CHAPTER I. 



ORGANIZATION OF THE SURVEY, AND PLAN OF OPERATIONS. 



On the receipt of my commission, dated March 9th, 1859, 

 designating n.o to take the charge of the work provided for 

 by tho "Act to Finish the Geological Survey of the State," 

 approved February 15, 1859, I met you, by request, for the 

 purpose of consultation upon a plan of operations adapted to 

 tho circumstances then existing. Besides the act just referred 

 to, a joint resolution had been previously passed, making an 

 appropriation for the " publication of Dr. Houghton's Notes." 

 An examination of such sources of information as were acces- 

 sible, had shown, however, at the time of our interview, that 

 there were no "notes" made by Dr. Houghton or his assistants 

 which had not already been reported from, either by the ob- 

 servers themselves, or in the manner provided for by Dr. 

 Houghton's administrators, except the field notes upon four 

 townships in the Upper Peninsula, which were lost at the time 

 of the melancholy occurrence which terminated the original 

 survey. It resulted, that the only further use which could bo 

 made ol the "notes" referred to in tho resolution, would be to 

 work them up into a detailed report upon the geology of the 

 State, as understood twenty years ago, before the geology of 

 New York, Canada, and th« Northwest, had contributed such 

 important aids to the proper understanding ol tl • -v of 



our ite. Wliilc BQcfa a pnl aa iliis would be but 



ft just tribute to th« men irho had labored and suffered for 

 yearK in th work, it I compatible with 



the : State, nor eondaciTs to the advancement of 



lecute the publication of Dr. Houghton's "notes" 

 in all the dctail« of a final report, and immediately follow it 

 th another report, already provided for, which should com- 



