Geological Travels in Hungary. 257 



It being the only* attempt that has yet been made on the 

 continent of Europe to make a geological map, it will serve 

 to show you the vast confusion and intricacy of the stratifi- 

 cation of the old continent ; how completely the different 

 classes of rocks are mixed and thrown out of their natural 

 positions ; and what labor it will require to place them un- 

 der any systematic arrangement.' It will enable you to 

 compare the fortunate regularity of the geology of our con- 

 tinent, and the ease with which the science can be studied 

 from the well defined boundaries which nature has given 

 to the difierent classes of rocks, running in the same direc- 

 tion, from one end of the continent to the other, having the 

 line of separation so distinct between the different rocks in 

 the limits of each class as to reduce to a certainty the place 

 that each occupies in the natural order. This results from 

 the fine opportunities afforded of examining the line of sep- 

 aration at every junction, through a distance of twelve to 

 fifteen hundred miles, by which means any observer can 

 obtain a more accurate knowledge of geology, in one year 

 in the United States, than he could in a long life spent in 

 travelling in any other part of the globe hitherto examined 

 and described. 



In the year 1815, six years after my geological map of 

 the United States was published, in the transactions of the 

 Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, Mr. Smith, I believe 

 under the patronage of Sir Joseph Banks, published a geo- 

 logical map of England, the nomenclature of which is to a 

 great extent composed of the local or vulgar names given to 

 rocks by the miners or quarry-men that wrought in them. 

 He likewise endeavored, like M. Beudant, to specify each 

 individual rock, in colors on the map — -a thing very difficult, 

 perhaps impossible to be done, with any degree of accuracy. 

 Since this, Mr. Greenough has published a geological map 

 of England, which I have not seen.f 



M. Beudant proves that the anthracite does not belong 

 to the primitive class, but seems to think it may belong to 

 the secondary. The regularity of our stratification places 



* Of a counlry, we presume that the -writer intends — for he is familiar 

 with Von Buch's description and map of the environs of Landeck— Bronjjni- 

 art's and Cuvier's, of the environs of Paris — Brongjniart's, of the Vicentin, 

 and numerous other local continental maps. (Editor.) 



1 1 have ordered a copy to be sent from London to the Geological Society 

 m New-Haven, 



Vol. Vn.—No. 2, 33 



