26 KEPOKT OF THE 



this communication, the company returned me a very polite res- 

 olution of thanks, with a request for permission to make the- 

 communication public. 



On the 9th of April, I transmitted to you, an Informal Keport 

 on the progress and results of the survey, which, while not 

 called for by the terms of the Act, was intended as an acknowl- 

 edgement of the enlightened interest which you had all along 

 manifested in the progress of this work. 



Before the close of March, I had commenced preparations for 

 the field wprk of 1860. On consultation with Dr. Miles, it had 

 been agreed to unite the geological and zoological parties, and 

 thus incur the expense of but a single outfit. The principal 

 part of the season's business ' was to be upon and near the 

 shores of the great Lakes. In these situations* where , natural 

 sections are always presented down to the surface of the water, 

 rock exposures are much more frequent than in the interior. 

 By determining the points on each side of the Peninsula, where 

 the various formations intercept the lake shores, there, is little 

 difficulty in tracing approximately the lines of outcrop across 

 the State. 



It was intended to prosecute, before the season was suffi- 

 ciently advanced for safe navigation in small boats upon the 

 lakes, an examination of the vallies of the Cass and Tittiba- 

 wassee rivers. Eeports which had been rife during the previous- 

 season, of discoveries of coal, lead, iron, and "volcanic" rocks 

 and "craters," in the vicinity of the Cass river, excited the hop'e 

 that some unexpected developments might accrue from a scien 

 tific examination of that region ; while on the other hand it was 

 hope4 that the ascent of the Tittibawassee would result in 

 some revelations as to the nature and limits of the coal and 

 salt formations. On the 18th of May, Dr. Miles and Mr. White 

 set out upon the exploration »f the Cass, but the anticipated 

 survey of the Tittibawassee, by myself, was prevented by 

 extreme family affliction, and death, occurring on the very day 

 that I had designated for. my departure. 



Finding that a suitable boat could not be procured in the 



