WHAT HAS BECOME OF THE LUNAR SEAS ? 411 



three of these rays occurred on the left ; and when the moon was leaving the sun's 

 disc, rays were seen on the right. This seemed to show that the appearance was 

 produced by a cloud or cloudy atmosphere between us and the moon. In our atmo- 

 sphere there were sixty or eighty miles of darkness all round, and these appearances 

 could not be formed by refraction there. Is there, then, an atmosphere all the way 

 to the moon ? There is nothing else to explain them, as far as I know, and I think 

 this does. Polarization supports it also. When light is not reflected, it is vulgar 

 white light; but when reflected from the surface of a transparent medium, it puts 

 on that modification known as polarization. When, therefore, we see it polarized, 

 we have strong reason to think that the light has been reflected, and hence, by 

 something like an atmosphere between the earth and the moon."* 



A little chink will let in much light. Is this a chink to let some in ? It 

 is the only support for a long-retained, and perhaps it may be visionary, 

 idea. When some one praised the Astronomer Royal, in the section 

 of the British Association meeting over which he presided, for the 

 boldness of his views on terrestrial magnetism, he justly said, "When 

 he believed he was right, he could boldly state his views; but he could 

 be bolder still, he could retract them when he found them wrong." We 

 do not like to risk our reputation, but we can be bold enough to 

 speculate if we think there be but a grain of truth in our day-dreams. 

 Beyond doubt, modern geologists do not countenance the idea of a 

 single or particular deluge, much less an universal one, mountain- 

 high, all over the globe. Even divines have sought to limit and restrict 

 the Noachian deluge to certain geographical areas, and otherwise to 

 modify or do away with the universality spoken of in the Holy Writ. 

 Unlike the genesis of man, it is a subject we can discuss without 

 offence to any religious prejudices. It is a question purely of tra- 

 dition — not of inspiration at all — and we may discuss it as an histo- 

 rical fact, or as a physical fact, with the utmost freedom and licence. 



Take it first, then, as a tradition. The flood of Noah, the flood of 

 Deucalion — every nation has its tradition of a flood. There are few 

 traditions, surely, without some foundation in truth ; and while it 

 would be impracticable to reconcile a universal deluge overwhelming 

 the peaks even of the mountains some few thousand years ago, with 

 the present physical aspect of our globe, and the geographical distri- 

 bution of animal life, or to find any geological phenomena that would 

 give countenance to it at all, the antiquity which the discovery of 

 flint-implements, and other relics, and even bones, in Pleistocene 

 strata, and in turbaries, have given to man, entitle us to extend 



* An excellent illustrated report of Mr. Airy's lecture is given in the London 

 Review, No. 64, for September, 1861. 



