SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

Memoir of William Smith, LL.D., Author of the" Map of the Strata of England and Wales." By his Nephew and Pupil. John Phillips, F.R.S.. F.G.S., Professor of Geology and Mineralogy in the University of Dublin, Author of " Illustrations of the Geology of Yorkshire." Murray. Tnavm.s.

Antigua and the Antiguans: a full Account of the Colony and its Inhabitants, from the time of the Caribs to the present day. interspersed with Anecdotes and Legends. Also, an impartial View of Slavery and the Free Labour systems; the Statistics of the Island, and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families. In two WillIaleS. TOPJOHAPHT, Saunders and May. Modern Egypt and Thebes : being a Description of Egypt ; including the Iufarma- lion required for Travellers in that country. By Sir Gardner Wilkinson, F.R.S. &c. 11:c. Author of " Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians." With wood-cuts awl a map. In two volumes Murray.

MEMOIRS OF WILLIAM SMITH THE GEOLOGIST.

THE name of WILLIAM SMITH, or, as he was called, Strata &arm, is less known to the world at large than might have been expected from his scientific rank as the father of English geology, as well as from the inherent strength of his character and the peculiarities of his career. Part of this obscurity may perhaps be attributed to the non-popularity of men pursuing abstruser science, though generally the popular ignorance rather relates to their studies than their names ; but the true cause seems to be that which we have more than once had occasion to comment upon—a want of concentering ability and of sustained and resolute will, together with a deficiency in the skill or knack of making his powers tell. That industry was wanted cannot be affirmed of a man whose whole career was a life of ceaseless struggle, travel, and laborious investigation, not only in the pursuit of his direct business, but on collateral objects : that he did nothing, cannot be affirmed of the engineer who drained the Norfolk marshes, and during his prime was constantly occupied in professional business ; even had he not discovered by his own unassisted observation that the strata of the earth consists of regular layers, and taught the "identification of these strata, and to deter- mine their succession by means of their imbedded fossils." Nor did he allow others the fame of his discoveries ; for the "Map of the Strata of England andWales " presented them to the scientific eye in the briefest and most intelligible form, and he received the highest honours the geologists had the means of bestowing. But, while men of less original knowledge, less stores of observation, and less striking peculiarity of mind, were winning popular distinction and becoming familiar in our mouths as household words, " Strata " SMITH, from the deficiencies already indicated, as well as from a want of literature, and perhaps of comprehension of mind, was only known to the learned. The long run, however, "makes these odds all even." Month by month and year by year, the stream of time washes away the fabric of clever popularity, till nothing remains of the celebrity built upon the strata of other men's discoveries with some subordinate additions of one's own, whilst the man who has really advanced science is placed by history in his proper place and assumes to the eye of posterity his proper size.

This WILLIAM SMITH was born at Churchill, Oxfordshire, in 1769. His family were yeomen or small farmers,—a race now al- most extinct in the more "cultivated parts" of England, and scarcely raised above the peasantry in their habits of life. Young WiLtaam received no other education than what he acquired at a village-school; and this scanty opportunity was somewhat ne- glected through "his own wandering and musing habits." With- out reference to the doctrine of innate ideas, he seems to have been born a geologist while as yet the science was scarcely known ; for he began in boyhood to curiously examine and collect specimens of the different stones in the neighbourhood. His uncle, to whose care he had been consigned on the death of his father, viewed these habits with no favourable eye, and advanced, with difficulty and after repeated entreaties, money sufficient to buy a few books on the rudiments of geometry and land-surveying : but the sturdy old farmer was better pleased when his nephew began to apply his faculties to draining and improving land. A journey to London further assisted to expand his mind ; and, though not then fourteen, he "particularly noticed the great work of cutting down the chalk- hill at Henley-upon- Thames, and how the loaded carriages upon an inclined plane were made to bring up the empty ones." He subsequently attempted to draw and colour ; and before he was eighteen, became tolerably well versed in the geometry and calcu- lations then thought sufficient for engineers and surveyors.

