

536 Geological Society : — Anniversary Address. 



the truth of Werner's opinion as to the Neptunian origin of the pu- 

 mice and obsidian (even that of the Lipari Islands), as well as of 

 trap and granite. A translation of his remarks on the Geological 

 History of the Globe was published in the Edinburgh New Philo- 

 sophical Journal (1827), vol. vi. p. 107. The most important portion 

 of this paper consists in its bearing his evidence to show that the 

 greater part of Norway has, at some period, been covered with ice, 

 and that the granite blocks, so abundant in that country, have been 

 brought to their present place by glaciers. 



In 1829 Professor Esmark published a Tour in Norway*, con- 

 taining many measurements of heights, and he was the first to mea- 

 sure the lofty mountain of Schneehatten. He also published various 

 detached Memoirs on Mineralogy f. 



He is said by Otte to have l^een the first discoverer of chromate 

 of iron in Norway; and the Norwegian datolite, which was also 

 discovered by him in 1806, was at that time named Esmarkite. 

 He published a short notice on tellurium, in the 3rd vol., 1st se- 

 ries, of our Transactions. 



His residence at Christian ia, in the vicinity of iron, copper, and 

 silver mines, and of the School of Mines and Agriculture at Kongs- 

 berg, gave full scope to his taste and talents, and also afforded oc- 

 casion for the exercise of those courteous attentions which have, 

 during many years, been gratefully acknowledged by scientific tra- 

 vellers in Norway. * 



He once came to England, and was a member of the Wernerian 

 Natural History Society of Edinburgh. 



He was an excellent chess-player; and in appearance, countenance, 

 and the fine form of his head, resembled Mr. Davies Gilbert, whom it 

 has been my painful duty to associate with him in the catalogue of 

 the losses we have sustained during the last year. 



Don Carlos de Gimbeknat, Member of the Royal Academy 

 of Sciences at Munich, was the son of a physician of Barcelona, and, 

 from political motives left his native country at the commencement 

 of the French Revolution for Paris, where he passed many years. 

 He had previously studied at Freyberg under Werner, and visited 

 England, where he became acquainted with Townsend, our Spanish 

 traveller, and with Dr. Hope, of Edinburgh ; giving to the physical 

 sciences the attention usually required of students for the medical 

 profession, and continuing to cultivate them in his later years. He 

 was more particularly attached to Chemistry, Geology and Mine- 

 ralogy, and analysed the waters of many hot mineral springs, and 

 found azote in all. The medical virtues which he ascribed to these 

 springs raised him high in the estimation of the Swiss. 



M. Gimbernat published accounts of his discovery in the thermal 

 waters of Aix in Savoy, Baden, and other warm springs in Switzer- 

 land, of a mucous organic substance, (formed, as he fancied, by 

 chemical precipitation, from azote and carbonic acid,) which he 

 thought was more nearly allied to animal than vegetable matter, and 



* Reis von Christiania nach Drontheim. 

 t In the Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne. 



