CONTENTS.

PART I.

I.--THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DRIFT 1

II.--THE ORIGIN OF THE DRIFT NOT KNOWN 8

III.--THE ACTION OF WAVES 10

IV.--WAS IT CAUSED BY ICEBERGS? 13

V.--WAS IT CAUSED By GLACIERS? 17

VI.--WAS IT CAUSED BY A CONTINENTAL ICE-SHEET? 23

VII.--THE DRIFT A GIGANTIC CATASTROPHE 43

VIII.--GREAT HEAT A PREREQUISITE 58

PART II.

I.--A COMET CAUSED THE DRIFT 63

II.--WHAT IS A COMET? 65

III.--COULD A COMET STRIKE THE EARTH? 82

IV.--THE CONSEQUENCES TO THE EARTH 91

{p. iii}

PART III.

I.--THE NATURE OF MYTHS 113

II.--DID MAN EXIST BEFORE THE DRIFT? 121

III.--LEGENDS OF THE COMING OF THE COMET 132

IV.--RAGNAROK 141

V.--THE CONFLAGRATION OF PHAËTON 154

VI.--OTHER LEGENDS OF THE CONFLAGRATION 166

VII.--LEGENDS OF THE CAVE-LIFE 195

VIII.--LEGENDS OF THE AGE OF DARKNESS 208

IX.--THE TRIUMPH OF THE SUN 233

X.--THE FALL OF THE CLAY AND GRAVEL 251

XI.--THE ARABIAN MYTHS 268

XII.--THE BOOK OF JOB 276

XIII.--GENESIS READ BY THE LIGHT OF THE COMET 316

PART IV.

I.--WAS PRE-GLACIAL MAN CIVILIZED? 341

II.--THE SCENE OF MAN'S SURVIVAL 366

III.--THE BRIDGE 376

IV.--OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED 389

V.--BIELA'S COMET 408

VI.--THE UNIVERSAL BELIEF OF MANKIND 424

VII.--THE EARTH STRUCK BY COMETS MANY TIMES 431

VIII.--THE AFTER-WORD 437

{p. iv}