136 MOUNT EGMONT. [PART I. 



period when the same vegetation existed as at pre- 

 sent. I never found any remains of animals in these 

 formations, which are however irregular and inter- 

 rupted. 



It is a question of great interest to geologists, to 

 what cause is to be ascribed the formation of those 

 extensive coal-fields which form the principal source 

 of our industry, whether they have taken their rise 

 from the submersion of a whole forest, or the float- 

 ing of uprooted timber into estuaries of the sea or 

 lakes, or whether they are due to the submersion of 

 peat-beds. Guided by the principle that the former 

 epochs in the earth's history can be best deciphered 

 by studying her present aspect and the alterations 

 which are going on before our eyes, I have arrived 

 at the opinion that our coal-formations were for- 

 merly peat ; that the timber which is deposited in 

 estuaries or inland lakes will ultimately become lig- 

 nite, or brown coal, which has lost scarcely any of 

 the qualities of wood. A river which brings vast 

 masses of wood to the sea must of necessity deposit 

 them in a very unequal manner, mixed with allu- 

 vium of various descriptions, and must imbed in this 

 formation such testaceous animals as are living near 

 the spot. Such is the case at present with the New 

 Zealand rivers ; such are the lignitic formations 

 which we observe at present above the level of the 

 sea in this country ; and of the same nature are the 

 mines of lignite which are worked in many parts of 

 Germany. Will anybody contend that it is pos- 



