Our author meets with a limestone too much erected in its position to be supposed as in its natural place, and then he explains this phenomenon in the following manner, p. 333.  “Les rochers d’Ehrentbreitstein et de Lahnstein sont donc des faits particuliers.  Ces rochers la ont ete formes par des depots de la mer:  Les corps marin qu’ils renferment en font foi.  Des lors ils ont du avoir dans leur origine la seule position que la mer put leur donner; l’horizontale ou legerement inclinee.  Leur couches sont aujourd’hui rompues, et leur inclination n’est plus celle de depots immediats de la mer.  Les collines, auxquelles elle appartenoient, sont en meme tems entourees de volcans anciens; et il est naturel d’en conclure, que c’est a eux que ces grands rochers doivent leur position actuelle.”

Here one would expect our author is to allow that volcanos may erect rocks in heightening them in their place; but this is not the light in which it has been seen by him, as will appear from what follows.  “L’enfoncement d’une de leurs cotes n’est rien, quand on considere le prodigieuse excavation qui ont du se faire, pour porter au dehors toutes les montagnes, les collines, et les plaines volcaniques qui se trouvent dans ce vaste circuit.”

When a small portion of a stratum is examined, such as the present case, it is impossible from inspection to determine, whether it owes its inclined position to the sinking or the raising of the ground; the stratum is changed from its original position, but whether this has been brought about by the raising of the one side, or the sinking of the other is not apparent from what then is seen.  But unless we are to explain the appearance of strata above the level of the sea by a supposition which is that of the retreat of the ocean, a theory which this author has adopted, it is as impossible to explain the present appearance of horizontal strata as of those that are inclined.  At the same time, if a power placed below the strata is to be employed for the purpose of raising them from the bottom of the sea, to the place in which we find them at present, it is impossible that this should be done without the fracture of those strata in certain places; and it is much more difficult to conceive this operation not to be attended with changing the natural horizontal position of strata, and thus leaving them in many places inclined, than otherwise by supposing that this internal power of the globe should elevate the strata without changing their original position.

With this description of strata on the Rhine, we may compare that of M. Monnet respecting those which he found upon the Meuse, (Nouveau Voyage Mineralogique, etc.  Journal Physique, Aoust, 1784.)