OF THE EARLY EVENTS IN THE WORLD IS EXHIBITED, AND DIS-
TINCTLY PROVED, BY THE CORROBORATIVE TESTIMONY OF

PHYSICAL FACTS,

ON EVERY PART OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE.

BY GEORGE FAIRHOLME, Esq.

"The great danger of Philosophy is its application-not to things that are, or
may be, but to the speculations for the constructure of things that are not.
"Men of science too often imagine vanities, and support them by plausible argu-
"ments, until, lost in the wonderment of their supposed discoveries, and unable
"to apply them to simple truth, their future undertakings and writings avouch
"the scepticism of their bewildered minds."

LONDON:

JAMES RIDGWAY, PICCADILLY.

M.DCCC.XXXIII.

CONTENTS.

Page.

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

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 Formations.—

True Scale on which to view the Earth.-Form of the Earth.-

Newton's Demonstrations. -Gravity and Centrifugal Force.-

False Inferences drawn from Newton's Hypothesis.—True Pri-

mitive 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 Atmosphere.

-Atmospheric Phenomena.-Magnetism, and Electricity. ...

CHAPTER III.

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62

The gathering together of the Waters.—The Sublimity of this Fiat

of the Creator not sufficiently understood.-The Transition

Rocks.

CHAPTER IV.

Constant Changes in Nature.-Origin of Secondary Formations.

-Primitive Soils, for the Nourishment of a Primitive Vegeta-

tion.- 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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81

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 Mine-

ralized.-Calcareous Formations.- Salt Deposits.--Proof of

Granite not being an Aqueous Deposit.-Secondary Formations

now in Progress in the Bed of the Ocean.

CHAPTER VI.

The Deluge.-Traditional Evidence of that Event.-Erroneous

Ideas commonly entertained respecting it.—Distinctness of

Scripture on the Subject.-Evidence from Scripture.—Evi-

dence 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 Deluge.

-Action of the Tides, and the Currents, during the Deluge.-

Their Effects upon Organic Bodies. - Diluvial Strata.--- Abate-

ment of the Waters.-Renewal of the Face of the Earth.

CHAPTER VIII.

....

Page.

General View of the existing Surface.—Force of the Waves.—

Principles of Stratification.-Cavous Lime-stone.-Gibraltar.-

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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127

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167

CHAPTER IX.

Organic Remains.-Evidences derived from them.-Erroneous

Theories of continuous Stratification.-Diluvial Fossil Remains.

- Diluvial Origin of Coal.—Unfounded Theories on this Subject.

-The Belgian Coal Fields.-Tropical Productions in Polar

Regions.-Buffon's Theory.-High importance of the Evidence

of Fossils.-Natural and unavoidable Mode of Transport.-In-

stances in proof.-Buoyant nature of Bodies 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 Mammoth.

—The entire Elephant of the Lena.—Theories founded on this

Specimen, unsupported by Facts.-Consistent Mode of account-

ing 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.

...

Page.

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. Incon-

sistency of this Opinion.-Evidence of Astronomy.-Evidence

from Fossil Trees.-Conclusive nature of this Evidence.-Evi-

dence derived from Peat Moss.-Foot-marks of Antediluvian

Animals. Scratches occasioned by the Diluvial Action.-For-

mation of Valleys.-Scripture alone capable of explaining these

Evidences.

CHAPTER XII.

Elephants clothed with Hair and Wool.-Existing Instances of

this Variety, even within the Tropics. - Probable identity be-

tween the Mammoth and the Asiatic Elephant.-Cuvier's

Theory on this Subject, inconsistent with Facts.-More natural

Conclusions.-Erroneous Theories respecting Fossils.-The

Mastodon not confined to the Continents of America, as com-

monly supposed.—Instance of the Great Mastodon in England,

Form of the Tusks of the Mastodon.-Erroneous Ideas on this

Subject.

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