5THESTONE-BREAKERSATJUSTTHEtimethatHenryCavendishwascompletinghisexperimentsinLondon,fourhundredmilesawayinEdinburghanotherkindofconcludingmomentwasabouttotakeplacewiththedeathofJamesHutton.ThiswasbadnewsforHutton,ofcourse,butgoodnewsforscienceasitclearedthewayforamannamedJohnPlayfairtorewriteHutton’sworkwithoutfearofembarrassment.Huttonwasbyallaccountsamanofthekeenestinsightsandliveliestconversation,adelightincompany,andwithoutrivalwhenitcametounderstandingthemysteriousslowprocessesthatshapedtheEarth.Unfortunately,itwasbeyondhimtosetdownhisnotionsinaformthatanyonecouldbegintounderstand.Hewas,asonebiographerobservedwithanallbutaudiblesigh,“almostentirelyinnocentofrhetoricalaccomplishments.”Nearlyeverylinehepennedwasaninvitationtoslumber.Hereheisinhis1795masterwork,ATheoryoftheEarthwithProofsandIllustrations,discussing...something:Theworldwhichweinhabitiscomposedofthematerials,notoftheearthwhichwastheimmediatepredecessorofthepresent,butoftheearthwhich,inascendingfromthepresent,weconsiderasthethird,andwhichhadprecededthelandthatwasabovethesurfaceofthesea,whileourpresentlandwasyetbeneaththewateroftheocean.Yetalmostsinglehandedly,andquitebrilliantly,hecreatedthescienceofgeologyandtransformedourunderstandingoftheEarth.Huttonwasbornin1726intoaprosperousScottishfamily,andenjoyedthesortofmaterialcomfortthatallowedhimtopassmuchofhislifeinageniallyexpansiveroundoflightworkandintellectualbetterment.Hestudiedmedicine,butfounditnottohislikingandturnedinsteadtofarming,whichhefollowedinarelaxedandscientificwayonthefamilyestateinBerwickshire.Tiringoffieldandflock,in1768hemovedtoEdinburgh,wherehefoundedasuccessfulbusinessproducingsalammoniacfromcoalsoot,andbusiedhimselfwithvariousscientificpursuits.Edinburghatthattimewasacenterofintellectualvigor,andHuttonluxuriatedinitsenrichingpossibilities.HebecamealeadingmemberofasocietycalledtheOysterClub,wherehepassedhiseveningsinthecompanyofmensuchastheeconomistAdamSmith,thechemistJosephBlack,andthephiloso