110 Ajmuer to Dr. Grierson's Observations [Fe*. 



observations, which are delivered in a way so tiiisuilable to the 

 estimation in wliich he is held by them ; and as some of these had 

 lonir bei'ore n ached me from another quarter, I am satisfied that 

 tiiesentiinents contained in his paper are not all, originally at 

 least, his own. Besides, the circumstance of your having been 

 pressed by some gentlemen in this place to insert my paper, and 

 yoor doing so witiiuiit giving me the slightest intimation, is a clear 

 proof to me that Dr. Grierson is not the only one who was engaged 

 in drawing up tiie communication which bears his name.* 



Your having inserted that paper, and thereby paved the way for 

 Dr. Giiei-son's communication, afforded me an opportunity which 

 might have been of extreme utility, as it conveyed sofne veiy 

 pointed criticisms on a paper vvhicii is not even yet published, and 

 which 1 most certainly would have altered, had I found on exami- 

 nation that any part of it had in the slightest degree been shaken 

 by his observations, or that I had committed any of those mistakes 

 so lavishly attributed to me. This, however, 1 found no occasion 

 to do. an<! it was my intention to have overlooked Dr. Grierson 

 entirely, had j-ou not done me tiie favour to notice the same subject 

 in your Numbers for October and November. 



To you I am greatly obliged for the confirmation you have 

 afforded some of my opinions. But, in the first place, I shall 

 discuss Dr. Grierson's ohser. ations. 



The object of tliis gentleman's paper has been to throw discredit 

 upon mine, by ciiarging me with wilful misconception, with igno- 

 rance, and presuiuption ; language which will produce a very 

 opp>^site effect from tliai intended by the writer. His style, how- 

 ever, it is not my intention to comment upon. 



It has generally been observed, that it is much easier to find de- 

 focls in a s-ytem than to Invent a better one. The reason is evident, 

 because if it contains any incontrovertible points, it is sufficient to 

 overlook fhem and consign them to oblivion, by descanting solely 



• I think it necessary to set Mr. Allan right with reheard to this statement, which 

 is not quite coircot. Trereivcd the paper m question fionc Mr. Aliaii, enclosed in 

 a bbuili co,e!. As I had been ia the h. bit myself of sending i)rinted papers in 

 that W1V to t!ip t.ondoi) Journals, and as they had always been immediately 

 printed, I took it for gr-intcd that Mr. Allan's object in lending his priper was to 

 have it instni;! iu the ^nr.xh .f Pl.ilosophy. At the same time 1 was rather 

 UMwillins; to print it, because 1 fmesaiT (hat it v.-ouLt lead to a '-ontroversy, which 

 I wa- anxious to avoid. Ou liiat account I laeatioried the circai:<--tance to several 

 gcntl.^men, in order io obt.ii.n their opinion. Aaiorj others, I mentioned ilto Mr. 

 Greenoiij;!! and Mr, Robert Bruwn. iMr, Greeoouj^h advised me not to print the 

 piiper, for fz^nr.i whicri it is not necessary tr, mention. AIJ the other genllemen 

 tuid me that, i" I withlidd it, ftjr. Allan "wuuld accuse me of partinliiy, and of 

 cxcludinj; all geological paj)ers 'yriUen on a ceriaiii side. This opinion deter- 

 liiir.ed T.e to ins. rt the piper <n the next \umber of the Annal-i of Phdusvph^. I 

 conduit*'.! on ti'e jobje.i. two gentlemen in Edinburgh; but neither iSIr. Jameson 

 nji- Dr. GrioiiOii -.vas o» fh»* piimber. As M'". Jameson was directly, and I 

 th)ni;:ht ind\.-:.»-e ip'y, a'tacited '•<\ Mr. Allaii'> paper, I was nwaie that he would 

 a:i.! i:i<Ioi*d rcTiid rive m? jiily ..ne advifc on the subiect, namely, to piint the 

 pape.-. A; the lime the pnper was. pii|>lis:ied I did not kfiovr that Dr. Grierson had 

 turned his attontiou to geological sul>jccts, adu therefore did not think sf cou- 

 lultiog hiui. — T. 



6 



