216 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE 



tage Crescent, near Bath, was favourable for this object ; and 

 before 1799 he had coloured geologically the large sheets of 

 the Somersetshire survey, and a circular map of the vicinity 

 of Bath. These are very accurate. 



By maps and sections, and arranged collections of organic 

 remains, Mr. Smith endeavoured to explain to many scientific 

 persons those views regarding the regular succession and con- 

 tinuity of strata, and the definite distribution of animal and 

 vegetable forms in the earth, which are now the common pro- 

 perty of Geology. Among those who heard his explanations 

 at this early period, may be mentioned Dr. James Anderson, 

 of Edinburgh ; Mr. Davis, of Longleat ; the Rev. J. Towns- 

 end author of *■ Travels in Spain;' and the Rev. B. Richardson 

 of Farley. 



The two last-named gentlemen were remarkably able to 

 appreciate the truth and novelty of such views, both from 

 their general attainments in Natural History, and their exact 

 knowledge of the country to which Mr. Smith directed their 

 attention. Both of them possessed large collections of orga- 

 nic remains, and both were astonished and incredulous when 

 their new friend, taking up one fossil after another, stated in- 

 stantly from what particular rock, and even bed of stone, or 

 clay, the specimens were derived. Nor were they less sur- 

 prised when, in the field, 'Strata Smith' (as he was termed) 

 traced with ease and accuracy the ranges of the rocks, by fol- 

 lowing the courses of springs, and many other indications of 

 a change of the sub-strata. Both entered with the zeal of 

 novelty into the examination of a district which they had of- 

 ten traversed before; and Mr. Richardson's was the hand 

 which, in 1799, wrote from Smith's dictation, the original 

 'Tabular View of the superposition of English strata,' which 

 has since been presented to the Geological Society of Lon- 

 don. Copies of this document were given by Mr. Richardson 

 to Baron Rosencrantz, Dr. Muller of Christian] a, and many 

 others, in the year 1801 ; and Mr. W Reynolds personally 

 assured Mr. Smith, that within his own knowledge copies of 

 it had been sent to the East and West Indies. 



Dr. James Anderson earnestly intreated Mr. Smith to lay 

 his discoveries before the public, and offered the assistance 

 of his literary experience and connexions to aid him. Possi- 

 bly the almost continual occupation in which he was now en- 

 gaged, especially in the draining of land, — for which Geology 

 had taught him new and certain methods, — may have pre- 

 vented his complying with these friendly and judicious offers : 

 the notion, however, once admitted, revived from time to time, 

 and in 1801 a prospectus was printed, containing proposals 



