HUTTGNIAN THEORY. 



7^ 



k\ 



IS 



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mere hypothefis, if there be the leafl reafon to 

 fiifped; the adion of fubterraneous heat as one 

 of the caufes of mineralization, every maxim 



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of found philofophy requires that the bafaltic 

 ilrudlure, in all cafes, (hould be afcribed to it. 



6^. The Neptunifts will no doubt allege, with 

 Bergman, that, in the drying of ftarch, clay, 

 and a few other fubflances, fomething analogous 

 to bafaltic columns is produced. Here, how- 

 ever, a moft important difference is to be re- 

 marked, correfponding very exadly to one of 

 the characters which we have all along obfer- 

 ved to diftinguifli the products of aqueous, from 

 thofe of igneous confolidation. The columns 

 formed by the fubflances juft mentioned, are di- 

 flant from one another : they are feparated by 

 fifTures which widen from the bottom to the top, 

 and which arife from the fhrinking and dry- 

 ing of the mafs. In the bafaltic columns, no 

 fuch openings, nor vacuity of any kind is found ; 

 the pillars are in contact, and, though perfedly 

 diflindl, are fd clofe, that the fliarp edge of a 

 wedge can hardly be introduced between them. 

 This is a great peculiarity in the bafaltic flruc- 

 ture, and is flrongly expreflive of this fad, that 

 the mafs was all fluid together, and that its parts 

 took their new arrangement, not in confequence 



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of the reparation of a fluid from a folid part, by 

 "Which great fhrinking and much empty fpace 



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might 



