1 8 4 5 RUNNING A MAGISTRATE TO EARTH 71 



magistrates of Bangor, and there was a chapel to be 

 consecrated there to-day. Took a car, and in despair 

 drove to Penrhyn Castle. Colonel Pennant also 

 gone to Llanfairfechan ! ' Next day he proceeded to 

 Caernarvon, ' expecting Mr. Morgan to do my magis- 

 trate's business for me, but lo ! he was gone to Bangor, 

 and no other was to be found in the town. I was 

 disgusted beyond measure. Then took steamer and 

 crossed to Anglesey to the Rev. Wynne Williams of 

 Menai fron, and as good luck would have it, he was 

 at home. At last we had run a magistrate to earth 

 after a two days' hunt. He was very civil and made 

 us take a glass of wine.' 



The duties of the Local Director for Great Britain 

 were at that time confined to England and Wales, the 

 field-work not being extended to Scotland for some 

 nine years later. The Irish branch of the service was 

 entirely excluded from his supervision, but Ramsay 

 was kept fully aware of all that was going on in the 

 sister island, not only by conference and correspond- 

 ence with De la Beche, but also by frequent com- 

 munications from the successive directors of the Irish 

 Survey. His tact and good sense were often of 

 service in smoothing difficulties which threatened to 

 break up the discipline and effectiveness of the Irish 

 staff. Having the confidence both of the Director- 

 General and his subordinates, he was appealed to 

 frankly by both, so that over and above the cor- 

 respondence naturally entailed on him by his own 

 proper duties, he frequently was involved in much 

 letter-writing on the affairs of his colleagues in Ireland. 

 We get a glimpse into the life of the Irish Survey 

 in the following unpublished letter from Edward 

 Forbes. 



