lo Where did Life Begin? 



fiery ordeal, that the primary rocks are of ig- 

 neous formation, and that there are many 

 other existing conditions and obvious facts 

 which cannot well be accounted for except 

 upon the hypothesis that the whole earth was 

 once a molten mass. 



Even after these admissions one embarrass- 

 ment presents itself, happily, however, not 

 affecting the argument, viz. : 



So fully has every conceivable inference, 

 every supposable fact and phenomenon in the 

 development and history of the earth, been 

 reviewed and discussed over and over again, 

 in the light of this primitive glowing molten 

 mass, by able and discriminating writers, that 

 it may seem presumptuous at this late day to 

 attempt any new deduction, or to draw any 

 new conclusion radically important, touching 

 this matter. But if the views here presented 

 have been expressed before, in the relation 

 of cause and effect, the writer has not been 

 fortunate enough to meet with them, and it 

 is quite safe to say that if they are correct 

 their significance as a factor in other problems 

 at least will not be questioned. 



