第2部分(第4/7 頁)

　strata；　either　until　they　found　a　resting…place；　such　as　the　primitive　bed　of　granitic　rock；　or；　settling　together　in　a　heap；　they　formed　a　solid　mass。

As　the　waters　were　contained　in　no　bed；　and　were　spread　over　every　part　of　the　globe；　they　rushed　where　they　liked；　tearing　from　the　scarcely…formed　rocks　material　with　which　to　pose　schists；　sandstones；　and　limestones。 This　the　roving　waves　bore　over　the　submerged　and　now　peaty　forests；　and　deposited　above　them　the　elements　of　rocks　which　were　to　superpose　the　coal　strata。　In　course　of　time；　periods　of　which　include　millions　of　years；　these　earths　hardened　in　layers；　and　enclosed　under　a　thick　carapace　of　pudding…stone；　schist；　pact　or　friable　sandstone；　gravel　and　stones；　the　whole　of　the　massive　forests。

And　what　went　on　in　this　gigantic　crucible；　where　all　this　vegetable　matter　had　accumulated；　sunk　to　various　depths？　A　regular　chemical　operation；　a　sort　of　distillation。　All　the　carbon　contained　in　these　vegetables　had　agglomerated；　and　little　by　little　coal　was　forming　under　the　double　influence　of　enormous　pressure　and　the　high　temperature　maintained　by　the　internal　fires；　at　this　time　so　close　to　it。

Thus　there　was　one　kingdom　substituted　for　another　in　this　slow　but　irresistible　reaction。 The　vegetable　was　transformed　into　a　mineral。 Plants　which　had　lived　the　vegeta…tive　life　in　all　the　vigor　of　first　creation　became　petrified。　Some　of　the　substances　enclosed　in　this　vast　herbal　left　their　impression　on　the　other　more　rapidly　mineralized　products；　which　pressed　them　as　an　hydraulic　press　of　incalculable　power　would　have　done。

Thus　also　shells；　zoophytes；　star…fish；　polypi；　spirifores；　even　fish　and　lizards　brought　by　the　water；　left　on　the　yet　soft　coal　their　exact　likeness；　〃admi