1846.] Progressive Changes of Matter. 219 



the material world. The animal races appear to have been 

 brought within the control of man; the air became pure and 

 wholesome, and new species of trees and plants now became use- 

 ful to man. What could he do to distinguish himself without 

 being associated with the present condition of things? What 

 could he do in this climate without the forest, the metallic ores 

 and the mineral substances? All these are more fully appreci- 

 ated in this age of continents; and appear to be well calculated 

 to mature the labors of his mind. We can therefore look upon 

 every new continent as bringing forward a new order of things. 

 Here we trace those two progressive lines of mind and matter, 

 until they centre in one point, and exclaim with the poet: 



" From harmony, from heavenly harmony, 



This universal frame began ; 



From harmony to harmony, 



Through all the compass of the notes it ran, 



The diapason closing full in man." 



In contemplating the changes that have taken place in the 

 succession of continents, the two immediately preceding are ne- 

 cessarily the most prominent and the most interesting to us. In 

 almost every location we see rocky formations, termed aqueous 

 rocks, distinguished from the primary by that name. In some 

 districts of country they lie near the surface, but are more gene- 

 rally seen by an out-crop upon the hill-side and upon the banks 

 of water-courses. Spread over these formations of rock is a loose 

 material (that is not indurated) called drift, from the fact that it 

 appears to have been driven along the surface. This drift mate- 

 rial is composed of the fragments and disin'egration of rocks, 

 and for us it is highly important to consider, for on it " we live 

 and move and have our being." To interest the eye and engage 

 the hand we are surrounded by this material in all possible forms 

 and composition; the massive clays, the banks of sand, and the 

 piles of gravel. To have brought matter to its present condition, 

 there must have been a gigantic force employed. In contem- 

 plating the forces that were actiqe formerly, in removing matter 

 from one locality to another, we have the most prominent views 



