VOL. LVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 381 



this ; that originally Almighty God created this earth with sea and land nearly 

 in the same proportion as they now remain, and that it continued in that state 

 for many ages, during which the bottom of the sea became covered with shells, 

 and various heterogeneous bodies ; that from the first of its creation there were 

 also many subterraneous fires found within the bowels of the earth ; and that, at 

 the appointed time, these fires bursting forth at once with great violence, under 

 the sea, raised up the bottom of the ocean, so as to pour out the waters over the 

 face of what was before dry land, which by that means became sea, and has per- 

 haps continued so ever since, as that which was before the flood the bottom of 

 the sea, probably from that time has continued to be continent and dry land. 



This hypothesis may perhaps be liable to great objections ; but it is at least 

 consistent with what Moses relates of the fountains of the great deep being 

 broken up ; and, without any perplexity or difficulty, accounts at once for a suf- 

 ficient quantity of water to cover the tops of the highest antediluvian mountains, 

 even supposing they were left standing : though it is not improbable but that they 

 might be thrown down by means of the same earthquake. If they were left 

 standing, some of them might, on the retreat of the waters from their tops after 

 the first concussion, form some of the islands that now subsist. This hypothesis 

 is also perfectly consistent with, and perhaps in some measure accounts for, that 

 singular position of the strata of coals, ores, and various kinds of earths (men- 

 tioned in Mr. Mitchell's paper), which are found always sloping from moun- 

 tainous countries, and higher groQnds, towards the bottom of the sea ; so that 

 what is nearest the surface of the earth in mountains and high countries, lies 

 deepest in low lands and under the sea. It is also somewhat confirmed by that 

 singular observation of Dr. Hasselquist's, in his travels, (p. 33) where, speaking 

 of Natolia and the eastern countries in general, he says, " In no place was it 

 more evident that the continent, we call earth, was in the beginning the bottom 

 of the sea." Ulloa also informs us, that the same thing is evident in the whole 

 country of Valles in South America : and Norden tells us, that the rocks in 

 Egypt bear evident marks of having been washed by the sea. 



These are the reasons which induce Mr. K. to venture on this supposition. 

 He next considers one or two objections, that appear the most material which 

 may be made to what he has advanced. It may perhaps be said, that we read " of 

 the waters returning from off the earth, and of their being abated at the end of 

 the 130 days : and also, of the water decreasing continually till the 10th month ; 

 and of the tops of the mountains being then seen." And it may be objected 

 that we ought thence to conclude, that the waters of the deluge, having covered 

 what was before dry ground, afterwards retreated, and left the very same hills 

 and land dry again. But this conclusion is by no means necessary ; for all that 

 can be inferred from what we find in Genesis concerning the decrease of the 



