The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-02-25

From The Charleston city Gazette

Interior oCfc Eorih--Mcn are so apt TO
laugh at what they do not understand, thai
we have ceased 10 wollder at those who,
IN ridicnlmg Captain Symmc's Theory oi
conrentic circles, did not rccolect, or did
not know, that The hypothesis is equal
with the very first essays in geological sci
encc. The novelty is not in the captains
opinion, but IN his attempt to prove Il by
experiment, 10 bp founded in philosophical
truth.
For this purpoge, he, with characteristic
simplicity, has solicited the Legislature oil
the United States for public aid. His OBJ
jccts is, il must be confessed, rather pro-
found but certainly not more foreign in
lis nature Though, il successful, Infinite
~ more interesting in its consequences
that the expeditions nf the British 10 the
northern pivot of the carththe arctic
pole We live in m age experiments, 4
only lac, confidence IN ourselves,tn perfect
and bring 10 light many things only dream.
ed OF ia the old philosophy. We are also
rather inclined 10 undcryaue our own If.
FORT for bad the proposition come from
an European instead Of an American phi
usophcr, we donbt whether so large n share
of ridicule would have been attached TO It's
advocate.
Capt. Svmmcs is gentleman of consi-
derable science, not III the knowledge ri
man, but in the heavens aud eaTth. /. II,
believes with Newton and Haley, that
there Is concayc to this gip''c of ours
there is nothing strange in this. @ Pro
cce1iug on the axiom that nothing is crra.
ted in vain, and that all space is lilltd with
intelligent beings be (eXc CONSEQUENTLY be-
llrves that the conccnirlc circle (Or cirCles)
within the earth must be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
is nothing in this contrary 10 sound philo-
suphy. 3. He wishes to embark on yoy-
age of discovery 10 one or other of the po-
lar regions, 81 as his pecuniary means are in
adequate, he solicits the age ofthc most en-
lghtened government on earththis is also
quite natural. 4. Arrived Mt the cxtrt-
mites Of the earth. il is his intention TO pc
netrate 10 the frs, layer of this Onegoce
phd'u,, or Pcricles like globe Of ours-therr
is surely nothing strange in this--yes; there
is somethinsin il rather strange and ort d
the roy.
1t IS very obvious that an enthusiast
in science, Il MAJ ofcool and collected bra.
very, and perfect mathematician such as
Captain Symmes, when he ihcoris'd up
on the subject, was perfectly prndent-bnt
when he proposed 10 trst its truth, he did
a thing which argued no great knowledge
Of worldly affairs, and particularly of the
men called nembers of Congress. Yet for
the honor o. philosophy, we find that ont
member has btrn chiyaric enough To of.
fer his petition for assistance from the 20.
ycrnmeni, towards this subtcrranean expe-
d ton.
That two vessels Of 2 or 800 TINS, should
be fitted out for such an expedition would
the Mexican gulph ahounds with pirates
and when the capture OF the pirates IS Il
matter so much more feasible, than explo-
ring the interior of TIM globe. Yet, capt.
Symmcs were % snccccd in d!scot crlng
the various i0yers qtoW union, he would
be reducing to demonstration the opinions
Of Sir Isaac Newton, and Of DR.. Haley,
which you may read and digest lif you
cam ia Il book called the Universal Ile-
nespheres." Should the captain, on the
contrary, fail, he fails with the greatest
philosophers and cosmographcrs of the
last three centuries. That space is never
wasted, j. m axle IN ofuatural philosophy, t.
common sense, and natural rcllgion--And
why mott the inhabitants OF this globe reside
on a shell as well as on n solid ? Hhe
resemblance of the proposition appears to
Us quite admissible the only difficulty will
be in booking into the matter.
After all, Captain Syinines may still dis
cover something. In seeking for the ends
Of the earth, which the British have been
sckins for years past, he may, perhaps,
find some OF its features never before seen
by mortal eyes. In chasing phantom,
he may hit upon a reaity.-In searching