In the time of these the last of the tertiary strata, there appear evidences of a degree of cold much greater than at present exists; this seems to be pretty well proved by the "boulder formation," or prevalence of erratic blocks of stone, the progress of which have been traced from their sources of origin to hundreds of miles distant, and there is no conceivable power which could have carried them but the floating fields of ice or glaciers; both of these sources are capable of this removal, for it is not uncommon to find large pieces of rock and layers of gravel floating on masses of ice. Glaciers are formed by the snow on the sides of mountains becoming hardened by being partially melted and again frozen, and at every melting the fluid tends to descend, when it again becomes frozen, always adding to the lower part and carrying away from the upper. In this way whole glaciers of many miles extent become unfixed, and as fresh snows are added to their upper parts, they descend slowly, entangling with them and tearing away the rocks in their vicinity. When they arrive at the sea and float forth, these rocks are borne with them. But there are as yet no traces of man, not one small fragment of his skeleton, not one minute relic of his constructive powers, although the bones of man are as capable of preservation as those of any other animal, being the same in structure and composition; the remains of hundreds of fragile insects, seeds, leaves, and all sorts of organic structures, are found perfectly preserved (fig. 34). The only way, therefore, of accounting for the absence of any organic remains of man, is the assumption that he was not then created; and this is confirmed by the fact that in the very uppermost layers of the earth's surface his bones and the works of his hands are found in great abundance; it is therefore with good reason that we come to the conclusion, that he was the last creature formed by his Maker. That the creation of man was pre-intended by God, seems also almost proved by the numerous objects before created, capable of ministering to his use and happiness--capable of exercising his constructive and inquiring capabilities--suitable to his imagination and tastes, and his only, and which would serve no purpose of utility to the mere brutes. Of what use, to any creature but man, is coal--of what use the metals? Of what avail is it to any of the lower animals, that God has caused glass and other transparent substances to have the power of refracting the rays of light? but without which not one-half of our knowledge of His wondrous works would ever have been obtained, for it is upon this property alone that the powers of the telescope and microscope depend. Of what use to any but man are fire, artificial light, and galvanism? and yet all these were created long before man was. [Illustration: FIG. 34--FOSSIL LEAVES.] [Illustration: FIG. 35.--SCULPTURE FROM NINEVEH.]