COURSE SELECTED MR. CROSS'S EXPERIMENTS. 115 



although slow in progress, is at least guarded by circumspec- 

 tion, and must in the end lead to the top of the pyramid. 



The only objection that can be advanced against an unde- 

 viating adherence to this process is, the period required for its 

 operation, that if in our pursuits so far on our journey a PROS- 

 PECT has presented itself indicating, from the DATA ALREADY 

 OBTAINED, that it is not longer needful to restrict ourselves 

 further in the outworks, but that the way is now open (equal 

 to the great Western Railway), and by the TRAIN of extraor- 

 dinary and astounding discoveries of recent development, we 

 may be at once conveyed equally safe by a course of projection 

 by which we can attain the desired TERMINUS, with much 

 greater celerity, why not let some of the DARING amongst us 

 attempt the achievement ? 



To those friends of science who are so disposed, I beg with 

 deference to submit this theory with the analogous, presump- 

 tive, collateral, and direct evidences with which it is accom- 

 panied not for its ESTABLISHMENT, but (as I have before 

 repeated) its RIGOROUS INVESTIGATION, with the assured hope 

 that some little benefit may be derived from the discussion. 



The experiments of Mr. Cross have been productive ^ great 

 benefit: they have elicited inquiry and have called the attention 

 of many scientific gentlemen to the THEORY of the formation of 

 metallic depositions, by the agencies of electricity, in the con- 

 stant exercise of the unceasing Voltaic apparatus* of nature, 

 under the providential control of that Divine Power, the Author 

 of all good. 



Some ill-founded sceptical objections have, I believe, been 

 very inconsiderately raised on the subject of the latter experi- 

 ments of Mr. Cross, in reference to the accidental production 

 of ANIMALCULE, from such materials as he has applied, in so 

 much as they have ever been considered hitherto in direct oppo- 

 sition to the support, as well as to the formation, of bodies in 



* To Mr. Children, F.R.S., is justly due the honor of having- formed the 

 first Voltaic battery of great magnitude in England. 



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