1814.] ow Transition Rocks. Ill 



on their weaker neighbours, and trying to make it be believed, that 

 the merits of the writer liave been fully considered Ifi the acute 

 arguments of the critic. This, although a most common practice, 

 is certainly not fair, nor should it ever be resorted to, where a 

 person wishes to have a subject fairly and candidly discussed. 



Dr. Grlerson seems to be offended at my stating that liie conclu- 

 sions of V\ erner are moic general than were warranted from the 

 circumscribed field to which he was confined ; and states that the 

 arrangement of that philpsoplier, provided the phenomena of iialure 

 are tonformahle to hisvieivs, is not to be rejected merely because 

 he never travelled beyond the boundaries of Germany. Surely 

 Dr. G. ought to have found out before now that the facts contained 

 in this very provision is what 1 contend against ; and he ought 

 likewise to know, that the phenomena of nature are in many 

 respects totally and entirely irreconcilcable to the theory of Werner; 

 so much so, indeed, th.at his own master, the pupil of Werner, has, 

 as a sacrifice due to common sense, been compelled to introduce 

 many alterations in the system he was tanglit at Freyberg. 



Dr. Grierson then proceeds to draw a comparison between the 

 meiits of Dr. Hutton and Professor Werner ; a comparison quite 

 uncalled for by any thing that appeared in my paper. But if he 

 wishes to know my opinion of tliese two great men, I will frankly 

 tell liim, tliat as a mineralogist or a practical geologist, Hutton was 

 by many degrees inferior to Wei ner ; but as a jjlulosoplier, he was 

 infinitely his superior,* — the hypotheses of the one being founded 

 on observation and pure philosophic induction ; while those of the 

 other have originated in a clumsv contrivance, totally unauthorised 

 by all the great features in nature, from which aloue we can pos- 

 sibly draw legitimate conclusions. 



Dr. Grierson feels displeajcd that I should have touclied upoQ 

 the " fetters " by which the pupils of his favourite school seem to 

 be spell-bound. He will not, iiowever, persuade me, that any 

 thing else can reasonably account for a man gravely teaching tlie 

 aqueous formation of pumice and obsidian. 



He next attempts to make it appear that I am very ignorant of 

 the subject 1 have undertaken to discuss. He states, that because 

 I knew tin and wolfram occurred in Cornwall, therefore the granite 

 of Cornwall must be tiie oldest granite. It will occur, 1 think, to 

 any other reader, that that circumstance is not the only one that led 

 me to this conclusion, and that 1 gave it only as a collateral evi- 

 dence, drawn from the writings of Professor Jameson, in support 

 of other authority which the Doctor found it convenient to pass 

 over in silence, leaving his reader to conjecture that none else 



• I wish Mr. AU.in had stated Iiit<» what he mpans hy philoaophcr. As far as (he 

 iiidiirtive pliiloophy (if liacoii it coiircrnrd, t'.io term r.iniiot br applied lo 

 lluttou's ipcruluiions iit all, lie bii^un by t'onniii; an iiyfioilu'sis, »ud (Lcn coU' 

 •ullcd Datiirp nirri-ly t» obtain proofs of his opiiiiuiis. Werner'a coiu'lii^iDns are 

 all inductions from i)bs«;rv.-itioii. Tliey can bi' concct only as far ■** Werner liud 

 au opportuiiily of making correct obstrvatlcns. — T. 



