[ 68 , ] 
found plentifully in moft low grounds and vallies 
between mountainous trads, and where calcareous 
ftrata abound. By expofing common flint-ftones to 
the confined vapour of boiling water in Papin’s di- 
gefter, a clay of the very fame kind may be formed, 
and is no more than a decompofition of the flints. 
Hence it would appear, that wherever this clay is to 
found, there the earth has undergone fome violence 
from fire ; and that this has been effeded by earth- 
quakes foon after the deluge feems extremely pro- 
bable. 
The deluge has given origin to many foflil fub- 
ftances, and produced many combinations, which 
otherwife would not have happened. Chalk is no 
more than the ruins of fea-fhells, and limeftone 
confifts of the fame bodies cemented together by a 
ftony juice. Amber appears evidently to be the re- 
fin of antediluvian trees (which are frequently found 
along with it at this day) united to the acid of fea- 
falt, which abounds in the earth. The rea ion of 
infeds, draws, &c. being immerfed in amber, abfo- 
lutely inexplicable from the hypothefis of its being 
of mineral origin, is now no more a fecret 3 for we 
know, that nothing is more common than to find 
fuch bodies immerfed in the refin of trees. Foflil 
fea-falt or falt-gem feems to have been depoflted in 
the quarries, from whence it is dug, at the time of 
the deluge. All or moft part of pit-coal appears to 
be of diluvian origin, for it gives a caput mortuum , 
the texture of which exadly refembles that of burnt 
wood. We may reafonably fuppofe large forefts to 
have been buried at the time of the deluge, which 
have undergone a fermentation and putrefadion in 
the earth, fo that the colour of the woody part has 
been 
