KNOWLEDGE OF EARTH STRUCTURE 163 



The complex border relations, but more particularly 

 certain academic hypotheses, led to a period of misunder- 

 standing and retrogression in regard to the nature of 

 granites. It constitutes an interesting illustration of 

 the possibility of a wrong theory leading interpretation 

 astray, chiefly through the magnification of minor into 

 major factors. This history illustrates the dangers of 

 qualitative science as compared to quantitative, of a 

 single hypothesis as matched against the method of mul- 

 tiple working hypothesis. This flux of opinion in regard 

 to the nature of granites may be traced through the vol- 

 umes of the Journal. 



E. Hitchcock in 1824 (6, 12) noted that in places gran- 

 ite appeared bedded, but in other places existed in veins 

 which cut obliquely across the strata. Silliman, although 

 careful not to deny the aqueous origin of some basalts, 

 yet held that the field evidence of New England indicates 

 for that region the igneous or Huttonian origin of trap 

 and granite (7, 238, 1824). 



In 1832 the following article by Hitchcock appeared in 

 the Journal (22, 1, 70) : 



Eeport on the Geology of Massachusetts ; examined under the 

 direction of the Government of that State, during the years 

 1830 and 1831 ; by Edward Hitchcock, Prof, of Chemistry and 

 Natural History in Amherst College. 



A footnote adds that this is " published in this Journal by 

 consent of the Government of Massachusetts, and intended to 

 appear also in a separate form, and to be distributed among the 

 members of the Legislature of the same State, about the time 

 of its appearance in this work. It is, we believe, the first exam- 

 ple in this country, of the geological survey of an entire State." 



This article includes a geological map of the state and 

 covers the subject of economic geology. The report 

 brought forth the following remarks from a French 

 reviewer in the Revue Encyclopedique, Aug. 1832, quoted 

 in the Journal (23, 389, 1833) : 



"A single glance at this report, is sufficient to convince any 

 one of the utility of such a work, to the state which has under- 

 taken it ; and to regret that there is so very small a part of the 

 French territory, whose geological constitution is as well known 

 to the public, as is now the state of Massachusetts. France has 

 the greater cause to regret her being distanced in this race by 



