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of different rocks ; — fafts which are far from being yet 

 clearly afcertained. 



Whatever may be the defefts of the Wernerian fyftem 

 as given us by his fcholars, and however premature many 

 of the generalizations may have been, it was of ufe 

 by direaing the attention of obfervers in various parts to 

 an examination of its accordance with fads. Though the 

 different rocks which Mr. Werner has defcnbed as univer- 

 fal formations neither occur invariably m the order of iuc- 

 ceffion which he has defcnbed, nor are univerfally fpread 

 over the earth's furface ; yet there is a certam fimilarity be- 

 tween the geological arrangement of diftant countries when 

 viewed on a large fcale, which indicates that fimilar pro- 

 ceffes of formation had taken place, and nearly in the fame 

 order in remote parts of the globe ; but we are far from 

 knowing whether thefe proceffes were univerfal and fimul- 

 taneous, or local and fucceffive. 



In the above obfervations, which it is our impartial duty 

 as biographers to ftate, we have not the remoteft wifh to 

 undervalue the real merits of this eminent mineralogift. 

 His theoretical errors arofe naturally from the infant ftate 

 of geology when he commenced his labours ; and his over- 

 weaning attachment to opinions too haltily formed, was an 

 infirmity which he fliared in common with many eminent 

 philofophers. His errors will pafs away with time, but 

 his more ufeful labours will remain a durable monument of 

 his talents and perfevering refearch. 



WERNERITE, in Mineralogy, a mineral regarded by 

 Werner as a fubfpecies of fcapolite, but which has been 

 claffed by other mineralogifts as a diftinft fpecies, to which 

 they have given this name, in honour of the profeffor at 

 Freyburg. The name has been applied to foliated fcapo- 

 lite, compaft fcapolite, and to a mineral which is called 

 Bergmannite by Stevens and Jamefon. (See ScAPOLlTE. ) 

 Wernerite occurs maffive and cryftallized in oftohedral 

 prifms, with four-fided pyramidal terminations. The ftruc- 

 ture is imperfeftly lamellar, with joints on two direftions, 

 at right angles to each other. The colour is greenifh-grey, 

 with a pearly or refinous luftre, more or lefs fhining ; it is 

 tranflucent. Wernerite is fofter than felfpar, yielding to 

 the knife ; its fpecific gravity is 3.6. It melts with intu- 

 mefcence into a white enamel. 



This mineral is rare : it has been found at Arendal, in 

 Norway ; in the mines of Northbo and Ultrica, in Sweden ; 

 and at Campo-Longo, in Switzerland. The conftituent 

 parts are, 



Silex 40 



Alumine ----- 34 



Lime 16 



Oxyd of iron . . - . 8 



Oxyd of manganefe . - - 1.5 



WERNERSDORF, in Geography, a town of Pome- 

 relia, on the Nogat ; 7 miles S.W. of Marienburg. 



WERNEUCHEN, a town of Brandenburg, in the 

 Middle Mark ; 6 miles E.S.E. of Bernau. 



WERNFELS, a town of Bavaria, in the bifhopric of 

 Aichftadt ; 4 miles N.W. of Spalt. 



WERNHAUSEN, a town of the county of Henne- 

 berg ; 4 miles N. of Wafungen. 



WERNIGERODE, a county of Upper Saxony, 

 bounded on the north by the principality of Halberftadt, 

 on the eaft and fouth by the principality of Blankenburg, 

 and on the weft by the Harz foreft ; about twelve miles in 

 length, and eight in breadth. One part is mountainous, 

 and the other level. Amongft the mountains, the moft dif- 

 tinguiflied of all is the Great Brocken, or Blockfberg, 



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which is one of the higheft ; or, according to fome, the verj- 

 higheft mountain in all Germany, On its fummit fcarce 

 any fmall fhrubs grovv, much lefs trees ; and the fnow re- 

 mains frequently there till midfummer, and in fome of the 

 northern parts even yet longer. The levels are very fertile 

 in all kinds of grain, pulfe, turnips, flax, cuhnary herbs, 

 and other vegetables and fruits. The mountains afford very 

 valuable plants, with berries of various kinds, particularly 

 crown berries, of which great quantities are preferved ; 

 game and wild fowl are plentiful. In 1807, it was annexed 

 to the new kingdom of Weftphalia. The inhabitants are 

 Lutherans. 



Weknigerode, a town of Weftphalia, and capital of a 

 county of the fame name, fituated on a fmall river, and con- 

 fifting of three parts : " The Old Town," containing two 

 churches, and about 430 houfes, with a houfe belonging to 

 the county ; " The New Town," containing one church, 

 and about 200 houfes ; and the fuburbs, called " Nofchen- 

 rode," which contain one church, and 150 houfes. On a 

 high mountain, direftly above the town, is the caftle, in 

 which the counts' family archives are kept. The principal 

 bulinefs of the town confifts in agriculture, brewing, diilil- 

 ling, and manufaftures of cloth and ftuffs ; 12 miles S.W. 

 of Halberftadt. N. lat. 51° 53'. E. long. 10° 52'. 



WERNITZ, a river of Germany, which rifes about 

 5 miles S. from Rotenburg, paffes by DinkeUbuhl, Waffer- 

 trudingen, Oettingen, &c. and runs into the Danube, near 

 Donauwert. 



WERNSDORF, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of 

 Saetz ; 3 miles N.W. of Kadan. 



WERNSTADT, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of 

 Leitmeritz ; 10 miles W. of Leypa. 



WERO, an ifland near the coaft of Norway. N. lat. 

 67° 43. E. long. 9° 10'. 



WERPE, a river of Germany, which joins the Sieg, 

 near its fource. 



WERRA, a river of Germany, which rifes in the prin- 

 cipality of Coburg, paffes by Eisfeld, Hildburghaufen, 

 Meinungen, Saltzungen, Vach, Bercka, Gerftungen, 

 Creutzberg, Trefurt, Wanfried, Allendorf, &c. and join- 

 ing the Fulda at Munden, forms the Wefer. 



Werra, a department of the kingdom of Weftphalia, 

 compofed of Upper Heffe, with the principahty of Herf- 

 feld ; with a population of 254,000 fouls. Marburg is the 

 capital. 



WERREAR, a circar or diftrift of Hindooftan, lying 

 on the right bank of the Puddar, which feparates it from 

 Guzerat, eaft of Cutch. 



WERSALA, a fmall ifland near the coaft of Finland, 

 at the entrance into the gulf of Bothnia. N. lat. 60° 46'. 

 E. long. 31° 6'. 



WERSEN, a town of Germany, in the county of Teck- 

 lenburgf ; 8 miles N.E. of Tecklenburg. 



WERSHOCK, in Menfuratton, a long meafure in 

 Ruflia ; 16 werlhocks being equal to an arftieen, or 28 Eng- 

 lifti inches ; fo that 9 arftieens are =: 7 Englifli yards, and 

 4 werftiocks = 7 Englilh inches. 



WERST, or WuRST. See Verst. 



WERT, in Geography. See Weert. 



WERTACH, a river of Bavaria, which runs into the 

 Lech, a little below Augft)urg. 



WERTENSTEIN, a town of Switzerland, in the 

 canton of Lucerne ; 6 miles W. of Lucerne. 



WERTER See, a lake of the duchy of Carinthia ; 

 2 miles W. of Clagenfurt. 



WERTH, a town of the biftiopric of Ratiftjon ; 1 1 miles 

 N.W. of Straubing. 



WERTHA, 



