Delaware journal., 1827-10-30


valuable of all metals the IRON Commerce her
Gold and Silver Domestic Economy her Coal
and Medicine some of her most important remedies
Mineralogy, ins this country, IS IN s infancy the
cultivation of it, therefore, opens wide door to
useful discovery, as well as to individual wealth.
Of eight or nine hundred minerals described IN our
modern elementary works, more than tour hundred
have been already found in the United States and
there can be no doubt that in adlvslon OF the earh
embracing such great variety OF soil and chmate,
several hundred more remain 10 be brought TO llght
by the industry offnture inqurers.
GEOLOGY, which may be considered as branch
ofMneralogy, points out the nature, structure and
relative position of the different strata that compose
the crust of the EARTH Until late years TINS science
has been pursued as mere speculation and wri-
ters have heaped together mass OF Materials de-
serving no better name than lumber, but which has
been digni6ed with the title OF "Iheory OF the
Earth" The world has seen fifty Of these theories,
in little more than twice that number OF years and
their authors, to adopt the language Of late writer
on this subject have not scrupled to call IN the
aid of analogy and thus by hypothesis after hypoth
esis they analyse and recompound the vast globe OF
the GARTH as lift were piece OF metal which Inc
Chemist could fuse in his crucible !"
| 1t is only by reasoning from whatwe kao7e-from
facts and observations that are enabled TO form
rational system--to reason correctly we must make
effects the guiding thread to their causes but When
it is considered that all the facts known respecting
the earth are but few-that we have not penetrated
beyond the ace,-hat we have not, IN short, ex-
amined one ten thousandth part OF the globe--We
have right to conclude, that any one who should pre-
tend to have formed true theory otthe earth from
such slender data can have no better claim 10 our
regard than the empyrc who should undertake 10
illustrate the structure and functions OF the internal
parts of the body, by mere inspection OF the SKIN
Yet, the little we do see of the earth proves to
us that great revolutions have taken place. eilnd
evidences of general deluge-that the great deePs,
as we'll as the great heights have been, IN the IAN
los''-" without form and void''-has preceded the
present order of things. Our data will not carry us
4 much further than this and when we attempt to
encompass the earth, though but as grain OF sand
in the universe, it escapes our feeble grasp, and we
are reminded that 9. life is short science long, OPP
portunites of knowledge and experiments alacious'
, and reasoning difficult" Even effects themselves
are not always in proportion to their causes as 1ey
appear to as and whilst we are considering part
of what we see as the result OF terrible and unver-
sal convulson of nature, causes, oappearance wnol-
yjpadeunate by their continued operation, age after
are may have had large share in their production
: Rains produce torrents that carry mountains down
! into the valleys and volcanoes raise valleys lntt
: mountains. The action OF the ar itseit converts
solid rocks into powder; and the operation Oh hft
changes the finest dust into solid masses. vast ac
cumuIations of snow and ice, give rise to floods tina
= sweep every thing away in their course earth
!. ouakes swallow up cities, and alter the lace
= whole tracts of countries; madrepora and coral
worms 80 small as almost to elude the sight, exer
their plastic powers and raise islands and mountain
u from the bottom of the sea, and force 1t upon III
'e land whilst the recrements OF animal and Negeta
q BILE bodies elevate grounds where me ocean na
"a r., bic nd at
s. tence." to use the words of late writer, we doa
n along like the light and unsteady leaves which al
borne heaved aloft, hurried on, and swallowed II
s, by one and the same billow. How then should
O. hone to form conception of the unmeasured chai
W. of revolutions which our globe may have undergone
N, We walk upon the circle OF anterior WORLDS pt
no can we compute their number 7 the lapse OF age
th has heaped up ruins upon ruins at every steP
II tread on monuments, upon which the hand OF nj n'
ture has engraved the history OF the globe, put t
W. language is couched in hierogyphcal symbols, IL
he kew to which shall never, perhaps, be iound.
lie Leaving theorists to their ruitless speculation
ed let us attend to the facts which geological nvestg
TO ton brings to our knowledge. By thus making
geology practical science, it is capable OF being
by piled to highly useful purpose. 1t is ny pursuh
eat this course, that it has become guiding thread
md the discovery of coal and many of the metals Il
h nature in the location and deposition OF these su
lat stances has followed certain fixed laws, which ge
in logy reveals to us Thus we find certain ana col
re sant relation to exist between substances ON the
face of the earth. or within our immediate opserv
es tion and those which she has sccrcted WITHIN IT,
As ignorance of these geological facts has often give
'le rise to much rutess labor and expense ID seate
m inc for minerals. where il was impossible that the
e. could exist 1t is thus that nature not only en'ls
our pleasures, but interests in the study OF HI
III works.
Geology also introduces US to partial, but h'sl
IA interesting, acquaintance WIN .'o "" "
os world. Impressions of plants more true toan Ira