AMERICAN GEOLOGY DECADE OF 1830-1839. 345 



also State geologist of New Jersey, was placed in charge. This sur- 

 vey, as first planned, was expected to continue for a period of at least 

 ten years, but. was brought to an abrupt close in L842, 



Geological Survey . ' . . . , 



of Pennsylvania, owing to the financial embarrassments of the Common- 

 wealth. Rogers, however, unwilling to relinquish the 

 work in its incomplete form, continued on his own responsibility, and 

 largely at his own expense, for three years longer, and in 1N47 depos- 

 ited in the office of the secretary of the Commonwealth his final report, 

 ready for publication. For reasons to be noted later, the publication 

 of this report was delayed until 1858. 



During its period of existence the survey issued six annual reports, 

 the first bearing the date of 1836 and the last 1842. These were small 

 octavos, destitute of illustration, with the exception of a few outline 

 sections, and of from 100 to 250 pages each. The results of the work 

 were so completely elaborated in the final reports issued in 1858 that 

 these preliminary publications have been almost completely lost sight 

 of and are of merely historical interest. It is well to note that, owing 

 to the large proportion of foreign population in the State at that date, 

 two editions of the preliminary reports were issued — one in English 

 and one in German. This dual publication, so far as the present 

 writer is aware, was paralleled only in the case of the Ohio survey, 

 under Newberry. 



As with the New York survey, the results of Rogers's work can be 

 best summed up in a consideration of the final reports (see p. 489.) 



After nearly ten years of agitation, there was passed by both houses 

 of Congress, and approved by the President on May 14, 1836, a bill 

 providing for an exploring expedition to the South Polar regions and 

 the islands and coasts of the Pacific. This expedition, 

 ^xpedition^sio 2 which finally sailed from Norfolk on August 17, 1838, 

 and which, from the name of its commander in chief, 

 has come to be known as the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, had for 

 its immediate object the increase of such knowledge as would be of 

 interest and value to the whaling industry, w T hich had suffered severely 

 through loss of men and vessels in these remote regions. Research 

 along other lines was purely secondary. Fortunately, however, the 

 scientific men of the day were full}' alive to the possibilities offered, 

 and, through their influence, an efficient corps of trained observers in 

 various lines was permitted to accompany it. Of these only the geolo- 

 gist, J. D. Dana, who sailed on the Peacock, comes within the range of 

 our present work, though incidental reference will be made to J. P. 

 Couthouy, who sailed on the Vincennes. Inasmuch, however, as no 

 tangible results from the expedition were made -known until after the 

 return of Dana, in 1841, the entire matter may also be dismissed here 

 and taken up again under the latter date. 



