PROCEEDINGS FOR 1896 LXXXL 



Lvcll reinarkïs of the rival factions of tlie Vulcanists and Neptunists : 

 '•Their contentions were carried to such a height that the names had 

 become terms of reproach ; and the two parties had been less occupied in 

 searching for truth than for such arguments as might strengthen their 

 own cause or serve to discredit their antagonists. But out of evil good 

 arose in the formation of a new school, who cared neither for Werner 

 nor Ilutton. but who resolved diligently to devote their labour to obser- 

 vation. . . . Speculative views were discountenanced, and in the fear 

 of exposing themselves to the suspicion of a bias towards the dogmas of a 

 party, some geologists became anxious to entertain no opinion whatever 

 on the causes of j)henomena, and were inclined to scepticism even where 

 observed facts scarcely admitted of reasonable doubt. No measure could 

 be more salutary than a suspension of all attempts to form theories of the 

 earth. A great body of new data was required, and tlie Geological 

 Society of London, founded in 1807, conduced greatl}^ to the attainment 

 of this end. To multiply and record observations and patiently to await 

 the result at some future period, was the object proposed by them ; and it 

 was their favoui'ite maxim, that all must be content for many years to 

 be exclusively engaged in furnishing materials for future generalizations." 

 The contention is still active, though under somewhat different 

 designations, but the moral and the maxim are, unfortunately, for the 

 most part forgotten or ignored. It is, however, and I Ijelieve correctly, 

 said that " truth will prevail ;"' but the battle it has to fight is often very 

 protracted, often a very unequal and wavering one, and it has happened 

 that hasty and not well-considered theory has prevailed against facts 

 which had long before been patiently and carefully examined and cor- 

 rectly interpreted. 



One of these battles still continues; it is over the Archaean system 

 and its most important and largest member, granite, on which latter I 

 propose to give some details and some almost historical but unpublished 

 correspondence. 



As some of ni}' hearers are aware. I have been a geological workman 

 on behalf of her Majesty for fifty years. Twenty-five years of that time 

 h'as been spent in conducting the Geological Survey of Canada, the 

 history of which was given in the Presidential address of 1894. though in 

 it my long connection with the Survey as its director has been inadvert- 

 ently omitted. During this, as human life is reckoned, somewhat lengthy 

 period, and being conscious of my lack of oratorical or scriptorial quali- 

 fications, I have rarely been induced either to talk or to write for pub- 

 lication, or I may have been like Werner, who, we are told, " had an 

 antipathy to the mechanical labour of writing." However this may be, 

 the result was that I had more time for observation, by which 1 certainly 

 gained and probably no one else lost anything ; because whenever 1 

 made out, or thought I had inade out, a fact having a practical bearing, 



Proc. 1896. F. 



