GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEYS. 261 



This expedition was too hurried and with too few facilities for 

 making collections to afford anything more than a very general in- 

 sight into the character and relations of the several Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary stages. It had shown conclusively that the dip of all the 

 marine Tertiary beds is southward, except onl}^ as regards the Grand 

 Gulf rocks, whose relations to the rest they had no opportunity of 

 observing, since they are unrepresented in the Chickasawhay section, 

 save by clays of which the equivalence was not then apparent. 



Meanwhile, it had become apparent to the university trustees that 

 in its present form the survey was in more than one respect a burden 

 to the university', and, accordingly, at the legislative session of 1855- 

 56, Governor McRae, in transmitting to the legislature the regular 

 report of the trustees of the University of IMississippi, accompanied 

 it by a special message, in which occur the following passages : 



The first portion of the trustees' report relates to the geological survey of 

 the State geologist, and proposes the separation of this survey from the uni- 

 versity, and asks that it may be taken charge of by the State as an independent 

 work under the direction of the governor. The reasons for this are fully set 

 forth in the report and may be recapitulated in brief as follows: 



1. The geological survey does not form a part of the course of instruction 

 in the university and i.s not properly connected with the business of the 

 institution. 



2. The duties of the State geologist, under the present arrangement, being 

 partly as professor in the university, partly in the field survey, neither position 

 can be fully or satisfactorily filled by him. Either the classes in his department 

 must suffer in his absence or tlie survey in the field be neglected to give them 

 proper attention. 



3. The funds of the university are not sufllcient to justify in bestowing a por- 

 tion of them on a work, however important and valuable to the State, that 

 Is not legitimately a portion of its business. 



The appropriation by the State of .$3,000 annually for the geological survey 

 pays no more than the salary of the principal and assistant geologists, and 

 the outfit and traveling expenses, apparatus, etc., amounting to as much more, 

 have to be provided for out of the college funds. This is unjust to the uni- 

 versity and the divided time of the State geologist between the university 

 and the field operates injuriously both to the interests of the university and 

 the State. I would not be understood by this, nor would the board of trustees, 

 as casting any reflections upon the learned gentleman who now fills the place 

 of State geologist, and whom they and myself believe to be well and highly 

 qualified for the duties of that station, nor would we have it understood, and 

 the board of trurstees would not, that we detract in the slightest measure from 

 the great interest and importance to the State of having a geological survey 

 thoroughly and efficiently prosecuted. The object is to place it in the hands of 

 the State and under the direction of her authority, where it properly belongs, 

 and to have it vigorously prosecuted to completion at the earliest day. I there- 

 fore reconnnended to the legislature to place it in this position, and to provide the 

 means necessary to accomplish this object. It is believed that an appropriation 

 annually for three years of .$6,000 will be sufBcient to complete the entire 

 work within that period. 



