h. I.] ATTENTION RETURNING TO IT. 5 



his known character, but also from the estimation in which 

 he holds this department. " The inferior stratified rocks," 

 he observes, " may not at first sight be so attractive as the 

 contemplation of the varied forms of organic life, and the 

 probable conditions under which it may have existed ; but it 

 will, nevertheless, be found equally, if not more, delightful 

 as the enquirer obtains more certain results, from the in- 

 vestigation being conducted through the medium of the exact 

 sciences." * 



Under the circumstance, therefore, of the returning at- 

 tention of geologists to this long neglected branch of the 

 science, my labours may now meet with a more favour- 

 able reception than they would have some years ago, when 

 the study of the granitic formations was regarded as an un- 

 profitable pursuit, the riches of which had been exhausted. 

 And it is hoped that the details here collected may prove 

 instructive to the student, by conveying a more accurate 

 idea of the nature of the primary rocks than he has, hitherto, 

 been able to obtain : and they may not, perhaps, be altogether 

 unacceptable even to the experienced geologist, as they may 

 serve to call to his recollection, and to place in one point of 

 view, many scattered and insulated facts, which can scarcely 

 fail to appear more luminous by the concentration of their 

 diverging and individually feeble rays into one narrow and 

 well-defined focus. 



It has always been kept in view as an important object, to 

 preserve these details as free as possible from all hypothesis : 

 but the language of the science is, in many instances, so en- 

 grafted and founded on theoretical speculations that it could 

 not be always accomplished; for, in some cases, the pub- 

 lished descriptions would not admit of translation into less 

 exceptionable language without the risk of perverting the 

 author's meaning, or of incurring the imputation of mis- 

 representing facts. 



* Geological Manual, 8vo. p. 432. 

 B 3 



