4 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
of the most eminent English geologists of the day knew of mineralogy, 
and how uncertain in consequence was their diagnosis in the field of the 
nature of rock masses.” 
In 1841 he met, however, two men with whom he was afterwards 
intimately associated in his work—Sir Charles Lyell, who more than 
any other man gave form to modern geological science, and Sir William 
Logan, who gave the first great impetus to the study of the older rocks 
of the northern half of the North American continent, and who founded 
the Geological Survey of Canada. - 
In 1847 he married Margaret A. Y. Mercer, daughter of G. Mercer, 
Esq., of Edinburgh, and returned to Nova Scotia. Two years later he 
went to Halifax to give a course of lectures on natural history subjects 
in connection with Dalhousie College, and organized classes for prac- 
tical work in mineralogy and paleontology. These were attended by 
students, citizens, and pupils of higher schools—a foreshadowing of 
university extension. In 1850, at the age of thirty, having already 
attracted some attention by the publication of a number of papers, 
reports, and lectures, he was appointed Superintendent of Education 
for Nova Scotia. His work in connection with this position obliged 
him to travel continually through all parts of the province and on these 
journeys he accumulated that immense mass of information concerning 
the geology and mineral resources of Nova Scotia which is incorporated 
in his largest work—that entitled “Acadian Geology.” 
Sir Charles Lyell, who, as above mentioned, on his first visit to 
America in 1841 met Sir William and was by him conducted to many 
places of geological interest in Nova Scotia, returned to Nova Scotia 
in 1852, and with Sir William continued his studies in Nova Scotian 
geology. Ina letter to Leonard Horner, dated September 12th of this 
year, Lyell writes: 
“My companion J. W. Dawson, is continually referring to the 
curious botanical points respecting calamites, endogenites, and other 
coal plants, on which light is thrown by certain specimens collected 
by him at Pictou. He told me that the root of the pond lily, Nym- 
phaea odorata, most resembled Stigmaria in the regularity of its growth, 
and Dr. Robb showed me a dried specimen, a rhizoma, which, being of 
a totally different family, and therefore not strictly like, still suggests 
the probability of the Stigmaria having grown in slush in the same 
manner.” 
And in another part of the same letter, referring to the now cele- 
brated Joggins section of the coast of Nova Scotia, he says: 
“Dawson and I set to work and measured foot by foot many hun- 
dred yards of the cliffs, where forests of erect trees and calamites most 

4 
: 

