88 



Whether these materials, so arranged, be formed by 

 the hand of nature, in her original construction of the 

 world; and thus our basaltic strata (in the language of 

 naturalists) be entitled to the appellation of primary: or, 

 whether this construction of our country is to be consi- 

 dered as produced by mighty agents, covering our quon- 

 dam surface, with new, and secondary strata, poured forth 

 from the bowels of the earth, is surely an interesting 

 question, in the natural history of our country. And, as 

 every Avriter, who has taken up the question, of the vol- 

 canic origin of basalt, and maintained the affirmative, has 

 recurred to the county of Antrim for proofs; I hope that 

 I, too, will be allowed to extract, from the same source, 

 such proofs, as appear to me to support the negative. 



In discussing this question, I shall abstain from all ar- 

 gimients a priori, and limit myself to facts alone : of which 

 1 hope to lay before the reader, several, that have escaped 

 the notice of my predecessors; feeling, that I ought to 

 make him some amends for having detained him so long, 

 in a barren discussion of opinions, and an uninteresting 

 detection of misrepresentations. 



Before I proceed to compare the circumstances, in 

 which our basaltic area resembles, or differs from, volca- 

 nic countries; I must answer a charge, that has been 

 brought against me. I have been told, that it is pre- 

 sumption in me, who never saw a volcano, to take up a 

 question, the solution of which must depend upon an in- 

 timate knowledge, both of basaltic, and volcanic countries. 



I first 



