34 PROCEEDINGS OF THE PITTSBURGH MEETING 



Apart from Mr. Weston's usefulness as an explorer, it was found im- 

 possible, after his retirement, to procure a successor who, in those branches 

 of his work which were connected with the museum, possessed a similar 

 versatility, mechanical skill, neatness, and deftness, and it soon became 

 evident that the Survey had lost an invaluable member. 



Although Mr. Weston had not much practice as an author, his octavo 

 volume of 328 pages, entitled "Reminiscences Among the Eocks," is re- 

 plete with good descriptions and shows a range of reading which enabled 

 him to make poetical and other quotations whenever they seemed appro- 

 priate. His travels in the Northwest Territories took place mostly dur- 

 ing the time when the first wanderers of the plains consisted of the waifs 

 and strays, mysterious and odd people with funny notions, who hgd come 

 from nearly all quarters of the world — a queer lot, many of whom had 

 interesting histories if they could only be known. In connection with 

 his experiences among these pioneers his book contains numerous philo- 

 sophical reflections, interspersed with humorous stories of what he saw 

 and heard. 



His narrative is, however, mainly devoted to his geological operations, 

 which supplement the official accounts of his work as given in the Sum- 

 mary Eeports of the Survey for the years he was in these northwestern 

 regions. So rapidly do events follow each other in the wonderful devel- 

 opment of these regions that Mr. Weston's book is already useful for 

 historical reference. 



The museum work, already referred to in connection with fossils and 

 ornamental stones, together with much desultory field work, mostly among 

 the Quebec rocks, occupied Mr. Weston's time till 1865. In that year 

 he went to Anticosti Island, accompanied by an assistant, and collected 

 fossils along considerable sections of the coast. From that year until the 

 end of his official career he spent the greater part of each season in the 

 field. Until 1873 he often acted as Sir William Logan's assistant or 

 was occupied in museum work; but when time permitted he was off on 

 excursions to various localities, mostly in the province of Quebec. 



In 1873 he went to the Labrador coast, accompanied by Mr. C. W. 

 Willimott, who had newly joined the staff, but who remained with us for 



35 years, when he was superannuated. They examined the stratified 

 rocks all along the northwest side of the straits of Belisle, and determined 

 their age by means of the fossils they collected. 



In 1874, at the request of Mr. Alexander Murray, and with the advice 

 of Sir William Logan, Mr. Weston went to Newfoundland to search for 

 fossils, which no one else could find, in order to determine the age of 

 certain rocks. He was quite successful, having discovered at ManneFs 



