168 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



though quite as sound as those of many a " Mosaic Geology," 

 which sells exceedingly well, have no great value if we 

 consider them by the light of modern science. The waters 

 are supposed to have originally covered the whole globe ; 

 to have deposited the rocky masses which compose its 

 mountains by processes comparable to those which are 

 now forming mud, sand, and shingle ; and then to have 

 gradually lowered their level, leaving the spoils of their 

 animal and vegetable inhabitants embedded in the strata. 

 As the dry land appeared, certain of the aquatic animals 

 are supposed to have taken to it, and to have become 

 gradually adapted to terrestrial and aerial modes of exist- 

 ence. But if we regard the general tenor and style of the 

 reasoning in relation to the state of knowledge of the day, 

 two circumstances appear very well worthy of remark. 

 The first, that De Maillet had a notion of the modifiability 

 of living forms (though without any precise information 

 on the subject), and how such modifiability might account 

 for the origin of species ; the second, that he very clearly 

 apprehended the great modern geological doctrine, so 

 strongly insisted upon by Hutton, and so ably and com- 

 prehensively expounded by Lyell, that we must look to 

 existing causes for the explanation of past geological 

 events. Indeed, the following passage of the preface, 

 in which De Maillet is supposed to speak of the Indian 

 philosopher Telliamed, his alter ego, might have been 

 written by the most philosophical uniformitarian of the 

 present day : 



" Ce qu'il y a d'dtonnant, est que pour arrivcr a ccs connoissances 

 il icmble avoir perverti 1'ordre naturel, puisqu'au lieu de s'attacher 

 d'abord & rcchercher 1'origine de notre globe il a commenc6 par 

 travailler s'instruire de la nature. Mais & 1'entenrlre, ce renverse- 

 ment de 1'ordre a 6te pour lui 1'effet d'un g6nie favorable qui 1'a 

 conduit pas & pas et comme par la main aux ddcouvertes les plus 

 sublimes. C'est en d6composant la substance de ce globe par une 

 anatomic exacte de toutes ses parties qu'il a premierement appris de 

 quelles matures il etait composd et quels arrangemens ces mfimes 

 matieres observaient entre elles. Ces lumieres jointes & 1'esprit de 

 comparaison toujours n6cessaire i quiconque entreprend de percer 

 les voiles dont la nature aime & se cacher, ont servi de guide A 

 notre philosophe pour parvenir & des connoissances plus inter- 

 essantes. Par la matiere et 1'arrangement de ces compositions il 

 pretend avoir reconnu quelle est la veritable origine de ce 

 globe que nous habitons, comment et par qui il a 6te formeY' 

 Pp. xix. xx. 



