Xliv PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



opened to him for the exercise of his zeal and talents in superin- 

 tending the education of the Army. 



In the mean time, howcA'^er, on the 18th of June, 1856, at the 

 last Meeting of the Society for the Session, the death of Mr. Daniel 

 Sharpe, who had then been recently elected our President, was 

 announced, and Colonel Portlock was unanimously elected to fill 

 the vacant Office; and it is unnecessary for me to remind you of 

 the kind and judicious manner in which he invariably fulfilled the 

 duties he had undertaken. In the two Addresses which he sub- 

 sequently delivered on the occasion of the Anniversary Meetings, 

 he gave us full and detailed accounts of the principal geological 

 discoveries which had marked the progress of our science during 

 the two years he occupied this chair. But if I were called upon 

 to select any special matter in those Addi-esses, which appear to 

 me to have been eminently successful, I would point to the able 

 and elaborate resiwid which he gave, in 1858, of the work of 

 M. Delesse, entitled " Etudes sur le Metamorphisme," and in 

 which the important discoveries of that able mineralogist and 

 geologist are fully explained. 



At length, in consequence of the great discussion which had 

 for some time been going on respecting Military Education, the 

 recommendation of the Commission appointed to inquire into the 

 subject was adopted, and a Council of Military Education was 

 appointed. Major-General Portlock, from his antecedent duties, 

 was naturally one of those selected for the first council ; and it 

 may well be supposed by those who knew him, that no employ- 

 ment could be more congenial to his tastes than this. On all 

 occasions he was one of the most forward advocates of education. 

 He looked upon competition, and especially open competition, as 

 the great principle on which public appointments should be made. 

 He was also a warm advocate of the claims of science upon the 

 education of youth; nor was he indifferent to the claims of clas- 

 sical education, but he considered that it should be cultivated on 

 better principles and in a sounder manner. 



But in the midst of these important duties he did not neglect 

 literary occupation ; in 1858 he translated from the Italian a 

 work on Strategy by Sponzilli, and in 1860 he revised the article 

 "War" for the 8th edition of the ' Encyclopaedia Britannica.' 



Thus, during the last periods of an active life, his energies and 

 interests were divided between the Council of Military Education 

 and the Greological Society of London, to Avhich, from the time of 

 his Presidentship, he was more closely drawn than ever, until in 

 1862 sudden illness warned him to withdraw from active and 

 pnblic duty. After a partial recovery, he returned to the scene 

 of his early labours, and settled near Dublin, in the hope of being 

 able to be at least a not altogether useless member of scientific 

 society. But this hope was not destined to be fulfilled. His 

 illness increased until he calmly breathed his last on February 14, 

 1864, in the 70th year of his age. 



Amongst the many honours conferred upon him, he received in 



