第2部分(第3/7 頁)

e　terrestrial　spheroid　was　still　in　course　of　formation；　a　thick　atmosphere　surrounded　it；　saturated　with　watery　vapors；　and　copiously　impregnated　with　carbonic　acid。 The　vapors　gradually　condensed　in　diluvial　rains；　which　fell　as　if　they　had　leapt　from　the　necks　of　thousands　of　millions　of　seltzer　water　bottles。　This　liquid；　loaded　with　carbonic　acid；　rushed　in　torrents　over　a　deep　soft　soil；　subject　to　sudden　or　slow　alterations　of

form；　and　maintained　in　its　semi…fluid　state　as　much　by　the　heat　of　the　sun　as　by　the　fires　of　the　interior　mass。 The　internal　heat　had　not　as　yet　been　collected　in　the　center　of　the　globe。　The　terrestrial　crust；　thin　and　inpletely　hardened；　allowed　it　to　spread　through　its　pores。 This　caused　a　peculiar　form　of　vegetation；　such　as　is　probably　produced　on　the　surface　of　the　inferior　plas；　Venus　or　Mercury；　which　revolve　nearer　than　our　earth　around　the　radiant　sun　of　our　system。

The　soil　of　the　continents　was　covered　with　immense　forests。　Carbonic　acid；　so　suitable　for　the　development　of　the　vegetable　kingdom；　abounded。 The　feet　of　these　trees　were　drowned　in　a　sort　of　immense　lagoon；　kept　continually　full　by　currents　of　fresh　and　salt　waters。 They　eagerly　assimilated　to　themselves　the　carbon　which　they；　little　by　little；　extracted　from　the　atmosphere；　as　yet　unfit　for　the　function　of　life；　and　it　may　be　said　that　they　were　destined　to　store　it；　in　the　form　of　coal；　in　the　very　bowels　of　the　earth。

It　was　the　earthquake　period；　caused　by　internal　convulsions；　which　suddenly　modified　the　unsettled　features　of　the　terrestrial　surface。 Here；　an　intumescence　which　was　to　bee　a　mountain；　there；　an　abyss　which　was　to　be　filled　with　an　ocean　or　a　sea。 There；　whole　forests　sunk　through　the　earth's　crust；　below　the　unfixed