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ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE 



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as carbonic matter, which, with whatever 'ele- 

 ment it is at firll combined, is ultimately deli- 

 vered into the ocean. Thus, the oily or fuligi- 

 nous parts of animal and vegetable fubftances, 

 let loofe by burning, firft afcend into the atnio- 

 fphere, but are at length precipitated, and either 

 fall immediately into the fea, or are, in part at 

 leaf!, wafhed down into it from the land. From 



other caufes aifo, much vegetable matter is car- 

 ried down by the rivers ; and the whole quan- 

 tity of animal and vegetable fubftances thus de- 

 iivered into the fea, muft be very confiderable, 

 amounting annually to the whole refiduum of 

 thofe fubftances, not employed in the mainte- 

 nance or reproduction of animal and vegetable 

 bodies. Whether chemically united to the wa- 

 ters of the ocean, or (imply fafpended in them, 

 this matter is at laft precipitated, and, mingling 

 with earthy fubftances, is formed into ftrata, the 

 place of which will be determined by the cur- 



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lents, the pofition of the prefent continents, and 

 many other circumftances not eaiily enumera- 

 ted. 



If, then, an order of things fimiiar to what 

 ; now fee, exifted before the formation of the 

 prefent ftrata, it v\/ould neceftarily happen, that 

 the animal and vegetable fubftances, dift'ufed 



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through the ocean, being feparated from the 



water, would be depoiited at the bottom of the 



fea. 



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