I 



1901] Ami — The late George M. Dawson. i\y 



basis. He had successfully carried out the work of his predecess. 

 ors, Sir William Logan and Dr. Selwyn, in investigating the 

 resources of Canada, both far and near. His death is an irrepar- 

 able loss to Canada, to science, but especially to the Geological 

 Survey Department. 



Dr. Dawson was by nature of a retiring disposition, though 

 exceedingly sociable and amusing as well as always interesting in 

 company, yet more so in the case ot geologists, and above all 

 in the field. He was unmarried, and a foremost member of the 

 Rideau Club, where he was most popular and highly appreciated. 

 He proved to possess a perfectly inexhaustible fund of ready 

 knowledge upon questions of Canadian or of world-wide interest. 



His writings are to be found in the Annual Reports of the 

 Geological Survey department, in the Quarterly Journal of the 

 Geological Society of London, in the American Journal of Science 

 and Arts, in the Canadian Naturalist, the Ottawa Naturalist, &c. 

 In 1894 he was unanimously elected President of the Royal Society 

 of Canada, the theme of his address being "The Future of Science 

 in Canada." He was Associate Editor of the Journal of Geology 

 of Chicago, and for three years he was President of the Ottawa 

 Field-Naturalists' Club, during which term he did all in his power 

 to advance and promote the interests of the Club. His was a lite 

 constantly devoted to the best interests oi his official work. He 

 combined indomitable energy with will power which did much to 

 keep up his vital strength as against what might be termed a 

 weakly physique. Close attention — possibly too close attention — 

 during late years, to office work, and a lack of outdoor physical 

 exercise, which he was wont to enjoy in his arduous mountain 

 climbings and in his explorations of many unknown regions of this 

 great Dominion, possibly combined to weaken his constitution. 



He was called away most suddenly and will be missed by all 

 who knew him personally or through his writings; but he has left 

 behind him a noble monument of his industry as an explorer and 

 of his skill as a practical geologist both in his official work and in 

 the personal influence which he exerted in the advancement of 

 science and scientific thought for twenty-six years. 



As a geologist Dr. Dawson's reputation was world-wide. He 

 was one of those investigators into the realm of geological science 



