Figs. 1 to 5.—Ideal sections illustrating the Genesis of the Earth.
Fig. 1. A vaporous world.
Fig. 2. A world with a central fluid nucleus (b) and a photosphere (a).
Fig. 3. The photosphere darkened, and a solid crust (c) and solid nucleus (d) formed.
Fig. 4. Water (e) deposited on the crust, forming a universal ocean.
Fig. 5. The crust crumpled by shrinkage, land elevated, and the water occupying the intervening depressions.
The figures are all of uniform size; but the circle (A) shows th diameter of the globe when in the state of fig. 1, and that marked (B) its diameter when in the state of fig. 5. In all the figures (a) represents vapour or air; (b) liquid rock; (c) solid rock as a crust; (d) solid nucleus; (e) water.
Such considerations lead to the conclusion that the former watery condition of our planet was not its first state, and that we must trace it back to a previous reign of fire. The reasons which can be adduced in support of this are no doubt somewhat vague, and may in their details be variously interpreted; but at present we have no other interpretation to give of that chaos, formless and void, that state in which “nor aught nor nought existed,” which the sacred writings and the traditions and poetry of ancient nations concur with modern science in indicating as the primitive state of the earth.