position of lowest Fossiliferous Sandstone to Gneiss.-Supposed Monument of the Commencement of the Organic World. To what extent the Granitic Rocks are primary.― Difficulty of establishing the Date of Metamorphic Action.Two Sources of popular error respecting the more abundant production of Hypogene Rocks at Remote Periods........ CHAPTER XXII. Glacial Furrows in the Valley of the St. Lawrence.-Action of packed ice in the Canadian Rivers.-Boulder Formation with and without Shells.-Gannanoqui.-Mountain of Montreal.Recent Shells in Drift more than 500 feet above the Sea.Lake St. Peter.-Falls of Maskinongé.-Deposit of Shells at Beaufort near Quebec.—Agreement with Swedish Fossils.— Shells in Boulder Formation of Lake Champlain.-Burlington, Vermont.-Fossils of Drift imply a colder climate.Scenery of Lake Champlain.-Organic Remains of lowest Silurian Sandstone.—Lingula.—Vermont Mountains.—Inns and Boarding-houses.-Return to Boston... CHAPTER XXIII. Halifax.-Glacial Furrows in Nova Scotia.-Difference of Climate of Halifax and Windsor.-Tracts covered with Kalmia.-Linnæa borealis.-High tides of the Bay of Fundy. The Bore. Recent deposits of Red Mud hardened in the Sun.-Fossil Showers of Rain.-Footprints of Birds, and casts of the same.-Cracks caused by Shrinkage.-Submerged Frost.-Recent Glacial Furrows at Cape Blomidon.-Loaded Ice.-Ice-ruts in Mud.. CHAPTER XXIV ..... Coal Formation of Nova Scotia.-Productive Coal-Measures. Erect Fossil Trees in the Cliffs of the Bay of Fundy.-Section from Minudie to the South Joggins.-Ten buried Forests, one above the other.-Connection of upright Trees with Seams of Coal.-Stigmaria.-Sigillaria.-Evidence of Repeated Submergence of dry Land.-Theory to explain the Evenness of the Ancient Surface.-Pictou Coal Field.-Bed of Erect Calamites, compared to those of St. Etienne, in France. List of Species of Nova Scotia Coal-plants.-Fourfifth of these Fossils identified with European Species.Carboniferous Flora of the United States... PAGE. 96 113 136 148 PAGE. CHAPTER XXV. Lower Carboniferous or Gypsiferous Formation of Nova Scotia.-Why formerly considered as newer than the productive Coal.-Determination of its true age.-Sections near Windsor. Supposed Reptilian Footsteps.-Section on the Shubenacadie.-Large Masses of Gypsum.-Their Origin.-Volcanic Action contemporaneous with Nova Scotia Coal Measures.-Limestone with Marine Shells.-Table of Organic Remains of the Carboniferous Limestone of Nova Scotia and Island of Cape Breton..... CHAPTER XXVI. Progress and Resources of Nova Scotia.-Highland Settlers.— Description of Plates and Maps.... 172 188 198 JOURNAL OF A TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA, IN 1841-2. CHAPTER XIV. Dr. Channing.-Agitation in Rhode Island.-Armed Convention.-Sail through Amboy Straits.—Journey to Philadelphia and Baltimore.-Harper's Ferry.-Passage over the Alleghanies by National Road.-Parallel Ridges.—Absence of Drift.—Structure and Origin of Appalachians.—Theory of Subsidence and Contraction of Subterranean Fluid.Kentucky Farmers.-Emigrants.-Cumberland Coal Field.Clay with Stigmaria.—Marine Shells in Coal Measures near Frostburg-Wide Geographical Distribution of Fossil Coal Plants. April 17, 1842.-DURING my stay at Boston, I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Channing preach one of the last sermons he delivered from the pulpit. His declining health had prevented him from doing regular duty of late years; but there seemed no reason to anticipate that he would so soon be taken away from a community over which he exerted a great and salutary influence. His sermon was less impressive than I had expected, and fell short of the high conception I had formed of him from his writings; but this I imputed entirely to his want of physical strength, and the weak state of his voice. I had afterwards the pleasure of conversing freely with him at a small dinner party on various subjects in which he was interested; among others, the bearing of geological discoveries, respecting the earth's antiquity and the extinct races of animals, on the Mosaic account of the history of man and the creation. I was struck with the lively interest he took in the political affairs of Rhode Island,—a neighbouring State, containing about 110,000 inhabitants, and now convulsed by a revolutionary movement in favor of an extension of the suffrage. The sympathies of Dr. Channing appeared to lean strongly to the popular party, which, in his opinion, had grievances to complain of, however much, by their violent proceedings, they had put themselves in the wrong. 66 As some alarmists assured me that the railway to Providence, by which I intended to pass southwards in a few days, was commanded by the cannon of the insurgents," my curiosity was awakened to inquire into this affair, the details of which were not uninstructive, as giving a curious insight into the character of the New England people, and showing their respect for law and order, even when their passions are highly excited. I found that Rhode Island was still, in the year 1842, governed according to a charter granted by Charles II. in the year 1663, no alteration having been made in the qualifications of voters at the period when the sovereignty was transferred from the crown of Great Britain to the freeholders of Rhode Island. Although the State has been flourishing, and is entirely free from debt, a large majority of the people have, for the last forty years, called loudly on the privileged landholders to give up their exclusive right of voting, and to extend the suffrage to all the adult males, in accordance with the system established in all the neighbouring States. The dispute turned mainly on a question of a very abstract nature for the comprehension of the multitude, though in reality one of great constitutional importance; namely, whether the change. should be made according to the forms prescribed in the charter of 1663, or might be effected by the people in its capacity of sovereign, without regard to any established forms. The latter method was advocated by the democratic leaders as most flattering to the people, and with such success that they organized a formidable association in opposition to the government. Their demands did not differ very materially from those which the legislature was willing to concede, except that the democrats claimed the suffrage, not only for every American-born citizen, but also for the new-comers, or the settlers of a few years' standing. Both parties agreed to exclude the free blacks. At length, as their wishes were not complied with, the "Suffrage Convention" resolved to intimidate their opponents by a military enrolment and drilling, and were soon joined by several companies of militia. The governor of Rhode Island was so much alarmed as to call on the President of the United States to afford him aid, which was declined on the ground that no overt act of violence had been committed. The insurgents then elected a separate |