H. P. Malet — On Earthquakes. 75 



perimentalizing for it on the Wealds of Kent.^ The results of the 

 labour can be anticipated, a higher temperature will be found with 

 depth, but not so great as in a coal-mine. Heat must be found, 

 but as good reasons have been placed before the world, that this 

 heat originates in local causes, we will accept them till they are 

 proved erroneous, or till a self-existing fire is discovered, and 

 in the mean time we assert that there is no proof of radiation of 

 Jieat into space from the interior of this earth. 



Man has long imagined that the substance of this earth, beneath the 

 sedimentary strata resting on it, is one uniform, all-pervading, all- 

 surrounding envelope, commonly called " The Crust." Its interior face 

 is sujDposed to rest on the central fire, and to be always in a molten 

 condition at some 25 miles beneath our feet; as this heat decreases 

 by distance from the fire, the outer face naturally contracts on cool- 

 ing. This contraction has been supposed to cause earthquakes, and 

 to expel the molten matter from 25 miles distance up to the surface. 



A popular notion is a very unsafe mooring, and not one in ten 

 thousand of those to whom the Quarterly alludes could tell us how 

 he formed that notion. Nevertheless it is popular; and its popu- 

 larity is due to the fact, that there never was a time in English 

 history, when men followed the lead so blindfold as they now do. 

 A few eminent pens have written out the theory, they have described 

 in touching language how various surface phenomena have been 

 caused by the contraction of the crust, scientific pens have shown 

 that this crust must be nearer to the surface in some places than in 

 others, under the ordinary process of denudation; the Quarterly 

 throws his weighty pen into the scale, and so we have a popular 

 opinion, founding a surface phenomenon, which we see, and feel, on 

 a crust which is not known to exist, of which there is neither 

 measurement nor knowledge. If there was any doubt or uncertainty 

 in the opinion we might excuse it, but what can we say to the 

 steel pen that writes, " This Earth was once an igneous glohe" — " There 

 came to be formed a solid shell," — then a " cracJcing " and " crumpling" 

 of the Earth into its present irregular surface, for in those days 

 " there were earthquakes on the grandest scale"? This sounds very 

 exciting, but it is all imagination. 



There are certain fixed laws which tyrannize over this world, 

 its atoms could not be as they are without these laws, and the 

 laws could not exist without the atoms. These laws are 

 beyond our control, for we, in our persons, are as liable to 

 them as an atom of dust, or as the mass of the Andes. In the 

 Times, 4th October, 1872, it is shown that Quito has sunk 246 

 feet in 125 years, Pichincha 218 feet in the same period, and 

 Antisana 165 feet in 64 years; if we take away the support ot 

 an atom, it falls till it finds another, if a man loses his footing 

 he falls, there is a perpetual wearing away of subterranean, as 

 well as of surface matter, so that supports are perpetually failing, 

 and everything is liable to the laws of gravitation, even to the 

 highest mountains of the earth. 



' Mr. Malet has evidently been misinformed as to the real objects of the Sub-Wealden 

 Exploration. — Edit. Geol. Mag. 



