Geological Society. 457 



The second proposition then which we must arrive at, if the above 

 reasoning be correct, is, that if this mighty will exist in every human 

 being, its early regulation is a vital consideration. Could the con- 

 viction be once firmly rooted in the mind, that on the training of 

 that will to assimilate itself as much as possible to His from whom 

 it is derived, depends the temporal and eternal welfare of the indi- 

 vidual (and who shall say of how many other beings ?), would it not 

 be the first care of every one how to govern his own, and to assist in 

 guiding that of all dependent on him ? 



The compilers of the three essays we have noticed are evidently 

 too well read themselves to hope that they have found for others a 

 royal road to science of any kind ; but those who have no leisure to 

 pursue even one science in its details, may nevertheless be clearly 

 shown in a . short compass how much there is that may be known, 

 and their eyes will thus be opened to a conception of the majesty 

 and beauty of the works of God of which they had little previous 

 idea. We hail the appearance then of these works as the commence- 

 ment of an enterprize to which all who love their fellow- creatures 

 must wish well — that of inducing men to think, and of affording 

 them the means of doing so to good purpose. 



" Ages pass away, 

 Thrones fall, and nations disappear, and worlds 

 Grow old and go to wreck ; the soul alone 

 Endures ; and what she chooseth for herself, 

 The arbiter of her own destiny, 

 That only shall be permanent." {Southeys Roderick.) 



LVII. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from p. 311.] 

 June 1, A PAPER was first read entitled, '* Notice of some Ex- 

 1842. ■£*- periments on the Electric Currents in Pennance Mine, 

 near Falmouth." By Robert Were Fox, Esq. Communicated by the 

 President. 



The Pennance mine is situated in killas, but to its N.W. is a 

 granite range. Two veins have been worked ; the more northerly, 

 which is about five feet wide and has a slight northerly dip, to the 

 depth of sixteen fathoms ; and the other, which is about two feet thick 

 and dips apparently to the south, to the depth of eight fathoms. Both 

 veins nearly coincide with the magnetic meridian in their horizontal 

 bearing. They abound with arsenical and iron pyrites interspersed 

 with oxide of tin and sulphurets of copper and lead, arranged in many 

 parts in nearly vertical layers parallel to the sides of the veins. 



The author was assisted in his experiments by Mr. J. Fox. The 

 apparatus employed was adapted only for experiments on not very 

 feeble electric currents, and consisted of copper wires from ,-ijth to 

 ^th of an inch in diameter, and plates of different metals, with other 

 contrivances for varying the methods of producing contact with the 

 ore-points selected in the veins. The galvanometer had only one 

 needle 2% inches long, £th of an inch wide, and ^th thick, having 



