ii8 PROFESSORSHIP OF GEOLOGY CHAP, iv 



looked forward with some misgiving to the fateful 

 1 4th January 1848, when he was to enter upon 

 his new educational duties. He chose as the subject 

 of his Inaugural lecture a sketch of the progress of 

 geological science, selecting a few of the greater 

 names in the bead - roll of geology, and dwelling 

 more particularly upon the labours of the illustrious 

 Hutton. 1 It was a wide theme for a single lecture, 

 but the author succeeded in giving prominence to 

 some of the main historical facts in the evolution of 

 geology, and he reserved for his opening lecture next 

 year a continuation of the story in its progress from 

 the time of Hutton to that of William Smith. 



On the opening day of his course the new 

 Professor made the following entry in his diary : 



1 \\th January. Got up betimes and worked at 

 my lecture till half-past ten. Took a cab to University 

 College, reading as I went the ill -written passages 

 of my lecture. By and by Sharpey and Dr. Grant 

 came in. We then went to the Professor s room, 

 where Graham and Sharpey introduced me into a 

 silk gown, and then Dr. Grant introduced me to the 

 audience, which numbered about a hundred. I was 

 pleased to see so many. Dr. Fitton was there and 

 sundry others, Forbes and Oldham grinning at me 

 from the back rows. I felt a little nervous, but got 

 through very well, as they told me, in an hour and 

 a quarter. 



After a month s experience of lecturing he writes : 

 I suspect the listeners are better pleased with my 

 matter than I am, and more than that, I daresay 



1 Passages in the History of Geology, being an Inaugural Lecture at University 

 College^ London, by Andrew C. Ramsay, F.G. S., Professor of Geology, University 

 College, and Director of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. London, 

 1848. 



