140 Prof. Rogers's Address before the 



he collected in a few years, data for exhibiting with an accuracy never 

 before attempted, the features and the physical relief of that enormous 

 basin. To these researches, he united an extensive system of observa- 

 tions upon terrestrial magnetism, and though not a trained geologist, he 

 was successfully gathering a body of very instructive facts respecting 

 the stratification and organic remains of the region of the Missouri and 

 upper Mississippi. Exploring, in solitude and with indomitable courage, 

 the vast and inhospitable wilderness of the far west, with none to bear 

 testimony to his hardships and earnest zeal, but the equally isolated and 

 fervent Indian missionary, or the wild aboriginal, whose profound vene- 

 ration and affection he enlisted by his commanding powers, kind man- 

 ners and humane and gentle character, he came among us after the lapse 

 of a iew years, somewhat broken in health, but loaded with scientific 

 treasures. 



He was then engaged by the war department, directed by Mr. Poin- 

 sett, to revisit the far west and to embody his observations in a general 

 report and map for the use of the government. Of that portion of his 

 labors, which relates to the region traversed by the head waters of the 

 Mississippi and extending to the Missouri, this Association has already 

 had a glimpse, through the interesting verbal communications of Mr. Ni- 

 collet himself, made at our two last meetings. His beautiful and elab- 

 orate map, seen by us at Albany, is finished, but exhaustion, sickness 

 and death, the result of over toil arrested the completion of his report. 

 As he had given much attention to the customs, polity and vocabularies 

 of our Indian tribes, and had gathered a diversified mass of valuable ma- 

 terials, it is greatly to be lamented, that for the cause of science, he was 

 not spared to give his work to the public. All those whose privilege it 

 was to listen to his clear, ingenious and eloquent descriptions of the ma- 

 jestic country, the scene of his researches, must be conscious how much 

 American science has lost in the premature departure of our gifted as- 

 sociate. 



EECENT PUBLICATIONS ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



In attempting to trace the progress thus far made in developing the 

 geology of the United States, I shall first present a concise sketch of 

 the publications embodying original researches made during the last 

 two or three years. You have already been furnished by my prede- 

 cessors in the chair. Prof. Hitchcock and Prof Silliman, with a clear 

 and instructive history of the contributions to American geology, from 

 the first valuable labors of Maclure in 1809, to the period of 1841. In 



