444 
Iron . 
I do sincerely wish that the people would once begin 
to imagine, that legislators who talk the longest are not 
therefore the wisest ; and that there may be some truth in 
the old proverb, that empty vessels sound the most. In 
our debates it must be confessed that if our knowledge be 
not very profound, it is in our own language, very 
lengthy. r In natural talent, in force of body and vigour 
of mind, we are inferior to no nation that I am acquaint- 
ed with : but I think that even while I am writing (Sep- 
tember 1814) proof is afforded, that we should be greatly 
improved by European cultivation and European discip- 
line ; for these have made beings our superiors, who in 
every natural endowment of mind and body are scarce^ 
ly our equals. 
In the outline I have given of Werner’s theory of the 
earth with a few additional ideas of my own, it must be 
obvious, that it does not account for metallic strata or 
veins of late formations. Nor will the Neptunian hypo- 
thesis of watery crystallization answer the purpose as I 
think : nor can I adopt the Plutonian theory of Hutton 
and Playfair, who suppose the veins of metallic substance 
to have been filled by injection from below. To me it 
seems that we want light on the subject, and must await 
till more facts be recorded and compared. T. C\ 
IRON. 
Preliminary Ms say ufion the theory of Assaying as applied to the 
Gres of iron. 
In the wide and important range of chemical investigation, few 
subjects present themselves to our notice which have so extensive 
a relation to the wants and comforts of life as the various manufac- 
tures of- iron. First On the list of necessity, and yielding to none 
