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02-15-32 AUB
Gift Tappan Presbe
2-13-1932
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
CONTENTS.
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CHAPTER I.
Our Ideas of the real extent of Objects on the Earth's Surface
often erroneous. True height of Mountains. Depths of
the Ocean. Of Mines. Of Volcanic Foci. Eruptions of
Mud containing Fish. Volcanoes only in Secondary For-
mations. True scale on which to view the Earth. Form
of the Earth. Newton's Demonstrations.-Gravity and Cen-
trifugal Force. False Inferences drawn from Newton's
Hypothesis. True Primitive Creations. Density of the
Earth. Reflections arising from the Subject.-The Days
of Creation.
CHAPTER II.
The Second Day of the Creation. The Firmament, or At-
mosphere. Atmospheric Phenomena.
Electricity.
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Magnetism and
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CHAPTER III.
The gathering together of the Waters.
The Sublimity of
this Fiat of the Creator not sufficiently understood.
Transition Rocks.
The
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CHAPTER IV.
Constant Changes in Nature. Origin of Secondary Forma-
tions. Primitive Soils, for the Nourishment of a Primitive
Vegetation. Constant Circulation in the Fluids of the
Earth. Springs, Brooks, and Rivers. The Tides. Their
Cause explained. The Currents of the Ocean, and their
present existing System. Effects naturally arising from
these powerful Causes.
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CHAPTER V.
General Nature of the Formations on the Earth. Origin and
Progress of Secondary Formations. Causes of Stratification
in Secondary Rocks. Such Deposits become gradually
Mineralized. Calcareous Formations. Salt Deposits.
Proof of Granite not being an Aqueous Deposit. Second-
ary Formations now in Progress in the Bed of the Ocean.
CHAPTER VI.
The Deluge. Traditional Evidence of that Event. Erro-
neous Ideas commonly entertained respecting it. Distinct-
ness of Scripture on the Subject. Evidence from Scripture.
Evidence from the Ancient, though Apocryphal, Book of
Enoch. Theories of Philosophy on the Subject. The most
probable Cause of that destructive Event.
CHAPTER VII.
Mosaic Account of the Deluge. The Mountains of Ararat.
Origin of that remarkable Name. Effects during the De-
luge. Action of the Tides, and the Currents, during the
Deluge. Their Effects upon Organic Bodies. Diluvial
Strata. Abatement of the Waters. Renewal of the Face
of the Earth.
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CHAPTER VIII.
General View of the existing Surface. Force of the Waves.
Principles of Stratification. Cavous Lime-stone. Gibral-
tar. The Plains of the Earth; of South America; of
Africa; of Asia; of Europe. Result of this View. Chalk
Basins. That of Paris a guide to all similar Basins. Salt
Deposits. Coal Formations. Evidences of Coal being a
Marine, and not a Lacustrine Formation.
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CHAPTER IX.
Organic Remains. Evidences derived from them. Erroneous
Theories of continuous Stratification. Diluvial Fossil Re-
mains. Diluvial Origin of Coal. Unfounded Theories on
this Subject. The Belgian Coal Fields. Tropical Produc-
tions in Polar Regions. Buffon's Theory. High importance
of the Evidence of Fossils. Natural and unavoidable Mode
of Transport. Instances in proof. Buoyant nature of Bo-
dies after Death. Rate at which they might have been
Transported. The thick-skinned Animals floated longest.
CHAPTER X.
High importance of the Evidence of Fossils. Siberian Mam-
moth. The entire Elephant of the Lena. Theories found-
ed on this Specimen, unsupported by Facts. Consistent
Mode of accounting for Tropical Productions in cold
Climates. Unchanged Condition of the Climates of the
Earth. Italian Deposits. Monte Bolca. Fossils on the
Coast of Norfolk. Formations of the South of England.
The same view extended to the Continent.
CHAPTER XI.
The Cave of Kirkdale. Dr. Buckland's Theory founded on
its Fossil Remains. Contradictory nature of this Theory.
Fossil Bones from the Hymalaya Glaciers; and from the
Heights of South America. Natural Mode of accounting
for them. The Habits of the Elephant. His most perfect
Form. His love of the Water, and of a Swampy and
Woody Country. Habits of the Rhinoceros. Cuvier's
Opinion of Fossil Remains. Inconsistency of this Opinion.
Evidence of Astronomy. Evidence from Fossil Trees.
Conclusive nature of this Evidence. Evidence derived
from Peat Moss. Foot-marks of Antediluvian Animals.
Scratches occasioned by the Diluvial Action. Formation
of Valleys. Scripture alone capable of explaining these
Evidences.
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CHAPTER XII.
Elephants clothed with Hair and Wool. Existing Instances of
this Variety, even within the Tropics. Probable identity
between the Mammoth and the Asiatic Elephant. Cuvier's
Theory on this Subject, inconsistent with Facts.
More
natural Conclusions. Erroneous Theories respecting Fos-
sils. The Mastodon not confined to the Continents of
America, as commonly supposed. Instance of the Great
Mastodon in England. Form of the Tusks of the Mastodon.
Erroneous Ideas on this Subject.
CHAPTER XIII.
Human Fossil Remains. Why they cannot be so numerous as
those of other Animals. Lime-stone Caves and Fissures.
An Example, in the Cave of Gaylenreuth, with its Fossil
Contents. Dr. Buckland's Theory of Caves and Fissures.
Human Fossils found at Guadaloupe; also, at Durfort.
Great Fossil Deposit in Spain, containing Human Bones.
Quarries at Kostritz, containing Human Bones. Natural
Conclusions from the above account. Dr. Buckland's Con-
clusion respecting Kostritz, inconsistent with other parts
of his Theory. Caves and Fissures in Limestone. Gene-
ral spread of Diluvial Effects.
CHAPTER XIV.
On the Situation of Paradise; together with both Critical and
Geological Evidences of the spurious Character of that de-
scriptive account of it, found in all modern copies and trans-
lations of the Book of Genesis.
CHAPTER XV.
On the Creation of Mankind. The Origin of Language.
What was the Primitive Language? High Probability in
favour of the Hebrew. On the Diversity of Colour among
Mankind. Testimony of the Jews on this Subject. Origin
of the American Indians. Their Traditions and Customs.
Their Religious Belief. Religious Rites in the Interior of
Africa. On Sacrifice. Traditions and Belief in the Friend-
ly Islands. Historical Evidence of a common descent
from Noah. On the Indentity of Words among the most
distant Nations. On the universal use of a Decimal
dation. Natural Inference from all these Considerations.
CONCLUSIONS
gra-
To which we are naturally led by the general Tenor of the
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foregoing Inquiry.
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