of the Earth. 2§ 



Shells that are fo light^ occur very fel- 

 dom at Land, or in the Earth, in com- 

 parifbn of the Shells of Cockles, Pere- 

 winkles, and the reft which are more 

 ponderous, fb as to equal the Stone, 

 and the other Terreftrial Matter in 

 Gravity. The Reafon of which v^^ill 

 be very plain , when I fhall have 

 fliewn ^ that at the time of the Deluge * vid. 

 (when thefe Shells were brought out ^-^^^ 

 upon the Earth, and repofed therein ^* 

 in the manner we now find them) 

 Stone, and all other fblid Minerals, 

 loft their fblidity : and that the leverM 

 Particles thereof, together with thole 

 of the Earth, Chalk, and the reft, as ' 

 alio Shells, and all other Animal and 

 Vegetable Bodies, were taken up into, 

 and fuftained in, the Water : that at 

 length all thefe fubfided f again pro- 1 ^^d. 

 mifcuoufly, and without any other ^^''^y^ ^ 

 order than that of the different fpeci- 

 fick Gravity of the feveral Bodies in 

 this Gonfufed Mafs, thofe which had 

 the greateft degree of Gravity finking 

 down firft, and lb fetling loweft ; theo 

 thofe Bodies which had a lefier degree 

 of Gravity fell next, and fettled fb as 

 to make a Stratum upon the former ; 

 and fo on, in their feveral turns-, to 



the 



