WERNERIAN SYSTEM, 
15 ? 
complete success, for he dlscovcreJ, 1st, that tlie outgoings of 
the newer (i. e. superior) strata are gei.crally lower than the 
outgoings of the older, and this not in particular spots, but 
around the whole globe ; 2dly. That the primitive part of tl.e 
earth is entirely composed of ch miral precipitations ; that 
mechanical depositions do net appear until a later period ; and 
:tliat from this point they continue increasing throng!. .dl the 
Hucceeding cla.sses of rocks to the newest or alluvial, whn h 
Are almost eiatirely inechanical d'"p'^sits*.’’ 
The hypotliesis of the " gradual diniinulinn of the waif-s,” 
is now, in its turn, supposed to be established , and it has been 
'employed to account for several of the appearances of the 
rglobe. 
" The next question," says Mr. Jameson, " which natunlly 
'presents itself, (an 1 certainly it is not less important than either 
xjf those that have been mentioned) is ti e following : — What 
liras become of the immense voiuine of water, that c'nce covered 
rand stood so high over the surface of the earth ?" To this 
question, however, Werner has given no reply, contenting 
himself with ini'erring the existence of the fact, from what he 
.considers irresistible evidence. Bill on this part of the subject 
the argument of Mr. Jameson is not a little singular- “ We 
may," he says, “ be fi lly convinced of its truth, and are so, 
ulthough we may not be able to explain it. To know from 
ilseri’ation that a great phenomena has taken place, is a very 
different thing from ascertaining how’ it happened j !’’ WJiat is 
■’here called observation, however, is evidently nothing but 
deduction from the appearances observed ; and so remote from 
:be actual evidence of the senses, that we are even told in 
unother place, that “ the imp<-)rtant documents for the iliustra- 
ion of this great phenomenon, were not to be sought for in the 
brmations which have taken place within the limits of human 
history^." 
But to proceed ; — the mixture of mechanically div ided matter 
■vith the chemical depositions, would be one of the ed'ccts of a 
T*ic diniinn- 
t uii of tia: 
iiolv.'hlistand- 
iii;; tlie 
liiti'iriilty cf 
i'coiintiiij; 
il- 
l’s snpposod to 
bean tlisei vesl 
fact 
b'lf- is only a 
deductibu. 
McCiianiraily 
f i nK<t lia;;- 
ir.cn . , 
Jameson, p. 7d, 79. 
I Jameson’s Geognosy, p. S?*, 8 . 7P. 
decreasing 
