CREATION OF ANIMALS. 33 



may not improbably be still in existence in the 

 subterranean ocean ; I shall now, therefore, bring 

 forward some arguments, independent of what I 

 have alleged from Holy Scripture, which seem 

 to afford grounds for such an hypothesis. 



It has been calculated that the depth of the sea 

 in any part does not exceed 30,000 feet, or a little 

 more than five miles ; this, compared with the 

 diameter of our globe, about 8000 miles, may be 

 regarded as nothing. What a vast space then, 

 supposing it really hollow, may be contained in 

 its womb, not only for an abundant reservoir of 

 waters, but for sources of the volcanic action, 

 which occasionally manifests itself in various 

 parts, both of the ocean and terra firma. Rea- 

 soning from analogy, and from that part of the 

 globe which falls under our inspection, it will ap- 

 pear not improbable that this vast space should 

 not be altogether destitute of its peculiar inhabi- 

 tants. We know that there are numerous animals, 

 on the surface of the globe, that conceal them- 

 selves in various places in the day time, and only 

 make their appearance in the night. It would, 

 therefore, be perfectly consistent with the general 

 course of God's proceedings, and in exact har- 

 mony with the general features of creation, that 

 he should have peopled the abyss with creatures 

 fitted, by their organization and structure, to live 

 there : and it would not be wonderful that some 

 of the Saurian race, especially the marine ones, 



VOL. I. D 



