1825.] Mr. Webster's Reply to Dr. Fitton. 49 



newly discovered analogies occupy our attention most, as bein^ 

 infinitely the most interesting; but afterwards, our eyes are 

 opened to the discrepancies, and these are also worthy of our 

 notice, as it is from the " facts alone " that we can draw rational 

 conjectures respecting the mode in which the strata have been 

 formed. 



I have now, I trust, prepared your readers for appreciating 

 Dr. Fitton's remark, that I had ventured to make an arrano-e- 

 ment of the strata of the Isle of Wight " without sufficient 

 examinatiou." It must be obvious to all experienced geologists, 

 that the character of a formation, or series of beds, should not 

 be drawn from any one spot, except that spot should contain the 

 whole series : any character drawn from an imperfect part of 

 the series must be liable to be corrected, when more is known. 

 But who can say that he is acquainted with the whole series of 

 beds in the great European basin, of which those of England 

 are certainly but a part \ and yet to delay making an arrange- 

 ment of the British strata until the rest of Europe should be 

 accurately examined, would be to neglect one of the very means 

 by which we hope to arrive at the truth. To heap facts upon 

 facts, without endeavouring to arrange them, would have excited 

 no interest. An attempt, therefore, at an arrangement, has 

 been made even at an early period in the progress of investiga- 

 tion, trusting that our successors, in making additions to the 

 science, would duly appreciate our zeal, take into their consi- 

 deration the progressive nature of knowledge, and correct our 

 errors with a gentle hand. After all, what is sufficient exami- 

 nation ? To some this question may appear to be easily 

 answered; but when we reflect upon the changes that are per- 

 petually making in the systems and arrangements of natural 

 history from the discovery of new facts, we must soon perceive 

 its difficulty. Few districts of England have been more fre- 

 quently visited and examined by geologists than that in ques- 

 tion ; and yet it appears not to be exhausted. 



With respect to myself, I can truly say that I have omitted no 

 opportunity, that my very limited means have allowed me, to 

 extend my inquiries, not only in this island, but on the opposite 

 side of the Channel. Since the period of my letters to Sir H. 

 Englefield, 1 have visited and examined, at my own expence, 

 the neighbourhood of Paris, in order to see if my conjectures 

 were well founded with respect to the analogies which 1 supposed 

 to exist between the upper beds of England and France ; and I 

 had, in the summer of 1823, in a tour over the ground we have 

 been examining, accompanied M. Brochant, Professor of Mine- 

 ralogy in the Ecole des Mines at J^aris, v/ho, with two of the 

 cleves of that establishment, had been sent by the French 

 Government to visit this country, and to verify the observations 



2Vew Series, vol.. ix. k 



