45° Seccnd Appendix. much infifted on. As to the coal, it requireu morc confideration ; in the firft place, it is plain, it cannot be charred by melted bafalt lying on it, for this wonld prevent the diffipation of the elaftic fluids necefiary to its charrcd (late. The truth is, that the coal which is ofcen found thus free, or r.early fo from bitumen, is the natural carbo- nite, or carbonic fubftance, which occurs elfc- where-, as well as in bafaltic countries; a ccrtain fign that the heat of bafait had not deprived it of its bitumen is, that bituminous wood is fre- quently found under bafaltic niafles. The next hypothefis that occurs to our confi deration is that of Mr. Dolcmieu. This, it muH be owned, efcapes moll of the objeciions made to the former theories; tt evades thofe made to the fufion of baialt by allowing it was never really fufed ; thofe made to its cryfhllization, by attributing its prifmatic form to fudden cooling, chiefly by flovving into the lea ; and thofe arifing from its fituation on the fummit of hiiis totally unconnefted with any thing volcanic; by allow- ing that fuch bafalts are not of volcanic origin. 37 Roz. 1790. Ilence it iß plain Mr. Dolomieu gives up almoft every point in difpute, vet he itill maintains that the bafalts found in the neighbourhood of fome fcw living volcanos, and in thofe which he luppofes to be antient, and now extinguifhed volcanos, to have becn once ren- dered liquid by fire though not fufed in the mari ner that earths and ftones are in our furnaces. Wemuft, therefere, fliew the futility., or the in- fufficiency of each of thefe grounds, for attri buting to bafalts a volcanic origin. And tirrt, as to the fort of fufion he contends for, unlefs hc me.ms the liquefaftion by menns of bitumen, it is utterly incomprehenfible. I his 1 lattcr