346 PICTURESQUE SKETCHES 



these new countries, becoming acclimatised in high 

 northern latitudes; and where we now find only the 

 bear, the wolf, and the fox, the elephant, the rhino- 

 ceros, the hippopotamus, and a multitude of feline 

 and other typical carnivorous species, were then fully 

 represented. As, however, the northern land in- 

 creased in extent, rose in elevation, and advanced 

 further towards the pole, the effects of such change 

 became felt. Intense cold advanced further to the 

 south, the climate of the central districts from in- 

 sular became extreme and continental, and at length 

 the greater number of the animal inhabitants, unable 

 to exist under such circumstances, gradually, but 

 completely died out. 



Meanwhile we may inquire concerning the fate of 

 the continent whose position between the tropics has 

 also been indicated. The expansive force employed 

 in lifting up, by mighty movements, the northern 

 part of the continent of Asia, found partial vent, and 

 from numerous subaqueous fissures there were pour- 

 ed out the tabular masses of basalt occurring in cen- 

 tral India, while an extensive area of depression in 

 the Indian Ocean, marked by the coral islands of 

 the Laccadives, the Maldives, the great Chagos bank, 

 and some others, were in course of depression by a 

 counteracting movement. 



A similar area of depression, on a far grander scale, 

 is also indicated among the western islands of the 

 North Pacific Ocean, and we see distinct proof of 

 great change having been effected in all these dis- 

 tricts; involving, indeed, not only depression, but 

 partial and occasional elevation, especially in the line 

 of modern volcanic action extending from Sumatra 

 to New Zealand. 



