'238 Natural History. [Cha?. IIL 



as the sacred historian describes. It was asserted 

 that tiie mean depth of the ocean did not exceed a 

 quarter of a mile, and that only half of the surface 

 of the globe was covered by it. On these data 

 Dr. KeiJ computed, that twenty-eight oceans would 

 be requisite to cover the whole earth to the height 

 o^ four on lies, which he judged to be that of the 

 higliest mountains 3 a quantity, which, at that 

 time, was utterly denied to exists But further 

 progress in mathematical and physical knowledge 

 has since shown^ that the different seas and oceans 

 contain at least forty-eight times as much water as 

 they were supposed to do, and much more than 

 enough for the extent ascribed to the deluge in the 

 sacred history*. 



While difficulties which were supposed to ren- 

 der the deluge impossible have been removed by 

 the investigations of modern philosophers, many 

 facts haA e been, at the same time, brought to. light, 

 showing t\iQ probahilUy, and even certainty, of that 

 mighty inundation. In every valley and mountain, 



- M. de la Place (whose mathcinatlcal and astronomical skill 

 "will not be questioned, and whom none will suspect of a disposi- 

 tion to press lacts unduly into the support of revelation) has de- 

 monstrated, by a strict application of the theory of tides, to the 

 iieight to which they are known to rise in the main ocean, that a 

 depth of water reaching only to half a league, or even to ti\)o or 

 three leagues, is utterly incompatible v»ith the Newtonian theory, 

 and that no depth less ihan/o/.-r leagues can possibly be reconciled 

 with the phenomena. It m ill be readily perceived tliat this is 

 much more than the Mosaic history requires. The extent of that 

 part of our globe w hich is covered by water is now known to be 

 far greater than JCeil supposed it 3 it being ascertained that nearly 

 two thirds of the surface of thei earth arc in tliis situation.—- Kir- 

 \wiu s Geological Es.sai/s, pp, 66. 0/. 



