



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE 



d the diiTer 



bet 



without the introdudion of any 



thefe ftony bodies 



lis 



I 



the Nen 



hypothe 



whinftone 

 of no foJu 



fjllem, the affinity of 



d lava is a paradox which admits 



64. The columnar ftrudure fometimes found 

 that fpecies of whinftone called bafaltes, is a 



IS given rife to much difcuffion • 



fad which h 



and it rauft be confeffed, that though one of the 

 moft ftriking and peculiar charaaers of this 

 foffil, it is not that which gives the cleareft and 



moft dired: informati 



One circun 

 vour of the 



ning its origin 



the 



fori 



ftance, however, very much in fa- 



nion that bafaltic rocks owe 



op 



formation to fi 



is, that th 



columnar 



n is fometimes aflumed by the lava aftual- 

 erupted from volcanoes. Now, it is cer- 

 tainly of no fmall importance, to have the 

 fynthetic argument on our fide, and to know, 

 hat bafalt 



fire : 



columns can be produced 



though, no doubt, to give abfolute cer 



tainty to our 



fi 



it would b 



nee 



ef. 



fary 



iliow, that th 



other 



means but this by which thefe columns can 



be formed 



Th 



fort of 



dence is hard 



r 



be looked 



fufion, to prod 



for 



5 



but lince th 



power 



of 



-ice the phenomena in queftion, 

 is perfediy eftabliflied, and fmce the produaion 



of the fame phenomena in the humid way is 



a 



mere 



^ 



