I am aware that the science of geology, while clearly granting the instability of our earth's crust, quite generally insists that the uplifting of continents and mountain ranges from the ocean's bed, and the subsidence of islands and continents into the ocean bottom is accomplished so slowly that long geological periods are required for the changes effected; and that the periods of time are so great that it is useless to measure them in time of which years shall be regarded as units. [6] But notwithstanding the very sound reasons, in the main, which are advanced for the slowness of this work, there is evidence of the fact, and also respectable authority for it, that sometimes very great changes of wide extent are made quite suddenly. Sir Charles Lyell says: While these proofs of continental elevation and subsidence, by slow and insensible movements, have been recently brought to light, the evidence has been daily strengthened of continued changes of level effected by violent convulsions in countries where earthquakes are frequent. There the rocks are rent from time to time, and heaved up or thrown down several feet at once, and disturbed in such a manner, that the original position of strata may, in the course of centuries, be modified to any amount. [7] Our modern world is fast coming to recognize Plato's story of the subsidence of the island-continent of Atlantis as something more than a fable. The story of that so-called island which by the Egyptian priest who related the tradition to Solon was represented as larger than "Lybia and Asia put together," is told in Plato's Timaeus, [8] as follows: In those days the Atlantic was navigable; and there was an island situated in front of the straits which you call the columns of Heracles; the island was larger than Lybia and Asia put together, and was the way to other islands, and from the islands you might pass through the whole of the opposite continent which surrounded the true ocean; for this sea which is within the straits of Heracles is only a harbor, having a narrow entrance, but the other is a real sea, and the surrounding land may be most truly called a continent. [9] Plato represents that in this land there was a great and wonderful empire which had dominion over the whole island and its armies attempted to subjugate Egypt and Europe to its authority. In this conflict the very ancient Greeks won the applause of Europe and Egypt by withstanding well nigh alone the aggressions of the Atlantic empire. The Greeks are represented as having defeated and triumphed over the invaders, and now Plato: