LIGHT, LUMINARIES AND LIFE. 209 
into three groups or families corresponding to the three sons of 
Noah, viz., the Semitic, Hamitic and Aryan. 
All the descendants of Shem, Ham and Japheth being of the 
Caucasian or White Race, they themselves must have been white, as 
well as Noah their father, and he being only of the tenth generation 
from Adam ; Adam was also white, and he being therefore the pro- 
genitor of the Caucasian Race only and the Mongolian and Negro 
Races not being descended from him, these latter must be the living 
representatives of Pre-Adamite Man. 
Lieut.-Colonel W. H. Turton.—With reference to Mr. Irving’s 
paper, I think he could have strengthened his argument as to the 
firmament meaning the atmosphere, and not a solid vault, by the 
following considerations :—* 
In the first place the firmament was called “ Heaven,” and the 
upper waters, above the “heaven,” must mean the sources from 
which the rain from heaven comes. And these sources are easily 
seen to be clouds, and are continually spoken of as such in the Bible 
(2.g., Judges v, 4; Ps. lxxvii, 17; exlvu, 8; Isa. v, 6). And no 
writer could have thought that a solid firmament intervened between 
the clouds and the earth; more especially as we read later on that 
birds are to fly in this firmament, which are also spoken of as birds 
of the aw (v, 28). And though at present the amount of water in 
the clouds seems quite insignificant, it was probably much greater at 
the time in question. 
On the other side, may be quoted the expression about opening 
the windows of heaven when it rains (Gen. vii, 11; 2 Kings vii, 2 ; 
Mal. ii, 10). But this cannot be taken literally, any more than that 
about the doors of the sea (Job xxxviil, 8-11); since, as just said, 
every one can see that the rain comes from the clouds, and not from 
any openings in a solid reservoir. 
Secondly, the writer of Genesis omits to say (as he does in other 
cases) that when God made the firmament, He saw that it was good. 
Now if the firmament means the atmosphere, that is the (apparently) 
empty space separating the clouds from the seas, this would be quite 
natural: just as an artist, though he might examine each of his 
pictures to see that it was good, would not examine the empty 
* IT have touched upon these in my Truth of Christianity (seventh 
edition, p. 114). 
