PR GEOLOGY is peculiarly ada with ideas of the wisdom an to the acknowledgment of a is applicable to various, a Millions have been expende and in searching for metall of the nature and geologica ternal appearances, would h be fruitless. In the sinking of wells, in ngs, and for a great variety vil and military engineer the highest importance to th tracting party. Is it not time, then, that which we live, and fro animals, we derive our sub the knowledge to be derived the youth of this great a g to the names and sourc es, and the boundaries o scholars spend so much tim To supply the deficienc general readers and to our Possibly the clergy of ou sive geological works, hich show the coinciden and geology, may find this At the present day, when i the higher departments of ast, to understand the gr their own defence? An the strength of his outpost With respect to the mat suficient to say, that al Writer in the English lan cations, have been consu most interesting and imp ence particular notices only in conformity to this To those acquainted w deed be said, that to have and unite the opinions anthors on many subject PREFACE. s peculiarly adapted to impress the mind of the student the wisdom and power of the Creator, and to lead him vledgment of a Great First Cause. In addition to this, le to various, and highly important practical purposes. e been expended in boring for salt, in mining for coal, ing for metallic veins, when even a slight knowledge and geological positions of rocks, as indicated by exances, would have shown that such explorations would ng of wells, in excavations for canals, roads, and builda great variety of other purposes connected with both litary engineering, a knowledge of geology is often of mportance to the contractor, and not less so to the con J. ne, then, that we should begin the study of the earth live, and from which, in common with all terrene derive our subsistence? And can it be doubted, that e to be derived from this source, is fully as important of this great and unexplored country, as that pertainmes and sources of rivers, the extent and situation of boundaries of nations, states, and towns, which our d so much time in committing to memory? the deficiency of books on this subject, adapted to rs and to our higher schools, is the object of this work. e clergy of our country, who have no time to read exgical works, and thus to collect the scattered facts he coincidence and connexion between the Scriptures may find this little volume an acceptable assistance. day, when infidelity looks almost exclusively among partments of science for aid, ought not theologians, at stand the ground of such hopes, in order to make good ence? An experienced soldier always looks well to f his outposts. ct to the matter of the following treatise, it is perhaps say, that almost every recent systematic geological English language, as well as many periodical publibeen consulted. The plan has been to treat of the ng and important parts of the science, as a whole, and lar notices on American geology have been omitted, rmity to this design. equainted with the present state of geology, it hardly hat to have prepared a volume which should embrace a oninions of arron the most recent and respectable |