10 
strate the action of natural laws in evoking a force of 
irresistible energy in accomplishing changes of structure of 
the crust of the earth, by decomposition of rock formations, 
and re-arrangement of their particles. But in advocating the 
conjunction of physical knowledge with purely geological 
science, the writer trusts it may not be supposed that he seeks 
to derogate from the value of the labours of the Secretary of 
Mines towards progress of knowledge of geological facts, 
but to evoke caution in formation of hypotheses, or theories, 
intolerant of the views of other investigators of natural phe- 
nomena, resulting in varied local deviations from the regular 
sequences of stratifications, conjectured as accurately defined, 
by the Secretary of Mines and other geological authorities. 
It must be absolutely impossible to construct a reliable 
geological map of any district, not to speak of a province or 
country, unless the extent of dip and dislocation of strata, 
and of areas, within which are subversions and crumpling of 
previously horizontal stratifications, can be definitely ascer- 
tained, or reasonably deduced from consideration of physical 
agencies, necessarily operating in the extension or limitation 
of such effects. Attempts to define consecutive strata from a 
here and there view of outcropping edges, without regard to 
natural features indicating the probability of strata receiving, 
by violeiit causes, varied inclinations or subversions, and 
rendering it problematical whether such supposed sequences 
of rock formations justify the hypothesis current with some 
geologists that a total depth of consecutive formations to the 
amount of 10,000 feet is thus predicated, result in a charting 
of suppositions, assumed to be ascertained scientific facts. 
Hence, perpetuation of the false bases upon which already 
too much crude assumption has been built, standing anta- 
gonistic to discovery of truth by being taught as fact, and 
thus turning aside efforts of earnest investigators to search 
otherwise than in the ways heretofore accepted by science. 
These crudo speculations when set forth as facts become, 
indeed, a most dangerous barrier to progress of scientific 
truth. Mr. Brough Smyth, while generalizing on his one- 
sided view thus of noted outcrops, admits that " a large part 
of the colony is for all practical purposes unsurveyed geolo- 
gically, and discoveries are made from day to day quit© 
altering our views respecting the areas supposed to be occu- 
pied by certain formations." I may therefore, perhaps, be 
pardoned for a few suggestions which may pave the way for 
reception of facts attainable by investigation, and lead to a 
new interpretation of these as disclosures of geological truths 
subverting some former hypotheses. 
