105 
the Roses, Oaks, Pines, Larch, Ce- 
dar,, Heath, Birch, Fir, &c. While 
among the useful plants the follow- 
ing are both wild or cultivated in va- 
rious parts, Wheat, Barley, Rye, 
Rice, Mayze, Cotton, Pease, Beans, 
Lentils, Millet, Gourds, Melons, 
Carrots, Turnips, Cabbage, Onions, 
Fennel, Egg plant, Madder, Clover, 
&c.,&c. 
These animals, fruits and plants, 
which have accompanied mankind in 
his migrations, afford a strong proof 
that man first knew them there, 
which was their common cradle, and 
where began pastoral and agricultu- 
ral life. 
Many other proofs could be addu- 
ced to support this truth: since civi- 
lization, religions, governments, as- 
tronomy, the arts and sciences, nay 
every thing valued or employed 
by men can be traced also by us 
Easterly to fhose mountains, or those 
of Iran and Turan on their West 
slope near Persia and Turkestan; 
Cashmir and Balk being there two 
of the earliest seats of civilization. 
There also points the Grecian and 
Hindus Mythologies, Chinese His- 
tory, and every primitive tradition ; 
nay every language of the earth can 
be traced to that central cradle. 
C. S. Rafinesque. 
6. OREOLOGY. 
Relative Jige of Mountains. 
Although it is impossible in Geo- 
logy to ascertain the exact age of 
Mountains, Strata, and Fossils, yet 
it is possible in many cases to detect 
their relative age or successive form- 
ations. 
Beaumont who has lately paid pe- 
culiar attention to Mountains, thinks 
that he has found their relative age, 
and divides them into six ages or 
series. 
1. Oldest, the undisturbed Sedi- 
mental Mountains, such as those 
of Saxony, Pilat and Cotedor ip 
France, &c* 
2. Second age, Mountains in pa- 
rallel ridges, such as the Alleghany, 
Carpathian, Apennines, Pyrenees, 
Ghauts of India, also the Mountains 
of Persia, Dalmatia, &c. 
3. Third age, Circular Mountains 
with concentric Ridges, such as the 
Western Alps, Mountains of Nor- 
way, Brazil, &c. 
4. Fourth* age, Mountains in di- 
vergent groups, such as the Central 
Yips, the Balkan, Caucasus, Hima- 
laya and Atlas of Africa, &c, 
5. Fifth age, the Andes of Ame- 
rica. 
6. Sixth age, Yolcanic Mountains, 
the newest. 
This System, like so many others 
in Geology, is based on observations 
chiefly made in Europe, and the opi- 
nion that Mountains have broken the 
primitive concentric Strata of the 
earth by rising from below by crysta- 
lization or intumescence. Is it not er- 
roneous to suppose that the primitive 
imaiaya and Caucasus are less anci- 
ent than the Secondary Alleghany & j 
Apennines? they appear quite as 1 
much disposed in ridges. AllMoun- ) 
tains except the Yolcanic may be 
considered as huge Crystals; their I 
distinction in fou ^series, Sedimen- 
tal, Parallel, Concentric and Diver- 
gent, appears correct; but this dis- 
position in crystalization may have 
been contemporaneous, and does not 
afford the best clue to their relative 
age. Perhaps the Tabular Moun- 
tains raised on Table lands, like the 
Imaiaya and Andes, are the oldest. 
C.S. R. 
8. Geological Survey of the Al- 
leghany Mountains of Penn-, 
sylvania, in 1818, /rom West 
to East. 
By professor C. S. Rafinesque. 
It is well known that the All'egha- , 
ny Mountains run in parallel ridges 
from North to South, therefore in 
crossing them from East to West 
or from West to East, their struc- 
ture, arid the component strata of 
tHe successive ridges are easily as- 
certained. 
I have crossed or penetrated those 
Mountains in 20 places from New- 
