NATURAL HISTORY. ^ 43 



Without vegetation the face of nature would 

 lose one of its principle beauties ; and the earth, 

 thus exposed to the operation of the conflicting 

 elements, would soon become chaotic and unfit 

 for the habitation of man. The sea, now the grand 

 source of intercourse between nations, would no 

 longer be navigable ; for without ships, whose 

 materials are chiefly derived from the vegetable 

 kingdom, how could its surface be traversed? or 

 without boats and nets, by what means could we 

 obtain that main article of our food with which 

 its waters now so amply supply us, so important 

 to our wants, and so useful in the various occupa- 

 tions to which it gives rise? Or without vegetable 

 absorption and assimiliation, how would the earth 

 dispose of the superfluous water produced by 

 marine evaporation, at present so fertilizing to 

 the soil, and so contributive to the wants and 

 conveniences of man ? From what source would 

 the atmosphere, constantly exposed to deteriora- 

 tion by combustion and animal respiration, be 

 renovated, without those vegetable exhalations, 

 through the agency of which its purity is now 

 preserved? Or, if the whole animal kingdom 

 were to become carnivorous only, which must be 

 the case under such a visitation, how long would 

 man preserve his existence, or retain his controul 

 over the creation, even if an impure atmosphere 

 permitted him to breathe, or his constitution could 

 long survive the total loss of a vegetable diet? 



