GEOLOGY. 



the peculiarities of these several systems. 

 The water is supposed, at present, to co- 

 ver about three-fifths of the whole earth; 

 but undoubted evidence exists, of its 

 having extended over a much wider sur- 

 face ; and it is the opinion of many of the 

 most eminent geologists, of its having 

 covered the whole of the earth. As the 

 necessity of ascertaining this latter cir- 

 cumstance is much urged, by those who 

 have endeavoured to form correct opi- 

 nions respecting the mode in which this 

 globe was originally formed, it will be 

 proper here to notice some of the evi- 

 dence which has been adduced respect- 

 ing this circumstance. 



Herodotus relates, that, according to 

 the priests of Vulcan, the whole of Egypt, 

 except in the neighbourhood of Thebes, 

 had been covered with water. Hero- 

 dotus himself also noticed the exist- 

 ence, even in his time, of lakes of salt 

 water in different parts of Egypt, as well 

 as of the saline matter, mingled with the 

 vast tracts of sand with which the coun- 

 try is covered; which observations are 

 confirmed by the accounts that have been 

 given, by those who have examined these 

 parts in modern times. The diminution 

 of the ocean is also rendered in the high- 

 est degree probable, from various facts 

 related also by Strabo, Pliny, Diodorus 

 the Sicilian, and several other early wri- 

 ters ; and in the present day, the obser- 

 vations of Pallas, Celsius, Linnaeus, and 

 others,' seem to establish the fact, of the 

 diminution and sinking both of the Baltic 

 and of the Caspian Seas. 



On the other hand, innumerable facts 

 may be adduced, which seem to prove 

 that the water has actually increased, in 

 its proportion, over the dry land. From 

 the relations of Plaucus, Bryden, Bar- 

 ral, Fortis, and others, there can no doubt 

 exist of the Mediterranean Sea having 

 very much encroached on its shores; 

 temples, and other edifices of different 

 descriptions, which are known to have 

 been erected at considerable distances 

 from the sea, being now buried beneath 

 its waves. In explanation of this vary- 

 ing evidence, it is necessary to state, al- 

 though it may not affect the general 

 question, that it cannot be doubted, that 

 whilst the land is gaining on the sea, in 

 some parts, similar encroachments are 

 observable in others, of the sea on the 

 dry land. Instances of this, on the small 

 scale, may be observed on almost all flat, 

 and on many precipitous shores : on the 

 former, large embankments of sand are 



VOL. V. 



sometimes suddenly thrown up by consi-- 

 derable and violent inundations, and 

 which, in consequence of alteration in 

 the shape of the coasts, and of the direc- 

 tion of currents, may still remain, and ap 

 pear to manifest an increase of the dry 

 land ; on precipitous shores, the reverse 

 is observable ; undermined by the conti- 

 nual and powerful action of the waves, 

 large masses are perpetually falling, and, 

 broken by their fall and by the action of 

 the water, are so reduced as to easily al- 

 low of their removal by the waves : thus 

 is occasioned a considerable reduction of 

 the level of the. shore ; and thus an oppor- 

 tunity is given for the extension of the 

 waters of the ocean on such particular 

 spots. The balance, however, of this seem- 

 ingly contradictory evidence is undoubt- 

 edly in favour of the opinion, that the wa- 

 ter has considerably diminished, and is, 

 perhaps, lessening at the present period. 



Indubitable evidence of the water hav- 

 ing stood over the tops of mountains, 

 which are at present much above the le- 

 vel of the ocean, is yielded by the circum- 

 stance of various organized beings, for- 

 mer inhabitants of the water, being im- 

 bedded in these mountains, and even in 

 their summits. Those who contend that 

 the whole of the earth has been covered 

 with water, have recourse to the testimo- 

 ny afforded by the several chemical and 

 physical properties discoverable in the 

 component parts of the loftiest mountains ; 

 and which prove, in their opinion, that all 

 these substances have obtained their ori- 

 gin from the waters of the ocean, which 

 they suppose to have invested the whole 

 earth. This mode of the formation of 

 rocks will not, however, be admitted by 

 every geologist to be sufficiently ascer- 

 tained, to allow of its being adduced as 

 an evidence on the present occasion. 

 That they have been thus produced, there 

 appears, however, to be the greatest rea- 

 son for supposing ; but as their origin still 

 remains a question with many, the testi- 

 mony, on this occasion, must be propor- 

 tionally weakened. 



In the following sketch of some of the 

 most interesting and important systems 

 of the formation of the world, several 

 facts will be noticed, from which addition- 

 al evidence will be adduced, of not only 

 the formation of the rocks from the con- 

 tents of the primitive waters, but also of 

 the waters having totally covered the 

 earth ; and since most of the important 

 geological facts will come into rors dera- 

 tion, whilst taking a view of the different 



H r 





