48a 



•' (he believes) to contain an irrefragable proof of the Neptunian 

 " origin of the bafaltic promontory where they were found." 



Perhaps fo, but not by me who difcovered them : I communi- 

 cated the fad as new in Natural Hiftory, and fent fpecimens to 

 the curious wherever I had an opportunity, but I did not apply this 

 facft to the fupport of any theory ; I never infinuated that I thought 

 the Neptunijls had penetrated farther into the fecret of Nature than 

 other Theorifts, and I furniflied Dr. Hope of Edinburgh with fuch 

 fafts as occurred to me that feemed favourable to the Plutonic Syjiem, 

 which I underflood he had fupported from his Chair. 



I now congratulate myfelf that I did not engage in thefe wars, 

 fince I have found that the combatants ufe mod dangerous wea- 

 pons, and come into the field as well accoutred as one of Homer'i 

 champions. 



My authority is from Mr. Playfair himfelf, who fays, (page 397) 

 " Thus the weapons which direftly pierce the armour of the Vol- 

 " canift, and inflid a mortal wound, are eafily turned afide by the 

 " fuperior temper of the Plutonic mail." 



Nature makes her genera and their varieties, on many occafi- 



ons, approximate fo clofe to (or rather pafs into) each other, that 



it is not eafy to make diftinftions with certainty, nor is it fair 



to deduce from a foflil whofe clafs is difputed, an argument for 



or againft any theory; I fhall therefore abflain from making fuch 



ufe of this filicious bafalt, (as my friend Profeffor Pidet called it) ; 



but fince fuch eminent Naturalifts as he and Mr. Kirwan differ 



upon this point, from gentlemen of fuch refpectability as Sir Jarnes 



Hall and Profeffor Playfair^ I think it incumbent upon me who 



difcovered this foffil, to aflign my reafons for having originally 



called it bafalt. 



I know 



