Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-29
BOOK NOTICES.

+" The OLD RED SANDSTONE, or NeU Walks an an
Old Field" by HuoH MILLER, author Of the Footprints
of the Creator" illustrated with engravings,
from the London edition, p. $50. Boston published by
Gould & Lincoln; Washington sold by Taylor d
Maury.
We last winter noticed sThe Footprints Of the Creator
and such Of our readers have read that work need in
centve purchase this Geology, Of all the sciences, most
powerfully addresses itself the Imagination. This is
shown by the sku and graphic illustrations of the author Of
this work. There is keen wit evnced the review In chap
ter ill., of the old theory Of progression, recently revamped
and put before good by Prof Oxen, and in
"The Vestges Of Creation" the absurdy Of the idea that
the offspring Of low in the scale in the present time
may hold higher place in it. and belong different and
nober species few thousand years hence is thus illustrated
by Mr.. Miller " The descendants Of the Orang Outang
for instance, may be employed in some future in writing
reases Geology which they shall have to describe the
remains of the guadrumdna belonging extinct ORDER
Lamarck himself when bearing home triumph the skeleton
Of huge salamande crocodile Of the LAS might
indulge consistently with his theory, the pleasing belief that
be had possessed himself of the bones Of his grandahea
grandfather removed Of course by the intervention of few
hundred thousand The fact that all animal
well vegetable tribes have their connecting links the
base of this strange theory, which graduation COMPOUNDED
with progress but graduation is progress Geoey Hud
was very short man, and Goliath of Gath very tall
one and the gadatons of the human lie between
and though find full grown Of five feet five feet six
inches six feet and six feet and half the fact gives
whatever that the is rising in sature and that
future period the average height of the human fam
y will be eleven feet So far from this theory Of pro-
gres being true, told by author that there no
genealogical link show that the exisences of de-
rive their lineage from the exsences Of another The scene
shifts pass from formation to formations intro
duced in each to dan,at persona and there exists
such proof their being different and yet the same
produced in the Winters Tale, to show that the grown
shepherdess of the is identical with the exposed
infant Of the that went before Nay, the reverse is
well nigh stkingy the the grown shepherdess
had been introduced into The earlier of the drama, and
the child into its concluding scenes" The closing chapters
contain the geological hysognomy Of the various changes Of
the eahs crust in the view of the author which exceed
ngy well written. The thought presented itself to Cuv1ER
Has the last in the series arisen, has Deity e1pend
ed his nntude of resource and reached the ultimate stage
Of progression at which perfection arrive " The phoso
pher hestaed and then decided in the negative, for be
too intimately acquainted with the works Of the omnpoen
Creator to think Of limiting his power.
Mr. MILLER, in concluding this work, says " How well il
is to be permitted to indulge in the expansion Of Cuvier
thought To be enabled to look forward to the
coming Of heaven and new EARTH not in terror, but
hopto be encouraged believe in the system Of unend
ing progression and entertain no fear of the degradation
deposition Of man. The adorable Monarch Of the future with
all its unsummed perfection, has already passed into the hea
vens-fesh Of esb and bone of bone and Enoch
and Elias there with hm- Of that dom
nant which other shall suppant succeed
and whose onward and upward march the deep echoes Of
eternity shall never cease to respond"