490 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF 



the equator 



f the fluid was denfer toward 



flattening would be lefs : and in eith 



cafe, the body, a 

 fuppofed to have 



acquired folidity, may be 

 ained its fpheroidal figure 

 But though the fluidity 



•with little variation. 



of the earth will account for the phenomenon of 



its oblate figure, it may reafonably be quefl:ion- 



d. wheth 



th 



fluidity can be admitted, in 



onfifl:ency with other appearances 



Accord 



hat is eftablilhed above, none of the appear 



ances in the mineral kingdom 



d 



more 



any form 



ondit 



than a partial fluidity in 



of the earth. The prefent fl:rata, made up 



they are of th 



ruins of former fl:rata, though 



foftened by heat, have 



been rendered fluid 



by 



and have even poiTefled their foftnefs iri 



parts, and in fuccefllon, not altogether, nor at the 



fame time 



The unfliratified, and more cryftallized fut» 

 ftances, were cafl: in the bofom of others, which 

 were folid at the time when they were fluid. In 

 all this, therefore, there is no indication of a 



fluidity prevailing through the whole mafs, or 



even over 



th 



whole furface of the earth 



d 



therefore nothing that can explain the fpheroid 



al figure 

 tion, th 



even 



of 



though it might 



hich it has acquired. The fuppoli- 

 of the entire body of the earth, or 

 , external crufl:, having been fluid, 



1 at 



the 



for the compreflii.0 





th( 



to 



W2 



to 



fo] 



tei 

 de 



YO 



to 



te 



in 



ai 

 ll 







tl 



