Quotation from Mr. Uri Brooks’ second letter to 
J - C. S. dated Baton Rouge, Feb. 6, 1819. 
“ I have no knowledge oi' the authors 
to whom you refer me ; but I recently 
stumbled upon “St. Pierre’s studies of 
nature.” It currents exist in the Ocean 
as he states, they may be considered as 
si rong corroborating proofs of your doc¬ 
trine: but 1 can by no means give my as- 
| sent to the causes he assigns for those 
currents; or for the ebbing and flowing of 
the tide. His remarks on the migration of 
fishes will bare the same conclusion. 
t; Recent accounts from the arctic expe¬ 
dition, concerning currents in those seas, 
aie also in unison.—— I he huge vortex in 
the Norwegian seas, it is believed, is of 
the same class. 1 he migiation of animals 
and fishes, according to your ideas appears 
very plausible.” 
Further quotations from Mr. Brook’s 
letters will be inserted at a future time. 
Reason.— The reason of things lies in 
a narrow compass, if the mind could at 
any time be so happy as to light upon it. 
Alost oi the writings and discourses in 
the world are but illustration and rhetoric; 
which signifies as much as nothing to a 
mind in pursuit after the philosophical 
truth of things. 
[It is probable, that there are few men on this 
side forty, who can appreciate the justness 
ot the latter clause of this paragraph. But 
beyond tins age, when the fancy is not so ea 
S1 7 e f: IJ! kd, and the mind becomes weary 
or subtleties, its force is fully felt.] 
