CHANGES STILL IN PllOGBESS. 297 



Twice every day it advances, and covers with its 

 waters the vast extent of its coasts ; twice it retires, 

 abandoning to men some of its spoils and treasures. 

 Kestrained by a powerful though invisible hand, it 

 apparently yields to the obstacle which opposes its 

 advance. Its movement is so regular that we can 

 determine, for eveiy point of our coasts, the exact 

 times of high and low water. 



Thus regarded, the shore of the ocean would appear 

 to be the very type of unchangeableness. The sea 

 cannot pass it ; in our confidence we cultivate lands, 

 build cities, construct ports and harbours, and throw 

 out piers, as if we dared the sea to do its worst. If 

 we would know how puny our best efforts are, let us 

 note the fact that marine shells, the fossil lemains of 

 fish, and other evidences of the presence of the ocean, 

 are found on the highest mountains. This debris of 

 former ages has been converted into stone, and now 

 exists in gigantic masses. It is impossible to say how 

 many ages may have elapsed since they were living 

 beings : history and human tradition take no account 

 of them. 



Are we to imagine that those remote ages were 

 visited by the most frightful of all catastrophes, and 

 that we, more privileged, are exempt from similar 

 changes and their attendant dangers ? No ; the 

 Supreme Intelligence which governs the universe 



