194 The Development Theory. 



use of the word "create" is that of geology. 

 But a little while ago it was generally believed 

 that mountains were created as such and from 

 nothing. 



It is now clearly seen that the mountain's 

 mass once existed in different form, perhaps 

 extended over a plain or sea bed, occupying 

 the very place now occupied by the mountain, 

 and that at an earlier period the materials 

 that now constitute its rocky mass existed as 

 a plastic mass of mud carried to this very place 

 by neighboring rivers. 



Or 'if we take for our illustration a still 

 more specific case. It is strictly correct to 

 say God created this mountain west of Port- 

 land just where it is. But what do we mean 

 by created here? Let us inquire. In a care- 

 ful examination of the mountain itself we find 

 at least four different kinds of materials enter- 

 ing into its structure. Its surface to the depth 

 of several feet is covered with a rich bed of 

 soil; under this surface soil is a series of beds 

 of boulder clay; under this a varying mass of 

 basaltic lava evidently the remains of not one 



