160 Maclure^s Letters. 



ed by the mutation of names introduced into theories, by 

 the mixture and confusion of the three classes of Neptunian 

 rocks 5 some denominating secondary, what 1 termed transi- 

 tion, and calHng secondary a great part of what I call allu- 

 Tial. It is probable that the whole of those three great 

 classes of Neptunian rocks was in the state of alluvial, before 

 cement, affinity, attraction, or some other agent that nature 

 may have employed to bring them into their present state, 

 had consolidated them. 



I have never observed any extensive similarity in alluvial 

 or diluvial (as it is the fashion of the day to call them) for- 

 mations, but have rather remarked that every alluvial basin 

 seems to have arisen from the situation of rocks in its vi- 

 cinity. 



The strong appetite which all animals have for licking 

 salt, nitre, &c. found in most caves, naturally accounts for 

 their bones "being deposited there." 



Improvements in Education — ^Infant Schools — Mechanical 

 Institutions — Cheap Publications — Mr. Phiquepal — Mr. 

 Oweti,^'C. 



I have been much gratified with the progress of civiliza- 

 tion, in all those parts of the British dominions which I have 

 lately visited, and anticipate much pleasure in finding still 

 greater improvements, both moral and physical with you,. 

 for there were only two things worth our imitating, viz. 

 Infant Schools, Mechanical Institutions for teaching the 

 young men and apprentices the application of the sciences 

 to the useful arts, and their cheap periodical publications 

 for the industrious productive classes. These are sold at 

 from !</. to Sd. per No., of one sheet of letter press, and 

 they teem from the press every week, in editions of 100,000 

 at a time, with more common sense, and useful information, 

 than would have been found circulating 50 years ago in the 

 most highly cultivated and scientific societies. Infant 

 Schools are an excellent improvement, and a great benefit 

 to society, and that even although they do not here learn 

 them any thing suitable to their years, or the utility of which 

 can possibly be understood by the children ; but the congre- 

 gating of them together in schools of 2 or 300, learns ob- 

 servers how much can be done with children, and at how 



