Whether
warped by the prejudice of partial and erroneous theory, or deceived by
the inaccuracy of superficial observation, naturalists are apt to see
things in an improper light, and thus to reason from principles which
cannot be admitted, and, which often lead to false conclusions. A
naturalist, for example, comes to examine a cavity in the mines, he
there finds water dropping down all around him, and he sees the cavity
all hung with siliceous crystals; he then concludes, without hesitation,
that here is to be perceived cause and effect, or that he actually sees
the formation of those crystallizations from the operation of water. It
is thus that I have been told by men of great mineral knowledge, men who
must have had the best education upon that subject of mineralogy, and
who have the superintendance of great mineral concerns in Germany, that
they had actually seen nature at work in that operation of forming
rock-crystal;--they saw what I have now described; they could see no
more; but, they saw what had convinced them of that which, there is
every reason to believe, never happened.
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