INTRODUCTION. 19 



there is no native beast of prey worth naming. The 

 dog is, probably, not a native, and he is not a very 

 powerful animal at any rate ; and the dasyurus, which 

 has been found on that island, is very rare, and is in 

 size not superior to a cat. In the adjoining island of 

 Van Dieman's Land, where the herbage is naturally 

 better, the animals of prey are a little larger ; but 

 neither of the two species of dasyuri that are found 

 there, is more powerful than the fox. 



Thus, if we leave our own notions out of the case, 

 and take nature just as we find it, there is perfection 

 in all its parts and all its forms ; and from the smallest 

 moss that consumes the damp upon a wall up to the 

 king of the forest, at whose roaring all the other 

 inhabitants quake, all is beauty ; and the same exqui- 

 site wisdom and astonishing powers are everywhere to 

 be found. 



But this lesson is not confined in time any more than 

 in space. According to those laws of inorganic matter, 

 which have been proved beyond the possibility of con- 

 tradiction, or even doubt, the surfaces of countries 

 must in time undergo changes, unless when these are 

 prevented by the exercise of human industry. When 

 the summer heat partially melts the snow upon high 

 mountains, the water thus produced must insinuate 

 itself into the seams and fissures of the rock, upon 

 even the highest peaks where there is no soil to be 

 washed down ; and when the frost comes in winter, 

 the water which has thus lodged itself must crystallize 

 into ice. In doing that it expands, or occupies a larger 

 space, not very much larger, but it expands with a 

 force greater than any known resistance ; and the frag- 



