230 Prof. Silliman’s Address before the 
where my predilections inclined me to linger. But the prefer- 
ence for the aqueous over the igneous agencies gradually yielded 
to the force of accumulating evidence, until both views became 
combined in my mind into one harmonious whole. 
EARLY CONDITION OF GEOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES. 
Early after the establishment of the European colonies in North 
America, researches were undertaken for valuable minerals, chief- 
ly the ores of metals, and many remains of ancient diggings are 
found, which in general contributed as little to the advantage of 
the adventurers as of science. The records of our learned socie- 
ties, however, present a considerable number of papers, both of an 
earlier and later date, containing notices of facts in mineralogy 
and geology, and sometimes scientific speculations. In looking 
over the volumes of the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, 
we find, that 
Belknap wrote upon the White Mountains, 1784. Hutchins 
on the rock and cascade of the Youhigony, 1786. Franklin 
proposed a theory of the earth, 1793. Latrobe described free- 
stone quarries, 1807. Maclure gave a geological map in 1809. 
Gilmer gave a theory of the Natural Bridge in Virginia, 1816. 
Steinhauer elaborately described and figured several of our coal 
plants, 1818. Jefferson described the megalonyx, mastodon, &¢-, 
1818. Drake the valley of the Ohio, 1817, Gibson trap rocks 
in Pennsylvania, 1820. James the trap and sandstone of the 
west, 1821. Hayes described mastodon bones, 1834, Harlan 
the fossil bones of the tertiary, 1834.4 W.B. and H. D. Rogers 
the tertiary of Virginia, 1829. Clemson and Taylor the coal of 
Cuba, 1839. Lea the oolitic fossils of North America, &c., 1840. 
In the Transactions of the Boston Academy, we find— 
Belknap on vitriol and sulphur in New Hampshire, 1780. Gan- 
nett on a yellow mineral pigment, 1782. Webster on oil stone, 
1782. Lincoln on the geology of York river in Virginia, 178%: 
Gannett and Jones on the West River Mountain, 1783. Williams 
on €arthquakes, 1785. Baylies on Gay Head, Martha’s Vine- 
yard, 1786. _ Hitchcock on frogs found in the earth, 1789. . De- 
‘the minerals of New York, 1799. Fothergill on ice isl- 
Sh Godon on the minerals near Boston, 1807 and 1808. 
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