14 FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 
gical map of England had been constructed by private 
individuals) come to recognise the value of geology, and 
to desire to know the contents of their kingdom—as America 
knew her gold region in California, and her coal fields in 
Kentucky, and on the banks of the Ohio— yet those who 
were entrusted with the education of our people still cared 
not a rush about these matters. This was a gross defeet of 
our national education, which is to usa reproach as a people. 
Whilst young men were crammed to insanity with the 
crotchets of Greek metres, they were almost taught to 
despise the works of God. The study of Natural History 
had been utterly neglected at our publie schools, and he 
knew certain persons in authority in certain universities of 
the land who had said “ that man is good for nothing, for he 
is addieted to the vain study of natural sciences.” They 
were ignorant of science themselves, and wished to keep 
others so. It was the old conclusion, 
“ Damnant quod non intelligunt.” 
It was time these things were put an end to, and through 
the energies of such societies as this, the _“ consummation, 
so devoutly to be wished,” was likely to be effected. He 
then proceeded to prove his assertion that the actual pre- 
‚ence of the audience around him was attributable to a 
reological cause. He would show this by contrast—by 
'eferring to certain lofty distriets in the county where they 
ould not find that perfection of man and beasts which they 
ww in its valleys—first, because there were no human beings 
ıere, the hill tops being too poor to attract or feed them. 
ıd, secondly, because the very cattle upon them were half 
arved. He would allude first to the Quantock Hills: all 
at he remembered of their history when he was a boy, 
ıs, that persons brought from these hills to Axminster 
d Lyme, donkeys laden with wortel berries to make pies ; 
