218 

 Thursday, Aug. 21, 18t>2. 



FIELD MEETING AT HAMILTON. A fine day induced the 

 attendance of very many to this meeting, although the spot 

 was by no means an unfamiliar one, having been the j-ccne of 

 more than one visit by the excursionists of the Institute 

 already. But a really good thing seldom tires ; and so our 

 friends again came from various directions, a few at a. time, 

 in carriages or on foot, and made up a very interesting com- 

 pany, larger than would have been thought, from the ap- 

 pearance of the arrivals. 



The diversified surface in this vicinity speedily attracted 

 the attention of the active explorers, some searching the 

 ponds for aquatic plants and animals, some threading the 

 woods and thickets, and others studying the more solid sub- 

 stratum of rock and soil below the whole. A few had come 

 through the woods from West Beach and had much to 

 show and more to tell of the pleasant things met in that 

 path among the ponds. 



The meeting for the afternoon was called to order on the 

 spacious platform kept by Mr. Whipplc of the place, for 

 dancing uses, when Hon. ALLEN W. DODGE of Hamilton, 

 was chosen chairman, and in an eloquent manner welcomed 

 the Institute to this town of his adoption. He was glad to 

 see so many present, ol all ranks and pursuits. He wished 

 he could say a word to induce every one to look as he did upon 

 the works of God in surrounding nature, and enter hearti- 

 ly into their study from this time, as a means of self-culture 

 and improvement. 



J. J. H. GREGORY of Marblehead, then [proceeded briefly 

 to discusss the geological constitution of this region, refer- 

 ing largely to that of Cape Ann, and drawing, in imagina- 



