Natural History, 179 



this frozen mass, breaking it in pieces, and mixing 

 its own materials with tliosc of the till then le- 

 thargic body. These fragments acquired by this 

 impulsion a common projectile motion, in the 

 same plane, and in the same direction. The light, 

 heat, and life brought by this energetic comet, 

 mixins: with the ori<;inal ice, formed new combi- 

 nations, afforded causes of internal motion, and 

 began, by these means, a new order of things, 

 which ISl. Bertrand calls vital and organic con- 

 stitution, and which he supposes to be different in 

 every planet, since the density is different. The 

 ice, by means of heat, as a solvent, being re- 

 duced to primordial matter, all aiicient combina- 

 tions were destroyed, and room was given for new 

 combinations of a different kind. The first result 

 of this regeneration was the production of calca- 

 reous earth, from which species every other kind 

 of earth is formed. This deposition of calcareous 

 matter being equal every where, produced a re- 

 gular nucleus in our globe, equally covered with 

 water, and free from valleys and mountains. In 

 this situation, according to our theorist, a new 

 comet of high degree approached near enough to 

 our globe to influence its destinies; by the force 

 of its attraction it changed and slackened both the 

 annual and diurnal motions of the planet, displaced 

 the axis and the equator, altered likewise the 

 points at which the spheroid was compressed or 

 elevated, and by these means displacing the wa- 

 ters, caused the emersion of the first continents. 

 The surfaces of these continents became unequal, 

 from the change of level, and from the sudden re- 

 treat of the waters. The whole mass, however, 

 w'as yet composed of calcareous matter. The first 

 action of atmospherical powers, and ot solar rays, 

 occasioned a sudden irruption of all the vital forces, 

 so long suspended and concentered. In this ex^ 



