1822.] On a Section of the Strata, S^x. 'I^W 



«outh-west, and the dip or declivity to the NE. which in Cross 

 rOill Burn, in Alston Moor, Cumberland, makes two degrees 

 (15 minutes with the horizon, or nearly one yard in 27." 



Thws by their rise to the westward, they crop out and present 

 a sijccession to the observation of the naturalist, and to the 

 "research and labour of the miner, while " the stratification has,'' 

 as is observed, p. 92, " been ascertained with the greatest pre- 

 cision by the multitude of shafts and workings of the lead mines,'' 

 so that each individual bed is anticipated and calculated upon 

 ,iviththe greatest confidence. 



^ Thus indeed a valuable series of rules are established, which 

 ^render mining here comparatively a simple process, and the 

 miners of many parts of England would indeed have reason to 

 rejoice, if they could be thus relieved of some of their greatest 

 uncertainties. 



The work consists of a preface — introduction — the treatise on 

 the sections — on mineral veins in general — list of lead mines — 

 \on the opening and working of mines — dressing and smelting the- 

 ^ores. 



We sliall make some remarks on what occurs to us under eack 

 -head as worthy of notice. 



r Of the preface, we have little to say, except with regard to 

 Jone passage, wherein the author denounces theory as the bane 

 -of geological science, charging it *' with having cramped the 

 lefForts of inquiry, and paralyzed the exertion of research." 

 - Is not this rather too dogmatical and unphilosophical? arid 

 I after all, is it true? We are not the advocates of any system^, 

 ibut has not an hypothesis often led to investigation ? Has not a 

 ifavourite, and, perhaps, an absurd theory often led to the coUec- 

 :Jtion, the arrangement, and the record of facts, and which .but for 

 ■this we should never have known? Can Mr. Forster take upon 

 himself to say that the labours of De Saussure, Hutton, De Luc, 

 Werner, Playfair, and Cuvier, would have been w^hat they are 

 without this stimulus, not to mention the tribe of other useful 

 writers who have been called forth by their more splendid 

 example? 



The fact is, that the mind, as soon as facts are collected, tends 

 to theorize, and the simplest deduction in geology is often but 

 an hypothesis. Such language as the above is, however, rather 

 the fashionable slang of a sect of geologists, and we are rather 

 .sorry to see a practical man fall into it. 



The introduction had better have been omitted, or Mr. Fors-^ 

 ter might have submitted it to some of his mineralogical friends 

 who would have given him a better classification of stones than 

 ihat which disposes them into scintallant, or otherwise. 



The treatise on the section is divided into two parts, and the 

 first properly and naturally takes the upper beds into considera- 



I4ion, which are usually called the coal measures. 

 \ The general description of strata which it begins with, is 

 I 



