EARLY WRITERS 159 



Schoepf's examinations extended through the Eastern States and as far 

 south as Florida, and he noted the close similarity of the Coastal Plain 

 lands and the occurrence of waterfalls on all the rivers at the boundary 

 between the Coastal Plain and the hilly region to the northwest, thus 

 recognizing the ''fall line" as a physiographic feature of the American 

 Continent.^ 



The travels of William Bartram, of Philadelphia, through Virginia, 

 North and South Carolina, Georgia, east and west Florida, the Cherokee 

 country, the extensive territory of the Creek confederacy and the country 

 of the Choctaws, published in 1791, contain, among other things, an 

 account of the geology, soils, and natural productions of this region, 

 although mainly devoted to observations on the flora and on the manners 

 of the Indians. 



In an article entitled "The origin of the national scientific and educa- 

 tional institutions in the United States," by G. Brown Goode,^ reference 

 is made to the scientific activities of Washington during his presidency 

 (1789-1797). On page 63 Mr. Goode says: 



"He sent out with his own hand, while President, a circular letter to the best 

 informed farmers in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Vir- 

 ginia, and having received a considerable number of answers, prepared a report 

 on the resources of the Middle Atlantic States, which was the first of its kind 

 written in America, and was a worthy beginning of the great library of agri- 

 cultural science which has since emanated from our Government press." 



Doctor Merrill, in his "Contributions to American Geology," * tells us 

 that Thomas Jefferson, when he came to Philadelphia to be inaugurated 

 Vice-President in 1797, brought with him a collection of fossil bones 

 from the western part of Virginia and the manuscript on them, which he 

 read before the American Philosophical Society, of which he had been 

 elected president the preceding year. The paper was published in 1799 

 in volume IV of the "Transactions of the Society." 



Baron Alexander von Humboldt, in the employ of the Spanish govern- 

 ment, spent the years 1799 to 1804 in that part of Mexico adjacent to 

 what is now Texas, and in his book, with map, "Journey to the Equi- 

 noctial Eegions of the N'ew Continent," may be found,^ "Valuable, though 

 indirect, contributions to our knowledge of Texas, which he did not visit 

 personally." 



According to Doctor Merrill,® "the year 1809 must ever be notable in 

 the history of American geology, since it brought forth Maclure's 'Obser- 



^ Merrill : Contributions to the History of American Geology, p. 208. 



» American Historical Association Report, 1899, pp. 53-161. 



* Page 213. 



B Bulletin No. 45, U. S. Geological Survey, p. 9. 



« Contributions to the History of American Geology, p. 217. 



