PART I.
THE DRIFT.
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.
THE COMET.
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
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PART III.
THE LEGENDS.
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.
CONCLUSIONS.
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
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