The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-10-31
From the Family Lyceum.

TLo,a WAS a time when the earth was
...;,h'.u, form and void-when darkness was
,non the face ofthe deep-when the spirit oil
Col moved upon the face OF The waters
when Il was said let dry land appear.
The fact that our globe was once gen
oral cbaos-a vast chaotic ocean, holnlhg IN
solution the elements of rocks, hiils' ana
mountains, is alike proved by the volume oi
inspiration, AMI the older volume oy tne
same author-the volume oil nature Oh
almost every rock, ledge. and mountain
mass. are characters indellbly engraved
which give abundant proof that Moses
snake the words of truth and soberness
that our earth. with all its furniture now OIL
fered to our hands, was brought out OF the
same general chaos, by the same !" orhmah'
and about the same time, as mentioheu ny
the writer of Genesis and several succeed
ing books.
The present aspect of rocks and noun
tains. not only proves, that all OF The very
brief but highly interesting account OF cur
planet as given by Moses is true, but 1t IN
forms more infinitely Of the various steps OF
its progress in coming to its present form,
than is done by the sacred historian. The
position, ingredients, and structure of rocks
and of countries, inform US, not only that
the formation Of hills, mountains, and met
ais. has been gradual, hut show also some
thing of the order of the several steps OF
this formation. No one ever doubts, who
visits the lin and copper mines, and OBJ
serves that when veins of these two metals
cross each other, that the tin is always cut
by the copper, and never the reverse, that
the former is the Oldest of the two metals.
An examination into the position and other
circumstances connected with granite, gne-
ISIS and mica slate. will satisfy any one that
the first mentioned is the oldest-that gran
ite was the first substance formed when il
was said, Let dry land appear. However
biologists may differ in other respects, they
are all agreed in the opinion, that granite
is the oldest rock upon our globe, and that
from it and other rocks were formed soils
and that all soils partake OF the character Of
the antiquary rocks.
As thousands of children under six year:
of age are now familiar with granite, an,
the three ingredients which compose il
many of our readers perhaps will think. tina
a description of this rock, so renowned fol-
its antiquity, is unnecessary. We hope
however, that they will pardon US for des
cribing, in a few words, some of the charac
tiers of this central and foundation stone o
our little planet.
Quartz, felspar, and mica, the three sim
pie minerals described in our former mum
bers, or according to performance, felspar
quartz, and mica, are the ingredients o
granite. In some granite masses, feIspa
constitutes much the largest part. In 9th
ers, felspar and quartz form about equa
portions of the rock. The mica is tn,
least abundant of the three, although
varies much in quantity and arrangement.
In some masses of granite, one of tn
three ingredients is entirely wanting.
species. Of granite much used in Boston an
the. vicinity, and brought from Cape Ann,
composed entirely of quartz and felspar, th
former of dark color. The material @
which the Dedham Court House is con
structed, is a beautiful variety of granite
entirely destitute of mica; the quartz near
.ly white, which gives the building ligf
and cheerful complexion.
Graphic granite, which takes its nam
from its having some resemblance to wTi
ing, is composed principally of felspar, wit
small quantities Of quartz running in il
regular lines through the mass. This
the rock which, by the decomposition of tn
felspar, is changed into white clay, some
times called kaolin, or porcelain clay.
A beautiful kind of granite, with red O
fiesh-colored felspar, abounds in Egyp
where it is much used for building, and it
sometimes handsomely polished, and
hence called Egyptian granite.
Many other varieties of granite might b.
mentioned but the occasion forbids it.
The Andes, the Alps, the Pyrenees, thu
Carpathian, and most or all the hghes
mountains upon the EARTH are composed
more or less of granite. In New England
and all the Atlantic States, granite abound
IN nearly every town or district.
Granite countries are generally uneven
precipitous, and bold in their appearance
and intersected with beautiful and rapir
water courses. And as the character o
the inhabitants resembles in some measure
the features of their country, with the
rumbling or the roaring of the mountain
streams, are mingled the buz of wheels, anc
the gathering of shuttles; over thickets o
rocks wave the richest wheat, and the SIDE:
of rivers are lined with Furnishing villages
with spires Of churches rising above al
other objects, to inform the approaching
traveller, that among other privileges fitted
for physical, intellectual, social. moral, and
religious beings, they have affairs erected
and dedicated 10 the LIVING Con.