534 The History of Mr. Stniilis Invesll^alionS 



lisk Geology, against the theoretical pretensions of an Anglo^ 

 German Geognosy, which has too high and proudlyraised its in- 

 tolerant head amonest us. 



From the year 1791, or earlier, Mr. Smith possessed verv su- 

 perior opportunities for, ai^d began assiduously to apply himself 

 to the prnctical comparison of, the vndergroirnd measures or 

 Strata of extensive and deep Collieries, witli the surfaces or bas- 

 sets of these same Strata; and he succeeded, in tracing and 

 mapping these surfaces and those of other strata lieing below 

 and above them in the scries, to a considerable extent, in con- 

 nection, for considerable distances around Bath and Bristol ; 

 and iu 1794, having htid the opportunity of travelling with a 

 Committee of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company, through 

 all the principal Coal districts of England, almost to the borders 

 of Scotland, his discovery was completed, as to the same order 

 of superposition, the same general features, and the same organic 

 remains, accompanying each stratum, v.'ith which he had made 

 liimsclf accjuainted near Batli, ihrcugu the whole of their defna- 

 Lle course across the hbiwi. 



Immediately from this time fvlr. S. resolved on t!ie design, of 

 extending his Map cirouud Bath and Bristol, to the whole of 

 Ungland and Wales, and as much of Scotland as he might be 

 able ; to which Map, during its progress, as well as to his grow- 

 ing Collection of marked Specimens of each stratum and its im- 

 ledded extraneous Fossils, his friends bad the m.ost free access, 

 and whereby several scores of Persons in the West of England, 

 and other parts, had every facility given them, of becoming 

 thoroughly acquainted with the subject, before I had the good 

 fortune to hear of Mr. S. or his pursuits, in the year 1800; 

 and yet it has since appeared, that few if any one, of my pre- 

 sent scientific acquaintances, had heard of NIr. Smith, before 

 myself. Such is the difficulty opposed to merit alone^ bringing 

 a man into notice. 



Mr. Smith's liberality in communicating his discoveries even 

 went so far, as to draw up, at aFriend's house, in the year 1799, 

 a List of all the principal Strata of England*, with the names 

 he had adopted for each, in their ascertained order, with tlie 

 most characteristic Rcliquia of each, their several effects in pro-' 

 ducing springs of water, and a pretty copious list of the quarries 

 and places, best adapted for examining each of these strata: 

 ot this List he gave some copies at the time to his Friends pre- 

 sent, and they from time to time multiplied acd distributed 



/ 



• Ljist Sunday Eyening (Aijril 80) Mr. S. exhibited at Sir Joseph Banks's 

 Ctmverzarione^ an exact tcpy'oftlii? Jl;i« cr.gin?,l Lijt of Strata, and intends 

 t'( publisii ilxi e-iine, 



them. 



