OBITUARY xli 



Obituary Notice of Walter Henry Prest, Geologist, 1856-1920. — By 

 H. Piers. 



By the death of Walter Henry Prest, which occurred at Halifax on Christ- 

 mas Day, 1920, Nova Scotia lost an unassuming man who possessed native 

 ability of the highest degree, and science a geologist of marked attainments. 



Mr. Prest was born at Mooseland, Halifax County, N. S., about 1856. His 

 opportunities for attending school were very slight. He did not receive 

 regular instruction for more than a year or two, so that his learning was 

 self-acquired. He possessed, however, an insatiable thirst for knowledge, 

 which overcame all obstacles, so that by hard application he taught himself, 

 while earning a living, and soon became a persistent and discriminating reader 

 and a deep thinker — characteristics which he retained till the last. 



When but a mere lad he worked in the Mooseland gold mines, and acquired 

 an interest in geology which rapidly developed, and which became of service 

 when he engaged in mining operations on his own account. At the age of 

 about twelve years he made a compass survey of the district about his home, 

 and mapped it. At that time he had no books on geology, and had to think 

 out causes and effects for himself. A juvenile geological essay which he sent 

 to the "Nova Scotian" newspaper, brought a highly appreciative note from 

 the editor, and his regret that he could not publish it, as it was not in accord 

 with theological beliefs. 



As a youth he came to Halifax, and frequented the poorly-equipped Cit- 

 izens' Free Library, which to him contained undreamed-of treasures. Then 

 for some years, after about 1875, he engaged in prosjjecting and gold-mining, 

 while adding to his knowledge at every opportunity. 



During the summers of 1892 and 1893 he ably assisted Dr. L. W. Bailey 

 in his survey of southwestern Nova Scotia, for the Geological Survey of 

 Canada, and that gentleman gives the highest credit to Prest's knowledge 

 of geology, prospecting and mining, and his enthusiasm and powers of endur- 

 ance. His great zeal in this work for his country caused his health to break 

 down. In 1901 he explored parts of the Labrador coast and collected plants 

 there. In 1904 he was assistant to Mr. Faribault on the geological survey 

 of Lunenburg County, and that geologist also refers to the especially valuable 

 and useful nature of his services. During the intervening and later years he 

 was engaged in land surveying and mining, and would make a survey in 

 weather which would keep other men indoors. In 1914 he was employed in 

 the Mines Office, Halifax, and prepared an excellent report on our metallifer- 

 ous mines for the annual report of that department. For a time he was 

 connected with the Crown Lands Office. During the Great War he volun- 

 teered for service, but not being suitable for overseas work, he served with 

 the home-defence forces till the end of the war. 



In 1892 he published his first paper on a geological subject in the Tran- 

 sactions of the N. S. Institute of Science, and his notable paper of 1894 on 

 "Deep Mining in Nova Scotia" was very widely read and quoted. Since 

 then that journal has had numerous valuable contributions from his pen, 

 mostly relating to our gold measures and glacial geology, but some dealing 

 with anthropological subjects. He also contributed many articles to the 



