344 Prof. Keilhau on the Present State of Geology. 



account, nothing were borrowed from ideas derived from other 

 sources ; and if no one were to replace the real by imaginary 

 phenamena, then, undoubtedly, in theorizing, these relations 

 would with justice attain to the first rank under all circum- 

 stances — a state of matters which does not at all exist at the 

 present day. Besides this principal change which, upon our 

 supposition, would take place in the science, it may be worth 

 while to mention another, which would also be very important. 

 Although, under the circumstances supposed, much that is 

 now problematical would be cleared up, yet, on the other hand, 

 the very possession of geognostical data which could not be 

 impugned, and which could admit of no accommodation, would 

 very often cause us to meet with inexplicable phenomena. 

 This, however, would not be at all remarkable, and still less 

 would it be a stumbling-block. That the human mind, which 

 in no instance is able to understand nature to the very foun- 

 dation, should here find an exception, would occur to no one ; 

 and we should here likewise have to encounter darkness be- 

 yond the nearer or farther limits which explanation could 

 reach. It is worthy of attention, that at the present time 

 matters are in a very difi^erent position ; of phenomena which 

 cannot be explained we now hear very little in geology ! 

 precisely in that science in which so much must be ob- 

 scure, it seems as though every thing were perfectly under- 

 stood. The method adopted goes the length of requiring 

 that every phenomenon shall be placed in such a light that 

 its cause can be ascertained, otherwise no attention will be 

 paid to it, or its description will be regarded as inaccurate. 

 To the uninitiated this must appear in the highest degree ab- 

 surd. When, indeed, we reflect how much is still obscure 

 respecting the origin of mineral bodies, we must be astonished 

 at such a state of matters in geology, and such a mode of pro- 

 ceeding among geologists. But in this, we only see a direct 

 consequence of the existing circumstances. Instead of geo- 

 logical phenomena, which are adduced as facts, being con- 

 sidered as quite certain by and for themselves, and only by 

 and for themselves, we cannot now, as it is so difficult to 

 observe with perfect accuracy, have full confidence in the ap- 

 prehension of the observed facts, until we find that they har- 



