130 On the Importance of Geological Information^ SfC, 



combustible, upon which the wealth of Great Britain has becM 

 mainly raised, lies always beneath certain rocks, and never above 

 them.* We see, then, how important it is, for the practical en- 

 gineer to possess geological information, as a part of his profession ; 

 or, where this combined information does not exist to the desired 

 extent, that a practical geologist should at least be associated 

 with the engineer. In either of these cases, the engineer in run- 

 ning his lines, would be able to report to his employers, the true 

 mineral character of that part of the geological series he is treading 

 upon ; and as we now know that all the formations are invariable 

 in their order of succession to each other, so from knowing 

 what the superficial formation is, we infer with certainty, the pro- 

 bability of our finding the most valuable deposits of metals, min- 

 erals, or coals. Maps, with these geological characters, have a 

 great intrinsic value. It cannot be denied that individual pro- 

 prietors are interested in ascertaining the vertical, as well as 

 superficial value of their possessions; and the day will arrive, 

 when geological surveys, will become quite as important as super- 

 ficial ones. It is easy, then, for government to confer, in this man- 

 ner, an intrinsic value upon all their surveys and reconnoisances ; 

 and the writer of this paper will be happy, if these suggestions 

 should attract the attention of some of those distinguished gentle- 

 men, connected with the government, whose names are included 

 in the list of his subscribers. It is the want of accurate know- 

 ledge in the structure of rocks, and the order of their succession 

 to each other, that detracts so much from the value of the pub- 

 lished account of those various expeditions to the north-western 

 parts of this continent, undertaken by order of government ; it is 

 due, however, to the distinguished travellers, to whose direction 

 these expeditions were confided, to say, that they could not be 

 supposed to possess that intimate knowledge of geology, which 

 distinguishes the present times, and which is the fruit of a very 

 rapid advance in the science. 



Hoping that the next expedition ordered by government, may 

 be free of those defects inherent in those, which, in all other re- 

 spects, have been so admirably accomplished, it is now respect- 

 fully suggested for the consideration of Maj. Gen. M'Comb, and 

 the other officers in the military branch of the government, that 



* This applies to the productive beds; as varieties of .vegeto- carbonaceous matter 

 are found higher up in the iierics than the great deposits. 



