106 
• POSTDILUVIAL MB A, 
©fjapter HI. 
ALLUVIAL GEOLOGY OF, & RECENT GEOLOGICAL 
ALTERATIONS IN SOUTH DEVON. 
It comes within the province of Geology, to examine 
next in order those deposits, and those alterations 
that have taken place on the surface of our land 
since the time it was visited by the flood last re¬ 
ferred to, and though this inquiry involves somewhat 
of antiquarian research, it is included more especially 
under the present head and is elucidated by internal 
evidences, just as fossils dug from an ancient deposit 
in the interior of the earth bespeak its characters, 
history and age. 
It might be imagined that as the subjects and 
events to be examined, occurred nearer to our own 
times, and some perhaps, even under the eye, or 
during the time of the ancient inhabitants of the 
Island, they would admit of clearer demonstration 
and less equivocal language than have been em¬ 
ployed in the foregoing consideration of diluvial 
and antediluvial strata and remains. But, unfortu¬ 
nately our anticipations of perspicuous evidence in 
these matters receive disappointment at the very 
outset of our speculations, and the main features of 
our collected thoughts and aggregated accounts con¬ 
sist of unresolved questions relative to the diluvial 
or postdiluvial origin of certain soils, and certain 
