The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-07-24
LAWRENCE, KANSAS, JULY "a, 1858.

that very long periods of time, amounting
to hundreds of thousands of years, must
have been required for its completion. s.
What other fact may be cited as proof
of the correctness of this view?
Limestone strata exists hundreds of feet
in thickness, which are entirely composed
of the remains of shell-fsh, of which in
Vulnerable successive generations must
have had time to live, grow and die, be-
fore such accumulations could have taken
place.
How may the relative age of mountains
and mountain chains be determined by
geologists :?
The relative age of mountains and
mountain chains may be determined by
the age of the rocks which they have
lifted up with them in their elevation.
What is the relative age of the Allie
ghanies of North America, and the An
des of South America, as determined by
this reasoning?
The Andes are much the younger, as is
proved by the fact that they have lifted
the tertiary strata with them. The Allie
ghanies are patriarchs in comparison, as is
shown by the horizontal position of the
new red sandstone, tertiary, and creta-
ceous formations at the base of the range.
What purpose does the study of the
rock subserye besides giving us history
of the globe itself, and the changes which
it has experienced :?
The rocky strata of the earth furnish
not only history of the globe itself, but
gives US, in their fossil remains, an account
of the various races of plants and animals
which have inhabited it before man ex-
listed. Each formation or system may be
regarded as separate volume, containing
the natural history of the period during
which it was deposited.
Give some idea of the difference of the
plants and animals which existed on the
earth during the successive periods of its
history.
The plants and animals of the lower
or older strata belong to the lower divi-
sions of the several classes of animals
There is. in general, progress to higher
forms of animal and vegetable life, as we
come to later period in the earth's his
tory. Marine animals alone occur in the
"Sllurian." Gigantic reptiles are added
in the New Red Sandstone period, and
are also found in abundance in the two
which succeeded. In the still more re-
cent tertiary deposits and remains, the
monkey, the mammoth, and the mastadon
are found. Last of all, in the alluyial de-
posits, which are still in progress of for
nation, occurs the remains of man.
What is said of the vegetable fossils !?
In the forms of vegetable life. there is
a similar progression, from the fowerless
plants of the earlier formations, to the fruit
and forest trees of the present period
The introduction of many of these pre-
ceded only by short time the creation Of
man, and constituted the last adornment
of the world for his reception.
How does it happen that no remains or
implements of man are found in all these
formations preceding the alluvial?
1t must be because no human beings
existed during the immense periods which
these formations represent.
How is the great age of the world be-
fore man was created, which geology re-
quires, consistent with the Bible account
that the work of creation was begun and
completed in six days ?''
The days of the Mosaic account should
probably be regarded as long periods, .
(an Interpretation which the original Ian
guage of the Bible admits, and the even
ings and mornings as the beginnings and
endings of these periods.
Show that the leading principles of ge-
ology are in manifest harmony with the
Bible.
According to the Mosaic account of the
creation, the earth was once entirely sub
merged, and the "dry lands afterward
appeared. Geology leads to the same
independent conclusion. According to the
Bible the nobler races of animals were
created last Geology gives its cores
ponding testimony. The Bible makes the
appearance of man the crowning act of the
creation. Geology leads to the same result.
The Bible leads us to believe that the world
will be destroyed by fire. Geology fur
nishes US evidence that the earth carries in
her own bosom the sufficient means of
such catastrophe.
What may we infer from these points of
agreement.
In these points of agreement we may
find the assurance that Gods written word
and the volume of creation serve each to
illustrate the other, in proportion as we
understand them, and that both will finally
be found in perfect harmony-Porter's IS
First Book Of Chemistry.