Geology of England and Wales, ^/-c." 205 



gling with almost every difficulty, and producing as the re- 

 sult ofa life of laborious, self denying effort, asingle volume, 

 which, in the opinion of the world, placed its author among 

 the candidates for Bedlam ; we now find in the " crystal 

 hunter," many a Reverend, and many a Right Honourable: 

 while numerous respectable societies, pour forth their 

 splendid annual, and semiannual quartos, rich with subter- 

 ranean intelligence. So rapidly do facts accumulate, so im- 

 perfect are the former definitions found to be, so many old 

 principles are overturned, and so many splendid hypotheses 

 exploded, that it is hardly safe for a geologist in this coun- 

 try, who has not a very direct communication with London 

 or Paris, and wlio has not read the European Jour-nals of 

 the preceding quarter, it is hardly safe for such an one to 

 describe a geological fact, if he would not stand corrected 

 for ignorance in the next review. And even if all things be 

 favourable, he cannot be without some well grounded fear, 

 that the next arrival from Europe will throw all his efforts 

 into oblivion 



In this country, geological science was not commenced 

 until a period still later than in Europe. Most of those, 

 who bore the heat and burthen of the day of its introduction, 

 still live and continue to devote their talents and fortunes to 

 the promotion of their favourite science. By one of these, 

 a few years ago, (18 '8) the following testimony was given. 

 " Only fifteen years since, it was a matter of extreme diffi- 

 culty to obtain, among ourselves, even the names of the most 

 common stones and minerals;- and one might enquire ear- 

 nestly, and long before he could find any one to indentify 

 even quartz, feldspar, or hornblende, among ihe simple min- 

 erals; or granite, porphyry, or trap, among the rocks. 

 We speak from, experience, and well remember with what 

 impatient, but almost despairing curiosity, v;e eyed the 

 bleak, and naked ridges, which impended over the val- 

 lies and plains that were the scenes of our youthful excur- 

 sion." (Introductory discourse to the Am Jour.) 



But notwithstanding the little encouran^ement to such 

 pursuits afforded by our country, at the period above allu- 

 ded to, the zeal of such men as Maclure, Mitchell, 

 Gibbs, Bruce, Cleaveland, Silliman, Waterhouse, and 

 Seybert, who led the van in this effort to conquer the 

 rocks, and what was worse, the indifference, preju- 



