144 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



" this latter application of it, to the purposes of science, will in his 

 opinion be most creditable to the Council." 1 am therefore happy 

 that circumstances, in a great measure accidental, have delayed the 

 award of this Medal to Mr. Lonsdale till some years after his retire- 

 ment from office ; and that during that interval the new and addi- 

 tional claims arising from his productions have been such as to de- 

 mand this decision as an act of strict judicial duty, obviously inde- 

 pendent of the gratitude and attachment which all those who have 

 known him justly entertain. 



You have, Sir, clearly stated the specific grounds upon which, the 

 adjudication has been made ; and I shall not presume to make any 

 addition to a recital which comes with appropriate effect from the 

 Chair : but having been so fortunate as to have had a share in the 

 arrangements which first connected Mr. Lonsdale with this institu- 

 tion, and having since had full opportunities of observing the impress 

 which his labours here received from his peculiar character and 

 talents, during no less than thirteen years, I feel that I am called 

 upon to express my conviction, that there never was an officer in 

 the service of any public institution whose duties were fulfilled with 

 greater efficiency or more beneficial results. 



Of his skill and acquirements in some of the departments of na- 

 tural science to which you have just referred, I am not qualified to 

 judge ; but I may perhaps be allowed to say, that in the range and 

 soundness of his Geological views, and in exact acquaintance with 

 the facts hitherto brought to light respecting the structure of the 

 earth, few indeed of our number go beyond him. It was no won- 

 der that with such a man to conduct the business of our Society, mat- 

 ters should go well ; and for what was done during the years from 

 1829 to 1842, 1 refer to our ' Transactions/ and to the * Proceedings' 

 which record our daily progress. Who that is acquainted with the 

 facts there stated will hesitate to say, that the suggestions of a man 

 of Mr. Lonsdale's attainments, given at all times with cheerfulness 

 and alacrity, and with a judgement which no difficulty or pressure 

 of business could disturb, were of the greatest advantage to the 

 inquirers whose papers were read at our meetings during that 

 important period in our history ? — I appeal with confidence to many 

 of those by whom I am surrounded for the answer to this question; 

 and I venture to say, that, without reference to his own specific 

 publications, the services thus rendered by Mr. Lonsdale to Geology, 

 while he seemed to be merely discharging his duties here, were of 

 incalculable benefit to our science in the best sense of the word, 

 and deserving of high reward. 



Mr. Lonsdale's profession before we became acquainted with him 

 had been that of a soldier. He brought with him into our service 

 some of the best qualities of the military character, — singleness of 

 purpose, the strongest sense of duty and subordination, with such 

 devoted energy in the performance of whatever he undertook, as too 

 often led him to exertions beyond his strength. His spirit " no la- 

 bours could have tired," but the " frame of adamant" was wanting. 

 Under these unsparing eiForts his constitution at last broke down, 



