which were driven up by the downward force of others, and left in a perpendicular position, some overlapping each other, &c.; but the greatest effect of this convulsion appears to have been produced by the rocking or rolling surface of the sub-existing fluid world, forming gigantic waves, which, by meeting in opposite directions and thrusting upwards the strata to a great height, formed the mighty mountain-chains of the now-existing earth, which raise their lofty pinnacles above the clouds. Now, these mountains may at first thought appear too ponderous and extensive to be thrown up in this way; but by inspecting the engraved section of a part of the globe (fig. 13), it will be seen how very insignificant a mountain is when compared with the whole world. This section is through Asia from the Persian Gulf to the Yellow Sea, and embraces the highest land on the whole face of the earth, and is drawn on a scale in which the earth is represented by a globe sixteen inches diameter. The rugged and peaked tops of these mountains would be formed by the great fractured masses of the broken strata being thrust upwards and there resting against each other; but who can describe the chasms and hollows which must have resulted when the great wave of melted earth had subsided to its level under one of these huge mountain masses? or the dreadful abyss into which at some future time it and the surrounding country may fall, if they have not already been filled up by the sinking of the surrounding strata. Some of these great waves, when thrust upwards, forced their way right through the point of the mountain and came pouring down in torrents of liquid earth (lava), deluging the surrounding country and filling up the beds of the adjacent seas, casting out cinders and ores of metals--as iron, which appears to have first made its appearance at that time, mingling with the deposits and tinging them of a red colour. These great volcanoes, upon the subsidence of the rock-waves, still (more or less) retained their communication with the interior fiery earth, and are now the greatest safeguards against such a general crushing-up of the strata, for they act as safety-valves against any unequal expansion of the interior (fig. 14). The greatest eruptions of volcanoes or the most terrific earthquakes of modern times, are as the most insignificant trifles compared with what must have taken place to form the inequalities of surface found to exist. [Illustration: FIG. 13--SECTION OF 40 DEG. OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE, BEING THE SOUTHERN PART OF ASIA, AND INCLUDING THE HIGHEST LAND IN THE WORLD. The outer uneven line represents the mountains and table-lands from the sea's level, and the lower line shows the depth to which the crust of the earth's surface has been examined--about five miles. A to B.--Level of sea. B to second C.--Hindustan. C to D.--Thibet. D to E.--Great Desert of Gobi. F.--500 miles of Earth's radius.