5 
landic histories, Greenland had a large population in the year 
982, with whom Hamburg as well as Norway merchants had 
a commercial intercourse. The communication continued till 
the year 1418, when, from the increased severity of the climate, 
and other causes, such as the black death, &c., the country 
and its inhabitants became forgotten, and almost disappeared 
from history. 
The contents of all the European deposits indicate that in 
past ages the lands which are now in the northern hemisphere 
were once in a much warmer climate, and of so uniform and 
mild a temperature, that the surface was clothed with coniferous 
trees, arborescent ferns, and palms. The shores also teemed 
with turtles and various amphibious reptiles. 
The Malay Archipelago is about the size of Europe from the 
North Cape to the Mediterranean, and from Britain to Russia, 
and therefore equals all the geological formations which have 
been examined by geologists with any degree of accuracy. 
This Archipelago, with its numerous large islands, contains 
the representatives of nearly all the organic remains found in 
the formations of Europe. I have seen sharks near Java 
upwards of twelve feet long, and chambered shells of large di- 
mensions; also elephants of gigantic size in Ceylon and Malacca. 
The temperature of the sea is high ; the nautilus and spirule 
Peronii, like the ammonites, and various mollusca, abound on 
the shores, and the corals grow in luxuriant clusters to great 
magnitude on the reefs, and the bottom of the shallow 
channels. 
The Rate oe the Terrestrial Changes determined upon 
Astronomical Data. 
At the commencement of the last century our geographical 
maps were extremely imperfect, therefore we have no reliable 
data on which to make a correct comparison as to the position 
of any given place now, and that which it occupied a few 
centuries ago. Humboldt very justly remarked that the 
latitudes of even the European observatories in the last century 
were not correct within twenty minutes of a degree. If this 
was the case in scientific stations, where correct astronomical 
data might have been expected, what must be the errors and 
the uncertainties of the positions of other places ? These facts 
show that there are no grounds whatever on which it 
can be maintained that the latitudes of the lands do not 
change. 
The only means by which we are able to ascertain the 
