Before naturalists had learned to distinguish what they saw, and to
describe, in known terms, those natural appearances, a theorist must
have generalised only from his proper observation. This has been my
case. When I first conceived my theory, few naturalists could write
intelligibly upon the subject; but that is long ago, and things are much
altered since; now there are most enlightened men making observations,
and communicating natural knowledge. I have the satisfaction, almost
every day, to compare the theory, which I had formed from my proper
observations, with the actual state of things in almost every quarter of
the globe.
Whether, therefore, we mean to try a theory by its application to
such phenomena as are well understood, or to learn something from the
application of particular phenomena to a well established theory,
we shall always find it interesting to have appearances described;
particularly such as may be referred to some general rule, as
circumscribing it to certain conditions, or as finding rule in rule,
that is to say, discovering those particular conditions in which the
general laws of action may be affected.
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