212 THE OCEAN [Book IX. 



gravitation ; the oblate spheroid the action of centri- 

 fugal force, resulting from axial rotation ; and the 

 cardioid the action of magnetic force, resulting from 

 motion through space. And under the combined 

 action of these forces the configuration of the earth 

 would, therefore, be such, that if on the surface of 

 the earth there lay water sufficient to cover one half 

 of the earth's surface — that water lying in each of the 

 depressions, and leaving the protuberances dry land — 

 then the surface of the earth would be divided into 

 the following alternate zones of land and water : 

 namely, land about the South Pole ; a vast expanse 

 of water throughout the temperate regions of the 

 southern hemisphere ; a zone of dry land in the 

 equatorial regions ; a narrow zone of water north 

 of the equator ; a zone of dry land throughout the 

 temperate regions of the northern hemisphere ; and 

 a district of water about the North Pole. 



The land in the temperate zone of the northern 

 hemisphere, and that about the South Pole, would 

 be raised by the action of the magnetic force con- 

 comitant with motion through space : and the land 

 in the equatorial zone would be raised by the action 

 of the centrifugal force concomitant with axial rota- 

 tion. The relative positions of land and water re- 

 sulting from the action of the forces just described 

 strikiugiy correspond with the actual relative positions 

 of land and water in each hemisj)here, as is shown 

 by the illustration given ^in Plate XYI. ; excepting 



