly arrested, and 

 confined, where they closed their struggles and their 

 lives together; and were afterwards converted into stone. 

 In another instance, one hundred and sixteen different 

 kinds offish were foond petrified within a short distance. 

 It has been remarked, that fishes had probably met in 

 general assembly, and were taken when in the act of 

 legislating. 



In excavating the section of the Erie canal at Lock- 

 port, after descending twenty feet into solid rock, several 

 rattlesnakes were found with the whole form, though in 

 the state of stone, almost precisely retained. At the same 

 place and nearly the same depth, a toad was taken from 

 the solid rock, which when found was in a torpid state, 

 which he had retained perhaps for thousands of years, 

 but when exposed to air and heat soon gave indications 

 of life, and after a short time gained strength enough to 

 hop, but after a few hops closed his existence forever. 



Not many years since, in the vicinity of Paris, there 

 was found imbedded in solid rock, and forty feet below 

 its surface, a board several feet long and eight or nine 

 inches wide. At the same place a hammer was found, 



