Facts from the Arcana of Nature. 101 



geographers. The continuous accumulation of dense and 

 ponderous matter, such as congealed snow and ice, in vast 

 mountain masses, many miles in altitude, in such position on 

 the Earth's surface as increase the polar radii disproportion- 

 ately, must vary the centre of gravity of the Earth's volume, 

 and induce gravitation of watery particles to such varying 

 centre. The inevitable result, in absence of adequate com- 

 pensatory influences, must be to cause, and continuously 

 maintain, a deviation of the polar axis, and a consequent 

 change in the position of the Earth upon the plane of her 

 orbit. We cannot assume the correctness of the theory of 

 gravitation at one time, and discard it at another, because 

 its developed action results in production of forces, and their 

 effects, at variance with our prepossessions, or the deductions 

 of our early and greatest philosophers. 



The accuracy of scientific theories as to the motions inter 

 se of the planets of our system, and respecting the celestial 

 orbs generally, appears vouched for by the precision with 

 which occultations, eclipses, and other phenomena are com- 

 puted. Yet, astronomic theories may be altogether at fault, 

 as to the accurate definition of the figure of our Earth, its 

 bisection equally by our equatorial line, and the consequent 

 position upon its superficies, of the parallels of latitude, as 

 well as regards terrestrial alterations of longitudes, resulting 

 from a westerly movement of the Arctic pole of the axis of 

 rotation. Sir. J. Herschel in Outlines of Astronomy, remarks 

 that " no instruments ever yet invented by man, are delicate 

 enough to indicate, by an increase or diminution of the 

 angle subtended, that one point of the Earth is nearer to, or 

 farther from the stars than another ;" calculations accurate as 

 to the stars are therefore not necessarily presumptive of terres- 

 trial immobility of the points upon the globe, of the poles of 

 the axis of rotation. Hence we join issue in the stated belief 

 of certain geologists, that the geological structure of the strata 

 forming the Earth's exterior crust, can only be accounted for, 

 on the hypothesis of such a change of the Earth's axis of 

 rotation. Such change, if continuous, evidently involves 

 alteration in the configuration of the land and seas upon the 

 Earth's surface, progressing gradually throughout ages, in the 

 direction indicated by, and amount proportioned to, the 

 annual change in the position in process of being assumed by 

 the Earth upon the plane of her orbit. As evidenced in past 

 geological epochs, this gradual change is liable to be suddenly 

 accelerated, when a disastrous revolution would ensue, 



