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LI. Letter to the Right Honoitralle the Countess of Gosford, 

 on the Similitude, and Difference, in the original Formation 

 of the Island of St. Helena, and the Basaltic Districts in the 

 County of Antrim; with the Similitudus and Differences of 

 the posterior Operations of Nature performed upon each. 

 By VV. Richardson, D.D:^ 



W HEN your ladyship peisuaiied me again to take up my geo- 

 logical pen ; and, as an inducement, permitted me to address my 

 speculations to yourself, I intended to have limited them to the 

 facts exhibited in our own country, part of which I had the 

 honour of showing to your ladyship. 



I then intended to proceed to the application of these facts, 

 and others within the reach of your own observation, to the 

 tlieories maintained by the Neptunian philosophers, to which 

 your ladyship had recalled my attention, through a recent pub- 

 lication of some celebrity. 



I find, however, that I cannot stop, but must avail myself of 

 your permission to carry your ladyship to more distant regions; 

 - — drawing general conclusions both from the magnificent scenes 

 I led you through, and from the corresponding features of a re- 

 mote island, exhibited on a still grander scale. 



The similarities of these countries so distant from each other, 

 and the facts establishing them, shall form the subject of the . 

 present letter: while the greater part of the next shall be limited 

 to the conclusions fairly drawn from them. But when rigid de- 

 monstration can no longer be obtained, i hope your ladyship will 

 excuse me for indulging my imagination, and wandering into thq 

 regions of probability, and even of conjecture. 

 I am, with much respect, 



Your ladyship's most obedient humble servant, 

 Clonfecle, Moy, May 31, isitj. W. RlCHARDSON, D.D. 



St. Helena. 

 It is now some years since my ingenious and philosophic friend 

 Dr. Macdonnel sent me a small volume he had lately received 

 from London, which bore strongly on a subject that had been 

 the topic of frequent discussions between us, and had given oc- 

 casion to some pleasaiit excursions which we made together, 

 with a view to examine with the greatest care and accuracy 

 the scenes where the objects connected with it were displayed 

 in the greatest abundance and to the best advantage. 



The little book was entitled "A Description of the Island of 

 St. Helena." It was written by a gentleman who spent some 

 weeks on that curious little spot on his return from India; and 

 * Cominuiiic^tcci by the Author, 



haci 



