REVIEWS. 



429 



that atmospheric moisture, ram, M'ind, and torrents, reduce and lower the moun- 

 tains, the torrents carryuig away the debris, by means of rivers, to the seas, 

 where it becomes levelled far out into the offing, and thus the mountains are 

 gradually lowered, and the angle of the ecliptic as gradually diminished. Such 

 is our opinion : it may be so, or not ; it is quite hypothetical ; and so may also 

 be our opinion on observing the different inclinations of the axes of our planets, 

 sun and moon included : they all incline more or less to the plane of their 

 orbits, in an easterly direction, or towards the right hand, and that in a con- 

 trary direction to tlieir orbital motions : perhaps we might except Uranus. 

 How is all this to be accounted for ? Can they have acquired this particular 

 inclination when first launched into an orbit, and while in a more plastic state ?" 



After some remarks on the orbital motion of the sun and on the astral systems, 

 Mr. Bergh turns to a topic of high importance, but which has been too much 

 overlooked by geologists — the mobility of the ocean. Pirst taking into con- 

 sideration the rise of lands, he very fairly asks, " How could islands or conti- 

 nents be raised from the bottom of the sea, either gradually or suddenly, without 

 displacing the same volume of water ? and could such a displacement of ocean 

 water occur without altering the level for some time ? Land and sea cannot 

 occupy the same space any more than other things." He then dwells again on 

 his theory before expressed on the periodic transference of the ocean waters 

 from one hemisphere to the other ; and offers some remarks upon the inclina- 

 tion of the polar axis, the fixity of which he disputes, and remarks, amongst 

 other proofs, that ancient cathedi-als and old dial-plates are no longer in har- 

 mony with those of modern times. 



In conclusion the author considers that, " In looking back to the last catas- 

 trophe, we have sufiicient evidence of a violent irruption by the ocean, from 

 north towards the south, which our earth's surface shows in the most positive 

 manner, and whereof also the enormous size of the erratic blocks and the 

 boulder deposit are no trifling evidence of oceanic forces. This disturbance 

 occurred about four thousand or five thousand years since, and is no doubt the 

 deluge related in Scripture two thousand three hundred and forty-eight years 

 before Christ 5 and those we read of in history, such as the deluge of Ogyges 

 in Attica, which happened about four thousand years ago (relatively to the 

 year 1S30) ; also the deluge of Deucalion in Thessaly, about three thousand 

 four hundred years since ; aU recorded at different periods, but aU no doubt 

 referrable to the one general deluge narrated in Genesis, which latter differs 

 from our calculation about ninety-seven years, a discrepancy of no moment in 

 relation to a period of inundation of three thousand four hundred and ninety- 

 eight years, as before mentioned. 



" The next time the perihelion and ocean cross the equator, it will be to- 

 wards our northern hemisphere, in the year six thousand four hundred and 

 ninety-four of our era, or four thousand six hundred and sixty-four years to 

 come. Such a remote period can but little concern us, when, after the lapse of 

 one hundred and forty generations more, perhaps both our nation and the 

 name of our country may be forgotten, and lie buried beuQath the deep, pro- 

 bably for the next seven thousand or eight thousand years." 



Such is a full abstract of the opinions of Mr. Bergh. Por the present we 

 put them before our readers without comment, because these and kindred sub- 

 jects being now taken up by M. Ardhemar, Colonel James, and others, in a 

 powerful manner wiU compel us hereafter to elucidate the subject in detail. 

 We merely at present recommend these theories to the impartial consideration 

 of our readers, expressing ourselves as dissentients, however, from the calcula- 

 tions which give only four Imndred and fifty thousand years as the time elapsed 

 between the granitic era of Mr. Bergh's tables and the present time. 



