Reply to the Criticisms of James D. Dana; Including Dana's Two Articles with a Letter of Louis Agassiz (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1859 edition. Excerpt: ... HISTORY OF GEOLOGY.-In the Introduction to my Geology of North America are these words: - Strange notions -upon the geological discoveries that have been made in - America, and some facts quite distorted and misrepresented, -having found admittance into several works, especially an - address: On American Geological History, by James D. Dana, - and in the text of a - Geological Map of the United States and a British North America-, by Henry D. Rogers, where there -is a paragraph entitled: History and Literature of Geological - Research in the United States; I thought it would be more just -to those who made these discoveries, to cite from their own -works, giving the official date of their publications, so that - each one may be able to judge for himself of the truth and -value of their discoveries. To this end I have given a Chapter - entitled: A Synopsis of the History of the Progress and Discov-eries of Geology in North America, in which I have placed - quotations taken from all the official sources to which I have -had access. Mr. Dana has devoted a page of his Review to this Synopsis, and concludes by the following sentence: ((Without further specifications it is plain that in this History the author has neither dealt fairly with others or the subject.- The History of Geology is a matter of facts and dates, beginning in 1809, an epoch quite near, and therefore easily verified. I gave all the discoveries with the date at which they were made, as I believed truly and impartially;--if Mr. Dana thought I had dealt unfairly with -others and the subject-, he had only to give facts and dates to show this, --but not at all; he contents himself..