{ x83 ) 
which was dug out not long before. After which man- 
ner olCo he fuppofes that the harder Minerals are pro- 
duced. 
This Hypothefis is advanced in order to what he has ^ 
to (ay concerning the original of thofe Shells and form- 
ed Scones which are found upon the Earth,* thereby to 
invalidate the Argument of thofe who pretend that they 
are formed by a vegetative Virtue in that particular Soil, 
which determines them to that peculiar and regukr 
lhape : To which he now proceeds. 
He begins with fuppofing that Malta, from whence 
the greateft quantity of thefe fuppofed Petrifactions 
come, was made an Ifland, as we now fee it, fome time 
after the Creation ; and that it w^as once a heap of liquid 
Mud replenifh'd with Shells, Teeth, which ( as he 
afterwards explains himfelf ) fettling promifcuoufly ac- 
cording to its Gravity, hath made that Ifland a heap 
of Earth, Stones, Shells, Teeth, and the like, as now 
we (ee it. .^.^ u 
He fuppofes that this CoUedion of Matter was occa- 
fioned by a Flood, let the Caufes of that Flood have 
been what they will, either an irruption of the Ocean 
into thQ Medtterrmean^ or an inundation of th« 7*/^^» 
Sea driven that way by vehement Winds, or any other 
Caufe afligned by Authors ; which (namely that the 
prefent ftateof the lile Malta, was caufed by a Flood ) 
being granted, he thinks he may be allowed to affirm, 
that which every Mans Reafon mufl acknowledge to be 
highly probable, namely that an infinite variety of 
things which were born up by the violence of the Wa- 
ters were carried along by th€m> fome to one place, and 
(bme ro another. -- ^^ ^ - ^i^^ - > 
^ But to this his Ad verf^r^ blb^iSfetf;^^ tllk f5rFl•ierf^^^^^f 
have been frequently found, fueh as the BucarMtes of 
hnperati , and others. like fome fort of turlens or 
Teriwinkksy which being all of a hard ftony fubfta^ce, 
F f 2 cculd 
