Address before the Assodation of American Geologists. 237 



work was begun in 1838, but has yet proceeded no farther than 

 a reconnoissance by Prof. Mather. In Georgia, Mr. John R. Cot- 

 ting was commissioned in 1836 ; he informs me, that about 

 half the state has been surveyed ; that three section hues, from 

 three hundred to four hundred miles long, have been explored ; 

 that "a vast amount of interesting materials, both geological and 

 agricultural, has been collected ; and that it is in contemplation 

 to publish a volume of six hundred pages the present year." 



In 1834, the United States government directed Mr. Feather- 

 stonhaugh to examine, geologically, " the Territory of Arkansas, 

 and the adjacent public lands." He has made two reports, one 

 of ninety seven pages, and another of one hundred and sixty eight 

 pages, with numerous sections. In 1839, Dr. D. D. Owen was 

 commissioned to examine the Territory of Iowa, and his report, 

 in connection with that of Dr. Locke, made in 1840, contains 

 one hundred and sixty one pages. Mr, Nicollet has also been 

 surveying, both astronomically and geologically, the northwestern 

 portion of our country, including a vast region beyond the Mis- 

 sissippi; and his report is now in a course of publication, with a 

 geological section tracing a distance of nearly two thousand miles. 

 I ought not to omit to mention an act of private munificence, 

 which occurred before any of the state surveys were commenced. 

 The late Hon. Stephen Van Rensselaer directed a geological sur- 

 vey to be made of the entire route of the Erie canal, at his own 

 private expense. This work was executed by Prof. Amos Eaton, 

 who in 1824, published a report of one hundred and sixty three 

 pages, with a section from the Atlantic to Lake Erie. I might 

 also mention with propriety, the surveys of several mineral 

 districts by private companies ; such as those of the coal-fields 

 of Pennsylvania, by R. C. Taylor, Esq., and Prof Johnson ; of 

 the gold region of Virginia, and of portions of the coal-fields of 

 Pennsylvania, by Prof. SiUiman ; of the iron region of Missouri, 

 by Prof. Shepard, &c. But time will not permit me to enter into 

 fuller details. 



From these statements it appears, that within the last sixteen 

 or seventeen years, surveys have been commenced in no less 

 than nineteen states, and two of the territories of this Union ; 

 embracing an area of nearly seven hundred thousand square 

 miles. For the last four or five years, not less than twenty five 

 principal geologists, and forty assistant geologists, have been con- 



