26 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



fitted to encounter toil and endure fatigue, and hearts more suscep- 

 tible of being inspired with gratitude to " that universal Provi- 

 dence which watches over the seed time and matures the har- 

 vest." 



ON DRIFT AND THE CHANGES WHICH HAVE BEEN 



EFFECTED IN THE POSITION OF SOILS; Etc. 



[Communicated to the American Association of Geologists and Naturalists, May 

 1844, by one of the Editors.] 



Scarcely a more interesting or important fact has been brough 

 to light by geological research than this, that in the northern re 

 gions at least, there has been a general movement of all the loos 

 materials covering the surface of the earth. This movement is highl; 

 interesting from the consideration of the nature of that force b; 

 which it was effected, as it is by no means one of those ordinar 

 occurrences in the history of the earth, the precise and exact natur 

 of which geologists have not as yet been able to determine ; bf 

 sides, so wide and general was the movement that it involves in i' 

 consideration a force whose operation extended in this countr 

 from the base of the Rocky Mountains to the shores of the A , , 

 lantic. . W 



It is highly important, then, from the above considerations, th; 

 this movement which has influenced so widely the nature and fe 

 tility of the soils, has mixed and mingled them in proportions vei 

 different from what could have been effected by the slow and ordi' 

 nary operations of nature, should be fully understood. In son 

 instances those soils which were naturally barren have been carrief 

 and spread over those of a more fertile character; in other ij' 

 stances the latter have been spread over or mingled with tl 

 barren, so that probably upon the whole the general effects hav 

 been favorable to husbandry, and that upon a great scale, thei' 

 has been an equalization of benefits, or like all the great operatioi 

 of nature, the universal good has been effected by the instrume) 

 tality of general operation. Having alluded to the fact of mov 

 ments as indicated and proved by observations on every side, v' 

 may now state definitely one or two established points which great ' 



