Sfey^T. IV.] Geology. 225 



solid matter diminishing in bulk, as it became dry, 

 high tides still overflowed it, and poured extraneous 

 stony matter into the fissures. On these principles 

 he explains all the declivities, ruptures, interrup- 

 tions, and irregularities, which we now behold. 

 The larger grains and fragments found in the com- 

 position of our rocks, and all those bodies which 

 are of a similar structure, and not crystallised, 

 were once in distinct strata, though not now to be 

 found in that state. This he considers as one of 

 the many evidences which our earth every where 

 affords of the general deluge. By the high tides, 

 and violent agitation of the diluvian waters, the 

 primitive strata, which had never before felt any 

 rain, were loosened, torn asunder, and ground down 

 by attrition against each other, and all the super- 

 ficial parts of the earth reduced again to a chaos. 

 When the waters began to abate, the larger stony 

 particles and fragments subsided first, and formed 

 the compound rocks, and beds of sand; and the 

 finer and lighter sediment was spread, by the tides, 

 into strata of different consistency. 



The next theory entitled to notice is that of M. 

 Delametherie, of France, which has been, of late, 

 very fashionable in that country, and produced con- 

 siderable discussion among naturalists*. He sup- 

 poses that the external crust of our globe was 

 formed in the l)Osom of the waters, from which it 

 emerged in a state not very different from its pre- 

 sent appearance. The crust, after its formation, 

 underwent a variety of small alterations, from local 



* Theoric de la Ttrre, 8vo, 5 toni. Paris, 1797- This large 

 work embraces much extraneous matter. The fourth anl fitdi 

 volumes contain the author's theory. 

 Vol, I. . a 



