h respect to their antiquity, and the manner in e animals were destroyed. A sudden, violent, ral catastrophe, appears to have destroyed these aces, and at the same time, to have buried them ects. The deposites in which the bones are ine what geologists term diluvial, that is, belongdeluge. This is the latest formation, with the of the alluvial, which is constantly deposited at at time. these circumstances in connexion, it is thought are sufficient reasons to conclude, that the lost quadrupeds became totally extinct at the epoch neral deluge, the history of which is given by d that they perished by the same catastrophe troyed every individual of the human race, exand his family. parison of the bones of the fossil species, with resent ones, show that they generally were of a pecies. Hence we must come to the conclusion, 1, or every species of quadrupeds existing before , were preserved in the ark, but that many races y its waters. ine command to Noah, that he should take into of every living thing, of all flesh, two of every therefore be understood as a universal term, ited signification, as is often the case in scripage, and particularly with respect to the word translate all. Thus Dr. Hammond, in his note 3, says that this word is not always to be taken ost extent; "but according to the use in like all languages, wherein the universal sign, her to persons, or times, or places, or things, nly a greater number, but not all, without ex nanner, Schleusner observes that the word all, cripture, is often employed indefinitely, to sig-s-of different kinds; and often, also, to denote -eat number. arrative of the deluge, this word is repeatedly in this indefinite manner. Thus, Gen. vi. 17, old I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon in the breath of life t it was the intention of the Almighty, literally ins of the Mosaic history, therefore, give us lib- ore ancient bones, or those of the same species more decayed than others, we may suppose beanimals which died natural deaths, before the e catastrophe which destroyed the remainder of while those in a similar state of preservation, under similar circumstances, may be considered belonged to animals which perished by the same e. VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES. Geography of many more exist, in the preceding pages, given such a history nges produced by water, as our limits would now come to those which have been produced s the great cause of volcanic phenomena, the endous and startling exhibitions, of which the of man can conceive. ects of water, in changing the form of the earth, seen, are, with a few exceptions, gradual, and so slow, as even to require centuries to proconsiderable results. The changes produced by es, on the contrary, are often as sudden as calamitous and fearful, sometimes in a single 9* even in a moment, not only reducing to frage most solid and costly monuments of man, but ilating the face of the earth itself-tearing down s-elevating islands in the depths of the ocean, ng whole territories under inundations of liquid aphy of Volcanoes. It is a striking circumstance, istory of volcanoes and earthquakes, that these hibitions of nature have hitherto been almost ennfined to certain regions of country. At present es of South America are among the best defined egions. Beginning with Chili, in the 46° of south and proceeding north to the 27° of the same latishall find a line of volcanoes so uninterrupted, ly a degree is passed without the occurrence of ese agents in an active state. About twenty are ed within that space, and there is no doubt but re exist, some of which are dormant, and pere have become extinct. How long an interval titles a volcano to be considered as extinct, is not ed. Those which have always been inactive era of history, may perhaps be so considered. ano of Ischia, in Italy, was silent for a term of rs, after which it again commenced a series of olcanoes of Chili have their chimneys pierced mountains of granite, thus exhibiting the effects ee of force, of which man, without the existence henomena, could have nowhere gained the least n. Villarcia is one of the principal volcanoes of ct. It is so elevated as to be visible at the dis50 miles, and burns without intermission. Every Inhabitants of this province experience shocks of xes. In 1822, the whole coast of Chili, to the 100 miles, was elevated several feet by a subconvulsion, of which we shall give an account ding to the north, where the Andes attain their elevation, we find in the province of Quito, Contisana, and Pichinca, all of them in an active I frequently emitting flames. Tunguragua, is e same district. This mountain in 1707 throw six hundred deep, forming barriers by which e dammed up and lakes formed. North of Quito, ovinces of Pasto and Popyan, occur six other ; and in the provinces of Guatimala and Nicahich lie between the isthmus of Panama and here are no less than twenty-three volcanic , all of them situated between the 10° and 15° atitude, some of which are constantly in an ac reat volcanic chain, after being thus extended to north, nearly in a direct line, is continued great part of Mexico from west to east. Here ctive volcanoes, known by the several names of ribaza, Popocatepest, Jorullo and Colima. Still Mexico, in the peninsula of California, there are ree, and according to some, five burning moun we see that this volcanic chain extends nearly in rupted course from Chili to the north of Mexico, of nearly 4000 miles. r continuous volcanic range, of nearly equal gins at the Aleutian Islands, belonging to RusErica, and by a circuitous route, passes to the Islands. Through this whole extent, earthquakes st terrific description are common. The whole nu General Chard canoes. The for so peculiar as to are commonly of lofty. When sol more or less trun having been cut o cently extinguishe of greater or less The accurate fo noid, and on Coto by walls of lava, b of ashes which ha size of the crater to that of the mou and shape varies Proximity of V stances, volcanoes cinity of a large thought that prox cessary to their ac the case. The on rullo, one of the b is situated more th does it appear it. It has, howeve stances observed wi possibly communic In many instanc water, instead of la fish of various ki emitted, though no communication bet limits will not permit the enumeration of all the tracts described by authors. Besides those alntioned, Kamtschatka has seven burning mounisland of Java contains thirty-eight great volne Molucca Islands contain several, and among of Sumbawa, which, in 1815, suffered one of remendous eruptions recorded in history. The Jesso and Niphon, and Sumatra, contain more olcanoes; and from the Caspian sea to the s a volcanic range. Of Sicily and Italy, it is cessary to speak in this enumeration, since the s of Etna and Vesuvius, of Herculaneum and are well known, and are sufficient to indicate the lisposition of that part of Europe. The West nds have occasionally suffered great calamities cause; and Iceland contains many burning , among which is Skaptar Jokul, which, in 1783, n extraordinary eruption, which we shall de that -hole number of volcanoes known is about 200. Hoff's Geology, vol. ii, and Lyell's Geology, vol. i. Geography of Volcanic Regions." al Characters and Geological Connexions of VolThe forms of volcanic mountains are generally ar as to be distinguished from all others. They monly of considerable height, and sometimes very When solitary, they are of a conical form, and less truncated, that is, bearing the appearance of een cut off at the top. When active, or but retinguished, the truncation has within it a cavity r or less size, called the crater. ccurate form of a perfect crater is an inverted coon Cotopaxi and Teneriffe, they are surrounded of lava, but most commonly this part is composed which have fallen down during eruptions. The e crater does not necessarily bear any proportion the mountain. In some mountains both the size e varies with every eruption. mity of Volcanoes to the Sea. In nearly all inolcanoes are seated near the sea, or in the via large body of water, and it was formerly that proximity to the water, was absolutely neo their action; nor is it certain that this is not The only exception to this general fact, is Joe of the burning mountains of the Andes, which d more than a hundred miles from the ocean, nor pear that any considerable body of water is near s, however, been suggested, from some circumbserved with respect to this mountain, that it may communicate with the sea by a deep fissure. ny instances, volcanoes have thrown out mud or stead of lava, and ashes; and in some instances, arious kinds have been found in the water thus hough no previous suspicion had existed, of a ication between the mountain and the sea. VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. |