378 



tions where, without doubt, the sea or ocean once pre- 

 vailed, and where living forest trees could never have 

 existed, leads us at once to the conclusion, that in the 

 onset of some great revolution, these trees were torn 

 up, and hurried beyond the ancient boundaries of the 

 ocean, and deposited upon or near its bottom. And 

 that, moreover, during the same revolution and by the 

 same cause, the immense districts of alluvial grounds, 

 that have been formed over them, and in which, no 

 organick remains of the kind are to be seen, were also 

 deposited. 



That to whatever point or distance we find this sub- 

 stratum of fossil wood to extend,* below New Orleans, 

 so far, it is presumed, this district was formed and ex- 

 tended, by the same cause, and at the same time that 

 the great alluvial region was formed below Natchez, 

 extending from Long Island to the Colorado river. 



These conclusions are grounded on the following 

 facts. In the first place, there exists an almost perfect 

 correspondence in the situation and depth of this sub- 

 stratum of fossil wood, wherever it has been found, 

 tluuughoutthe alluvial region on the coast of America, 

 as well as in other parts of the world ; which is a 

 strong proof that, in general, it was deposited at the 

 same time. 



&dly. Between -the surface of the ground and this 

 substratum of fossil wood, and within the limits just 

 mentioned, no intermediate layer or deposite of wood, 

 has been found, with the exception of, perhaps, a 

 solitary limb or piece of wood. Such is the case 



