254 
We trust it may: for sure we are, that till 
this unnatural alliance between the dogmas 
of theology and the researches of science 
shall be dissolved, the progress of know- 
ledge and the great objects of human im- 
provability must be crippled and impeded. 
What a disgraceful uproar did interested ri- 
valry, on this pretence, recently excite in the 
case of Mr. Lawrence! The anatomist, for- 
sooth, must notseeas far even as his knife can 
carry him, nor the geologist dig with open , 
eyes into the bowels of the earth, for fear the 
facts that stare him in the face should ‘con- 
trovert some venerable dogma, not of re- 
ligious obligation, but of antiquated ‘cosmo- 
gony :—as if the prophets and the apostles, 
nay, the Author of Christianity himself, came 
into the world not to reveal and teach to 
us our obligations and duties towards God 
and man, but to confirm the errors of 
ignorance, and prescribe the limits of phi- 
losophical discovery. 
We hail the appearance of a more en- 
lightened era; and congratulate the geolo- 
gist on the accession of these beautiful 
illustrations of so obscure and difficult a 
branch of his science. The work is in its 
very nature incapable of analytical abridg- 
ment; we have, therefore, only to add, 
that it is executed with taste and splendour, 
both in the graphic and typographical de- 
partments ; and exhibits twenty-four speci- 
mens of fossilated vegetable remains, (the 
generality of which have never before been 
figured or described, some of which have 
no known parallels among existing plants, 
and some of which are of very rare and even 
unique occurrence)—drawn by Curtis and 
engraved by Weddell, and accompanied by 
letter-press explanations of their respective 
generic and specific characters, their syno- 
nymes and localities ; together with obser- 
vations upon each. 
Remarks on Steam Navigation, and its 
Protection, Regulation, and Encouragement. 
In a Letter to the Right Hon. W. Huskis- 
son, Treasurer of the Navy, and President 
of the Board of Trade. By T. Trev- 
GOLD, &c. 8vo.—In this sensible little 
pamphlet, Mr. T. calls for attention to the 
growing importance of steam navigation, 
and the necessity, now that it is extend- 
ing its accelerated steerage to the distant 
shores of America and Hindostan,of asyste- 
matic superintendence, that may guarantee 
the safety of such mode of voyage. Havy- 
ing alluded to the necessary precautions in 
the structure and conduct of the various 
parts of the machinery, and shewn that, 
with due attention to these, this accelerated 
species of navigation “ is safer than that by 
an ordinary sailing vessel ;” and haying 
justly observed that “ the passengers can- 
not be expected to procure such examina- 
tion’’ as may be required—he proposes the 
appointment of authorized inspectors, whose 
duty it should be to ascertain the sufficiency 
of every part of the workmanship, &c., and 
to grant certificates of the same, without 
Monthly Review of Literature, 
[Oct I, 
which, of course, no steam-vessel should 
be permitted to ply; and also to “ form 
a code of instructions,” as “‘a guide for 
the manufacturers, acting managers,’’ 
&c. He observes that, in. proportion 
“as confidence in steam-yessels increases, 
their effect on commerce will be more felt, 
and their use become more general,” Mr. 
T. particularly recommends the employ- 
ment, notwithstanding its greater expense, 
of malleable, in preference to cast-iron. 
In considering the disadvantages of steam 
navigation for commercial purposes, he- 
cause, “‘ when voyages are long, the quan- 
tity of fuel required leaves very little spare 
tonnage for goods.” Butit is suggested 
“ that, in process of time, they may ap- 
proximate to doing the same work with 
about two-thirds, or, perhaps, one-half of 
the fuel.”” In the mean time, the facilities 
of personal transit and communication are 
already greatly extended; the encourage- 
ment by the post-office expedites the in- 
tercourse with Ireland ; and the new Steam 
Company, sanctioned by Parliament, pro- 
poses ‘‘ from the port of Valentia, in the 
south-west of that country, a steam-vessel 
of a large class, to proceed to Halifax in 
Nova Scotia, and to New York, once a 
Sortnight ; and another every month by Ma~ 
deira and the Leeward Islands to Jamaica, 
returning by Bermuda and Fayal.”” 
Mr. T., in his “ Appendix, on arranging 
the speed of steam-vessels,” having de- 
monstrated, by a series of algebraical cal- 
culations, that the tonnage for the fuel must 
be proportioned to the velocity of the mo- 
tion, rather than to the time occupied in 
the voyage, concludes, that though for 
mere passage-vessels, the means for the 
swiftest transit should be consulted, yet 
where the conveyance of goods is the ob- 
ject, “ the velocity should be kept as low 
as the nature of the trade, &c. will admit :”’ 
for “if the velocity be doubled, the ton- 
nage for goods (by means of the requisite 
quantity of fuel) will be reduced to less 
than one-eighth of the quantity at the 
lower velocity.” 
A Key to Nicholson and Rowbotham’s 
Practical System of Algebra. By the 
Authors.—The merits of the work on 
Practical Algebra, by Messrs. Nicholson 
and Rowbotham, we have already noticed, 
with due praise, The authors have now 
completed the obligation on the public, by 
presenting it with a key to that book. All 
the solutions are worked at full length, . 
an inestimable advantage to the student, 
and one which no other work on the sub- 
ject will present him. We would call 
the reader’s attention more especially to 
the solutions of the biquadratic equations, 
&c. ; all the roots are worked out, whereas, 
in Bonnycastle and others, no more than 
one example is given. It would be only 
to repeat our commendations of the work 
itself to say more upon the key. Suffice it to 
add, that itis printed with the utmost cor- 
; rectness, 
