Читать книгу Star-land: Being Talks With Young People About the Wonders of the Heavens онлайн

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That which was the destruction of the growing forest, proved to be the means of preserving its remains, for, then as now, the rivers flowed into the sea, and the waters of the rivers, especially in times of flood, carried down with them clay or mud, held in suspension. Upon the floor of the ocean this material was slowly deposited; and thus a coating of mud overlay the remains of the forest. In the course of ages, these layers grew thick and heavy, and hardened into a great flat rock, while the trunks and leaves underneath were squeezed together by the weight, and packed into a solid mass which became black, and in the course of time was transformed into coal.

After ages and ages had passed by, the bed of the sea ceased to sink, and began slowly to rise. The water over the newly made layers of stone became shallower, and at last the floor was raised until it emerged from the sea. But, of course, it would not be the original ground which formed the surface of the newly uncovered land. The sheets of consolidated clay lay on the top; over the fresh surface life gradually spread, until man himself came to dwell there, while far beneath his feet the remains of the ancient vegetation were buried.