14 



A HISTORY OF 



print of their internal surface. Of these there 

 are various kinds found in our pits; many of 

 them resembling those of our own shores; and 

 many others that are only to be found on the 

 coasts of other countries. There are some 

 shells resembling those that are never strand- 

 ed upon otir coasts;" but always remain in 

 the deep: b and many more there are which 

 we can assimulate with no shells that are 

 known amongst us. But we find not only 

 shells in our pits, but also fishes and corals 

 in great abundance; together with almost 

 every sort of marine production. 



It is extraordinary enough, however, that 

 the common red coral, though so very fre- 

 quent at sea, is scarcely seen in the fossil 

 world; nor is there any account of its having 

 ever been met with. But to compensate for 

 this, there are all the kinds of the white coral 

 now known, and many other kinds of that 

 substance with which we are unacquainted. 

 Of animals there are various parts : the ver- 

 tebrae of whales, and the mouths of lesser 

 fishes; these, with teeth also of various kinds, 

 are found in the cabinets of the curious; 

 where they receive long Greek names, which 

 it is neither the intention nor the province of 

 this work to enumerate. Indeed, few readers 

 would think themselves much improved, 

 should I proceed with enumerating the va- 

 rious classes of the Conicthyodontes, Poly- 

 leptoginglimi, or the Orthoceratites. These 

 names, which mean no great matter when 

 they are explained, may serve to guide in the 

 furnishing a cabinet; but they are of very 

 little service in furnishing the page of instruc- 

 tive history. 



From all these instances we see in what 

 abundance petrifactions are to be found; and, 

 indeed, Mr. Buffbn, to whose accounts we 

 have added some, has not been sparing in the 

 variety of his quotations, concerning the 

 places where they are mostly to be found. 

 However, I am surprised that he should have 

 omitted the mention of one, which, in some 

 measure, more than any of the rest, would 

 have served to strengthen his theory. We are 

 informed, by almost every traveller' that has 

 described the pyramids of Egypt, that one of 

 them is entirely built of a kind of free-stone, 



* Littorales. 



b Pelagii. 



in which these petrified shells are found in 

 great abundance. This being the case, it 

 may be conjectured, as we have accounts of 

 these pyramids among the earliest records of 

 mankind, and of their being built so long 

 before the age of Herodotus, who lived but 

 fifteen hundred years after the flood, that even 

 the Egyptian priests could tell neither the 

 time nor the cause of their erection ; I say, it 

 may be conjectured that they were erected 

 but a short time after the flood. It is not very 

 likely, therefore, that the marine substances 

 found in one of them, had time to be formed 

 into a part of the solid stone, either during 

 the deluge, or immediately after it ; and, con- 

 sequently, their petrifaction must have been 

 before that period. And this is the opinion 

 Mr. Buffbn has so strenuously endeavoured to 

 maintain; having given specious reasons to 

 prove, that such shells were laid in the beds 

 where they are now found, not only before 

 the deluge, but even antecedent to the for- 

 mation oi' man, at the time when the whole 

 earth, as he supposes, was buried beneath a 

 covering of waters. 



But while there are many reasons to per- 

 suade us that these extraneous fossils have 

 been deposited by the sea, there is one fact 

 that will abundantly serve to convince us, 

 that the earth was habitable, if not inhabited, 

 before these marine substances came to be 

 thus deposited. For we find fossil-trees, 

 which no doubt once grew upon the earth, 

 as deep, and as much in the body of solid 

 rocks, as these sheila are found to be. Some 

 of these fallen trees also have lain at least as 

 long, if not longer, in the earth, than the 

 shells, as they have been found sunk deep in 

 a marly substance, composed of decayed 

 shells, and other marine productions. Mr. 

 Buffbn has proved, that fossil-shells could not 

 have been deposited in such quantities all at 

 once by the flood; and I think, from the above 

 instance, it is pretty plain, that, howsoever 

 they were deposited, the earth was covered 

 with trees before their deposition ; and, con- 

 sequently, that the sea could not have made 

 a very permanent stay. How then shall we 

 account for these extraordinary appearances 

 in nature? A suspension of all assent is 



c Hasselquist, Sandys. 



