﻿lY. 
  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTORY 
  REMARKS. 
  

  

  Addressed, 
  as 
  the 
  present 
  report 
  is, 
  mainly 
  to 
  those 
  

   engaged 
  in 
  agricultural 
  pursuits 
  — 
  a 
  class 
  which, 
  how- 
  

   ever 
  intelligent 
  or 
  educated, 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  disparagement 
  to 
  

   suppose, 
  in 
  common 
  with 
  many 
  others, 
  not 
  deeply 
  

   versed 
  in 
  the 
  principles 
  of 
  geology, 
  or 
  conversant 
  with 
  

   its 
  teachings 
  — 
  a 
  familiar 
  style, 
  and 
  an 
  avoidance 
  of 
  

   technicalities 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  practicable, 
  will 
  obviously 
  be 
  

   regarded 
  as 
  most 
  appropriate. 
  

  

  Whilst 
  scientific 
  details 
  will, 
  therefore, 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  

   measure, 
  be 
  omitted, 
  explanations 
  will, 
  to 
  some 
  extent, 
  

   be 
  unavoidable, 
  which, 
  to 
  the 
  well-read 
  and 
  practised 
  

   geologist, 
  would 
  seem 
  commonplace 
  and 
  unnecessary. 
  

  

  This 
  earth 
  is 
  not 
  composed, 
  as 
  some 
  may 
  suppose, 
  of 
  

   a 
  heterogeneous 
  and 
  chance 
  agglomeration 
  of 
  rocks 
  and 
  

   minerals 
  ; 
  but 
  these 
  are 
  found 
  distributed 
  through 
  the 
  

   different 
  strata 
  with 
  an 
  order 
  and 
  consistency 
  that 
  indi- 
  

   cates 
  design, 
  and 
  a 
  conformity 
  with 
  fixed 
  laws. 
  

  

  These 
  laws, 
  properly 
  understood, 
  present 
  the 
  only 
  safe 
  

   guide 
  to 
  those 
  who 
  engage 
  in 
  exploring 
  the 
  earth's 
  crust 
  

   for 
  its 
  treasures. 
  

  

  Apart 
  from 
  the 
  speculations 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  composition 
  of 
  

  

  