What is called accident, though in reality an apposite circum- stance improved, removed WILLIAM Ssirrn from the situation of a farm-assistant, if we must not say labourer. The parish of Churchill had to be surveyed for the purpose of enclosure ; and young SMITH assisted the surveyor, a Mr. EDWARD WEBB. That gentleman was so struck with his energy and ability, that he engaged him as a permanent assistant, and took him into his house. " Speedily intrusted with the management of all the ordinary business of a surveyor, Mr. Smith traversed in continual activity the oolitic lands of Oxford- shire and Gloucestershire, the lias clays and red marls of Warwickshire; visited (1788) the Salperton tunnel on the Thames and Severn Canal, and (1790) ex- amined the soils and circumstances connected with a 'boring for coal in the New Forest, opposite the Shoe alehouse at Plaitford.' (MS.) All the va- rieties of soil in so many surveys in different districts were particularly noticed, and, compared with the general aspect and character of the country, the agri- cultural and commercial appropriations. The arrangement of the has lime- stone beds in Warwickshire, contrasted with the neighbouring red marls at Inkborough, the boring for coal in some of the dark Has clays on the road to Warwick, the absence of arenaceons beds from the limestones of Churchill— these were some of the points treasured in a mind capable of combining them at a future time. "That time arrived in 1791, when Mr. Webb transferred to Ilia young friend

the survey of an estate at Stowey, in Somersetshire. Mr. Smith walked by Burford, Cirencester, Tetbury, Bath, Radstock, Old Down, Stoneaston, and Temple Cloud, to Stowey. Here he was surprised to find, as well as at High Littleton, the red marl, evidently similar to that of Worcestershire, similarly posited in regard to the Has and superincumbent rocks, and similarly employed for marling the land. " In his own words we read, 'Coal was worked at High Littleton beneath the red earth ; and I was desired to investigate the collieries, and state the particulars to my employer. My subterraneous survey of these coal-veins, with sections which I drew of the strata sunk through in the pits, confirmed my notions of some regularity in their formation : but the colliers would not allow of any regularity in the matter of the hills above the "red earth," which they were in the habit of sinking through : but on this subject I began to think for myself.'"

The same qualities which had recommended SMITH to Mr. WEBB speedily attracted the attention of the neighbouring gentry. The country was just then beginning its "march of improvement' draining, canals, road-making, and modern machinery applied to mining, were coming into vogue ; and there was a demand for the services of civil-engineers. These circumstances created full em- ployment for the young surveyor, and gave him increased oppor- tunities for observing strata ; especially the execution of a canal on which he was employed. "In 1793 we find him engaged in executing surveys and complete systems of levelling for the line of a proposed canal. In the course of the operations which he performed in the summer and autumn, a speculation which had come into his mind regarding a general law affecting the strata of the district was submitted to proof and confirmed. He had supposed that the strata lying above the coal were not laid horizontally, but inclined; that they were all in- clined in one direction, viz, to the eastward, so as to successively terminate at the surface, and thus to resemble, on a large scale, the ordinary appearance of superposed slices of bread and butter.' This supposition was now proved to be correct, by the levelling processes executed in two parallel values; for in each of the levelled lines the strata of red ground,' 'has,' and freestone,' (afterwards called 'oolite,') came down in an eastern direction and sunk below the level, and yielded place to the next in succession."

