igent a
naturalist to offer in confirmation of a theory which had been formed
from appearances of the same kind in a country so far distant from those
of our author now described, as are the Alps of Savoy from those of
Scotland. It gives me a singular pleasure, in thus collecting facts for
the support of my opinion, to contribute all I can to recommend the
study of a work in natural history the most exemplary of its kind; and
a work which will remain the unalterable conveyance of precious
information when theories making a temporary figure may be changed.

To a person who understands the present theory, there can be no occasion
here to give the particular applications which will naturally occur in
reading those various descriptions. In these examples are contained
every species of bending, twisting, and displacement of the strata, from
the horizontal state in which they had been originally formed to the
vertical, or even to their being doubled back; and although M. de
Saussure had endeavoured to reason himself into a belief of those
inverted strata having been formed in their present place, it is evident
that he had only founded this opinion upon a principle which,
however just, may here perhaps be found misplaced; it is that of not
endeavouring to explain appearances from any supposition of which we
have not full conviction. I flatter myself, that when he shall have
considered the arguments which have here been employed for the manifold,
the general operations of subterranean fire, as well as for the long
continued operations of water on the surface of the erected land, he
will not seek after any other explanation than that which had naturally
occurred to himself upon the occasion, and which he most ingenuously
declares to have great weight, although not sufficient to persuade him
of its truth.

CHAP. II.

_The same Subject continued, with examples
from different Countries._

Our theory, it must be remembered, has for principle, that all the
alpine as well as horizontal strata had their origin at the bottom of
the sea, from the deposits of sand, gravel, calcareous and other bodies,
the materials of the land which was then going into ruin; it must also
be observed, that all those strata of various materials, although
originally uniform in their structure and appearance as a collection
of stratified materials, have acquired appearances which often are
difficult to reconcile with that of their original, and is on