308 ON THE ELEVATED SUBMARINE ALLUVIA. 



actions of rivers, and from volcanic deposits; and 

 in the imperfection of observations, the real bearings 

 and value of which were not anticipated by the ob- 

 server. 



It follows that the elevation of the land of Italy 

 which is the origin of these phenomena, is to be attri- 

 buted to the same causes that are now^ there producing 

 smaller changes in the - relative level of the sea and 

 land, by elevating the latter. They are the same vol- 

 canic actions which raised Santorini from beneath 

 the ocean, and which have produced the phenomena 

 of the Coral islands, detailed in a following Chapter. 

 Of whatever date these events may be, they are an- 

 terior to all history. 



It is now evident that if a similar occurrence were 

 to take place at present, the submarine alluvial stratum 

 with all its imbedded remains, would exhibit the same 

 appearances as the lowest of the Italian beds does: 

 and, that the skeletons of whales should be found in 

 an entire state, at elevations of 1200 feet above the 

 level of the sea, is no more surprising than that they 

 should be found at all. This particular fact is, how- 

 ever, important, as showing the vertical extent of this 

 elevation, just as the geography of the marine remains 

 demonstrates that of its superficial one. For want of 

 more accurate information, we may here take these 

 as Signer Brocchi has given them, for the extreme 

 limits both ways; and thus we can estimate what 

 Italy was before this change, and how much of it has 

 been the consequence of a volcanic elevation, more 

 recent than those extensive changes of the same nature 

 which caused and determined the present general dis- 

 tribution of the land. 



The general height of the Apennine is well known; 

 and, on the present supposition, the whole of that 



