The Earth and its Early History 



knowledge of and utilize these forces for our comfort 

 and well-being, but how many of us take any pains to 

 study them, so that we may fit ourselves to discover new 

 principles and turn them to novel uses for the benefit of 

 ourselves and our neighbours. 



Though it is, or should be, the object of every worker 

 in science to add something new to his subject, and on 

 that account to have his chief interest in the present and 

 future states of his study and in its practical applications 

 to everyday needs, it is sometimes entertaining and even 

 profitable to study the ideas of past workers in our 

 field, so that we may beware of the modes of thought 

 which led them into error, avoid the dogmas and 

 superstitions which sometimes caused them to halt on 

 the verge of great discoveries and to reject great prin- 

 ciples since proved to be true, and to be stimulated by a 

 contemplation of perseverance and singleness of purpose 

 of some of the great masters, under the most dis- 

 advantageous circumstances, to a better use of 

 the great opportunities which they have handed 

 down to us. 



From very early times speculations with regard to 

 the origin of the Earth and of the features which vary 

 its surface have been brought forward and discussed, 

 though Geology as an exact science is one of the 

 youngest of the sisterhood. Indeed, a little over one 

 hundred years ago this branch of science had no accepted 

 name. 



The earliest forerunner of the science of Geology 

 was what is generally known as cosmogony, a term 

 used to indicate the wild and often baseless speculations 

 of dogmatists with regard to the origin of the world and 



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