THE

HISTORY OF THE OLDEST KNOWN ROCKS

CONTAINING

ORGANIC REMAINS,

WITH A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOLD

OVER THE EARTH.

BY

SIR RODERICK IMPEY MURCHISON,

G.C.S.S.; D.C.L.; M.A.; F.R.S.; F.L.S.; HON. MEM. R.S. ED.; R.I.A.;

EX-PRESIDEnt of the GEOLOGICAL AND ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON; TRUSTEE OF
THE BRITISH MUSEUM HON. MEMBER OF THE ACADEMIES AND NAT. HIST. SOCIETIES
OF ST. PETERSBURG, MOSCOW, BERLIN, BRESLAU, COPENHAGEN, HOLLAND, SWITZERLAND, TURIN,
BOSTON, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, ETC. ETC.; AND

CORR. INSTITUTE OF FRANCE.

"Where were we when these grains of sand were assorted? Compared with their date, the fall
of Babylon has just happened, and the Creation of man is an event of yesterday!"