92 Notice tfMmcrahgical Journeys^ 
besides the minerals which I myself have thus collected in their 
native places, I have, from time to time, received great additions 
to my collection from other persons, and from other count]ries. 
From these sources now enumerated, my collection of minerals 
has been formed. But it is requisite to take notice of the order 
in which I have arranged them, 
I had not been long engaged in the study of minerals, till I be^ 
came sensible of the great defects in mineralogy, arising from 
the want of accurate systematical arrangement. It was evident 
forty years ago, and is still evident, that this science has been 
much neglected, while the other branches of natural history have 
been highly improved. Having become acquainted with the ne- 
cessity and great utility of method in botany and zoology, I 
could not but regret the want of it in the mineral kingdom ; and 
was persuaded, that the improvement of mineralogy must be 
conducted in the same manner in which these two other branch- 
es of natural history have been brought to such perfection. 
With this view, I constructed what was termed Elementa 
Mmeralogia^^a treatise composed of aphorisms, after the man- 
ner of Linnaeus’s Fundamenta Botanica. These have, for many 
years, remained in manuscript, and only served as rules to di- 
rect me in what I thought the reformation and improvement of 
the science. 
To ascertain the proper language in mineralogy, appeared 
the first step towards its improvement. Nothing had ever been 
done in this article, excepting a short sketch offered by Linnaeus, 
which, although excellent so far as it went, certainly required to 
be much enlarged. The language used in the description of 
minerals still remained vague, inaccurate, and frequently absurd. 
The science was loaded with superfluous and indefinite terms, 
used even by the best writers. To remedy this, it was endea- 
voured to arrange and fix the terms of the science, with proper 
definitions, wherever they were necessary. This was attempted 
in the Delineatio Fossilium^ a small treatise printed in the year 
1781, but intended chiefly for the use of the students who at- 
tended my class. 
The next object was the classification of minerals. This can 
only be done by their external and internal, or, in other words, 
by their natural and chemical, properties. ' 
