6 Feather stonhaugh^s Geological Report, 



position of the principles of the science, with a view to draw 

 the public attention still more to the subject, and in order to 

 the more successful illustration of the geology of the United 

 States. The geological works which had hitherto been pub- 

 lished, contained, with very few exceptions, references illus- 

 trative only of the geological structure of foreign countries, 

 and as I had to treat of what is purely a science of observa- 

 tion, I conceived the great mass of minds to which I felt 

 bound to address myself, would probably have been deterred 

 from, rather than attracted to the subject, had I merely given 

 a technical description of what I had seen, without offering 

 the means of comparative illustration. I therefore adopted, 

 upon that occasion, as I shall do now, that course which 

 promised to be the most extensively useful, confident, that 

 however the task might be imperfectly executed, permanent 

 advantages might be accomplished by it, and that justice would 

 be done to my motives. In this I have not been disappointed : 

 the zeal with which I have attended to my duties has been 

 acknowledged, and I have received, since my return from my 

 late excursion, sufficient evidence of the public approbation 

 of my labors, besides the most gratifying assurances from nu- 

 merous intelligent members of the present Congress, that the 

 method I had adopted was considered useful, and had been 

 decidedly approved. 



But a change had taken place in public opinion since the 

 publication of that report. The authorization of these geologi- 

 cal investigations by the General Government, had given great 

 importance to them, much intellect had been at work, and a 

 strong solicitude expressed for an accurate exposition of the 

 general geology of the United States. The most powerful 

 States in the Union were legislating on the subject, and a 

 prospect was thus held out that the general desire for inform- 

 ation which the action of the Government had so much con- 

 tributed to put in motion, would soon receive new vigor from 

 the fostering care of each of the particular States. Looking 



osi 



