Katlibun.] 848 [April 17, 



But Prof. Hartt was unable to continue long in this state of compar- 

 ative quietude. In bringing together the results of his several trips to 

 South America, with the object of explaining the geology of all Bra- 

 zil, he saw how meagre were his data for this purpose, notwithstand- 

 ing all that he and others had recently done, towards elucidating the 

 structure of many portions of this vast region. He wished to extend 

 his researches, and conceived the idea of organizing a survey of the 

 whole Brazilian Empire, which has an area scarcely less than that of 

 the United States . There was only one way of accomplishing such 

 an undertaking; it must be supported by the government. Hartt 

 ventured to bring the matter to the attention of some of his Brazil- 

 ian friends,, and his ideas met with such favor that, in 1874, he re- 

 ceived an unofficial invitation from the Brazilian Minister of Agricul- 

 ture, to submit a proposition for the systematic geological exploration 

 of the Empire. In August of the same year he accordingly went to 

 Rio de Janeiro, for the purpose of formally presenting his plans. 

 Upon arriving at that city he was received with almost as much 

 enthusiasm as was Prof. Agassiz nearlytenyears earlier. He was hon- 

 ored for the good he had already done Brazil through his private explo- 

 rations; he was elected to the several Societies of Science and Lit- 

 erature in Rio de Janeiro, and invited to lecture. His thorough 

 acquaintance with the language of the country enabled him to com- 

 municate freely with the people, and he soon found himself encircled 

 with friends, who gladly gave their influence in advancing his laud- 

 able plans. 



In his proposition for the Survey of Brazil, he advised the organiza- 

 tion of a large party, to consist of three separate divisions, each 

 complete in itself, and equipped for field research. Had his ideas 

 been fully carried out he would have soon explored an immense tract 

 of country, but the money requisite for so extensive an undertaking 

 could not at that time be appropriated, and Hartt was forced to be- 

 gin on a much smaller scale than he had wished. On the 1st of May 

 1875, "A Commissao Geologica do Imperio do Brazil" was organized 

 with Professor Hartt as chief, and the following assistants : Elias F. 

 de P. Jordao, Engineer ; O. A. Derby and Richard Rathbun, As- 

 sistant Geologists; and F. Jose de Freitas, particante. Siir. Marc 

 Ferrez, photographer of the Imperial Navy, was appointed to the 

 same position on the Geological Survey, where he was retained for a 

 year and a half. Mr. John Branner was soon added to the corps. 

 Snr. Jordao retired from his position in the spring of 1876, and was 



