ART. V. Geological Travels. By J. A. De Luc, F. R.S. In three Volumes. Vol. II. and III. Travels in England. Tranflated from the French Manufcript. 8vo. 11. 16s. Rivingtons. 1811.

TO do justice to the venerable author of the volumes before us, as well as to his work, we must refer our readers to many of the former volumes of our Review, but very particularly to vol. xxxv. p. 497, and vol. xxxvii. p. 43. Inwhich places notice is taken, firft of "a Treatife on Geology, "determining fundamental points in that science, and contain ing an examination of fome modern geological fyftems, particularly of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth," and fecondly, of the firft volume of the learned author's geological Travels, which are now completed. The researches, discoveries, and facts communicated to the public in the first volume, related to the phænomena in the north of Europe, the coafts of the Baltic and North Sea; the obfervations contained in the present books, are confined to our own country, and principally to the counties of Berks, Hants, Wilts, Dorfet, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall.

The principal object of Mr. De Luc's laborious refearches, will be found in our review of his Elementary Treatife, before referred to, vol. xxxv. 497, which treatife ought to be confidered as an indifpenfable accompaniment to his Travels. They fhould all be read together, efpecially as in the treatife more particularly, further references will be found to the other works of the venerable author, whofe fyftem has engaged his attention for fo many years. It has indeed employed fo much of his valuable life, that the whole accumulation of facts must be fought for generally in his writings; his latter. publications being confined, in a great measure, rather to the application of thofe facts to particular theories of the earth, more efpecially the Huttonian. This Mr. De Luc felécted, as the theory, of all others, moft calculated to bring into notice and obfervation the leading principles, and general phe nomena of geology. In his own words,

"Since, among the theories which I do not admit, that of Dr. Hutton, defended by Mr. Playfair, has appeared to me the moít methodical, and at the fame time, that which in its expo fition, embraces the greatéft number of the true characters of our continents, I have taken it principally as my object in these critical difcuffions." Vol. I. p. 2.

Mr. De Luc's leading idea is, that our prefent continents are comparatively of fmall antiquity; a circumftance tend

ing greatly to corroborate the events recorded in Scripture, and in which he has always had the fupport of two of the moft eminent foreign naturaliffs, geologifts, and mineralogifts, M. M. de Saufure and Dolomicu. Dr. Hatton's theory affigns to the prefent globe, and general state of the earth, an antiquity quite unfathomable; for he conceives that the principal irreglarities are owing to the continued action of exifling caules; that every thing has been in a flate of depredation and degradation for a time beyond calculation; and that as our prefent continents decay and wear down, new ones are forming at the bottom of the fea, to be raised by fome future catastrophe. The catafliope to which fuch ele vations would be affigned by the Huttonians, namely, the expanfive force of heat and rarified gafes, Mr. De Luc has ably fhown, both in his Treatife and Travels, to be wholly inadequate to produce fuch effects; and that inftead of fuch extraordinary elevations, partial fubfidences muft, in the nature of things, have been the principal caufe of the prefent confused state of the globe. But in regard more immedi ately to the ftrange hypothefis of Dr. Hutton, and his com mentator Mr. Play fair, that the valleys and excavations of the globe are owing to the action of running waters, and that fuch a deftruction and detritus has been continually going on, the learned traveller adduces facts fo diametri. cally oppofed to fuch a fancy, that it feems fcarcely poffible that the theory attacked, can any where maintain its ground, or be fupported against fo powerful an opponent. In either theory, we may conceive the whole to depend on the vifible effects of running waters; for undoubtedly, in the Huttonian fyftem, we must expect to find every where vifible proofs of that grand process by which the valleys are fuppofed to be ftill in a ftate of gradual excavation and depredation, and their materials carried forward to the bottom of the ocean. But if we only take the pains to follow Mr. De Luc in his curious refearches, and difplay of facts, we must inevitably be brought to the acknowledgment, that lo far from any fuch effects being manifefted by the vifible ftate of things, every thing confpires to prove the limited effects of running waters, and that in fact they cannot have been in action beyond a certain number of years. Our own conviction of this important fact is fo ftrong, upon reading the volumes before us, that we cannot hesitate to declare, that however eminent the name of Profeffor Playfair may be on other accounts, as a geologift he appears in a very low rank; his obfervations tending to how, that either he never examined the phænomena

phænomena he argues upon, or if he did fee tliem, that he certainly did not comprehend their nature or hiftory. We would venture alfo to fay, that a careful perufal of the voJumes now before us, would make the fame impreffion upon every mind capable of difcriminating, and of fully appreciating the merits and tendency of the evidence adduced. It is extremely gratifying in perufing thefe Travels, to fee in how high eftimation philofophical pursuits are held by the gentry of our native country. It was of importance to Mr. De Luc, not only to afcertain for himself the facts that he wished to establish, but to have the teftimony of other competent eye-witneffes to the truth of the ftatements he should bring forward; and in this particular his fuccefs feems to have been complete. The name of Mr. De Luc, backed by fuch letters of introduction as few perfons but himself could have procured, appears to have opened to him every door, that fuch a philofopher could with to enter; and to have fecured not only the hofpitable attentions of perfons of the highest refpectability, but the aid of their talents and local knowledge, to determine the precife na-1 ture of the phænomena felected for obfervation. We almoft wifh it were confiftent with the nature of our publication, to record at length the names of the very refpectable and eminent perfons who were affiftants to Mr. De Luc in these very curious and interefting researchies. One co-operator it is impoffible not to mention, we mean the tranflator of thefe volumes, Mrs. M. A. Burges, of Afhfield, Devonshire, a lady of no Juperficial endowments, but in all appearance a philofopher of the first rank.

