218 Prof, Silliman’s Address’ before the. | ‘ ; 
and their eternal snows—for such scenes are familiar, i ina greater 
or less degree, to some of those whom I have now the honor to” 
address. In the absence of similar opportunities of recent date, 
permit me to rally a few of the impressions of our science exist- — 
ing in my own mind, and to occupy a portion of the passing eve- 
ning in speaking to you— 
Of the dignity and importance of geology; of its object, means, - 
and ends ; of its progress and present condition, especially in the 
United States; of its desiderata and pie tooe ; and of some of 
the powers or dghinenice by which its results are produced. *. 
OF THE DIGNITY AND IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGY. . 
The planet on which we dwell is our birth-place—it is our’ 
eradle, and it will be our grave—the grave of our mortal bodies, - 
but not of ourimmortal minds. In the present life, it is the scene 
of our busy action—but we aspire to a better life in a brighter — 
cs 
world, where vicissitudes and death are unknown. These ex- 
_alted hopes we build on our religious faith, founded on the im- ~ 
tellectual and moral revelation which God has made to man. 
But our advancement in natural science is not dependent sae 
our faith. All-the problems of physical science are wo 
by labogigus, examination, and strict induction. If the ai is 
great, the reward is also rich. In this delightful exercise of our 
faculties, we attain high intellectual and moral advancement ; We ~ 
gratify our curiosity and regale our imaginations, by interesting © 
discoveries, while we constantly improve our condition, and ad- 
vance to the highest degrees of civilization and social puis 
eka, whether studied in the cabinet or in the feld, is 
always replete with interest. Founded on the sure basis of ob- 
servation, advancing year by year, in the development of new 
facts, it is, truly, a noble science, which is destined to advance 0 ~ 
the end of time. In grandeur, geology is inferior only to astron- 
omy ; but it is sutperior to it in its inexhaustible stores of tangible 
facts, diversified in all the profusion of creative power, and rising 
to our view in the form of the most astonishing revelations. AS 
tonomy is dependent upon one sense only, aided by telescopes, 
by the mathematics, and by geometry ; its objects, innumerable « 
indeed, are vast in magnitude, and placed at such i 
es that the mind is overwhelmed in the romney —_ 
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