i8 4 5 PROMOTION IN THE SERVICE 61 



night came the meeting of the Geological Society, 

 where they usually made their appearance, and, seated 

 on the back benches, looked down upon the veterans 

 on the front rows, and listened to the papers and 

 discussions, often lively enough in those early days of 

 geology. They had the entry also into various social 

 gatherings, with an occasional night at the theatre, so 

 that the time they could secure for quiet reading was 

 by no means great. How Ramsay passed his time in 

 the first seasons of his London life may be gathered 

 from a few extracts from his diary of the early months 

 of 1845 : 



4 ^rd January. Reached the Paddington Station 

 [from Wales] at five in the morning. Got down to the 

 " Golden Cross," slept on benches, and breakfasted at 

 eight. At ten met Sir H. at the Muzzy [Museum], and 

 had a most jolly reception. Minute from the Treasury 

 authorising the junction of the Survey and the Muzzy. 

 It is proposed also that I should be Sir H.'s first 

 lieutenant with ^300 ! ! ! Thus one dream is in a fair 

 way of being realised. Playfair and I dined and 

 then danced at Smyth's till four.' 



The change in the official relations of the Survey 

 thus briefly alluded to was a momentous one in 

 the history of the service. It was now arranged 

 that the Survey, hitherto conducted under the 

 Board of Ordnance, should be transferred to the 

 Office of Works, and that the Museum and Survey 

 should thus be united as part of one organisa- 

 tion under the control of a single public depart- 

 ment. It was further provided that the staff of sur- 

 veyors should be increased ; that the Geological Survey 

 of Ireland, which had likewise been in charge of the 

 Board of Ordnance, should henceforth be placed under 



