The Vedic fathers of geology

92 Tue Vente Fatuers.or Grorocy,

declared a few Geological facts of great magnis tude either by intuitive perception, or by long, arduous, and persevering. study, over hundred of centuries befor Steno’ or Leibnitz,? Lehman® or Werner,’ William Smith,° or other lesser satellites of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries of the Christian Era, could throw any ray of light on this very important but abstruse and scientific subject ( vide ante pp. 13-24 ).

From this point of view, therefore, a peep into the Geological past of the West, or a glance at the previous history of the development of Geological science in Kurope, will not only be interesting,

instructive. I shall, accordinely, endeavour to

but will m every way be highly

give, in brief, the early progress of geological thought and speculation in Europe.

The first Huropean satellite that had appeared above the horizon, and advanced certain theories in respect of geological rocks, was Steno. He was an Italian, and had, in 1669, introduced

1 An Italian. A. D. 1669.

2 A German. A. D. 1680.

3 A German. A. D. 1756

4 <A German, Close of the 18 century A. D. 5 An Englishman. A, D. 1809.