46 CONTORTIONS AND FRACTURES OF STRATA. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



190. Expecting to find in the movements of the 

 outer crust of the earth and the contortions of its 

 strata, signs of the combined action of evanescence 

 and gravitation, we, in the third chapter of our first 

 volume, digressed from our investigation of the 

 position and movements of the ocean and the atmo- 

 sphere and entered the realms of geology. This we 

 have termed a digression ; but in fact, a consideration 

 of the forces which determine the configuration of 

 the outer crust of the earth, is absolutely requisite 

 in the course of an investigation of the forces which 

 determine the position of the ocean. 



We came to the conclusion that the contortions 

 of the outer crust of the earth are such as might 

 naturally be expected from the action of the force of 

 lateral pressure which should result, from the 

 gradually decreasing size of the globe, under the 

 influence of evanescence and gravitation. 



It will be observed that our object then was, to 

 ascertain whether or not the action of evanescence 

 and gravitation were apparent in the actual con- 

 dition of the outer crust of the earth. And, so far 



