Note 79 — OBSERVATIONS ON THE MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY OF A PART OF THE UNITED STATES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

The Report from which these observations are extracted was drawn up at Smithland, Kentucky, in January, 1820, soon after the return of the exploring party from the Rocky Mountains. Since that time, opportunities have been wanting to supply the deficiency of study and comparison, for which that place, remote from all collections of books and minerals, did not afford the means. We may be allowed to mention these circumstances in extenuation of our apparent neglect of many recent innovations in geology, and of some late works, with which we had not the opportunity to be acquainted.—James.