362 [Proc. B.N.F.C, 



Ireland the enjoyment of their varied natural beauties, and thus 

 tend to realise that " union of hearts " upon which the prosperity, 

 happiness, and enduring peace of the country so much depended. 



F. W. Lockwood, R. M. Young, J. M'Leish, S. F. Milligan, 

 and Isaac Ward also referred to portions of the lecture, and 

 expressed the pleasure they had received in being present. 



Five new members having been elected, 



The proceedings terminated. 



15 December, 1896. 



THE PRIMEVAL BASIS AND PROGRESSIVE BUILD 

 OF THE INORGANIC WORLD. 



By Rev. J. Andrew. 



Professor Geikie has a published lecture on "Mountain 

 Architecture :" and Pattison Muir, in his " Story of the 

 Chemical Elements," just published, continually speaks of the 

 chemical processes as buildings ; he says, at p. 62 " I have 

 compared the processes whereby compounds are produced to 

 building operations ; the chemical elements being the building 

 stones, and the compounds the finished buildings." And in the 

 Old Book which we all love to ponder we are told that " He 

 who built all things is God." We are not, then, inventing a 

 new phraseology when we speak of the primeval basis and 

 progressive build of the Inorganic world. And it need not be 

 supposed that the inorganic world will present little of interest 

 for our consideration. 



We begin, then, with the so-called Chemical Elements such 

 as Hydrogen, Oxygen, Mercury, Iron, Gold, &c. &c, everything 

 that is supposed in our present range of demonstrated knowledge 

 to be creation's simple elements; which they are from the 

 chemist's standpoint. Our time does not admit of tracing the 

 gradual historic discovery of these elements. Within the last 



