6 PICTURESQUE SKETCHES 



however superficial, when the actual structure of the 

 earth is laid open, whether in the quarry or the 

 sea-cliff. 



There are, indeed, so many distinct facts that prove 

 both the nature of the deposits and the circumstances 

 of deposition to have been very different from either 

 a creation of the surface as it now exists, or the form- 

 ation of such a surface by a deluge, that it is more 

 easy to be confused with their number and variety, 

 than to resist the conclusion when the reason is fairly 

 appealed to. Among these facts we may perhaps se- 

 lect these three with advantage, as the most promi- 

 nent, viz. (1.) That a vast number of strata may be 

 discovered to rest on one another, and that they are 

 of very great thickness and extent, and exhibit great 

 variety both in the nature and condition of the mate- 

 rials of which each is made up ; (2.) That the beds 

 are found, in many cases, not lying regularly upon 

 one another, but showing by their direction and incli- 

 nation that one series has had time to harden, and 

 be disturbed in position, before another was placed 

 upon it ; and (3.) That almost throughout the whole 

 great and varied series of strata there are found the 

 remains of a number of animals of different kinds, 

 chiefly but not entirely of marine origin ; each group 

 of which presents in itself a history, and denotes a 

 peculiar condition, both of the depth of the water, and 

 the structure of the sea-bottom especially adapted for 

 it. The proper consideration of the three facts, or 

 rather classes of facts, thus alluded to, cannot fail to 

 satisfy any one that the strata of the earth's crust 

 were formed gradually and slowly, under various cir- 

 cumstances, and at different times. I do not mean, 



