OF CREATION. 263 



long time gradually to depress the bed of the ocean, 

 while the deposits, chiefly of calcareous matter, 

 were sufficiently rapid and abundant, at least near 

 shore, to keep pace with the sinking. 3. That after 

 a time partial elevation took place, converting into 

 dry land a large tract, in consequence of the wide 

 extent of a moderately shallow sea, arising from the 

 condition just mentioned. 4. That there was an ex- 

 ception to this conversion into dry land in the south- 

 east of England, and some other spots ; but that here 

 the waters were chiefly fresh, indicating the presence 

 of an extensive river emptying itself not far off into 

 the sea. 5. That while this elevation took place in 

 England, depression was going on in the south of 

 Europe, accompanied by disturbances, and producing 

 a deep sea, b'. That such deep sea was afterwards 

 enlarged by a wider movement of depression, until 

 it extended from Scandinavia to Spain, and from 

 England to the Caucasus, being throughout that 

 wide tract the recipient of deposits of chalky mud ; 

 and, finally, that this sea was probably deeper and 

 was soonest deepened in the southern part of the 

 district, but that just in that part the sea-bottom 

 afterwards again underwent elevation on a grand 

 scale, and formed either continuous land or a chain 

 of islands extending from England to Asia Minor, 

 and connected with the elevation of the Alps, the 

 Pyrenees, and the Caucasus. 



This last disturbance was accompanied, however, 

 by a total destruction of almost the whole series of 

 animated beings in these parts of the world ; it was 

 accompanied also by the outburst of a considerable 

 quantity of lava (seen in the north of Ireland), and 



