E L E 



[82 ] 



E L E 



dium, rhodium, platinum, gold, iri- 

 dium. 



To the class of metals an addition lias 

 recently been made by the discovery of 

 Lantane, which makes the 55th element- 

 ary body. " L' oxide de cerium, extrait 

 de la cerite par le procede ordinaire, con- 

 tient a peu pres les deux cinquiemes de 

 son poids de 1'oxide du nouveau metal, 

 qui ne change que peu les proprietes du 

 cerium, et qui s'y tient pour ainsi dire 

 cache. Cette raison a engager M. Mo- 

 sander a donner au nouveau metal le nom 

 de Lantane. L' oxide de lantane a une 

 couleur rouge de brique, qui ne parait 

 pas etre due a la presence de 1'oxide ce- 

 rique." Annales de Chimie. 

 ELEVA'TION. The question of the elevation 

 and subsidence of the earth's surface is 

 one which long gave rise to controversy, 

 and various were the arguments adduced 

 in support of, and in opposition to, opi- 

 nions which now are unhesitatingly and 

 universally received, and on which the 

 vitality, as it were, of geology depends. 

 It may not, however, be amiss to quote 

 here some of the views of our best and 

 soundest geologists, on a point of so great 

 importance, and one which, to the Neo- 

 phyte, seems often so startling. The fact 

 of great and frequent alteration in the re- 

 lative level of the sea and land is so well 

 established, that the only remaining ques- 

 tions regard the mode in which these 

 alterations have been effected. The evi- 

 dence in proof of great and frequent 

 movements of the land itself, both by 

 protrusion and subsidence, and of the 

 connection of these movements with the 

 operations of volcanoes, is so various and 

 so strong, derived from so many different 

 quarters on the surface of the globe, and 

 every day so much extended by recent in- 

 quiry, as almost to demonstrate that these 

 have been the causes by which those great 

 revolutions were effected ; and that al- 

 though the action of the inward forces 

 which protrude the land has varied greatly 

 in different countries, and at different 

 periods, they are now, and ever have been, 

 incessantly at work in operating present 

 change, and preparing the way for future 

 alteration in the exterior of our globe. 

 Dr. Fitton. 



Mr. Lyell says, " We may regard the 

 doctrine of the sudden elevation of whole 

 continents by paroxysmal eruptions as 

 invalidated. In 1822, the coast of Chili 

 was visited by a most destructive earth- 

 quake ; when the district round Valpa- 

 raiso was examined on the following day, 

 the whole line of coast, for the distance of 

 above 100 miles was found raised above 

 its former level. The area over which 

 this permanent alteration of level extended 



was estimated at 100,000 square miles; 

 the rise upon the coast was from two to 

 four feet, inland it was from five to seven 

 feet." The following extracts are from 

 Mr. Bake' well's Introduction to Geology. 

 " The granite-beds in the Alps were not 

 elevated till a late geological epoch, after 

 the deposition of the oolites and chalk. 

 M. Elie de Beaumont has proved, that 

 whole mountain-chains have been elevated 

 at one geological period, that great phy- 

 sical regions have partaken of the same 

 movement at the same time, and that 

 these paroxysms of elevatory force have 

 come into action at many successive pe- 

 riods. I agree with Professor Sedgwick, 

 and M. Elie de Beaumont, that the ele- 

 vation of mountain-ranges, where the beds 

 are nearly vertical, was effected by a sud- 

 den and violent upheaving, yet I am per- 

 suaded that the elevation of continents, 

 or extensive tracts of country, was (as 

 Mr. Lyell observes) a long continued 

 process, and that these operations were 

 distinct from each other. The elevation 

 of large continents and islands, was not 

 effected by the same operation, which up- 

 raised the primary rocks. I consider it 

 probable, that all large tracts of country 

 or continents emerged slowly from the 

 ocean, forming at first mountainous is- 

 lands, before the lower countries were 

 raised above the level of the sea. In the 

 Wealden beds the strata have been up- 

 heaved and submerged more than once. 

 All the coal-basins were either formed in 

 inland marshes or lakes, or were sur- 

 rounded by dry land ; but a great sub- 

 mergence of the land took place, and they 

 were covered in many parts by thick de- 

 positions of marine limestone. At a sub- 

 sequent period they again emerged from 

 the ocean with a covering of marine se- 

 condary strata. The elevations of limited 

 portions of the earth' s surface, at a dis- 

 tance from any known volcanic agency, 

 are not uncommon. Loose stones, or 

 shingles of an ancient sea-beach, are 

 found at heights considerably above the 

 present level of the sea in many parts of 

 England. The elevation of extensive is- 

 lands or continents was probably always 

 accompanied by the depression of other 

 portions of the earth's crust." M. Elie 

 de Beaumont has discovered probable evi- 

 dence of no less than twelve periods of 

 elevation, affecting the strata of Europe. 

 The Isle of Portland affords us an admir- 

 able example of alternate elevations and 

 submersions of strata. 



1 . We have evidence of the rise of Port- 

 land stone, till it reached the surface of 

 the sea, wherein it was formed. 



2. This surface became, for a time, dry 

 land, covered by a temporary forest, dur- 



