February 17, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



253 



but an educational purpose has rarely, if ever, 

 been so frankly assumed by a State Survey. 

 The necessity to enlighten the general public as 

 to the ends of a geological survey, though well 

 understood, is generally stated in an aside. 



The position taken by the Maryland Survey 

 gives it strength and a broader opportunity. It 

 will be thought by many who know him that 

 President Oilman has exercised a controlling 

 influence in this as in other wise decisions of the 

 Board. 



Strong in its close relations with the Mary- 

 land Agricultural College and Johns Hopkins 

 University, the Maryland Survey has sought 

 still further to strengthen itself by cooperation 

 with the scientific bureaus of the National Gov- 

 ernment. The Agricultural Department, the 

 Weather Bureau and the Geological Survey 

 have met the State Survey's advances cordially, 

 and the work of Professor Clark and his col- 

 leagues is supplemented by that of members of 

 the several National organizations. 



Maryland undertakes no new task in organ- 

 izing this economic survey. Exploration and 

 mapping have been in progress since the earliest 

 days of settlement and thus cover more than 

 two centuries and a half. Logically planned, 

 the reports open with an historical account of 

 this progress, which begins with the voyage of 

 Captain John Smith in 1608. Reading the 

 early accounts of the region about the Chesa- 

 peake one is reminded of recent descriptions 

 of Alaska or the Phillipines. The degree of 

 knowledge expressed is similar. In 1635 it was 

 written of Maryland : 



" The Countrey is generally plaine and even, 

 and yet hath some pritty small hills and risings ; 

 It's full of Rivers and Creekes and hath store of 

 Springs and smaller Brookes." 



" The Mineralls have not yet beene much 

 searched after, yet there is discovered Iron 

 Oar'e ; and Earth fitt to make Allum, Terra 

 lemnia, and a red soile like Bolearmonicke, 

 with sundry other sorts of Mineralls, which wee 

 have not yet beene able to make any tryall of 

 * * * and to conclude, there is nothing that 

 can be reasonably expected in a place lying in 

 the latitude which this doth, but you shall 

 either find it here to grow naturally ; or In- 

 dustry, and good husbandry will produce it." 



Modern events were perhaps prophesied in 

 the note on Herman's map of Maryland (1670) : 



"Certain it is that as the Spaniard is pos- 

 sessed of great Store of Mineralls at the other 

 side of these mountaines the same Treasures 

 they may in process of time afford also to us 

 here on this side when occupyed which is Rec- 

 omended to Posterity to Remember." 



The first geological survey of Maryland was 

 authorized by law in 1834. It is interesting to 

 compare that act of the Assembly with the act 

 passed with the same object sixty-two years 

 later. The Act of 1834 authorizes the Governor 

 and Council to appoint an Engineer and a Ge- 

 ologist at salaries of S2,000 each ; it prescribes 

 the duties of the engineer and even more pre- 

 cisely those of the geologist. The latter shall 

 " make a complete and minute geological survey 

 of the whole State, commencing with that por- 

 tion which belongs to the Tertiary order of geo- 

 logical formations, and with the southern divi- 

 sion thereof, and progressing regularly with 

 the course of the waters of the Potomac and 

 Chesapeake through that region, and thence 

 through the other subdivisions of the State, 

 with as much expedition and despatch as may 

 be consistent with minuteness and accuracy." 



By a special section of the act the Geologist is 

 instructed to analyze mineral substances or 

 soils left at his ofiice or residence by any citizen 

 of the State ; he is to report all ' remarkable 

 discoveries," a command whose phraseology 

 sufficiently indicates the common understand- 

 ing of a survey's raison d'etre. The expenses of 

 the Engineer and Geologist are to be paid, " so 

 far as they may be deemed just, equitable and 

 proper, to an amount not exceeding one thous- 

 and dollars per annum. But the oflScial ser- 

 vices of these gentlemen shall cease at the end 

 of one year, unless the act be re-enacted by the 

 next Legislature. 



In strong contrast with the petty control thus 

 assumed by the Assembly of 1834 is the freedom 

 of action granted in 1896, and not less striking 

 is the personal tone of the former act when 

 compared with the impersonal character of the 

 latter one. The one might have been entitled : 

 An act to hamper a State Geologist ; the other 

 has created a State Survey. 



The historical account is brought down to 



