1841 LIFE IN THE SURVEY 45 



wore a dark blue uniform. A tight - fitting, well- 

 buttoned frock-coat, however, was not a very com- 

 fortable garment for the rough scrambling and climb- 

 ing work of the survey life. The geologists were 

 therefore by no means sorry when, on their trans- 

 ference in 1845 from the Ordnance Department, they 

 were at liberty to choose their own civilian apparel. 

 But as a souvenir of their military connection they 

 retained the gilt buttons embossed with the crown 

 and crossed hammers, which for many years after- 

 wards were worn on festive occasions. Even those 

 members of the service who joined in later years 

 used to provide themselves with a set of the * Survey 

 buttons,' and wore them on their waistcoats at the 

 annual dinner. 



The life of a member of the Geological Survey is, 

 in many respects, an enviable one. He starts soon 

 after breakfast, lightly accoutred, and spends the day, 

 map in hand, over the ground assigned to him for 

 survey. Every exposure of rock is noted by him on 

 his map or in his note-book, with all the needful 

 details. Each stream is followed step by step up to 

 its source ; each hill-side and ravine is traversed from 

 end to end ; each quarry, sometimes each ditch, and 

 even the very furrows and turned-up soil of a ploughed 

 field are scrutinised in turn. He is thus led into 

 every nook and corner of the ground, until he 

 acquires a more intimate knowledge of it than many 

 of the natives who have been living there all their 

 lives. Out early and late, and in all kinds of 

 weather, he witnesses changing atmospheric effects 

 such as few others have opportunities of enjoying. 

 He is brought into every variety of scenery, and is 

 compelled by his very duties to study these varieties, 



