WILLIAMSON: JOHN WILLIAMSON. 
313 
sleep of the labouring- man. 
During his entire life he was a voraceous reader, especially of 
travels; his one eye never seemed to tire of dwelling upon their 
pages.* When increasing infirmities diminished his activity for 
out-door occupations, books never failed to interest him. During 
his later years, he suffered from severe attacks of bronchitis, but 
the end was brought about through a general failure of the vital 
powers, rather than from any specific disease. He died on July 
15th, 1877. 
ON THE MINERAL WELLS AT HARROGATE. BY RICHARD CARTER, 
C.E., F.G.S. 
The Council of the Society having done me the great honour of 
appointing me to preside on the present occasion, I embrace the opp- 
ortunity with more than ordinary pleasure and gratification of bidding 
hearty welcome to the Society on this, its first general meeting 
at Harrogate. When I reflect upon the lengthened period during 
which I have been upon the roll of its members, and the number of 
years I have had the honour of being upon the Council, it excites 
a feehng akin to reproach, that the Society has not sooner been 
prompted to assemble here, in order that the members should have 
enjoyed an opportunit}^ of investigating on the spot, those natural 
peculiarities and hygienic resources for which Harrogate has so long 
been famous. " Better late than never," and I rejoice exceedingly 
in the prospect which this meeting affords of adding something to 
our knowledge of the geological structure of the district, and the 
manner in which that structure bears upon the many and varied 
mineral springs which have given to Harrogate a very prominent 
reputation, and which, in connection with the renaarkable salubrity 
of its climate and centrality of its geographical i)Osition, would seem 
to entitle it to rank amongst the most favoured and important water- 
He had lost the use. of his left eye from Kmall pox in his early youtli. 
