:rii. 



Wet 



It 



ID' 



OH 



a! 



eai 



IOC 



01 



liUTTONIAN THEORY. 41 



Of thefe two fuppofitions, the former, at firft 

 fight, feems undoubtedly the mofl probable, and 

 we feel lefs reludance to fuppofe, that a fluid, 

 fo unftable as the ocean, has undergone the great 

 revolution here referred to, than that the folid 

 foundations of the land have moved a lingle fa- 



^^^ thorn from their place. This, however is a 



^" mere illufion. Such a depreffion of the level of 



the fea as is here fuppofed, could not happen 

 without a change proportionally great in the fo- 

 lid part of the globe ; and, though admitted as 

 true, wall be found very inadequate to explain 



til the prefent condition of the ftrata. 



hej 37. Suppoling the appearances v>'hich clear- 



indicate fubmerlion under water to reach 

 no higher than ten thoufand feet above the pre- 



icl fent level of the fea, and of courfe the furface 



of the fea to have been formerly higher by that 

 quantity than it is now ; it neceiTarily follows, 



j;^| that a bulk of water has difappeared, equal to 



more than a feven-hundrcdth part of the whole 

 magnitude of the globe*. The exiftence of 

 empty caverns, of extent fufficient to contain this 

 vaft body of water, and of fuch a convullion as 

 to lay them open, and give room to the retreat 

 of the fea, are fuppofitions which a philofopher 

 could only be juftified in admitting, if they pro- 



liiifed to furnilh a very complete explanation of 



appearances, 

 * Note X. 



/ 



