153 



Had they, in their travels, sought after facts that 

 point out the existence of once powerful currents which 

 swept over islands and continents, lifted rocks from 

 their firm foundation, and buried whole forests at an 

 immense depth beneath the surface of new formed dis- 

 tricts, that have been suddenly amassed by their op- 

 erations, they would, long since have furnished us 

 with numerous corresponding truths, which, on com- 

 parison, would be found to harmonize with those of a 

 similar kind, in every district of the globe, and ena- 

 ble us to establish something like a rational theory or 

 system by which to regulate our opinions, and direct 

 our researches in those hidden and obscure operations of 

 nature. Instead of which, however, their remarks on 

 this head are few, vague, and unsatisfactory, and such as 

 to afford but very little assistance in determining 

 whether the currents which appear to have overrun 

 different parts of the world, and the effects produced 

 by them, were cotemporaneons with those that appear 

 to have overrun our own continent. 



This being the case, I shall proceed to notice some 

 of the facts that have been stated, relative to supposed 

 currents, and their effects, with a view to see how far 

 they correspond with similar facts observable in va- 

 rious parts of the continent of America, (and which I 

 have before mentioned) and also, to see how far they 

 will warrant the inferences already advanced, relative 

 to the cause of those currents, and the source or 

 sources from which they flowed. 



