DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY. 



CHAPTER I. 



PRELUDE TO SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY. 



Sect. 1. Ancient Notices of Geological Facts. 



recent history of Geology, as to its most important points, is 

 bound up with what is doing at present from day to day ; and that 

 portion of the history of the science which belongs to the past, has 

 been amply treated by other writers. 1 I shall, therefore, pass rapidly 

 over the series of events of which this history consists ; and shall only 

 attempt to mention what may seem to illustrate and confirm my own 

 view of its state and principles. 



Agreeably to the order already pointed out, I shall notice, in the first 

 place, Phenomenal Geology, or the description of the facts, as distinct 

 from the inquiry into their causes. It is manifest that such a merely 

 descriptive kind of knowledge may exist ; and it probably will not be 

 contested, that such knowledge ought to be collected, before we 

 attempt to frame theories concerning the causes of the phenomena. 

 But it must be observed, that we are here speaking of the formation 

 of a science ; and that it is not a collection of miscellaneous, uncon- 

 nected, unarranged knowledge that can be considered as constituting 

 science ; but a methodical, coherent, and, as far as possible, complete 

 body of facts, exhibiting fully the condition of the earth as regards 

 those circumstances which are the subject matter of geological specu- 

 lation. Such a Descriptive Geology is a pre-requisite to Physical 

 Geology, just as Phenomenal Astronomy necessarily preceded Physical 

 Astronomy, or as Classificatory Botany is a necessary accompaniment 

 to Botanical Physiology. We may observe also that Descriptive Geo- 

 logy, such as \ve now speak of, is one of the classificatory sciences, like 



1 As MM. Lyell, Fitton, Conybeare, in our own country. 



