Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth

SECTION I.. Phenomena Peculiar to Stratified Bodies.

PHENOMENA PECULIAR TO STRATIFIED BODIES.

1. Materials of the Strata.

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Present strata composed of the remains of more ancient rocks, § 1. Proofs from calcareous strata, § 2.--from siliceous, § 3.--from argillaceous, § 4.--from bituminous, § 5, 6. Absence of organized remains from the strata called primitive, not universally true, § 8, 9.--Term Primary substituted for Primitive. Composition from the materials of more ancient rocks, § 10.

2. Consolidation of the Strata.

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Consolidation, what, § 11. Objections to aqueous consolidation, § 12, 13, 14. Compression affects the action of fire on bodies, § 15, 16, 17.--Igneous consolidation of minerals prove from fossil wood, § 19.--From the flints in chalk, § 20.--from sandstone, § 21.--from the calcareous strata, § 23, 24, 25.--from the argillaceous, § 26, 27.--from the bituminous, § 28, 29.--from the saline, § 32. Salt mines in Cheshire. Trona of Africa, § 54, 35.

3. Position of the Strata.

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Strata formed at the bottom of the sea, § 36. Apparent elevation not produced by the retreat of the sea, § 37.--Strata, horizontal, when formed, § 38, 39. Disturbance of the strata proved from their inclined position § 40, 41, 42.--from shifts, &c. § 42. Shifts of different dates, ib. Disturbance of the primitive strata visible at their junction with the secondary, § 43, 44. This disturbance produced by a force directed upward, § 45, 46. This force the effect of subterraneous heat, § 47, 48.

SECTION II.. Phenomena Peculiar to Unstratified Bodies.

PHENOMENA PECULIAR TO UNSTRATIFIED BODIES.

1. Metallic Veins.

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Veins defined. They contain substances that were once in fusion, § 49, 50. Metallic veins, native metals, &c. § 51. Native copper, § 52. Manganese, § 53. Fragments of rocks included in veins, § 55. Shifting and heaving of veins, § 56, 57. Veins of different dates, § 58. Stratification not found in veins. Coating of the sides, what, § 59. Metallic veins most common in primitive strata; but not confined to them, § 60.

2. Whinstone.

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Enumeration of stones of this genus, § 61. Whin, whether in veins or in masses, resembles lava, § 62. Is a subterraneous lava, § 63. Columnar structure an argument for fusion, § 64. Not produced by drying, § 65. Whinstone penetrated by pyrites, § 66. Induration of the strata in contact with whin, § 67 Coal charred by whinstone veins, § 68. Disturbance of the strata by whinstone veins, § 69. Phenomena of whin interposed between strata, § 70, 71. Transition from whin to strata not gradual. § 72. Agates and chalcedonies in whinstone, § 74. This stone melted and reproduced from fusion by Sir James Hall, § 75. Mineral alkali found in it by Dr Kennedy, ib. Whinstones of different formation, § 76. Porphyry a species or variety of whinstone, §77.

3. Granite.

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Granite defined. Exists in masses and veins, § 77. The basis of other rocks, § 78. Its original fluidity inferred from the crystallization of its parts, § 79. Its fusion, from the structure of the Portsoy granite, § 80, 81.--from granite veins, § 82. General conclusion as to the igneous origin of minerals, § 83, 84, 85. Actual existence of subterraneous heat known from hot springs, volcanoes, earthquakes, § 86. Volcanic fire seated deep under the surface, § 87. Subterraneous heat not accompanied by burning, § 88, 89. Transmission of subterraneous heat, so as to produce hot springs, &c. § 90, 91.

SECTION III. Phenomena Common to Stratified

PHENOMENA COMMON TO STRATIFIED AND UNSTRATIFIED BODIES.

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Chemical agents which produce the decomposition of mineral substances at the surface, § 92, 93. Mechanical agents, § 95, 96. Proofs of wearing from the sea shore, § 97, 98. Rivers, § 99, 100. Defiles among mountains, § 102. Supply of the soil from the decomposition of rocks, § 103. Gravel in the soil, § 104, 105. Gold found in the soil, § 106. Tin, § 107. Proofs of waste from mountainous countries, § 108, 109. Structure of Valleys, § 111. Transportation of stones, § 112. Nearest measure of the waste, § 113. General remarks, § 114, 115. No production of minerals on the surface, § 116. Reproduction at the bottom of the sea, § 117. Continued system of decay and renovation, § 118. Defence against the charge of impiety, 119. Antiquity and order of the revolutions of the globe, § 120, 121, 122, 123, 124. Consistency with the Sacred Writings, § 125. Scope of this theory of the earth distinguishes it from others; beauty and extent of its views, § 126. New facts, § 127. Comparison of this theory with that of Buffon, § 129. Of Lazzaro Moro, § 130. Plutonic system, § 131. Distinguished by the principle of compression, § 132. Explains the oblate figure of the earth, ib. Prejudices against this system, § 133. What may be expected from the progress of science, § 134.

NOTES AND ADDITIONS.

NOTE I.--Origin of Calcareous Earth.

