E L E 



C 



startling. The fact of great and 

 frequent alteration in the relative 

 level of the sea and land is so well 

 established, that the only remaining 

 questions regard the mode in which 

 these alterations have heen effected. 

 The evidence in proof of great and 

 frequent movements of the land 

 itself, both by protusion and subsi- 

 dence, and of the connection of 

 these movements with the opera- 

 tions of volcanoes, is so various and 

 so strong, derived from so many 

 different quarters on the surface of 

 the globe, and every day so much 

 extended by recent inquiry, as 

 almost to demonstrate that these 

 have been the causes by which 

 those great revolutions were effect- 

 ed ; and that although the action 

 of the inward forces which protrude 

 the land has varied greatly in dif- 

 ferent countries, and at different 

 periods, they are now, and ever 

 have been, incessantly at work in 

 operating present change, and pre- 

 paring the way for future alteration 

 in the exterior of our globe. 'Dr. 

 Fitton. 



Sir C. Lyell says, "We may 

 regard the doctrine of the sudden 

 elevation of whole continents by 

 paroxysmal eruptions as invalidated. 

 In 1822, the coast of Chili was 

 visited by a most destructive earth- 

 quake; when the district round 

 Valparaiso was examined on the 

 following day, the whole line of 

 coast, for the distance of above 100 

 miles was found raised -above its 

 former level. The area over which 

 this permanent alteration of level 

 extended was estimated at 100,000 

 square miles; the rise upon the 

 coast was from two to four feet, 

 inland it was from five to seven 

 feet." The following extracts are 

 from Mr. Bake well's Introduction 

 to Geology : " The granite-beds in 

 the Alps were not elevated till a 

 late geological epoch, after the de- 

 position of the oolites and chalk. 



] E L E 



M. Elie de Beaumont has proved, 

 that whole mountain-chains have 

 been elevated at one geological 

 period, that great physical regions 

 have partaken of the same move- 

 ment at the same time, and that 

 these paroxysms of elevatory force 

 have come into action at many 

 successive periods. I agree with 

 Professor Sedgwick, and M. Elie 

 de Beaumont, that the elevation of 

 mountain-ranges, where the beds 

 are nearly vertical, was effected by 

 a sudden and violent upheaving, 

 yet I am persuaded that the eleva- 

 tion of continents, or extensive 

 tracts of country, was (as Sir C. 

 Lyell observes) a long continued 

 process, and that these operations 

 were distinct from each other. The 

 elevation of large continents and 

 islands, was not effected by the 

 same operation, which upraised the 

 primary rocks. I consider it pro- 

 bable, that all large tracts of coun- 

 try or continents emerged slowly 

 from the ocean, forming at first 

 mountainous islands, before the 

 lower countries were raised above 

 the level of the sea. In the Weal- 

 den beds the strata have been up- 

 heaved and submerged more than 

 once. All the coal-basins were 

 either formed in inland marshes or 

 lakes, or were surrounded by dry 

 land ; but a great submergence of 

 the land took place, and they were 

 covered in many parts by thick 

 depositions of marine limestone. 

 At a subsequent period they again 

 emerged from the ocean with a 

 covering of marine secondary strata. 

 The elevations of limited portions 

 of the earth's surface, at a distance 

 from any known volcanic agency, 

 are not uncommon. Loose stones, 

 or shingles of an ancient sea-beach, 

 are found at heights considerably 

 above the present level of the sea 

 in many parts of England. The 

 elevation of extensive islands or 

 continents was probably always 



