252 the Natural Hifiory Part VL 



heavier Terreftrial Matter that had in 

 this Jumble and Confufion faften'd 

 and ftuck to them, fell all to the bot- 

 tom: and the Water was in great 

 meaflire clear, and difbngaged from 

 the Earthy Mafs^ before it went off. 

 And 'twas well it was fb ; for had the 

 Mineral Matter of the Globe not been 

 held to its former Station, but hurried 

 about and traoipoied from place to 

 place^ his icarcely to be conceived how 

 many and great Inconveniences it 

 would have occafioned. The fame 

 likewife for Vegetables. Had the Seeds 

 of the Pepper Plant, the Nutmeg, the 

 Clove, or the Cinnamon Trees, been 

 born from Java,^ Bmda^ the Moluccoes^ 

 and Ceylon^ to thefe Northern Coun- 

 tries, they muft all have ftarved for 

 want of Sun: or had the Seeds of our 

 polder Plants ihifted thither, they woud 

 have been burnt up and fpoil'd by it. 

 But Things generally kept to their pro- 

 per Places : to their old natural Soil 

 and Climate 5 which had they not 

 done, all would have been confound- 

 ed and deftroyed. 'Tis true, the Ve- 

 getables, being comparatively lighter 

 than the ordinary 1 erreftrial Matter 

 of the Globcj fubfided lafc f 5 and con- 

 ^'^i ?• fecjuently 



