582 



lingered, with intellect unimpaired, and power of labour little 

 abated, until the 27th of April, 1855. On that day, in the imme- 

 diate prospect of death, he said, " All is peace ; " then added, " even 

 now ; " and soon afterwards passed away, full of a Christian's hope, 



SIR HENKY THOMAS DE LA BECHE, C.B., F.R.S., F.G.S., Corr. 

 Memb. of the Academy of Sciences of Paris, &c. &c., was born in 

 London, February 10, 1796, married in 1818, received knighthood 

 in 1842, was nominated C.B. in 1848, and died April 13, 1855. 

 His education was conducted partly at home, partly at Keynsham and 

 Ottery St. Mary, till in 1810 or 181 1 he went to the Military College 

 at Marlow. In 1817 he became F.G.S., and was admitted F.R.S. 

 in 1819. From this epoch the prevalent bias of his mind toward 

 Natural Science was manifested in a long series of valuable contribu- 

 tions to Geology, for the most part founded on personal research in 

 districts to which he was ever partial, attached by early associations 

 or allured by the instincts of an artist. 



The southern coasts of England and "Wales offered to the young 

 and zealous student a series of interesting phenomena, at that time 

 little explored, rocks of sedimentary origin, exhibited in unusual 

 circumstances ; an uncommon variety of granites, greenstones, 

 porphyries, and other rocks of fusion ; singular complications of 

 mineral veins, modern land- slips, ancient upheavings of strata, 

 and undescribed organic remains. To all of these De la Beche 

 brought a mind prepared ; they became for him the main object of 

 his observation and meditation ; he returned to them again and 

 again, fortified by the experience gathered in other parts of the 

 world, and supported by the scientific alliance and strong personal 

 regard of Buckland and Conybeare. Here was the centre of his 

 field of inquiry, here his scientific life began, here he earned his fame, 

 and it was while meditating and directing new labours in this 

 favourite region, that he sunk to his long repose. 



The following are some of his publications on the subjects alluded 

 to: 



1819. The Rocks and Fossils of Devon. Geol. Trans. 



1823. On the Geology of the South-East of England, from Bridport 



Harbour to Babbacombe Bay. 

 On the Discovery of an Elephant's Tusk near Charmouth. Geol. 



Trans. 2nd ser. i. 421. 



