Early Con-vulfions of the Earth. [Book VI. 



That at different periods the earth muft have fuf- 

 fered Very violent convulfions and difcerptations of 

 the folid parts, we may reafonably conclude from the 

 rugged and uncouth appearance of many of the moun- 

 tainous parts of the world. We fee rocks in fome 

 places torn afunder, or, in appearance cut with a faw. 

 Mr. Whitehurft remarks, that at Stafford and New- 

 port, in Shropfhire, there are detached blocks of 

 Corniih moor-ftcne, or granite, of considerable mag- 

 nitude, though no fuch ftratum is known to exill 

 nearer than Cormvall. It is fair, therefore, to con- 

 .clude, that they have been thrown there by fome 

 violent commotion or fubterraneotis convulfion. 



To the general deluge, that fad: recorded with fo 

 much precifion in "the writings of Mofes, and confirmed 

 by the traditions of every nation, we jmift attribute 

 much of the irregularities of the earth's furface. It 

 would in fome inftances have the effect of reducing 

 great malTes of matter to a fecond ftate of folution. 

 Many eminences would be levelled, and fome of the 

 vallies would be filled up. Some parts, which before 

 were fea, might receive fuch an acceffion of foreign 

 matter as to fill up their beds, and on the fubfiding 

 of the waters to prefent to the eye a vail level plain. 

 Thole elevations, on the contrary, which confided of 

 folid mafies of the harder (tones, would have the 

 lighter portions of earth wafhed away from their bates, 

 and their height would receive a proportional increafe. 

 If pit coal, indeed, is of vegetable origin, it is difficult 

 to account for the depofition of fuch a quantity of 

 vegetable matter beneath the furface of the earth, 

 on any other hypcthefis than that of a deluge ; and 

 though much of the exuvis of fhell-fifh might be 

 involved in the firft ages fucceeding the creation, in 

 the manner Mr. Whitehurft fuppofes, much greater 



quantities 