These professional employments took SMITH beyond his own dis- tricts on various occasions ; and this identical canal furnished him with the opportunity of travelling through the whole length of Eng- land, the directors resolving that two of their body and their engi- neer should make a tour of inspection to the different canals to ob- serve their management and so forth. This trip gave many occasions for minute survey of cuttings ; and one of the trio being connected 'with collieries, and the other a man of science, they willingly lielded to SMITH'S suggestion and turned aside to visit neighbour- ing mines. But this was not all that the indefatigable observer of nature attained. By volunteering, to the great content of his com- panions, to "sit forward" in the post-chaise, he was enabled to take a flying survey of the whole country passed through; which he committed to paper at the inns where they stopped. But we cannot follow the steps of his career in detail. Recourse must be had to the Memoirs by those who wish to trace his professional life: how be was introduced to COKE of Norfolk, to Poetic's Duke of BEDFORD, to Mr. CRAWSHAY the "Iron King" of Merthyr, to Sir JOSEPH BANKS, and numerous others, both men of fortune and men of science; how his friendship with the Reverend Mr. RICHARDSON and the Reverend Mr. TOWNSEND, theoretical mine- ralogists, enlarged his views by the application of science ; how he rendered his professional engagements subordinate to his geologi- cal pursuits, and expended his gains in advancing his hobby ; and lastly, how, after the vain talk and the occasional subscriptions of the great, he was at last stimulated to complete and enabled to publish his grand work, the "Map of the Strata of England and Wales," by the enterprise of a private tradesman, Mr. CAREY the map-maker.

This took place in 1815; and was followed at intervals by parts exhibiting counties, and by other illustrated works on geology. But embarrassed circumstances attended his scientific fame. By what means this state was induced, is not very clearly shown, beyond Feneral allusions to his expenditure in forwarding geological ob- jects: but, after selling his patrimonial acres, and a small estate be bad purchased, he was compelled to dispose of his specimens to the British Museum, in 1816; and in 1819 his house was broken up, his furniture, collection, and books, were sold, (we infer by legal process,) his manuscripts and maps being only preserved by the kindness of friends. He was now fifty—a time of life when a professional connexion seldom increases, especially one requiring so much exposure and activity as a land-surveyor and mineralogist. Still, had he "buckled to business," he could without doubt have secured a handsome income, and, with his moderate habits, have perhaps realized a fortune. But a species of misanthropy seemed to come over him. Without absolutely refusing engagements, he 'got out of their way ; passing his time, with his nephew and bio- grapher as his assistant, in surveying the country, mostly on foot ; and having no settled residence beyond a temporary station at any geologically favoured spot. So profound was his seclusion at times, that an official proposal from Russia to undertake some extensive mineralogical surveys never reached him till SOME months after it was too late. This isolation, however, enabled him to finish some of his county maps and to accumulate a vast mass of geological materials; though few of them were of use to any other person. Through all these troubles WILLIAM Sum( bore himself with a patience and resolution which he probably derived from his early training. Towards the close of his life his situation brightened a little. In 1828, Sir &nix V. B. JOHNSTONE made him his land-steward ; in which capacity he resided at Hackness till 1834, and spent, his biographer thinks' some of the happiest years of his life. In 1831, the Geological Society awarded to him the first Wollaston gold medal; Professor SEDGWICK delivering the ad- dress, in which be took an able review of SMITH'S services to

science. In 1832, a pension of 100/. a year was granted to him by Government, at the united request of the English geologists. He was requested to attend the meetings of the British Association, his expenses being sometimes paid; and in 1835, on a visit of this kind to Dublin, he was made LL.D.—a distinction to which his early habits and want of academical education induced him to attach great value. He was also a member of the Commission appointed to examine and report upon the stone for building the Houses of Parliament; and this was his last public employment. He died in August 1839, at Norwich, on his way to attend the meeting of the British Association at Birmingham, in the seventy- first year of his age.

