PEIMAEY PERIOD. 57 



rarefied steam combined with the atmosphere, and in all 

 probability partly condensed in the upper regions, forming 

 a continuous strata of clouds, or rather water, through 

 which the sun could hardly be seen or its light penetrate, 

 and such a state of things exists at this present time in the 

 planet Jupiter. How beautifully does this coincide with 

 the Mosaic account, " The earth was without form and void, 

 and darkness was upon the face of the earth." 



The surface of the earth at this time can be well under- 

 stood by any one who will take the pains to evaporate any 

 saline solution in a capsule till it is about to crystallise, 

 and observe attentively the pellicle of salt as it forms on 

 the surface; first a partial film will show itself in a few 

 places, floating about and joining with others, then when 

 nearly the whole surface is coated, it will break up in some 

 places and sink into the liquid beneath, another pellicle will 

 form and join with the remains of the first, and as this 

 thickens it will push up ridges and inequalities of the surface 

 from openings and fissures in which little jets of steam and 

 fluid will escape ; these little ridges are chains of mountains, 

 the little jets of steam those volcanic eruptions which were 

 at that period so frequent- the surface of the capsule is the 

 surface of the earth, and the five minutes which the observer 

 has contemplated it, a million years. 



The next effect of the cooling of the earth would be the 

 gradual condensation of the vapour of water with which it 

 was surrounded ; this falling upon the earth formed seas and 

 oceans, leaving only the higher portions exposed above its 

 level. The clearing-up of the dense dark clouds for the first 

 time let in to the earth's surface the glorious and vivifying 

 rays of the sun, and this great effect possibly accords with 

 the earliest record in the Bible of the acts of creation 

 " And Grod said, let there be light, and there was light." 



The earth being chiefly covered with water, and the air 

 partly freed from watery vapour, then commenced the great 

 creation of organised beings. The air, although to a certain 

 extent, free from vapour, must yet have contained an 

 enormous amount of carbonic acid ; this, being less easily 

 condensed than any of the matters which had gone through 



