times from 19,000 to 30,000 feet thick, we must observe that if we are to suppose that they were washed down or deposited very gradually, as is the case now in gardens and streets after severe falls of rain, so that the deposit was made at the rate of about one inch per month, no doubt 30,000 years would be required for a layer 30,000 feet thick; but if we suppose that the deposits took place on a rather grander scale, as may well have been the case, when they were caused by great inundations, and if we assume that the deposits went on at the rate of only 5 feet a month, we have in one year ten fathoms, and in 500 years-supposing that "vast inundations" took place every year for 500 years, that is, that there were 500 deluges-we have 30,000 feet, and this in localities where the deposits proceeded quietly and steadily. In other districts, however, there must have been great eruptions of waters and landslips, in which case deposits several thousand feet thick might have been made in a few hours.

1

I will not discuss the correctness of these hypotheses, but I will quote a few geological facts. The ordinary thickness of the separate layers of coal varies from a few inches to 20 feet. In a few cases it exceeds 40 feet; for instance, at Dombrowa in Russian Poland there is a seam 48 feet thick, which extends uninterruptedly for a distance of 7000 feet. Peat beds attain to a much greater thickness; at Zittau there is one 180 feet thick. Thick beds of coal are often divided by

intermediate strata " into several seams of greater or lesser thickness, as it were into several layers; and generally the seams of coal are much fewer and less

'See Cotta, Geol. Bilder, p. 247.

thick than these intermediate strata of sandstone and slate. At Newcastle-on-Tyne there are 40 coal-beds, mostly no doubt of no great thickness, above one another, alternating with slate and sandstones. The entire thickness of the coal-bed on the south side of the Hundsrück is 338 feet, at Colebrooke Dale in the west of England, 500 feet. Some of the English coal-beds may be traced continuously on the surface to the extent of 15-20 geographical miles in length, and 5-10 in breadth, while their subterranean extent is of course much greater, and may probably be estimated at 50 geographical miles. Throughout England about 300,000 people are employed in more than 3000 coal mines, and these afford yearly over 1000 millions of cwts. of coal. The areas of some of the North American coal-beds are much larger.

The enormous mass of plants which was necessary for the formation of these coal-beds must have grown in the localities in question, and then have been turned into coal; the masses of sand, clay, and loam, which were required for the intermediate strata, must have been washed down, deposited, and then have hardened ; lastly, the strata must have been formed which cover the coal-beds. I cannot believe that all this took place in the course of 2-3000 years, even though peat may grow quickly under favourable circumstances, even though Professor Göppert has changed a handful of plants into coal or peat in one or two years by keeping them in water which was maintained day and night at a temperature of 50-80 Reaumur; and even though sometimes great masses of sediment are brought together in a short time by great floods. And Professor

Göppert and Councillor Haidinger would be very much surprised if one were seriously to point them out as supporters of the theory which Bosizio upholds. Veith is quite right in saying that the processes necessary for the formation of the coal-beds might have taken place in periods of time which to a Buddhist would not appear worthy of mention; but then 10 and 20 times 2000 or 3000 years is not worthy of mention when compared with the Buddhist periods.1

Of

But the coal formation is only one out of the whole series of stratified formations; and therefore 2000 or 3000 years will still less suffice for the formation of the whole series. The thickness of the united paleozoic formations has been estimated at 40,000 feet. course this is an uncertain estimate, but I will give you a few data based on measurements. One division of the Permian system, the Rothliegende, is divided at Mansfeld and in Thuringia into three layers which are respectively 500-800, 200, and 80-300 feet thick. The Vosges sandstone, one stratum of one of the three divisions of the Triassic system, is 1200 feet thick in the Vosges; another stratum is 150 thick in some localities, in others above 400 feet thick, and so on.

3

I think that enough has now been said to show that the theory that the fossiliferous strata have been formed since the creation of man may be set aside as untenable. But if we are to suppose that this forma1 Die Anfänge, p. 359. Nöggerath, Ges. Naturw. iii. 247 seq. 3 "There is hardly anything of importance in geology or paleontology which Keil would admit, or would even, as were reasonable, leave to science to decide; and yet there is much which is highly probable, if not completely certain, although many things, of course, are still doubtful. Thus, to mention one thing only, it has doubtless become very apparent that the formation of the enormous coal measures, which evidently con

2

tion took place in the pre-human age, the theory that only six days elapsed before the creation of man falls to the ground.

Later on I shall have to discuss more particularly those geological results which must be referred to the Deluge. I close my lecture to-day with a short notice of a theory brought forward by Vosen, who is not a supporter of the theory we have hitherto been discussing.' He believes that we may find a reason for the existence of many fossil plants and animals in the curse by which God destroyed the vegetation of Paradise. The expression "Cursed be the ground for thy sake" can, he says, only be understood to mean that in the same moment not the Garden of Eden alone, but also the beautiful paradisaical vegetation of the whole earth was destroyed; that a sudden catastrophe of nature transformed the soil of the earth, and that the vegetation of Paradise forthwith disappeared; whereupon a new stunted vegetation sprang up from its grave. Through this mechanical destruction of the vegetable world many animals were buried in the ground with the plants; other animals, sometimes whole races, were destroyed, because, after the curse on the vegetable world, they could not find the food necessary for them; their organization, like that of man, having been formed to be nourished by the fruits of Paradise.

sist of vegetable matter, and for the most part of small plants, must have taken a much longer time than Keil supposes, even although that time cannot be accurately determined. The impulse simply to turn aside from matters of this kind is wrong in itself, and should certainly be repressed, for in the nature of the case the decision must rest with natural science, and not with the Bible." Schultz, Schöpfungsgeschichte, p. 298. Cf. Molley, Geology, p. 310.

1 Das Christenthum, p. 715 (3rd ed. p. 750).

So that a great part of the fossils found in later strata, and especially those in the coal formation, may be a portion of the animal and vegetable world of Paradise, which, according to the words of Holy Scripture, existed not only in Eden, but also over the whole earth, and which was then everywhere simultaneously destroyed by the curse.

With reference to this theory, I need, as I have said, make only one short observation. Holy Scripture does not say a word about this, neither does it even indirectly suggest that before the Fall the earth was covered with paradisaical vegetation, and that all or some animals were so organized as to be nourished only by paradisaical food. Nor is there any mention of a sudden catastrophe of nature after the Fall, which would have had the results above described; and had any such taken place, Holy Scripture would hardly be silent on the subject. As to the meaning of the words, "Cursed be the ground," etc., no doubt theologians do not agree about them, but I know no one besides Vosen who would describe the interpretation he brings forward as self-evident, or even, to speak clearly, as admissible.1 You will see, from the facts I have mentioned, that the coal formation, etc., cannot be explained in this manner.

1 Pianciani (Cosmogonia, p. 471) says that " some " think that a catastrophe of this description took place after the Fall, but simply adds that the Bible does not mention it.