300 On the Causes which retard Geological Knowledge. 



the appearances of things, we must conclude, that the earth was 

 originally, and for a long time, submerged ; and that its crust, at 

 least, has been in a soft and impressible state, if not partially, or 

 wholly in solution.' 



" ' Geology declares, that the original, or at least early state of 

 the surface of the planet, was that of a watery abyss; and the 

 book of Genesis, in the concise account which is there exhibited 

 of the origin of things, reveals the same fact, as well as the re- 

 cession of the waters, by which the dry land was made to 

 appear.' 



" *The most important fundamental rocks of our globe are com- 

 posed, in general, of crystalline materials, bearing every appearance 

 of having been deposited from a state of prevailing repose, &c. 



" ' We may therefore take it for granted, that the aqueous abyss 

 preceded the habitable condition of the earth, and we are at 

 liberty to reason upon its probable constitution and possible ef- 

 fects.' 



" After all which suppositions taken for granted, follows a full 

 analysis of this said aqueous abyss ; containing all the chemical 

 agents, the sulphuric, muriatic, nitric, phosphoric, fluoric and car- 

 bonic acids ; the alkalies, potassa, soda, lithia ; the metallic ox- 

 ides: carbon, and other combustibles : oxygen, chlorine, iodine, in 

 short, every thing a chemist could possess in his laboratory, — for 

 it is there the author must have learnt to concoct aqueous 

 abysses — all acting with intense energy, " as they came from the 

 hand of the Creator^ Solutions, decompositions, precipitations, 

 &c. &c. With such a fermentation as this strange mess must 

 have made, it is impossible to conceive how it could be got quiet 

 enough to assume that state of " prevailing repose," necessary to 

 the production of his crystalline rocks, his garnets, his tourma- 

 lines, his beryls, as they are found in all their beauty at Haddam, 

 Connecticut. That any geologist ever discovered a spoonful of 

 such a concoction, is not to be believed. The Dead sea is pure 

 compared with it. JVot a syllable is mentioned of it in the Bible, 

 and thus we are obliged to submit to the conclusion, that it never 

 existed out of the chemical imagination of the writer, who very 

 innocently believes, as we may gather from the following passage, 

 that no one can possibly disagree with him on this subject. 



" Page 27. ' For while decisive facts declare it to the mere 

 philosopher, revelation unfolds it to the believer, and both con- 



