Preface, iii 



by the influx of distant articles of trade or consumption, are en- 

 tirely groundless. Although interferences may occur whilst pub- 

 lic improvements are progressing, they will gradually diminish; 

 and when the communication with the western waters shall be 

 completed, the transportation will be engaged chiefly in arti- 

 cles found in the earth, or manufactured from minerals and 

 other subterraneous supplies, whereof our country affords inex- 

 haustible abundance. 



This exuberant plenty of raw materials, particularly coal and 

 iron, will raise up factories, which will increase population, 

 and invite new settlers in our forests, and countries bordering 

 upon them. Thus the cultivators of the soil, in those regions, 

 will find markets at their doors, sufficient to require the great 

 proportion of their products. This will supersede the necessity 

 of conveying them to our city; and give to those in its vicinity 

 every demand for ?AezV produce, which they can reasonably desire. 



But, in fact the low prices of esculents which have hereto- 

 fore been the objects of Commerce^ are attributable to the pre- 

 sent state of the civilized world. Our extra supplies are not 

 essential, as they have been, to other nations. We must look 

 at home for consumption. \f farmers must change the objects 

 of culture, merchanU will change the channels and objects of 

 trade. ^Agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, are sympa- 

 thetic ; and accommodate their plans to suit each other. Coal 

 and iron will, ere long, become objects of export, in addition 

 to commodities manufactured from these and other materials. 

 No country on the globe has, in these respects, more promising 

 prospects of advantages, than are those now only dawning upon 

 us. 



This is not the place to enter into the necessary discussions 

 on that subject. It i& only now required to call on our farmers 

 to begin their plans for future operations in husbandry, so as 

 to accommodate them to the change, which circumstances will 

 inevitably produce. 



The benefit* which will be received by the farmers, within 

 the limits of an exploration we have deemed it practicable for 

 us to make, have induced the Society, at a considerable expense, 

 chiefly out of our own personal funds, to procure a Geological 

 Survey of the lands comprehended within the segment of a cir- 

 cle, whereof the rotunda, or late water-works in High-Street 



B 



