Obituary — C. S. Wilkinson. 571 



Light, heat, motion, fragrance, and colour are all now obtainable from coal. 

 What more could the sun himself do for us ? It is as if the sunshine that cherished 

 the luxuriant jungles of the past had been preserved in the coaly mass of the buried 

 trees. Indeed, the light and heat of former days, expended in thus converting 

 carbonic acid and water into coal, are here stored up for man. By converting coal 

 into carbonic acid and water he can again evolve that heat and light, and use them 

 in a thousand ways beneficial to his race— nay, essential to his very existence as 

 a civilised being (J. W. Salter and others). 



Nevertheless, a great deal has yet to be learnt about the natural history of the 

 Coal-measures, the order and extent of the special kinds of their animals and plants, 

 the time occupied in formation, and the geographical and hydrographical conditions. 

 At all events, we know that all their strata have been arranged in order, have been 

 buried under circumstances favourable to production of the various coaly fuels, and 

 then turned up in orderly disorder, ready to the hand of man, and well adapted for 

 his use in this passage-stage of his civilization and development, helping him, wlien 

 intelligent, active, careful, and persevering, to higher ends. For we cannot doubt 

 that all things here are arranged for his better being, his progress towards more and 

 more useful arts, wider ranges of science, and fitter aptitudes of life, of which as yet 

 we have but little conception. We are still the early settlers in a beautiful world, 

 whose capabilities, imperfectly known as yet, wait until higher developments of man 

 can understand them fully, and apply the results to the general good. 



CHARLES SMITH WILKINSON, F.G.S., F.L.S., V.P.L.S. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 

 Born 1843, died 23iid August, 1891. 



Mr. Wilkinson was born in Northamptonshire. His father, Mr. 

 David Wilkinson, was associated with George Stephenson in design- 

 ing the first locomotive engines. His family settled in Melbourne 

 in 1852, where he received his education. In 1859 he was ap- 

 pointed to the Geological Survey of Victoria under A. K. C. Selwyn, 

 F.R.S., and in 1861 was employed in the Survey of the country from 

 Bass's Straits northward to near Ballarat. Cape Otway mountains 

 were surveyed by Mr. Wilkinson in 1863 ; and three years later, 

 when engaged upon the Geological Survey of the Leigh's Eiver 

 District, some important investigations were made as to the mode of 

 deposition of gold and the formation of gold-nuggets. Subsequently, 

 Mr. Wilkinson's health gave way, and he spent three years in the 

 Wagga district. In 1872 he passed the examination for licensed 

 Surveyors in New South Wales, and was afterwards sent by the 

 Surveyor-General to the then newly-discovered tin-mining district 

 of New England, upon which he reported. He was appointed 

 Geological Surveyor in the Di-partment of Lands in 1874, and wlien, 

 the following year, the Geological Survey was transferred to the 

 Department of Mines, he was appointed Government Geologist 

 for New South Wales, which office he filled until his death, with 

 great ability and much advantage to the Colony. 



Mr. Wilkinson was a member of the Board appointed to disburse 

 the Parliamentary Vote for Government aid to mineral pro- 

 spectors in his Colony. He has also served as President of the 

 Eoyal Society of New South Wales and President of the Linnsean 



