275 



some veiy interesting remarks upon mineralogy. He said 

 that the two great abutments of the arch of society are agri- 

 culture and mining — all the arts refer back to one of these 

 two. Mineralogy is the first great division, starting at the 

 foundation stone. Every thing not vegetable or animal is 

 mineral. The minerals are either in masses or in crystals. 

 The latter are the flowers. There are six divisions of crys- 

 tals and each crystal is an individual, governed by a fixed 

 laAv, as fixed as in birds or other animals. The object of sci- 

 entific research is to ascertain the laws of nature. — Chemis- 

 try is the physiology of mineralogy. Too much of mathe- 

 matics has been dragged into mineralogy — a display of learn- 

 ing has injured science. Dr. Jackson paid a very compli- 

 mentary tribute to local geologists. He said thar Lyell in 

 his famous work on the geology of Italy, instead of relying 

 upon his own observation trusted to the local geologists. 

 The local geologist, Dr. J. said, finds many things which a 

 stranger could not, and if he should ever again receive an 

 appointment of State geologist, instead of taking as an assis- 

 tant some politician or person appointed from partisan, family 

 or friendly motives, he should greatly prefer the help of the 

 local geologists — the clergyman, physician, or citizen, — such 

 as are to be found in every place, who had paid especial at- 

 tention to the geology of their own locality. He said that 

 Dr. Hitchcock, in his excellent work on the geology of Mas- 

 sachusetts, had mentioned but one mineral as found in Rock- 

 port, while the researches of the local geologists had discov- 

 ered many, which he enumerated ; among these were smoky 

 quartz, green feldspar, fluorspar, silicate of manganese, small 

 zircons. Many were in beautiful crystals and may be con- 

 sidered the flowers of mineralogy. To the labors of Rev. 

 Mr. Barden, we are largely indebted for making us acquaint- 

 ed with this interesting locality. 



Rev.G. W. Skinner, of Gloucester, who had found the study 

 of nature intensely charming as well as instructive, said ht 



