426 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



elapse before this passage tlirougli tlie four distm-biug signs can be accom- 

 plished ; and thus no disturbances of any consequence have occurred since the 

 last catastrophe, two thousand two hundi'ed and fifty-one years before the 

 Christian era, and none will occur till four thousand six hundred and sixty- 

 four years after the year 1S30, when the perihelion will approach the equator. 

 It will then have passed, from the year 1830, about eighty degrees in four 

 thousand six hundred and sixty-four years. When the perihelion approaches 

 the equator, then the equilibrium of the ocean might possibly be violently dis- 

 turbed, and the ocean itself encroach forcibly on the northern tropics, and 

 cause mucli destruction, as we find was actually the case when last the perihe- 

 lion passed over the equator, from Virgo to Scorpio, about five thousand 

 eight hundred and thirty years ago. The perihelion having now moved over 

 the three signs, from the first degree of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, in 

 five tliousand tw^o hundred and forty-six years, completes the third quarter and 

 extends to six tliousand four hundred and ninety -four years of the Christian 

 era, or, relative to the year 1830, wiU have advanced four thousand six hun- 

 dred and sixty-four years into the future. 



" The fourth quarter will begin wdth the perihelion and ocean passing through 

 Aries, and overwhelming the northern tropics, similar to the last-mentioned 

 crossing of the equator. When the perihelion point shall have arrived at the 

 first degree of Taurus, at a middle north declination of eleven degrees forty-five 

 minutes, the ocean wdll then overwhebn the northern lands, and so continue to 

 pass on until the perilielion shall have arrived at the first degree of Cancer, at 

 extreme north declination, when the northern hemisphere will have all its low 

 lands submerged, all but its loftiest mountains covered by the ocean, as they 

 were twenty thousand nine hundred and eighty-four years before. The peri- 

 lielion will now have moved over the two last inundating signs, namely, from 

 the first degree of Pisces to the first degree of Taurus, both of middle declina- 

 tion ; the former of south, the latter of north declination : and this ends the 

 fourth and last quarter of five thousand two hundred and forty-six years. 



" Referring to futui-e periods, this will extend from six thousand four hmi- 

 dred and ninety-four to eleven thousaud seven hundred and forty-one years of 

 the Christian era, or will have proceeded onwards from four thousand six hun- 

 dred and sixty-four to nine thousand nine hundred and eleven years into the 

 future. Then the perihelion point will liave travelled from one hemisphere to 

 another in ten thousand four hundred and ninety- two years, and round the 

 whole of tlie ecliptic of three hundred and sixty degrees in twenty thousand 

 nine hundred and eighty-four years. 



" How often the two hemispheres of our globe have been alternately sub- 

 merged and left dry in a tranquil state we know^ not ; but we do know that 

 these phenomena of the alternate inundation and retirement of the ocean will 

 be repeated at the same periods, and from the same causes, so long and as 

 often as it may please the Great Designer of our system. * * Geologists 

 know liow forcibly the surface of our earth has been disturbed by a tumultuous 

 or inuiulatiiig ocean at various and distant periods, as most of our strata testify 

 in the most striking manner ; and we may be assured that these periodical dis- 

 turbances and inundations will be repeated as often as these forces approach 

 the equator; this is evidently the period when these forces occur. 



" It is wlien tlie peiiheiion point of the earth's orbit is ascending or descend- ■ 

 ing near the equator, that the equilibrium of the ocean is much disturbed, and 

 civascqucnily inundation is the residt. Por instance : when descending from 

 tho first degree of A'irgo, at eleven degrees forty-five minutes of middle north 

 declination, to the llrst degree of Scorpio at eleven degrees forty-five minutes 

 of middle south declination, through sixty degrees of the ecliptic, in three 

 tliousand four hundred and ninety-eight years; and the same occurs when the 



