Page:Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia, Volume 2.djvu/618

 (os. tm�.] NATURAL HIS'TORY. 593 the breecja of Sicily, and in several other places, at heights too great, and 'their preservation is too perfect, to admit of this mode of conveyance  and to account for their existence in such situations, recourse must be had to more powerful means of transport. The occurrence of corals, and marine shells of teeeat appearance, at considerable heights above the sea, on the coasts of New Holland, Timor, and several other islands of the south, was justly considered by M. Pron as deo mountrating the former" abode of the sea'* above the !and; and very naturally suggested an inquiry, as to the nature of the revolutions to which this change of situation is to be ascriSed *. From similar appearances at Pulo Nias, one of the islands 0f the western coast of Sumatra, Dr. Jack also was led to infer, that the "surface of that island must at one time have been the bed of the ocean;" and after stating, "that by whatever mean it obtained its present elevation, the transition must have been effected with little violence or disturbance to the marine productions at the surface t," be concludes, tlat the phenomena are in faTour of an '/eav/ng ,p of tl land, b a force from beneatl " The probable Sure of this force is indicated moat distincy,if not demon- strated, by the phenomena which attended the memorable earthquake of Chili, in November, 1820, which was felt " siderable height above the sea, the Oull have been seen carrying up the livin pateHue, just taken .from the rocks. + Oeol. Trans., Second Series, vol. i. p. , '404. .+ The statements !tare referred to, are thoe of Mrs. Or'am.. in a letter to Mr. Warburton, which has been published in the Oeolo- ical Transactions, (Second Series, vol. i.p. 41 8c.); and tire account is supported and illustrated by a valuable paper in the Jeor- hal of the Royal Institution for April, 18, (vol. xvii. p. 8, VOL. Ii. S Q DiitizOcl D Google
 * Pon, Voyage, 8zC vol. ii. pp. 165-183.

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