Davis, W. M., Glacial erosion, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., =22=, =58=, 1882. Footnote 77: Sabine, Sir Edward, Address of the president of the Royal Society, this Journal, =37=, 108, 1864. IV A CENTURY OF GEOLOGY.—THE GROWTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF EARTH STRUCTURE By JOSEPH BARRELL _Introduction The Intellectual Viewpoint in 1818._ In 1818, the year of the founding of the Journal, the natural sciences were still in their infancy in Europe. Geology was still subordinate to mineralogy, was hardly recognized as a distinct science, and consisted in little more than a description of the character and distribution of minerals and rocks. America was remote from the Old World centers of learning. The energy of the young nation was absorbed in its own expansion, and but a few of those who by aptitude were fitted to increase scientific knowledge were even conscious of the existence of such a field of endeavor. Under these circumstances the educative field open to a journal of science in the United States was an almost virgin soil. Original contributions could most readily be based upon the natural history of the New World, and the founder of the Journal showed insight appreciative of the situation in stating in the “Plan of the Work” in the introduction to the first volume that “It will be a leading object to illustrate AMERICAN NATURAL HISTORY, and especially our MINERALOGY and GEOLOGY.” At this time educated people were still satisfied that the whole knowledge of the origin and development of the earth so far as man could or should know it was embraced in the Book of Genesis. They were inclined to look with misgiving at attempts to directly interrogate the earth as to its history. Philosophers such as Descartes and Liebnitz, the cosmogonists de Maillet and Buffon had been less instrumental in developing science than in fitting a few facts and many speculations to their systems of philosophy. By the opening of the nineteenth century, however, men of learning were coming to appreciate that the way to advance science was to experiment and observe, to collect facts and discourage unfounded speculation. Silliman’s insight into the needs of geologic science is shown in the following quotation (=1=, pp. 6, 7, 1818): “Our geology, also, presents a most interesting field of inquiry. A grand outline has recently been drawn by Mr. Maclure, with a masterly hand, and with a vast extent of personal observation and labour: but to fill up the detail, both observation and labour still more extensive are demanded; nor can the object be effected, till more good geologists are formed, and distributed over our extensive territory.