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Dr Hutton's opinion on this subject accurately stated, § 135. Misrepresented by Kirwan, § 136.

NOTE II.--Origin of Coal.

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Vegetable origin of coal. Opinion of Buffon, § 137.--of Arduino, ib.--of Lehman, § 138. Distinction attempted between wood coal and mineral coal, § 139. Not of different origin, but gradually pass one into the other, § 140. Bovey coal, § 141. Kirwan derives the matter of mineral coal from the decomposition of hornblende, &c. 143. Absurdity of this supposition, § 144, 145, 146, 147.

NOTE III.--Primitive Mountains.

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Lehman introduced the term Primitive mountains, § 149. Supposed more ancient than organized bodies, § 150. Stratification of primitive mountains denied by Pini, and maintained by Saussure, § 151.

NOTE IV.--Primary Strata not Primitive.

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Shells found in primary strata, § 152. Sandstone in primary mountains, § 153. Quartzy sand in the schistus of the Grampians, ib. Rocks distinguished by Werner into three orders, § 154. Objections to this arrangement, § 155.

NOTE V.--Transportation of the Materials of the Strata.

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The transportation of materials, objected to by the Neptunists, is implied in their own system, § 156, 157, 158. Proofs of great transportation from the animal and vegetable remains, found in rocks, § 160.

NOTE VI.--Kirwan's Notion of Precipitation.

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Difficulty, of precipitating the materials dissolved in the chaotic fluid, § 162. Insufficiency of the explanation attempted, ib.

NOTE VII.--Compression in the Mineral Regions.

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Effects ascribed to compression by Newton, compared will the effects ascribed to it in this theory, § 163. Fallacy of Kirwan's argument concerning the fusion of Carrara marble, § 165, 166. Heat of the mineral region may be supported without fuel, § 167. Quotation from Newton's Optics, ib. General remarks, § 169.

NOTE VIII.--Sparry Structure of Calcareous Petrifactions.

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Sparry and organic structure co-exist in certain fossils, § 171. Sparry and stratified structure co-exist in gneiss, marble, &c. § 172.

NOTE IX.--Petroleum, &c.

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Petroleum, &c. from the distillation of coal, § 173. Gradation from petroleum to coal often met with, § 174. Connection of amber and coal, § 175. Why mines of blind coal have not always petroleum mines near them, § 176.

NOTE X.--The Height above the Level of the Sea, at which Marks of Aqueous Deposition are now found.

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These marks consist either in stratification or in marine objects, § 177. The marks of stratification observed, 14739 feet above the sea, § 178. Shells in Peru, 14190, § 179. Kirwan's mistake concerning these shells, § 180. His error similar to VOLTAIRE'S, § 181.

NOTE XI.--Fracture and Dislocation of the Strata.

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Slips, § 182. Rib of limestone in a slip near Huddersfield, § 183, 184. Singular fracture of pudding-stones at Oban in Argyleshire, § 185. Similar phenomena observed by Saussure between Nice and Genoa, ib. Remarks on it, § 186.

NOTE XII.--Elevation and Inflection of the Strata.

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Junction of primary and secondary strata, § 187. Breccia incumbent on the primary, § 188. Junction of the primary and secondary strata: At Torbay in Devonshire, § 190,--coast of Berwickshire, § 191,--Cullen in Banffshire, § 193,--Ardencaple in Dunbartonshire, Arran, &c. § 194,--Pembrokeshire, § 195,--Jedburgh, § 196,--Ingleborough in Yorkshire, § 197,--Cumberland, § 198. Inflection of the strata, § 199. Remarkable instances in the Alps and Pyrenees, § 200, 201,--on Ben-Lawers in Perthshire, § 202,--coast of Berwickshire, ib.--Plymouth, § 203. Strata suffering such inflections have been soft and ductile, § 204. General property of these inflections, § 205, 206. uniform stretch of the primary strata, § 207. Inferences as to the nature of the elevating force, § 208. Imperfection of other theories. Crystallisation, ib. Marks of undulæ in the schistus, § 209. Elevation of the strata a stronghold of the Huttonian theory, § 210. Elevation of the strata enables us to see far into the interior of the earth, § 211.

NOTE XIII.--Metallic Veins.

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Specimens of native iron, § 212, 213. Margraaf's specimen, § 214. Kirwan's hypothesis, § 215. Increase of the specific gravity of native gold by fusion, no argument against its igneous origin, § 216. Specimens of gold and silver shooting through quartz, an argument in favour of the Huttonian theory, § 218, 219. Proof in favour of the same from chalcedony including calcareous spar, § 220. Matter that fills veins not from above or from either side, § 221. Opinion of the Neptunists, § 222. Supposed fact that veins are less rich as the depth increases, § 223. No marks of horizontal deposition in veins; their coating differs from stratification, § 224. Neptunists appear to be misled by the term Stratification, § 225, 226. Veins heave or shift one another, § 227. Vast force employed for that purpose, § 228. Veins of different formation, § 231. Pieces of rock insulated in veins, § 232. Supposition that veins have been filled by infiltrations, absurd, 233. Lenticular veins, and Pipe veins, § 234.

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