EARTH. 



where they are found were raised by 

 strong internal pressure from the cen- 

 tre, under the bottom of the sea, which 

 doubtlessly presents a surface very simi- 

 lar to the parts we inhabit. 



Before the invention of instruments 

 calculated to ascertain geographical 

 doubts with precision, and the circum- 

 navigation of the globe, the ancients ima- 

 gined the earth flat or cylindrical ; but 

 the moderns with greater truth, derived 

 from superior means, pronounce it al- 

 most spherical, founding their opinion 

 upon the folio wing just grounds; the cir- 

 cular shadow of the earth in eclipses of 

 the moon, the general appearance of the 

 planetary system in all parts of the earth 

 being the same, and the observations 

 made in circumnavigating it concurring 

 with those which must result from a glo- 

 bular form. That great philosopher, Sir 

 Isaac Newton, was led by accident to 

 suppose from the revolving of the earth 

 round its axis, and the laws of hydros- 

 tatics, that it is an oblate spheroid, flat- 

 tened at the poles. Professor Jameson 

 admits the truth of this supposition, and 

 says, " The spheroidal figure of the earth 

 is a proof of its original fluidity. This 

 important conclusion was never disputed ; 

 the only question has been, whether this 

 fluidity was the effect of fire or water. 

 Rocks, which have been formed or alter- 

 ed by the action of heat, are most dis- 

 tinctly different from those that consti- 

 tute the great mass of the crust of the 

 globe ; consequently, this fluidity cannot 

 be attributed to the agency of heat." 

 Whether the conjectures on the opposite 

 hypothesis are founded on a tenable basis, 

 cannot be ascertained to demonstration ; 

 but it may not be amiss to let the Pro- 

 fessor speak further on the subject. 

 " The only other agent we are acquaint- 

 ed with, that is capable of producing this 

 fluidity, is water ; and we have the strong- 

 est evidence that it has been the active 

 agent. In chap. 2, when mentioning the 

 effects of water on the surface of the 

 globe, we described several mechanical 

 and chemical depositions which are daily 

 taking place, as it were, under the eye ; 

 and we may now add, that a comparison 

 of their structure, with that of the great 

 fossil masses of which the crust of the 

 earth is composed, evinces so complete 

 an agreement, as entitles us to infer, with 

 great certainty, that these also have been 

 formed by the same agent. As the high- 

 est mountains are composed of rocks, 

 possessing a structure resembling those 

 fossils which have been formed by water, 



we naturally conclude, that the ocean 

 must have formerly stood very high over 

 these mountains. Further, as the most 

 elevated mountains are composed of rocks, 

 such as granite, gneiss, mica-slate, clay- 

 slate, and others, which extend around 

 the whole globe, and have been formed 

 during the same period of time ; it fol- 

 lows irresistibly, that the ocean must 

 have formerly covered the whole earth at 

 the same time." 



In order to clear the surface of the 

 earth of this superabundance of water, 

 which militates against the existence of 

 life but in one species of the animated 

 system, and equally against every species 

 of vegetation, our theorist observes, *' It 

 was reserved for Werner to give this 

 theory stability. With his usual acute - 

 ness, he soon discovered that the impor- 

 tant documents for the illustration of this 

 great phenomenon were not to besought 

 for in the formations that have taken 

 place within the limits of human history, 

 but in the mountains themselves, those 

 mighty aquatic formations. His investiga- 

 tions were attended with complete suc- 

 cess; for he discovered, 1st, That the 

 outgoings of the newer strata are gene- 

 rally lower than the outgoings of the 

 older, from granite downwards to the 

 alluvial depositions, and this not in par- 

 ticular spots, but around the whole globe. 

 2nd, That the primitive part of the earth 

 is entirely composed of chemical preci- 

 pitations, and that mechanical depositions 

 do not appear until a later period, that 

 is, in the transition class ; and that from 

 this point they continue increasing, 

 through all the succeeding classes of 

 rocks, to the newest, or the alluvial, which 

 are almost entirely mechanical deposits. 

 These most important observations ascer- 

 tain, in a satisfactory manner, the univer- 

 sal diminution of the water from the sur- 

 face of the earth." 



To obviate the difficulty above noticed, 

 the Professor supposes animals to have 

 been created as the earth was cleared to 

 receive them ; but the superfluous water 

 is still in want of a receptacle capacious 

 enough to contain it : such are the unfor- 

 tunate consequences of theory. Newton 

 has certainly proceeded upon the best 

 data, and his calculations are almost uni- 

 versally correct and convincing. 



When M Richer visited Cayenne, he 

 found a clock he then possessed, of par- 

 ticular excellence, which had gone per- 

 fectly true at Paris, lost daily two minutes 

 and twenty-eight seconds ; the situation 

 of the island is about five degrees from 



