230 Prof. Silliman's Address before the 



where my predilections inclined me to linger. But the prefer- 

 ence for the aqueous over the igneous agencies gradually yielded 

 to the force of accumulating evidence, until both views became 

 combined in my mind into one harmonious whole. 



EARLY CONDITION OF GEOLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Early after the establishment of the European colonies in North 

 America, researches were undertaken for valuable minerals, chief- 

 ly the ores of metals, and many remains of ancient diggings are 

 found, which in general contributed as little to the advantage of 

 the adventurers as of science. The records of our learned socie- 

 ties, however, present a considerable number of papers, both of an 

 earlier and later date, containing notices of facts in mineralogy 

 and geology, and sometimes scientific speculations. In looking 

 over the volumes of the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, 

 we find, that 



Belknap wrote upon the White Mountains, 1784. Hutchins 

 on the rock and cascade of the Youhigony, 1786. Franklin 

 proposed a theory of the earth, 1793. Latrobe described free- 

 stone quarries, 1807. Maclure gave a geological map in 1809.* 

 Gilmer gave a theory of the Natural Bridge in "Virginia, 1816. 

 1/ Steinhauer elaborately described and figured several of our coal 

 plants, 1818. Jeff"erson described the megalonyx, mastodon, &c., 

 1818. Drake the valley of the Ohio, 1817. Gibson trap rocks 

 in Pennsylvania, 1820. James the trap and sandstone of the 

 west, 1821. Hayes described mastodon bones, 1834. Harlan 

 the fossil bones of the tertiary, 1834.f W. B. and H. D. Rogers 

 the tertiary of Virginia, 1839. Clemson and Taylor the coal of 

 Cuba, 1839. Lea the oolitic fossils of North America, &c., 1840. 



In the Transactions of the Boston Academy, we find — 



Belknap on vitriol and sulphur in New Hampshire, 1780. Gan- 

 nett on a yellow mineral pigment, 1782. Webster on oil stone, 

 1782. Lincoln on the geology of York river in Virginia, 1783. 

 Gannett and Jones on the West River Mountain, 1783. Williams 

 on earthquakes, 1785. Baylies on Gay Head, Martha's Vine- 

 yard, 1786. Hitchcock on frogs found in the earth, 1789. He- 

 witt on the minerals of New York, 1799. Fothergill on ice isl- 

 ands, 1809. Godon on the minerals near Boston, 1807 and 1808. 



* Revised in 1817. 



t And bones of the Ichthyosaurus found in Missouri. 



