108 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



even now, is worked profitably, and wouldbe much more so if 

 science and capital were largely employed in its development, 



Promising indications of Copper are frequent, even within a 

 short distance of the capital, but they have not tempted eager 

 speculation or scientific research. Copper, which requires patient 

 and expensive exploration, is as yet only talked about as a Pro- 

 vincial enterprise. The same may be said of Silver and Lead, 

 which are believed to exist in workable quantities, only awaiting 

 capital and skill, as employed in other countries, to make them 

 largely profitable. 



It is high time that we knew the extent of our natural 

 resources. I would like to be able to state that an exhaustive 

 geological survey of the Province had been made, and its mineral 

 riches mapped with some degree of certainty. We should know 

 by this time if they are as valuable as they have been assumed 

 to be, or otherwise. All doubt upon this subject ought long 

 since to have been set at rest. The geological survey of Canada, 

 provided for by the Dominion Government, began at the wrong 

 end. 



It will be expected, I presume, that I should, before 1 conclude 

 make some reference to the work of the Institute during the 

 past year. I shall do so as shortly as possible. I make no com- 

 parisons and do not claim for it any great originality, or super- 

 lative merit. It is but an humble follower in the wake of more 

 richly freighted argosies. I shall merely assert, therefore, that 

 it has furnished a large amount of information on the geology, 

 mineralogy, zoology, botany ami meteorology of Nova Scotia, 

 which otherwise would not have been generally known. In that 

 branch of science first mentioned I will take the liberty to allude 

 to the articles of the Rev. Dr. Honeyman, which of late have 

 been directed to a correction of the geology of our own Province. 

 On the evidence of position and palaeontology, strata which pre- 

 viously were supposed to be widely extended, are proved not to 

 exist, or to belong to lower formations. I recommend these 

 papers, which will be found in our published Transactions, to the 

 careful attention of all acquainted with the science, who take an 

 interest, for economic purposes or otherwise, in the succession 

 and deposition of the rocks, as a guide to the mineral resources 

 of Nova Scotia. A careful studjr of them may prevent many 

 mistakes of scientific importance. The department of geology, 

 I regret to sa}-, was badly represented at the Provincial exhibi- 

 tion; but even there was some encouragement, and those who 

 sought may have found very fine specimens of coal from the 



