200 
must form beds of great depth ; and to the quantity of woody matter derived from 
this source, we must add the vast flora of the ocean itself, which extends to its re¬ 
motest bounds, though varying in size and abundance, being most profuse and 
gigantic in tropical latitudes. Nowhere is it wanting, even on the shores 
of the polar ocean sea-weeds grow; along our own coast they are varied in 
form and considerable in size ; yet falling far short of the huge productions of the 
equatorial seas. Many of those on the coast of Britain are thirty feet long, yet 
those of the Pacific attain a length of from 500 to 1500 feet: and, moreover, they 
grow with an astonishing rapidity in all, but especially in tropical latitudes. Their 
numbers are also great; so that even on the shores of the Orkney islands, they 
obstruct the passage of boats ; and in the Gulf-stream they are so abundant as to 
prove a serious impediment to the sailing of ships; and we read that they opposed 
such a barrier to the progress of the vessels of Columbus as to cause the ignorant 
and superstitious sailors to regard them as an obstacle interposed by heaven to 
the prosecution of what they considered an impious voyage. The periodical detach¬ 
ment of these from their place of growth, or decay of them on the spot of their 
birth, must furnish annually an incalculable quantity of vegetable detritus, which, 
added to the former, must furnish a provision of coal of a very ample kind. It 
may be objected that we have no sufficient reason to infer that all this woody and 
vegetable structure will ever be changed into coal: but the observations and expe¬ 
riments of modern botanists, geologists, and chemists are quite sufficient to war¬ 
rant this conclusion. The woody texture of even the most compact mass of coal 
from the oldest coal-measures can be demonstrated ; the distinct forms often found 
in the coal seams, point out the particular tribe or genus of plant, which have been 
so submerged and compressed ; the more recent coal formations retain so much of 
the woody structure as to be termed wood-coal, or lignite ; and the transformation 
of trees, even of whole forests into peat or bog, which we see take place so exten¬ 
sively, indicates the first step in the process ; for pressure, heat, and time, with an 
admixture of bitumen, are all that are required to change peat into coal; as the 
observations and experiments of Dr. McCulloch amply prove ( Geology , vol. 2, 
p. 319). The requisite heat and pressure being provided by the vast body of the 
ocean, time is effecting the necessary changes on the wood thus preserved at the 
bottom of the sea, now, as afore-time ; and it only waits the action of the volcanic 
forces to upheave it, and bring it near the surface, where it will be accessible and 
useful. These forces are held in check now, till a necessity shall arise for them 
to spring into action, the result of which will not be less favourable to the interests 
of the distant and unborn inhabitants of the earth, than those of old were to ours. 
Such speculations are any thing but idle, hurtful, or tending to narrow our 
views of God and his providence. For what more convincing proof could we have 
of the economy of nature, than in thus gathering up the fragments of her works, 
that nothing may be lost, and storing them away for the use of millions, yet un- 
