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Bafalt. 43$ ftances produftive of fudden cooling; hence he hinks tbat bafalt was not cryftallized, but owes ts prifmatic lhape to fudden burfting In* countries, however, in which no volcanic veftiges can be traced, he thinks it, like other ftony mafles, of Neptunian origin. The period, however, at lafl arrived, at which all volcanic fyftems, howevef modified, received a deadly blow. Mr. Werner, of Friburgh, the moft eminent and judicious mineralogift that has yet appeared, having cafually obferved the tran- fition of bafalt into wacken, of wacken inio clay, and of this clay into mere quartzy fand, fub- ftances that were never fufpefted to have any other than an aqueous origin, by an eafy Appli cation of the fimpleft fundamental- laws of Mi- neralogy-, inferred that bafalt muft alfo have been formed in the fame fluid, This important obfervation {or rather the confequences deduced from it) was afterwards controverted by Mr. Voight, a mineralogift defervedly in high repute, in my v opinion, however, with little iuccels-”}'. Obfervations were henceforward multiplied on moft of the German mountains, tbat had here- tofore palfed for volcanic, and many were re- vendicated to Neptune’s antique demefne. Of thefe obfervatiens, thofe of Mr. lleufs on the Bohemian, and of Mr. Nofe on the hitis conti- guous to the Rhine, are worthy of particular at tention. During this controverfy, many impartial mi- neralogifts, wifhing to fee the merits on each fide compendioufly ftated, Mr. Floepfner, of Viel, * Notes on Bergm, 57. 37 Roz. 197. f 2 ßergm/ Jour. 17S8, and 1 Bergm. Jour. 1789. F f 2 iö 1 I
