APPENDIX. 367 



preceded by many millions of centuries the appearance of 

 Man upon the earth. These results, however marvellous 

 they may appear, are based upon such solid proofs, that 

 they may be regarded as much more certain than many 

 portions of Greek and Roman history. M. de Beaumont 

 has not limited himself to the establishment of the 

 principles which have led to these consequences. He 

 has added to their demonstration by numerous memoirs 

 which have appeared in different publications, amongst 

 others in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Bulletin de 

 la Societe Geologique de France and the Annales des 

 Mines. He has also published an abstract of his funda- 

 mental views, first in an elaborate article in the Diction- 

 naire Universel d'Histoire Naturelle, and subsequently in 

 a special work, which was more particularly intended to 

 show their mathematical application. Finally, M. de 

 Beaumont has commenced the publication of a work which 

 is not yet completed, entitled Traite General de Geologic. 

 The theory first advanced by M. Elie de Beaumont in 

 reference to the formation of Etna, has given rise to 

 much controversy among geologists. We shall, however, 

 follow the views which he advanced in the memoir to 

 which we have already referred. We shall have no 

 difficulty in justifying our adherence to his theory, for 

 this distinguished geologist was the first to recognise a 

 great number of important facts, resulting from the ex- 

 amination of Etna, and which had escaped the notice of 

 his predecessors. Our own observations fully accord 

 with the deductions which he has drawn from his inves- 

 tigations. The exactness of these observations is farther 

 confirmed by the magnificent work of the German 

 geologist, Sartorius von Waltershausen, who devoted 

 six years to the study of this volcano, and who has 

 published a minutely detailed map of the mountain, 

 which is accompanied by drawings of the greatest exact- 



