CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.

CHAPTER I.

Voyage.-Harbour of Halifax.-Excursions near Boston.-Dif-

ference of Plants from European Species, and Correspon-

dence of Marine Shells.-Resemblance of Drift, Erratics,

and Furrowed Rocks, to those of Sweden.-Springfield.-

New Haven.-Scenery of the Hudson.-Albany.-Geologi-

cal Surveys.-Mohawk Valley.-Ancient or Silurian Forma-

tions.-Prosperity and rapid Progress of the People.-

Lake Ontario.-Tortoises.-Fossil Remains of Mastodon.....

CHAPTER II.

Distant and near View of the Falls of Niagara.-Whether

the Falls have receded from Queenston to their present

Site.—Geographical Features of the Region.-Course of

the River above and below the Falls.-Recent Proofs of

Erosion.-Historical Data in the Works of Hennepin and

Kalm.-Geological Evidence derived from Fluviatile Strata

or Remnants of an old River-bed in Goat-Island and else-

where.—Difficulty of computing the Rate of the Retrograde

Movement. Varying Hardness and Thickness of the Rocks

undermined.-Future Recession.-Age of the Drift and Lime-

stone Escarpments.-Successive changes which preceded

and accompanied the origin of the Falls.-Reflections on the

Lapse of past Time.....

CHAPTER III.

Tour from the Niagara to the Northern Frontier of Pennsyl-

vania.-Ancient Gypsiferous Formation of New York.-

Fossil Mastodon at Geneseo.-Scenery.-Sudden Growth of

New Towns.-Coal of Blossberg, and resemblance to British

Coal-Measures.-Stigmaria.-Humming Birds.-Nomencla-

ture of Places.-Helderberg Mountains and Fossils.-Re-

fractory Tenants.-Travelling in the States.-Politeness

of Women.-Canal Boat.-Domestic Service.-Progress of

Civilisation.-Philadelphia.-Fire-engines...

CHAPTER IV.

Excursion to New Jersey.-Cretaceous Rocks compared to

European.-General Analogy of Fossils, and Distinctness of

Species.-Tour to the Anthracite Region of the Alleghanies

in Pennsylvania.-Long parallel Ridges and Valleys of these

Mountains.-Pottsville.-Absence of Smoke.-Fossil Plants

same as in Bituminous Coal.-Stigmariæ.-Great Thickness

of Strata.-Origin of Anthracite.-Vast Area of the Appala-

chian Coal-Field.-Progressive Debituminization of coal

from West to East.-General Remarks on the different

Groups of Rocks between the Atlantic and the Mississippi.—

Law of Structure of the Appalachian chain discovered by

the Professors Rogers.-Increased Folding and Dislocation

of Strata on the South-eastern flank of the Appalachians.-

Theory of the Origin of this Mountain chain......

CHAPTER V.

Wooded Ridges of the Alleghany Mountains.-German Patois

in Pennsylvania.-Lehigh Summit Mine.-Effects of Ice

during a Flood in the Delaware.-Election of a Governor

at Trenton and at Philadelphia.-Journey to Boston.-

Autumnal Tints of the Foliage.-Boston the Seat of Com-

merce, of Government, and of a University.-Lectures at the

Lowell Institute.-Influence of Oral Instruction in Litera-

fure and Science.-Fees of Public Lecturers.-Education

Funds sunk in costly Buildings.-Advantages of anti-build-

ing clauses-Blind Asylum.-Lowell Factory.-National

Schools.-Equality of Sects.-Society in Boston....

CHAPTER VI.

Fall of Snow and Sleigh-driving at Boston.-Journey to New

Haven.-Ichthyolites of Durham, Connecticut.-Age of

Red Sandstone.-Income of Farmers.-Baltimore.-Wash-

ington.-National Museum.-Natural Impediments to the

Growth of Washington.-Why chosen for the Capital.--

Richmond, Virginia.-Effects of Slave Labour.-Low Region

PAGE

44

62

81

津

on the Atlantic Border, occupied by Tertiary Strata.-In

fusorial Bed at Richmond.-Miocene Shells and Corals in

the Cliffs of the James River compared with Fossils of the

European Crag and Faluns.-Analogy of Forms and Differ-

ence of Species.-Proportion of Species.-Commencement

of the present Geographical Distribution of Mollusca.......

CHAPTER VII.

