DECEMBER 22, 1899. ] 
of Edinburgh, rendered vacant by the 
death of Professor Edward Forbes, and in 
which he was strongly supported by the 
leading geologists of thetime. Byastrange 
coincidence, just as he was about to leave 
Halifax for England, in connection with 
this candidature, intelligence arrived that 
the Edinburgh chair had been filled at an 
earlier date than his friends had antici- 
pated, and at the same time a letter was 
received offering him the Principalship of 
McGill. 
The services of Dr. Dawson were accord- 
ingly secured and in 1855 he assumed the 
Principalship of McGill College, stipulating 
at the same time that the chair of Natural 
History should be assigned to him. In his 
Inaugural Discourse he said: ‘“‘ Ata time 
when literary and scientific pursuits are so 
widely ramified every one who aims to do 
anything well must have his special field of 
activity. Mine has been the study of 
nature, especially in these bygone aspects 
which it is the province of geology to in- 
vestigate. My only other special qualifica- 
tion for my present position depends on 
the circumstance that the wants of my 
native province have induced me to devote 
much time to inquiries and pursuits relat- 
ing to popular education. Icome to you, 
therefore, as a naturalist and an education- 
alist, trusting that I may be enabled in 
these capacities to render myself useful, and 
asking for my youth and present inex- 
perience in the affairs of this Institution 
your kind indulgence, and for the work in 
which I shall be engaged your zealous co- 
operation.” 
The University as he found it had three 
faculties and but sixteen professors, a num- 
ber of whom gave only a portion of their 
time to university work, while the build- 
ings and equipment were wretched. When 
it is stated that the University has now one 
hundred and twenty professors and in- 
structors of various grades,and an equip- 
- SCIENCE. 
907 
ment which is in all departments fairly 
good and in some of them unsurpassed, 
some idea may be gained of the progress 
which the institution made under Sir 
William Dawson’s care and guidance. 
As Professor of Natural Science, Sir 
William at this time delivered courses in 
Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Geology. 
Natural Science became a very favorite 
study among the students, for he was an 
excellent lecturer, and his enthusiasm for 
these studies was communicated to all who 
heard him. As years went on the instruc- 
tion in the first three of these subjects was 
undertaken by others, and a special chair of 
Geology and Paleontology was endowed 
by his old friend and co-worker, Sir William 
Logan; a chair which he held until his 
final retirement. His teaching work, how- 
ever, formed but a small part of his daily 
labors. In addition to administering the 
affairs of the University he was first and 
foremost in every movement to further 
education in the province and no educa- 
tional board was complete without him. 
He was the Honorary President of the 
Natural History Society and never missed a 
meeting or a field day, and also identified 
himself closely with many other societies in, 
Montreal and spared neither time nor 
labor on their behalf. 
Over and above all this he found time to 
carry out original work along several lines, 
achieving most valuable results—as well as 
to write many popular works on science 
more especially in its relation to religion. 
Original investigation he always considered 
to be one of the chief duties and pleasures 
of a man of science. Most of his work 
along these lines was done during his sum- 
mer vacations, in fact he was led to accept 
the position of Principal in McGill, chiefly 
by the fact that the vacations gave him leis- 
ure and opportunity for work of this kind. 
He was always very progressive in his 
ideas relative to the scope and development 
