198 
ON THE CREATION AND 
coid process of the right scapula of a duck’’ that was eaten before 
the deluge. 
The science of geology differs from all others in one material 
respect: it contemplates not only what is, but what has been— 
it embraces the history of our globe, as well as its actual compO“ 
sition—and it endeavours to trace the succession of events which 
have preceded its present state. The opinions of the most eminent 
geologists confirm the statements of Moses, that the entire 
surface of our planet was at no very distant period entirely 
submerged under water; and that this deluge was transient^ uni¬ 
versal, and simultaneous. Thus the Mosaic account is in strict 
unison with philosophical investigation. Behold I, even I, do 
bring a flood of waters, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath 
of life, from under Heaven ; and every thin^ that is in the earth 
shall die.” 
Now, a question naturally arises. If the ark contained animals 
of every species, then ought we not to expect to find some of 
these animals alive, whose fossil bones have been found in the 
strata of the earth. If there are any alive, they must exist in 
some country not yet discovered; but it is only necessary to 
glance the eye over the map of the world to observe the innu¬ 
merable directions in which navigators have traversed the ocean, 
in order to be satisfied that there does not remain any large land 
to be discovered, unless it be situated towards the Antarctic pole, 
where eternal ice necessarily forbids the existence of animal life. 
I must conclude, then, that it is quite impossible to conceive 
that the enormous mastedontes and gigantic megatheria, whose 
bones have been discovered underground in North and South 
America, or the stupendous mammoth of Siberia, can still exist 
alive in any quarter of the globe ; and we may, therefore, easily 
conceive that none of these species, at least, could have been 
preserved in the ark. 
The true and only object of philosophy is the interpretation of 
Nature. We must take Nature as we find her, and dismiss from 
our thoughts the vain desire of modelling her according to any 
preconceived fancy of our own. Therefore, in an inquiry like 
this, concerning matters of fact, we have to demonstrate, not 
invent ,—to inquire what has been, not to speculate on what 
may be. 
The general dispersion of fossil remains over England are 
strong arguments in favour of my position. We have the re¬ 
mains of elephants in the diluvial gravel of Yorkshire; and in 
the neighbourhood of Kirkdale, Buckland has discovered a 
cavern containing the remains of hyaenas and other animals; and 
the teeth, tusks, and bones of elephants of prodigious size have 
