S£CT. IV.] Geology, 20? 



composed of heterogeneous materials, ha\ing its 

 centre occupied with a globular, Jiot, solid nucleus, 

 of about two thousand Ieag\ics diani(^t(>r. Such 

 was the condition of the earth before the period 

 described by Moses as the time of creation. Tiic 

 first day of the creation every material in this riich; 

 mass began to be arranged according to its speci- 

 fic gravity. The heavy fluids sank down, and left 

 to the earth}^ watery, and aerial substances, the 

 superior regions. Round the solid nucleus is placed 

 the heavy fluid, which descended first, and formed 

 the great abyss upon which the earth floats, as u 

 cork upon quicksilver. The great al)yss is formed 

 of two concentric circles ; the interior being the 

 heavy fliiid; and the superior, water ; upon which 

 last, the earth, or the crust we inhabit, is immedi- 

 ately formed. So that, according to this theorist, 

 the globe is composed of a number of coats or 

 shells, one within the other, of dilTercnt materials, 

 and of different densities. The air, the lightest 

 substance of all, surrounds the outer coat, and the 

 rays of the sun, making their way through the at- 

 mosphere, produced the light which Moses tells us 

 first obeyed the divine command. I'he hills and 

 valleys are formed by the mass of which they con- 

 sist pressing with greater or less weight upon the 

 inner coat of the earth ; those parts which are hea- 

 viest sinking lowest into the subjacent fluid, and 

 making valleys^ and those which are lightest rising 

 higher and forming mountains. 



Such Mr. Whiston supposed to be the state of 

 the globe we inhabit before the Delude, Owing 

 to the superior heat, at that time, of the central 

 parts, which have been ever since cooling, tlxi 



