G. 0. Smith — Government Geological Surveys. 175 



structural geology have not won the endorsement of all 

 later workers in the same regions. In all these respects, 

 however, Featherstonhaugh may stand as a fairly good 

 prototype. His contributions to international affairs 

 subsequent to his scientific service to the United States 

 are of interest; he served as one of Her Majesty's com- 

 missioners in the settlement of the Canadian-United 

 States boundary question in 1839-40 and made an exam- 

 ination of the disputed area, and after the settlement of 

 this controversy he was appointed British Consul for the 

 Department of the Seine, France, where in 1848 he per- 

 sonally engineered the escape of Louis Philippe from 

 Havre. 



The Federal geologic work thus started was soon con- 

 tinued in surveys of wider scope and more thorough 

 accomplishment. The position of the Government as the 

 proprietor of mineral lands in the Upper Mississippi 

 Valley led to their examination. These Government 

 lands containing lead had been reserved from sale for 

 lease since 1807, although no leases were issued until 1822. 

 The amount of illegal entry and consequent refusal of 

 smelters and miners to pay royalty after 1834 forced the 

 issue upon the attention of Congress, and in 1839 Presi- 

 dent Van Buren was requested to present to Congress a 

 plan for the sale of the public mineral lands. In carrying 

 out this policy Dr. David Dale Owen was selected to 

 make the necessary survey. 



Owen had served as an assistant on the State Survey 

 of Tennessee and as the first State geologist of Indiana, 

 and he organized the new work promptly and effectively. 

 Although suffering from the handicap unfortunately 

 known by geologists of the present day — the receipt late 

 in the season (August 17, 1839) of authority to begin 

 work — within exactly a month he had his force of 139 

 assistants organized into 24 field parties, instructed in 

 "such elementary principles of geology as were neces- 

 sary to their performance of the duties required of 

 them." His plan of campaign provided for a northward 

 drive at a predetermined rate of traverse for each party, 

 with periodic reports to himself at appointed stations, 

 "to receive which reports and to examine the country in 

 person" he crossed the area under survey eleven times. 

 The result of such masterful leadership was the comple- 

 tion of the exploration of all the lands comprehended in 



