50 ON CHANGES IN THE DISPOSITION 



rising. Thence is drawn the important conclusion, 

 confirmed by the other facts just noticed, that these 

 variations of the sea line are oscillatory or variable. 



I need scarcely say that the want of a tide current 

 in the Adriatic prevents us from applying the same 

 solution to its elevation as I have done in the case of 

 the German Ocean, great as are the deposits which it 

 receives. The authors in question have attributed 

 these facts to actual changes in the level of the sea. 

 But in the Mediterranean, this could not have happened 

 without leaving similar traces elsewhere : and thus the 

 cause must be sought in changes of the level of the 

 land ; its subsidence being the apparent elevation of 

 the sea, and the reverse. And the perpendicularity of 

 the buildings is not a valid objection, when these 

 changes must have been gradual and extensive. I have 

 elsewhere shown that Italy has been subjected to such 

 changes, to an enormous extent, and that similar ele- 

 vations occur in the Coral islands ; so that it is easy 

 to admit far more limited ones, and these in a territory 

 under the constant action of the very causes in question. 

 There is a natural antipathy to admit of the move- 

 ments of what we have been accustomed to consider 

 as steady, and of the comparative steadiness of that 

 which we see to be in hourly motion. But let the 

 ocean fluctuate as it may, it possesses a principle, re- 

 storing it for ever to that mean state of repose, which 

 the earth, once disturbed, cannot easily recover. If it 

 be true that earthquakes no longer cause surprise in 

 those who have vanquished their prejudices respecting 

 the steadiness of the land, let the Geologist, at least, 

 conquer the same prejudices, and he will then no longer 

 tease himself by searching after every possible solution 

 of his difficulties but the real one. 



As the predominant observations, however, show, 



