Russell Institution. 233 



gervation and active industry : for, wiihont an expressive 

 display of feelino;, the orator is, at best, but lifeless mar- 

 ble. From the writings of the ancients, we must suppose 

 them to have been complete masters of expression. 'J'hey 

 apj)ear to have felt themselves impressed with just notions of 

 the assistance afforded to their specimens, by duly appreciat- 

 ing and considering ihe passions as the secret springs of all 

 the actions of man. 



In conclusion, we think great praise is due to Mr. Wright 

 for his ingenious lectures, and from whose indefatioability 

 in this department of science many more highly insCructive 

 lessons may be justly anticipated. 



RUSSELL INSTITUTION. 



Geology/, 



On February 24th Mr. Robert Bakewell commenced a 

 course of lectures on the natuial history of the earth, and 

 its mineral productions, designed to illustrate the Geology 

 and Mineralogy of England. In the first lecture, after ad- 

 verting to the present slate of geological science, Mr. Bake- 

 well observed, that it might be considered in its infancy, 

 compared with the progress which other sciences had made 

 during the last 300 years; nor had it attracted much atten- 

 tion from landed proprietors who were most interested in 

 its advancement, their knowledge of the rocks, strata, or 

 ininerals on their ov.'n estates being in few instances sjreater 

 than that of their ancestors in the ruder periods of our hi- 

 story. All the substances no\v considered as simple, found 

 in the mineral kingdom, do not exceed fifty : with ncarlv 

 one half of these, Mr. Bakewell stated, we had only been 

 made acquainted during the last twenty or thirty years ; a 

 fact v/hich was itself alone sufficient to mark the infancy of 

 the science. 



The form, magnitude, and density of the eartli, and its 

 revolution on its axis, are the first objects of inquiry in the 

 natural history of our planet, connected with its internal 

 structure. The experiments and observations of Dr. Maskc- 

 lyne and Mr. Cavendish, relative to the density of the earth, 

 Mr. Bakewell observed, ditiered considerably in their re- 

 sults. From the recent corrections of professor Play fair, 

 who had ascertained the specific gravity of the stones form- 

 ing the mountain Shehallion on which Dr. Maskelyne's 

 observations had been made, it appeared that the density of 

 the earth, or the quantity of matter it contained, is nearly 

 five limes that of an equal bulk of water. Froni hence 



Mr. 



