The first subject to be examined is the modern theory of primitive
mountains. I have written several chapters upon that subject, having
successively acquired more light in this interesting part of the theory,
by observations of my own in several places of this country, as well as
from the natural history of other countries. I shall give these nearly
in the order in which they occurred, or had been written.
CHAP. IV.
The Supposition of Primitive Mountains refuted.
In the theory now given, the earth has been represented as a composition
of different materials, which had existed in another form, and as the
effect of natural operations; therefore, however various may be found
the structure of our earth, and however dissimilar some parts of
its composition may be in comparison with others, no part should be
considered as original, in relation to the globe, or as primitive, in
relation to second causes, _i.e._ physical operations by which those
parts should have been formed. But it is pretended by naturalists, that
there are certain primitive mountains in the earth, bodies which have
had another origin than that of the general strata of the globe and
subsequent masses; an origin, therefore, which cannot be considered as
having been produced from natural operations, or as effected in the
course of known causes.
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