Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. HO April 2, 



The Chairman considered the facts yet too few and imperfect 

 to establish any fair criticism. 



There was, however, another Chaldean account, that of the Del- 

 uge, which was very interesting and clear — so close to the Biblical 

 account, indeed, that there must be some connection between 

 them. The tablets under discussion were comparatively modern, 

 reaching back not over 800 years B. C; there was, therefore, no 

 proof that the undoubtedly far more ancient Biblical account had 

 been derived from these. He called attention to the recent dis- 

 coveries by Mr. Rassam of ancient records, at Aboo Habba, in the 

 valley of the Euphrates, in one place, of nearly 40,000 tablets, 

 which, although composed of soft clay, had been nearly all pre- 

 served intact by the discoverer, by a method of careful baking. 

 So, too, in the ruins of the so-called Tower of Babel, masonry, 

 timbers, etc., had been recently found in such a state of preserva- 

 tion as to render probable the discovery soon of records of some 

 kind at that locality. 



At present there was too great an imperfection in the records, 

 and also too little acquaintance with the languages of those rec- 

 ords, as had been illustrated by the discrepancies of the several 

 translations presented in this paper, to justify positive statements. 



Nevertheless, it was a remarkable fact that, for the last two 

 or three thousand years, a detailed record of the Creation has 

 stood before the world. In the progress of geological discovery^ 

 astonishing correspondences have been established, in reference 

 to this BibUcal record, incomprehensible unless derived from a 

 supernatural Power. 



April 2, 1S83. 



Section of Geology. 



The President, Dr. J. S. Newberry, in the Chair. 



Thirty-four persons present. 



A paper was read by Dr. J. S. Newberry, on 



AN INQUIRY INTO THE ORIGIN OF THE CARBON PRESENT IN 



BITUMINOUS SHALES. 



(Pubhshed in the Annals.) 



DISCUSSION, 

 A MEMBER assented to the general view maintained in the paper 

 but inquired whether it was intended to draw any analogy between the 



