384 Obituary — Sir William Edmond Logan. 



Government, moreover, only acted on impulse, and soon were ready to 

 abandon a Survey which had only been sanctioned by them in a fit of 

 patriotic fervour. Through all these obstacles Logan's tact and per- 

 severance enabled him to steer his bark, and finally to gain the haven 

 of popularity, while success crowned his efforts in the field. Year by 

 year his annual reports were presented to the Canadian Parliament, 

 accompanied by admirable Geological Maps, and it is in these official 

 reports that the chief work of his life is embodied. 



He was fortunate in securing excellent assistants in his field work ; 

 men whose names are well known to geologists : Alexander Murray 

 (now Director of the Survey of Newfoundland ) , James Richardson, and 

 in later years Robert Bell, and others. For mineralogical and chemical 

 examination of rocks he secured the services of Dr. T. Sterry Hunt ; 

 while for the palseontological determination of the fossils he obtained 

 the aid of Mr. E. Billings. Perhaps the best proof of the benefits con- 

 ferred by the Survey upon Canada is furnished by the firm footing and 

 liberal support which it now obtains from the Provincial Legislature. 

 The Survey has its Museum and a Laboratory, where the minerals, rocks 

 and fossils of the country are examined and illustrated with especial 

 reference to the industrial resources of the country. By such methods 

 alone can scientific men hope to succeed in securing the hearty co- 

 operation of Colonial Governments. All young States require to be 

 shown some commercial advantage to be derived from geological and 

 other investigations ; and in proportion to the success with which this 

 aspect of the subject is put before them, so will be the support given to 

 such scientific undertakings. 



After the Paris Exhibition of 1855, at which the mineral productions 

 of Canada had been so successfully exhibited by him, the honour of 

 knighthood was conferred upon Sir William Logan in recognition of his 

 long and unwearied exertions in carrying out this important task. 

 He devoted himself with equal energy to the interests of the 

 Colony at the International Exhibition of 1862. The generalized sum- 

 mary of the labours of the Survey of Canada, during the first twenty 

 years of its existence, published in 1863, contains the gist of his work 

 as well as a luminous account of all that was then known of the geology 

 and mineral wealth of the Province. 



Einding his duties too heavy for his advancing years and failing 

 health, Sir William resigned his appointment in 1869, and was suc- 

 ceeded by Mr. A. 11. C. Selwyn, formerly of the Geological Survey of 

 Great Britain, and afterwards Director of the Survey of Victoria. 



Sir William Logan gave 20,000 dollars towards the endowment of a 

 Chair of Geology in M' Gill's College, Montreal, and up to the last his 

 interest in his favourite science was unabated. 



Well has Prof. Geikie observed : " He has done a great work in his 

 time, and has left a name and an example to be cherished among the 

 honoured possessions of Geology." l 



1 Nature, July 1st, 1875, to which we are indehted for the main facts and most of 

 the statements contained in this notice. 



