The geology of Russia in Europe and the Ural mountains. Vol 1-2 / Геология России в Европе и Уральских горах. Том 1-2

ALTHOUGH the physical geography, mineralogy and natural history of the distant and mountainous parts of Russia have been well illustrated, from the days of Pallas and Hermann to those of Humboldt and Rose, the true geological structure of the country, particularly of her great flat regions, has never yet been adequately developed. We need not now enumerate all those persons who have recently offered contributions towards this object; but we must specially notice the early efforts of our precursor Strangways, who, so far back as the year 1822, after minutely describing the environs of St. Petersburgh, prepared a short general memoir on Russia in Europe; and essaying the first sketch of a geological map of that great portion of the empire, endeavoured to place its various rock masses in relation to their equivalents in England. This enterprising effort did not, indeed, result in determining the true succession of the strata ; for no geologist had paved the way by any classification of the most ancient fossiliferous deposits, of which the North of Russia is almost exclusively composed, according to their superposition and imbedded organic remains. Viewed, howrever, as the first attempt to unfold the nature of the subsoil of large, undulating regions, necessarily most obscure from being covered over with much detritus, the map of Strangways is entitled to the most respectful consideration from those who were destined to follow him. <...>