125 



series of specimens, collected in several detached points durinc the 

 progress of that voyage : and, the notes taken by Lieut. Belcher 

 and Mr. Colly having been put into ray hands by Captain Beechey, 

 I shall take an early opportunity of placing them before the Society. 

 The only subject of regret relating to these Papers, is their brevity; 

 for the notes, and the sketches connected with them, would do 

 credit to the most experienced geologists. 



A Paper, by Mr. Featherstonehaugh, read at one of our latest 

 meetings, gives a comparison of the series of strata in the American 

 United States, with that of England : — and various memoirs of Dr. 

 Bigsby, some of which have been read before this Society, contain 

 a copious statement of facts respecting Canada and a large portion 

 of the adjacent country. 



The Memoir of Dr. Richardson, read at one of our meetings, 

 and published in the Appendix to the account of Capt. Franklin's 

 second journey, contains a most valuable series of observations, 

 made under great disadvantages, during the advance and return of 

 that memorable expedition to the shores of the Polar Sea; in the 

 course of which a space of about 5000 miles was for the first time 

 surveyed and laid down, — the total distance travelled over by the 

 party in America being not less than 14000 miles. The great simi- 

 larity of the rocks, and of their structure and external features, to 

 those of Europe ; — the uniformity in composition of vast tracts of the 

 country; — and the very large pi'oportibn of the surface occupied by 

 water, especially within a broad calcareous band, that intervenes 

 between the rocky mountains and another primary tract which has 

 nearly the same direction, are some of the more obvious general 

 results that may be collected from the perusal of this important 

 Memoir, a full abstract of which will be found in our Proceedings. 

 And the whole is rendered still more interesting to us, by the libe- 

 rality of the collectors, who have placed in the Museum of the So- 

 ciety a complete series of the specimens described and referred to 

 by Dr. Richardson. 



I have already mentioned to you the contribution of Captain 

 King from the southern extremity of America; which demonstrates 

 the existence there of similar rocks, exhibiting analogous appear- 

 ances, to those of Europe: and we have great reason to expect, 

 from the number and activity of the British officers and agents, whom 

 our numerous mining projects have distributed in South America, 

 considerable additional light on the structure and phaenomena of 

 that extensive region. 



From Africa we are still without any communication, from any 

 of the Settlements on its extensive coasts. 



I am happy to say, there is every day new reason to hope for 

 the extension of geological inquiry in India; where the liberality of 

 the Company in carrying on the magnificent Trigonometrical Sur- 

 vey has already laid the best foundation for such researches. A 

 copy of the portion of the great map which has been already pub- 

 lished has been presented to us by the Directors; and there is 

 every reason to suppose, that they are as much disposed to favour 

 Geology, as they have shown themselves to be to advance the pro- 



