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 1 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 
oflfence 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. 
