New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-11-12
DR.. Smiths Geological Lectures.

DR.. J. AUGUSTINE SMITH commenced his series
of eight Lectures Oh Geology last evening at the
Lyceum of Natural History. very fair and iu-
telligent audience was in attendance and the lee
ture was one OF considerable interest The paint
ings which DR.. SM1TH he's prepared, for Illus
! traton are very large and splendid. Tn. animals
which are assigned te different periods of the
Earth's history were strikingiy depioted, and the
aevera strata 81 the Earth wers very clearly
defined and represented.
Or. Smith commenced his lecture BY abiding
to the great and wonderful changes which had ia
ken place in the history and character Of our glebe.
Leplace had even conjectured that our Earth be-
longed 20 the nebulous system Of stars, and that
by gradual series of revolutions going on from,
period OF time infinitely remote, it has attained
IT,. ,orc,ent position and character Whether this
were true OF not, there could be little doubt, the
lecturer ssid that, although now 90 cool and sol
ID it had once been in fiery, liquid state and had
gradually cooled to its present shape and coRdi-
tion. To explain this gradual change, he said, was
the purpose of Geology.
ltwould readily aopesr that Geology, though Of
necessity confined TO single planet contains In II
self Ell the elements of sublimity of which matter
Ii capable.
More definite thar Chemistry, less burdened
BY teohnicalities than Botany, and more unpre-
tending and restricted than Astronomy. Geology
possesses ell the elements that can interest the hu-
man mind In al Investigation concerning it we
must, Of course, take the greatest liberty with
time. What is the nature of time he was not call
ed upon to explain. II is Sufficient to say that it
is an idea winch exists in every mind How we
distinguish different periods cannot be explained.
Metaphysics unable to do it; but it is evident
that Judge, in the frs, place, of its lapse by ex
perencee, secondly, from own personal stand
ards. line to enc seems of much longer dura-
ton than 20 another and upon this principle, by
becoming familiar with great periods, Dr.. Smith
said that thousends of years to geclosist seemed
but small and almost Indifferent period
The first proposition which he was to prove was
that this Earth had existed for an indefinite length
OF time and this he should seek to establish be-
yond all contradiction. 1t might be asked why
this opinion contrary to thet given in the Bible,
should be boldly entertained He might say in
the first place, as a sufficient answer that phil
osopher has nothing to do with results or deduc-
tons; he might say he had nothing to do with any
bearings to suit themselves. But he would say
further than this that the same variance with the
Mosaic account existed in Ncwten's philosophy ::
no man now believed that the Fixed Stars were
created merely to give light to this Earth, as was
then geaernliy maintained; and there was no need
OF casting all this reProach of having offered theo-
RES opposed to revelation Upon Geology when in
fact it belonged wei! to the science of Astrono-
my. But the true solution Of the matter in his
mind was that ReDelation teaches as no truth Of
Science-nor has single scientific truth ever been
deduced from it. Its purpose is entirely moral
and spiritual and it is contrary TO all analogy TO
suppose that any revelation Of scientific truth
should be made. The rule is that whatever the
mind can furnish for itscf--sha be left to its own
cxcrtions Science, no more than bread, is commu
nicated directly to man. both alike are the result
Of study and labor. Had this been done, moreover
what immense amount Of qualification would
have been lest The raptures of ArcHIMIDEs, of
RITTENHoUsE and of CyvIER upon the discovery
OF new truths--upon opening new paths of in
vestigation, would forever have been unknown.
Still it did not follow from this that there had
been ne revelation at all for there were certain
propositions which the human mind never could
ascertain for itself. The Immortality of the soul
was one Of them. Revelation is absolutely neces.
who are not content with that, must satisfy them
selves as best they 1t is not to be denied that
all aspire TO future state Of being: and this in
the breast of all men-the Indian, who looks for
ward to his hunting grounds where he hopes
"Hs faithful dog shall bear hits company
as we'll as the Christian who has higher views of
a future state, is not the prompting of vanity, as
Gibbon would teach, but is directly inspired by re-
violation from Heaven.
The Geolosst ask, for only single concession
from those whom he seeks to teach: he merely
asks them 70 concedc that a she'll IS shell. With
the cid of this the lecturer thought he should be
able establish all he wished te prove. It should
be borne in mind that Philosophy as at present
constituted is merely matter of fact--and that it
must be received as such-bare;y as collection Of
facts more or less generalized. As collateral
proposition TO the first he wished to state that
she'll is a production of some animal, and that it
must have taken come time for its formation ;
moreover, as shells are now found onlv in water
so they must always have been formed under ws-
ter. IF, then, we knew the amount of shells de-
posted and the rate of their formation, we should
have no difficulty in determining the period Of the
fret formation and thus the antiquity OF the Earth
The word stratum in Geology is used as synony
nous with bed. The different strata of the Earth
are arranged in the order OF the following table
to which the lecturer merely directed attention,
saying that he would not stop to explain the mean
ing of the terms at present, but merely direct at
tcnton to the order of the strata.
The Crust TIE Ecrth divided and designated according TO
.ae order Of deposition
/. Recent.
2 Newer Pliocene.
Tertiary .......,,...S s. Older Pccenc.
t. Miocene.
s. Eocene
6. Cretaceous Group.
7. Ooliiic System.
8. Las.
Secondary .....-..... .. New Red Sandstone.
To- Coal Formation.
L. Carboniterous Limestone
u Old Red Sandstone