THE PRIME RESULTANT 63 



and biological ramifications, but it would lead us too far 

 afield, and, besides, would require several times the size 

 of this work for its proper presentment. The learned 

 geographer, if he but once master the faculty of viewing 

 things in their obvious aspects and relations instead of 

 through the blurred and billowy spectacles of Authority, 

 can in an hour's time reconstruct all he knows of these 

 three subjects into a correlated system. The main key 

 lies in this fact, that the earth 's general form, its topog- 

 raphy, and its continental distribution and configura- 

 tion, are determined by a tri-dimensional gravitational 

 scheme, namely, (1) by the point of attraction connoted 

 by its own center of gravity, whose endeavor it is to 

 mould the planet into a perfect sphere; (2) by the plane 

 of attraction, to-wit, the influence of the other members of 

 the solar system, whose function it is to produce the tides 

 in atmosphere and ocean, etc., and (3) by the third 

 dynamical dimension, completing the "solid", being the 

 joint or composite attraction of the outside universe that 

 compels the earth, under the fundamental law of equili- 

 brium, to keep lowering her center of gravity more and 

 more by precipitating her heavier surface substances 

 north-pole-ward. These three influences, then, all op- 

 erating simultaneously, cannot but result in a deforma- 

 tion of the general contour of the earth ; producing, as the 

 most important effects besides those mentioned, the 

 squashing or flattening of the earth, the raising up of the 

 equatorial protuberance, the special flattening of the 

 northern hemisphere, and the relative arching of the 

 southern, all of which, indeed, seem to be objective facts. 

 It has recently been established that the Antarctic contin- 

 ent has in time past been, and is to-day, submerged in 

 large part. This is to be expected, for, being on top, it 

 cannot easily slip off to one side, but must sink in ; like a 

 hat on one 's head it 'sits firmly when worn straight, but it 

 is apt to fall off if carelessly tilted. On the other hand, 

 the presence of an Arctic ocean close around the pole is 

 equally to be expected, the continents having become 

 wedged against each other before actually attaining the 

 goal, and forming a protecting shoulder. 



