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[Page 8]
account of the impossibility of perforating such hard bodies.
In Countries so remote & uncivilized, discoveries of this kind are not likely to be of much utility & are chiefly interesting to the Geologist who is desirous of learning whether the Mineral productions of that extremity of the Globe are analogous to those of our own, & how far in respect to the Mineral Kingdom, Nature has been uniform or capricious in her operations.
It is this point of view which ought particularly to be chosen by the Scientifical Gentlemen who are employd [employed] in this expedition. The task assignd [assigned] to them being Mineralogical Geography.
After an accurate description & delineation of the face of the countries which they visit, they will be requird [required] to give us some account of their constituent strata, as far at least as the opportunities which they shall have for information will admit of.
A collection of well chosen specimens too, will be considerd [considered] as indispensibly necessary for the correction & confirmation of their observations.
In the process of observing a variety of circumstances deserve to be noted which those who are little versed in the Science of Geology may neglect from their apparent unimportance & which those who are not in the habit of observing may overlook. It will be usefull [useful] therefore to state what these circumstances are.
Ridges of Mountains are observd [observed] to be comprised of very different strata from those which constitute the intermediate Plains.
The Strata in each separate Chain of Non-Volcanic Mountains follow each other in a certain order.