'Satitral Histori/. 355 



the reception of indigenous ores, which ought to be particularly- 

 rich and splendid, continues to be defective, and is eclipsed by 

 many other collections, as well public as private ; a circum- 

 stance uniformly exciting the surprise of strangers, 



" The council earnestly request the attention of members to 

 the grand object of the institution, that, namely, of enlarging 

 our knowledge of the geological structure of Cornwall. It is 

 impossible for a few members to undertake the investigation of 

 the whole county. It is therefore hoped, that, with a view of 

 ejiabling the society to complete its long-promised, but still very 

 defective geological map, members will, in their respective dis- 

 tricts, endeavour to ascertain the nature and relations of the 

 rocks ; and transmit their observations made, and specimens 

 collected, fiom time to time, to the secretary, who will be very 

 ready to assist their inquiries by any advice or information in 

 his power. Any person, even although unacquainted with the 

 principles of goeological science, can, it is obvious, collect spe- 

 cimens of the various rocks in his vicinity ; and members are 

 requested to bear this in mind, with the assurance that collec- 

 tions of this kind, with the various localities of the specimens 

 affixed, will very materially promote the important object in 

 view. One grand desideratum, and which might be very easily 

 supplied by members resident in the different parts of the county, 

 is, — to ascertain the exact limits of the different Granite and 

 Killas districts. The farmers and miners, in any part of Corn- 

 wall, could give this information to any gentleman that would 

 take the trouljle to record it, or to trace the boundary lines in 

 any of the county maps. 



By Order, 



Sept. 21, 1819. JOHN FORBES, Secretary." 



8. Earthquakes. — Three severe earthquakes took place at 

 Copiapo, oil the 3d, 4th, and 11th, of April. The whole city 

 is described as being destroyed by them ; and the inhabitants 

 appear to have had time only to save their lives. Copiapo is 

 a sea-port of Chili, and stands on the south side of a river of 

 the same name, about 490 miles N. by E. of Valparaiso. 



