Recalled to England in 1847, Major Portlock was stationed first at 

 Portsmouth, and afterwards, as Lieut. -Colonel, at Cork. From this time 

 the literature of his profession and scientific study engaged'much of his 

 attention. The annual volumes published by the British Association con- 

 tain papers from his pen ; and besides contributions to the Professional 

 Papers of the corps, he wrote the articles " Geology and Geodesy," " Gal- 

 vanism," "Heat," "Palaeontology," andan Appendix on Gun-Cotton for the 

 Aide-memoire, and the Treatise on Geology in Weale's Rudimentary Series. 

 Others of his papers appear in the Journal of the Geological Society of 

 Dublin, of which Society he was four times President. 



In 1851 Lieut.-Col. Portlock was appointed Inspector of Studies at the 

 Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, in which place he helped forward 

 measures for improving the scientific character of the system of education, 

 and increasing its efficiency generally ; and during this period he wrote the 

 articles " Cannon," " Fort," " Gunnery," and revised the article " War" for 

 the 8th edition of the ' Encyclopaedia Britannica,' besides translating for the 

 new series of Professional Papers a work on Gunpowder (from the French), 

 and a treatise on Strategy (from the Italian). He wrote also a memoir of 

 his former chief, Major-General Colby, a publication honourable alike to 

 the subject and the author. To all this must be added the two Addresses 

 delivered by him as President of the Geological Society in 1857 and 1858, 

 which, in the words of an eminent authority, are characterized by " faithful 

 and elaborate research." 



After resigning his appointment at Woolwich, and holding the command 

 for a few months at Dover, Major-General Portlock became in 1857 a 

 Member of the Council of Military Education, in whose proceedings, as 

 might have been expected, he took an active and earnest part. His sen- 

 timents with regard to the objects in view may be gathered from a memo- 

 randum drawn up by one of his colleagues, who writes, " General Port- 

 lock's opinions on the questions presented to him as a Member of the 

 Council were in all cases those of the most forward advocates of educa- 

 tion. He looked upon competition as the great principle upon which 

 public appointments should be made, nor did he shrink from the inevi- 

 table social results which such a change would involve. Education, 

 combined with good morals, he regarded as constituting a paramount 

 claim to the rank of gentleman. He was therefore a warm advocate of 

 the system of open competition as applied to the elections into the Royal 

 Military Academy of Woolwich ; nor did he share the apprehension, which 

 has been very frequently expressed, of a consequent lowering of the social 

 position of the officers of the two great scientific corps. 



The weakness and infirmities of advancing years were borne by General 

 Portlock with a spirit not less calm and patient than that which animated 

 him through the hardships of the Ordnance Survey. He retired to Lota, 

 a pleasant spot near Dublin, and there died on the 14th February, 1864. 

 He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June 1837, and was a 

 member of other metropolitan and provincial Societies. The honorary 



