The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-07-05
(cosrlxuyD FROM Ml1vsr rAGE.)

QuEsrIoS VI (scc note ~ What
is the cause Of elevated continents and
islands, having ut one period u
tine, been the bed Of The ocean
as we see from many unmiStakablc
signs, independent Of volcanoes and
earthquakes, by progressive move
mcnt, as for instance part Of The
coast Of Sweden, on the Baltic and
gulf OF l'otmia, which is slowly but
continually rising?
Answer. contem; late tl.at the
water of the globe, has, in the course
of countless ages, been slowly and
progressively (and is now bcing) con,
vertcd into atmospheric air
DR.. Prccstlcy was the first chemist
who decomposed water, and discover
ed that it was 4 compound clement,
consisting Of Oxygen and Hydrogen.
Air differs from water, only in having
for its constituents simple, Oxygen
and Nitrogen. instead of Oxygen and
Hydrogen. The general charactcris-
tics Of the two compound elements,
are very strikingly similar; and the one
rs we see it on the earth, is not in any
case IN commingcl with the ntier.---
The difference in the callous, or thick
skin in the palm of the laborcr, from
the sensitive flesh, or true skin, under
meath is Just as wide as The difference
between water and atmospheric air;
and rs The callous was formed by u
certain law Of The animal economy.
the intclligcntial design of which was
to resist the irritations produced by
the friction Of the laborcr's tools, 50
in like manner, ,hcorizc that air is
formed from water in accordance with
the identical principle, from the irrita-
ton Of the sun thereon.
Thus, then, it follows, that the water
having been converted into air the dry
land has appeared, which was once The
bed OF the ocean. This process com
mcnccA in the regions Of the central
line, and contemplate, is still slowly
progressive.
QuEsrlos, VII. (sEE NOTE, l1.) Why
were certain rivers, viz: the Rhine
and the Danube, in ancient times, frc-
qucntly frozen over SO that the barbara
ans transported without apprchcnsions
Of danger, their armies, cavalry, and
heavy wagons, over vast and power.
ful bridge of ice. and that in modern
times, thero is not presented an in
stance Of q like phenomenon
ANSWER. The slow and progress
i've action ofthc melting ice, from the
Equinox, towards the north and south
poles, since the Cimbu and TcutoMes
pesscd those rivers on the ice. take
for granted is sufficient to have clcva-
ted the temperature Of the climate, in
those regions of Europe.
Besides, agriculture has not a little
to do towards clcvaling the tcmpera-
ture of any country, in some degree.
Vegetable and animal matter, thcor.
izc, is produced hy divine law of i'll
telligcnce of the economy ofthc Hring
c0rfh, identified with that Of the ami
NAL economy, an example (which is.
to wit ubi Ti'utio hi EUruS.
The productions OF vegetable matter
arc: as the tlux prohrccd III the animal
system by mechanical irritation, and is
formed only where the sun ilritatcs
the earth. Now then, where this is
cut away frequently for agricultural
purposes, nothing is left to resist SO
ctfectually the power, Of the sun !;
and the result is, that the clcva
ton Of the temperature in such places
i augmented.
say above that "vcgctable matter
is only found where the sun irritatcs
the earth" and il may be asked (by 4
certain class OF scientific Gops, who view
science in the gnisc of Fashion, as
they do the stiIe Of their coats, why
is there no vegetable matter in the
great Iahara desert, where the sun is
vertical So my answer TO this cues
tion, in advance: is that agriculture
formed this desert, ii. g. made morti-
fication therot, by destroying its vcgc.
table coat the primal forest; and this
process WAS effected on the same prin
ciplc that modification may be on an
animal body, by continued irritation;
for example apply Il blister to some
animal body; the blister becomes an
agent Of irritation; there is Il law Of the
life of the animal, lose design and
function: most intelligent (iE order to
prescre the body, is to resist the cause
of irritation or injury, and first, it pro-
duces llux Of scrum underneath the
cuticlc, which rises and dctaches the
blister from the scnscnl flesh. (Ihis
is the origin Of the old maxim, perhaps
OF llipoonatcs viz; "uis moiicalA'iac
sat,rae," and upon which there be
nation; the cuticlc having been re-
moved, there is nothing now left to
detach the blister u second time, which
continuing to irritatc the part, mor,iG
cation will eventually be the result
even now amongst scientific coxcombs
in The healing art, such an infinite deal
OF. f.empty sounding disputation; but
this is 4 diyression.) Now undo what
nature ('he law i'll question: has done,
by pecling of the cuticle, and letting
tho serum escape, and then rcapply the