Prof. Keilhau on ike Present State of Geology, 343l 



of every investigator would be directed to the distinct expo- 

 sition of the really existing phenomena. When this was en- 

 tirely finished, but not sooner, the observer would proceed to 

 the task of treating of the causes of the geological phenomena^ 

 and of their mutual connection. In such labours, therefore, 

 the actually existing geological relations themselves would aU 

 ways constitute, as the very nature of the subject requires, the 

 first and most important point, and that not merely because 

 these are precisely the object of investigation, but also because 

 they themselves can afford such essential aid in the elucida- 

 tion of their true nature. In the next place, what we learn by 

 the observation of geological processes going forward before 

 our eyes would become available ; and, thirdly, then, for the 

 first time, would those elucidations come into consideration, 

 which can be borrowed from other sciences, viz. from chemis- 

 try, natural philosophy, and astronomy. 



We know sufficiently well that this natural order of things 

 is at present not the existing one. As we cannot obtain 

 such irrefragable knowledge of geological facts as would be 

 possible on the supposition made above, geologists are so far 

 from assigning to results obtained by geognostical examina- 

 tion the just rank in their theories, that they often consider 

 themselves authorized to modify the exposition of geological 

 phenomena, in order to accommodate it to the explanation 

 created out of those sciences which only stand in more or less 

 remote connection with geology. It is sometimes even the 

 case that they go still farther, and from time to time believe 

 themselves justified in putting observation entirely out of 

 sight, and supplanting it by ideal phenomena according to 

 views derived from the most varied sources, which, however, 

 are beyond the proper territory of geology. In this manner, 

 the proper order is exactly reversed ; the science comes to 

 rest on a foreign basis ; and that which ought to be the result 

 of pure geognostical observation becomes, at least in a greater 

 or less degree, a mere construction^ for which opinions derived 

 principally from chemistry have solely furnished the materials. 

 Thus, if geological relations were freely and openly exposed 

 to observation, so that no difi^erence of opinion could be pos- 

 sible, with regard to the real nature of the facts ; if, on this 



