4^ ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE 



appearances. But this jullification is entirely 

 wanting in the prefent cafe ; for the retreat of 

 the ocean to a lower level, furnijQies a very par- 

 tial and imperfedt explanation of the phenome- 



of geology. It will not explain th 



um 



berlefs remains of ancient continents that are 

 involved, as we have feen, in the prefent, unlefs 

 it be fuppofed that the ancient ocean, though it 

 rofe to fo great a height, had neverthelefs its 

 lliores, and was the boundary of land ftill high- 

 er than itfelf. And, as to that which is now more 

 immediately the objed of inquiry, the pofition 

 of the ftrata, though the above hypothefis would 

 account in fome fort for the change of their 

 place, relatively to the level of the fea , yet, if it 

 fhall be proved, that the ftrata have changed 

 their place relatively to each other, and rela- 

 tively to the plane of the horizon, fo as to have 



m 



had an angular motion imprelTed on them, it is 

 evident that, for thefe fads, the retreat of the 

 fea does not afford even the fhadow of a theo- 

 ry. 



38. Now, it is certain, that many of the flra- 

 ta have been moved angularly, becaufe that, 

 in their original pofition they mufl have been all 

 nearly horizontal. Loofe materials, fuch as fand 

 and gravel fubfiding at the bottom of the fea, 

 and having their interfcices filled with water, 



r 



poiTefs a kind of fluidity : they are difpofed to 



7 



ield 



jk 