Pine Barrens of Virginia and North Carolina.-Railway Train

stopped by Snow and Ice.-The great Dismal Swamp.-

Soil formed entirely of Vegetable Matter.-Rises higher than

the contiguous firm Land.-Buried Timber.-Lake in the

Middle. The Origin of Coal illustrated by the Great Dis-

mal.-Objections to the Theory of an ancient Atmosphere

highly charged with Carbonic Acid....

CHAPTER VIII.

Tour to Charleston, South Carolina.-Facilities of Locomo-

tion.-Augusta.-Voyage down the Savannah River.-Shell

Bluff.-Slave Labour.-Fever and Ague.-Millhaven.-Pine

Forests of Georgia.-Alligators and Land Tortoises.-Warmth

of Climate in January.-Tertiary Strata on the Savannah.—

Fossil Remains of Mastodon and Mylodon near Savannah.-

Passports required of Slaves.-Cheerfulness of the Negroes. 122

CHAPTER IX.

Return to Charleston.-Fossil Human Skeleton.-Geographical

Distribution of Quadrupeds in North America.-Severe

Frost in 1835 in South Carolina.-White Limestone of the

Cooper River and Santee Canal.-Referred to the Eocene

Period, not intermediate between Tertiary and Chalk.—

Lime-sinks.-Species of Shells common to Eocene Strata in

America and Europe.-Causes of the increased Insalubrity

of the Low Region of South Carolina.-Condition of the

Slave Population.-Cheerfulness of the Negroes, their

Vanity.-State of Animal Existence -Invalidity of Mar-

riages. The coloured Population multiply faster than the

Whites.-Effect of the Interference of Abolitionists.-Law

against Education.-Gradual Emancipation equally desirable

for the Whites and the Coloured Race..

136

CHAPTER X.

Wilmington, North Carolina.-Mount Vernon.-Return to

Philadelphia.-Reception of Mr. Dickens.-Museum and

Fossil Human Bones.-Penitentiary.-Churches.-Religious

Excitement.-Coloured People of Fortune.-Obstacles to

their obtaining Political and Social Equality.-No natural

Antipathy between the Races.-Negro Reservations.......

CHAPTER XI.

Philadelphia. Financial Crisis.-Payment of State Dividends

suspended.-General Distress and Private Losses of the

Americans.-Debt of Pennsylvania.-Public Works.-Direct

Taxes.-Deficient Revenue.-Bad Faith and Confiscations.-

Irresponsible Executive.-Loan Refused by European Capi-

talists in 1842.-Good Faith of Congress during the War in

1812-14.-Effects of Universal Suffrage.-Fraudulent Vot-

ing.-Aliens.-Solvency and Good Faith of the Majority of

the States.-Confidence of American Capitalists.-Reform

of the Electoral Body.-General Progress of Society, and

Prospects of the Republic......

CHAPTER XII.

.....

New York City.-Geology.-Distribution of Erratic Rocks in

Long Island.-Residence in New York.-Effects on Society

of increased Intercourse of distant States.-Separation of the

Capital and Metropolis.-Climate.-Geology of the Taconic

Mountains.-Stratum of Plumbago and Anthracite in the

Mica Schist of Worcester -Theory of its Origin.—Lectures

for the Working Classes.-Fossil Foot-Prints of Birds in

Red Sandstone.-Mount Holyoke.-Visit to the Island of

Martha's Vineyard.-Fossil Walrus.-Indias...

CHAPTER XIII.

Meeting of Association of American Geologists at Boston.-

Popular Libraries in New England.-Large Sale of Literary

Works in the United States.-American Universities.-

Harvard College, near Boston.-English Universities.-Pecu-

liarities of their System.-Historical Sketch of the Causes

of the Peculiarities not of Medieval Origin.-Collegiate

Corporations.-Their altered Relations to the English Uni-

versities after the Reformation.-Constitution given to

Oxford by Leicester and Laud.-System of Public Teaching,

PAGE.

156

171

189

how superseded by the Collegiate.-Effects of the Change.—
Oxford Examination Statute of 1800.-Its subsequent Modi-
fication and Results.-Rise of Private Tutors at Oxford and
Cambridge.--Consequences of this Innovation.-Struggle at
Oxford in 1839 to restore the Professional System.-Causes
of its Rejection.-Tractarianism.-Supremacy of Ecclesias-
tics.-Youthful Examiners.-Cambridge, advocacy of the
System followed there.-Influence of the English Academi-
cal Plan on the Cultivation of the Physical Sciences, and
all Branches of Progressive Knowledge.-Remedies and
Reforms.....

PAGE

208