APPENDIX. 407 



or on geology generally. I think, with you, that our countrymen 

 need illumination on the subject of Uutton's hypothesis, and I 

 wish some one would attempt it." 



Trap-Eocks of Europe and America. — " I suspect the green- 

 stone of our country, when examined as it ought to be, will be 

 found, in its geological relations, much to resemble the basalt of 

 Europe ; and that the same difficulties will attend it, on "Werner's 

 hypothesis, as now attend the basalt. Indeed, I know not how 

 we can account for what Bakewell and Macculloch state on this 

 hypothesis." 



Sandstone op Virginia. — "I have seen a piece of a petrified 

 tree, about eight inches through, found in the sandstone of Yir- 

 ginia, but could get none of it. The petrifaction was far finer 

 than the stone in which it lay, and was, like it, silex." 



Sandstone of Ohio. — C. Atwater, Esq., in a letter to the 

 author, observes: — 



"I can assure you that the finding of whole trees in sandstone 

 is nothing strange in this State. Some of these trees are im- 

 bedded in sandstone one hundred feet below the surface. Zanes- 

 ville and Gallipolis are the best spots to find these fossils. 



" There is no part of the tree but what I have in my cabinet, 

 not excepting theif leaves, fruit, and even fungi attached to them." 



MosAicAL History of the Creation. — B. Irvine, Esq., in 

 adverting to remarks on the Illinois fossil, observes: — 



" They may 5^et awaken some ideas in the minds of the people 

 on the wonders of physics — and I had almost said, the slow mira- 

 cles of creation; for, if ever there Avas a time when matter existed 

 not, it is pretty evident that raillions of years ^ instead of six days, 

 were necessary to establish order in chaos, let Cuvier, &c. tem- 

 porize as they may. Ilowever, it is the humble allotment of the 

 herd to believe or stare ; it is the glory of intelligent men to in- 

 quire and admire." 



The doctrine of materialism, adverted to by Mr. Irvine, it is 

 the province of divines to controvert. One remark may be pre- 

 dicted on the biblical era of the six days. It is now believed to 

 be generally conceded by eminent geologists and ecclesiastics, 

 that the term "day," employed by the translators of the English 

 version of the Scriptures, is used in Gen. ch. i. in a sense synony- 

 mous Avith "era" or "time," as it is emphatically used in Gen. 



