200 
WILLIAM SMITH : HIS MAPS AND MEMOIRS 
BRITISH ASSOCIATION, CAMBRIDGE, 1833. 
Smith was also present at the British Association at Cambridge in 
1833. In that year was published a quarto volume of " Lithographed 
Signatures of the members of the British Association for the Advance- 
ment of Science, who met at Cambridge, June M.DCCC. XXXIII," on 
page 26 of which, in a good '"copper-plate" hand, and more legible than 
any other signature in the volume, is that of 
1839. 
We learn from the Magazine of Natural History (Vol. III., N.S., 
1839, pp. 217) that " In 1808 the president and other members of the 
Geological Society visited Mr. Smith, and saw his collection of fossils. 
In 1811 appeared the first volume of the ' Geological Transactions' 
in which Mr. Smith's discoveries regarding organic remains are noticed ; 
in 1813 the Rev. Joseph Townsend published the first volume of his 
curious w^ork, ' The Character of Moses vindicated.' " 
In his introductory remarks Mr. Townsend pays the following 
tribute to Smith (pp. iv-v.) : — 
" The person by whom he* w^as first led to trace and clearly to 
ascertain the succession of strata in our Island, is Wm. Smith. The 
discoveries of this skilful Engineer have been of vast importance to 
geology, and will be of infinite value to his nation. To a strong under- 
standing, a retentive memory, indefatigable ardour, and more than 
common sagacity, this extraordinary man unites a perfect contempt 
for money, when compared with science. Had he kept his discoveries 
to himself, he might have accumulated wealth : but with unparalleled 
disinterestedness of mind, he scorned concealment, and made known 
his discoveries to every one who wished for information." 
"It is now eleven years since he conducted the author in his 
examination of the strata, which are laid bare in the immediate vicinity 
of Bath. Subsequent excursions in the stratified and calcareous 
portion of our island have confirmed the information derived from this 
examination." 
* i.e. Townsend. 
