154 The Founders of Geology LECT. 



culture and knowledge of the world than were usual in 

 their society, and displaying a playful humour and liveli- 

 ness of manner which must have made his companionship 

 extremely pleasant. Probably not one of the lairds and 

 farmers in the South of Scotland, who met him at kirk 

 and market, had the least suspicion that this agreeable 

 neighbour of theirs was a man of surpassing genius, who at 

 that very time, amidst all the rural pursuits in which he 

 seemed to be absorbed, was meditating on some of the 

 profoundest problems in the history of the earth, and was 

 gathering materials for such a solution of these problems 

 as had never before been attempted. 



The sal ammoniac manufacture had proved successful, 

 and from 1765 Hutton became a regular co-partner in it. 

 His farm, now brought into excellent order, no longer 

 afforded him the same interest and occupation, and eventu- 

 ally he availed himself of an opportunity of letting it to 

 advantage. He determined about the year 1768 to give 

 up a country life and establish himself in Edinburgh in 

 order that, with uninterrupted leisure, he might devote 

 himself entirely to scientific pursuits. 



The Scottish capital had not yet begun seriously to 

 suffer from the centripetal attractions of London. It 

 was the social centre of Scotland, and retained within its 

 walls most of the culture and intellect of that ancient 

 kingdom. Hutton, from his early and close connec- 

 tion with Edinburgh, had many friends there, and, on 

 his return for permanent residence, was received at once 

 into the choicest society of the town. One of his most 

 intimate associates was Dr. Joseph Black, the famous 

 chemist to whom we owe the discovery of carbonic acid. 



