OP CREATION. 401 



+ 



ern hemisphere; at first the Alps, the Pyrenees, and 

 the Carpathians, and ultimately the Caucasus, and 

 the Himalayan chain. It is, perhaps, something more 

 than a mere vague hypothesis, to assume that these 

 elevations acted first in the western and southern dis- 

 tricts, producing the early deposits of the London, 

 Hampshire, Brussels, and Paris basins ; and that 

 they afterwards became more violent, elevating the 

 Weal den district in England, while at the same time, 

 or a little later, they formed the granitic axis of the 

 loftier mountain districts. 



These first deposits being formed, a tract of land 

 was laid bare and became tenanted by large qua- 

 drupeds; and after many changes and elevations, 

 a continent arose, not, indeed, the same in all re- 

 spects as that which we call Europe, but exhibiting 

 some of its chief physical features; and having a 

 wider extension to the west, while the great valleys 

 were still beneath the sea. A period, perhaps, suc- 

 ceeded this, when the land towards the north was 

 more compact and higher; and then the great west- 

 erly districts which had long been at a much higher 

 level than they now are, sank down to a depth of 

 many hundred feet, so that the western lands quite 

 disappeared, and only a number of small islands were 

 presented in the spot now occupied by Great Britain 

 and Ireland. Huge icebergs, and mighty waves, the 

 result of subterranean and submarine disturbances, 

 or conveyed from colder seas by marine currents, 

 washed over many parts of our island, and of north- 

 ern Europe, then under water ; and thus the final 

 surface of gravel was given. After this, one more 

 great movement of elevation took place, mighty in- 