"I did not ftop at Axminster," (fays the learned and venerable author, in his third volume,)" but proceeded immediately. to Honiton, I had again entered Devon/bine by this road, be-. caufe I was firft going to Ashfield, a houfe on the southern flope of the Blackdown Hills, a little more than a mile beyond Honiton, to which I had been invited by Mrs. M. A. Burges, with whom a particular object had brought me into correfpondence,. though I was not yet perfonally acquainted with her; and her wish to promote my views, has fince induced her to undertake the Tranflation of my Travels. When I made her this firft vifit, the had refided twenty years in Devonshire, and was well acquainted with many parts of it, especially on the coaft. I found her living in a very pleasant neighbourhood, in which I have fince" fpent much time, in a manner no lefs agreeable to me, than con ducive to my purposes. Mrs. Burges, and her very worthy friend, Mrs. A. Elliott, who has long been fettled here, being intimately connected with the family of General Simcoes of

Wolford

Wolford Lodge, which is at the top of a combe in thefe hills, and having had an opportunity of purchafing fields adjoining to each other in the fame combe, have built their two houses, very plea fantly fituated; Eglands is the name of Mrs. A. Elliott's houfe, as Afrld is of Mrs. Burger's. Thefe hills themfelves, which in my first journey I had not ftopped to examine, formed, in the prefent, one of my particular objects. I had mentioned my with to obferve them, in a letter to Mrs. Burges, who having spoken of it to General Simcoe, he was fo good as to offer me his affiftance in a most friendly manner. I shall never forget that excellent man, whofe character endeared him to me, even more than the fervices for which I was then indebted to him; and it occafioned me the mott lively regret, that the friendship which I then formed with him, and have fince continued with his eftimable family, was fo foon interrupted by his death; but he still lives in the memory and regard of all who had the advantage of being intimately acquainted with him.”

We have made this extract for feveral purpofes, firft certainly to render our readers acquainted with the elegant tranflator of thele Travels, who has undoubtedly accomplished her tafk in a moft able and fatisfactory manner; leaving nothing obfcure, and preferving all the animation and fpirit of the original; fecondly, to show the nature and character of the connections and acquaintance formed by Mr. De Luc on this interefting journey, and thirdly, to preferve and tranfmit his elegant and feeling eulogium on his departed friend, General Simcoe. In his foreign tour, the fubject of the first volume, Mr. De Luc appears to have received fimilar attentions from perfons of the higheft importance, both in rank and learning, and we would hope, that in those who were not before interested in the purfaits of philofophy, particularly geology, he will have excited a difpofition towards fuch ftudies, that may prove of confequence to the world in general; for there are no furer means of effectually checking the falfe affumptions of prefumptuous ignorance, or groundlefs pretenfions of infidelity, than by the promotion and extenfion of real fcience, and a juft apprehenfion and knowledge of facts. Mr. De Luc, in his fecond volume, p. 22, gives an account of the particular enquiries he had in view in the courfe of his Travels, with respect particularly to the Huttonian theory, and generally to the real ftate of the earth, and he reduces them to three following;

1. Whether the land-waters have cut their pallage to the Lea? 11. Whether

II. Whether the waters of the fea have opened for them felves an entrance into the lands?

III. Whether the earthy particles, carried to the fea by rivers, quit the coafts, and diffule themselves over the depths of the ocean?

The negative of all these questions is fo plainly and fatisfactorily eftablifhed, in our effimation, by the researches and obfervations recorded in these volumes. that the maintenance of a theory in which the contrary points are afferted as fundamental principles, feems to us perfectly abfurd and ridiculous; and though we know that Mr, Profeffor Playfair's defence and elucidation of Dr. Hutton's fyftem has reached more editions than one, yet we cannot help attributing it, more than any thing elfe, to a general confidence in the talents of that learned gentleman. This confidence, however, is not warranted by the fpecimens he has given of his geological knowledge, on which point, therefore, the world ought to be undeceived; and we think nothing could be more calculated to effect this, than the publication of Mr. De Luc's Travels now before us. We are compelled to speak thus generally, because it is impoffible to follow the learned author into the details of his very curious remarks, however interefting and important; fince they are commonly fo related to each other, and embrace fo many objects, that fcarcely any could be felected that would eafily be brought within the compafs of fuch a review. Some of his conclufions, however, may be here introduced with effect; fuch, for instance, as the following:

"Those who shall obferve many coafts with an attention equal to that which I have bestowed on this, and fhall confider every particular circumftance belonging to them, and to their connection with the neighbouring lands, will find it impoffible to retain the perfuafion, that vallies have been formed by the action of running waters, and fleep coafts by that of the fea; for they will perceive, that all the phenomena of coaffs concur in fupporting the opinion, that the prefent bed of the fea has been produced by the fubfidence of a great part of the furface of the globe, followed by different catastrophes on the borders of the parts, becoming, at the fame time, the continents; fo that, whenever the original bottom of the new fea can be discovered, it is feen to be formed of the maffes of the ftrata, which were broke off on its edge, and fubfided to the nearest point of the new bed of the ocean." Vol. II. p. 112.

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This is a conclufion, which, we think, regularly deduced from, and fatisfactorily fupported by the evidence of the