60 SKETCHES OF CREATION. 



soda, which would remain in solution in the sea. But the 

 carbonic acid of the atmosphere, having a more powerful 

 affinity for these alkalies than the silica, would wrest them 

 from combination with the silica, as already stated, and 

 would form carbonates of potash (C0 2 KO) and soda 

 (C0 2 NaO), while the silica would be added to the quartz- 

 ose rocks of the globe. These carbonates, whether formed 

 in the ocean or on the hill-sides, would, when transported 

 to the ocean, find themselves confronted with chlorid of 

 calcium (CICa), and probably other chlorids. Chlorid of 

 calcium, carbonate of potash (C0 2 KO), and carbonate of 

 soda (C0 2 NaO), brought face to face, would immediately 

 enter into arrangements for an exchange of partners. Car- 

 bonic acid (CO 2 ) would incontinently abandon potash (KO) 

 and soda (NaO), and betake itself to calcium (Ca), changing 

 its name, by the aid of a little oxygen, to " lime" (CaO), 

 and forming a union known as carbonate of lime (C0 2 CaO). 

 With equal celerity, chlorine (CI), dispossessed of its cal- 

 cium (Ca), would compensate itself by seizing upon potash 

 (KO) and soda (NaO), and, after eliminating the oxygen 

 (O) in their constitution, would unite with potassium and 

 sodium, forming chlorid of potassium (C1K) and chlorid 

 of sodium (CINa). Thus all parties would be better satis- 

 fied, and each would abide in its appropriate place. Car- 

 bonate of lime (C0 2 CaO) refusing, for the greater part, to 

 be dissolved in sea-water, would settle to the bottom and 

 become limestone ; while chlorid of sodium (ClNa) — which 

 is only the chemist's name for " common salt" — remained 

 in solution, and thus gave its characteristic salinity to the 

 sea. Chlorid of potassium (C1K) also continues to exist in 

 sea-water in smaller quantity. 



The diagram on the following page is intended to repre- 

 sent to the eye the chemical reactions above described. 

 The symbols are familiar to the chemical reader ; but they 



