576 Correspondence — George Greemvood. 



coE.E.EisiE'oisriDE nsrcE - 



PBOFESSOK BONNEY AND THE LATE COLONEL GEORGE 

 GEEENWOOD.' 



Sir, — la justice to the memory of one who has been long departed, 

 but a former writer in the Geological Magazine, I trust you will 

 allow me to enter a strong protest in your pages against the manner 

 in which Professor Bonney has treated the work of my uncle, the 

 late Colonel George Greenwood, in the book he has recently published 

 under the title of The Work of Hain and Rivers, one of the Cambridge 

 Manuals of Science and Literature. 



Colonel George Greenwood published his work, Rain and Rivers, 

 in 1857, at a time when geological opinion had by no means 

 emancipated itself from the doctrines and dogmas of the cataclysmic 

 and catastrophic school. He was one of the very first to argue in 

 support of the " doctrine of continuity", maintaining that the present 

 aspect of the globe is due to causes still at work, and which have 

 been acting for an immeasurable period of time. He was, in fact, 

 a pioneer of the doctrine of "evolution in the organic world". 

 It was, therefore, with great appropriateness and entire justice 

 that the late Mr. Mackintosh styled liim " the father of modern 

 sub-aerialism" (Geol. Mag., 1876, p. 572). 



I maintain, therefore, that Colonel George Greenwood is entitled 

 to very honourable mention in the history of geological thought. 

 But how is he treated by Professor Bonney? The Professor first 

 damns him with faint praise, and then dismisses him with a quotation 

 from some unknown 'reviewer' in the Geological Magazine of 

 1867 (p. 412). Professor Bonney, on p. 132, further says: "It 

 was not until 1862 that the work of rivers in the excavation of 

 valleys was placed beyond question in our own country. For this we 

 are indebted to ... J. B. Jukes ..." I should be the last to 

 underrate the debt which is owing to the memory of Mr. Jukes, but 

 what did Professor Jukes say himself in 1863 of Colonel Greenwood's 

 book? He alludes to it as "an excellent little work called. Rain 

 and Rivers ... in which the atmospheric origin of all river valleys 

 is advocated in the clearest and most convincing style". 



In view of all this (and much more evidence to the same effect 

 could be adduced), I venture to say that Professor Bonney does very 

 great injustice to the memory of the author of a most clearly 

 reasoned and original work. I can only appeal to you, sir, in the 

 interest of historical accuracy, to give this letter a place in the 

 Geological Magazine, and to Professor Bonney to eliminate a passnge 

 as ungenerous as it is unjust from the second edition of his Manual. 

 Meanwhile, if this letter could but induce some geological students of 

 to-day to read for themselves the pages of Rain and Rivers, they will, 

 I am confident, recognize the justice of the claim which I make on 

 behalf of a remarkable book. George Greenwood. 



House of Commons. 

 November 19. 



^ [Owing to want of space it has been found necessary to greatly abridge 

 Mr. Greenwood's letter.— Ed. Geol. Mag.] 



