6 PRELIMINARY ESSAY. 



5thly. On the presumption that the earth was inhabited previously 

 to the chaotic period, the Mosaic account leads us decidedly to conclude 

 that the whole former order of creation had perished, through want 

 of the due support from light and atmosphere. In declaring that the 

 present light and atmosphere were not called into existence tiU the first 

 and second days, Moses leads us necessarily to infer, that during the. 

 period immediately previous to these days, there had been no light and 

 atmosphere. 



Now it will be very difficult for the Geologist to give any explanation 

 of certain common phenomena in his province, without having recourse 

 to some inference, similar to that just derived from the account of Moses *. 



The immense accumulations of fossil animals, can hardly be attributed 

 to any tiling less, than the absolute destruction of whole orders of creation. 

 The state also in which these animals are continually found seems to 

 require, that they should have perished in some such manner as that 

 which I -have just inferred from the Mosaic account. In numerous in- 

 stances, the organs of life appear to have been in the most perfect con- 

 dition to the last. And yet they seem to have died without violence, in 

 the most quiet manner, as it were by suspension of animation. This 

 observation is the more remarkable, as a great proportion of these animals 

 are aquatic, and appear to have perished thus quietly in the midst of their 

 own element -j-. 



asserts that no fossil bones of man have been found, which can be attributed to a date prior to 

 the revokition which preceded the deluge. The following observation of the same author is 

 worthy our particular notice, with refei-ence to what has been advanced in this note. " The 

 bones of species which are apparently the same with those which stUl exist ahve, are never 

 found except in the very latest alluvial depositions, or those which are either formed on the 

 sides of rivers, or on the bottoms of ancient lakes and marshes now dried up, or in the sub- 

 stance of beds of peat, or in the fissures, and caverns of certain rocks, or at small depths below 

 the present surface, in places where they may have been overwhelmed by debris, or even 

 buried by man." . • n j j 



* I find that Cuvier (chap. 5.) endeavours to account for the extensive destruction alluded 

 to under this head, by presuming that the animals perished in consequence of exposure to 

 various and disagreeing fluids. Marine animals died on exposure to fresh water inundations, 

 and fresh water animals vice versa. Surely this theory is liable to objection, particularly 

 where it is found that several distinct marine formations, all equally filled with marine animal 

 remains, succeed each other. 



-f- Any inundation like that of the deluge, which was not acompanied by a loss of atmo- 

 sphere, would be utterly insufficient to account for so extensive a destruction, among tribes of 