Mr. PHILLIPS'S Memoirs of William Smith are entitled to praise, as a clear, succinct, and characteristic sketch of the man, and a full and (what is much more from a relation) a very fair account of his discoveries and merits as a geologist. It is also entitled to the praise, rare in these times, of being brief, and containing nothing which is not to the purpose,—a praise still rarer when the mass of reminiscences and papers at Mr. Piumrs's disposal is considered, and which in common hands would have swollen into two or three volumes. Perhaps, indeed, brevity is practised rather too much in the personal narrative : we only learn, for example, that the hero was married, by learning that soon after the breaking up of his household his wife displayed symptoms of aberration of mind. And this brevity seems the more to be regretted from the character of much which the biographer preserves. The traits of the geologi- cal discoverer we shall avoid ; but we will take a few extracts of a more personal cast.

THE AGRICULTURIST ON GEOLOGY.

Mr. Smith found few auditors who interested themselves in his speculations, any further than as they appeared to have immediate practical results in agri- culture or mining. The very intelligent land-steward of the Marquis of Bath, Mr. Thomas Davis, (author of the excellent Report on Wiltshire, presented to the Board of Agriculture in 17940 when informed of the constitution of the Wiltshire hills and vales, and the relation they thus held to neighbouring tracts, was chiefly moved by the obvious light such discoveries shed on the agricultural appropriation of soils, and remarked, "that is the only way to know the true value of land."

Even such sympathy was highly prized by the modest "Father of English Geology," who, in his latest years, when geology had claimed in a high degree the public favour, frequently recounted, among many instances of mortifying disregard which he had experienced, this apparently slight and solitary sentence of encouragement.

USE OF GEOLOGY.

By mere accident he learned from Mr. P., then resident at Tenby, the ne- glected state of a large tract of ground belonging to that gentleman in the South-west of Ireland, on which there had never been a plough ; and, after in vain suggesting attempts at agricultural improvements, as well worthy of his attention, and likely to gratify as well as benefit him, he finally inquired if no subterranean treasures had ever been suspected on the estate. He was carelessly answered, that at some unknown time previous, metallic ore had been found, but that nothing of value was now expected. Mr. Smith paused, and advised the goodnatured owner of this neglected property to look well to a matter of so much importance. The consequence was, the establishment of the now famous and very profitable Alighies Copper Mine.

THE BATH SPRINGS.

In 1810, the Bath hot-springs had failed, and Mr. Smith was hastily sent for to restore the water to the baths and the Pump-room. This alarming circum- stance, already nearly forgotten at Bath, put in exercise Mr. Smith's peculiar abilities and patience. Not without much opposition, he was allowed to open the hot-bath spring to its bottom, and thus to detect the lateral escape for the water. The spring had in no sense failed, but its waters flowed away in new channels. The men, in the excavation thus opened, found the heat oppressive wax candles were employed for illumination, and the gushing water raised the thermometer of Fahrenheit to 119 degrees. In the channel of the spring was found a bone of some ruminant coated with crystallized sulphuret of iron, and a rolled flint of the kind commonly seen in the Wiltshire chalk hills, and, like them, full of spongoid organization. The operation was perfectly successful, and the cure complete, the baths filling in less time than formerly.

THE MEETING OF THE GEOLOGISTS.

Kirby Lonsdale was the next centre of Mr. Smith's operations ; and here he had the great happiness (such he always deemed it) of meeting, for the first time, Professor Sedgwick, who had crossed over the hills from Teesdale. The stone-masons in the romantic little town were keen observers of Mr. Smith's singular habits of handling the stones and trying their hardness against his teeth ; and, guessing by the hammer, which was not concealed by the Professor, that he was "one of the same trade," immediately pointed the way to his bro- ther geologist. • • •

A few days previously, the writer had the good fortune to meet the same celebrated Professor in a characteristic locality, within sight of the High Force in Teesdale, and under characteristic circumstances; for he was riding, as usual, with saddle-bags for his specimens, and a miner's boy en croupe, who had promised to guide him to a place where the limestone was turned into lump- sugar.

A striking portrait is prefixed to the volume ; of which the old gentleman gave this account, when putting down his memoranda on the various portraits that had been taken of him.

" In the summer of 1838, a tall, well-grown, fine-looking young gentleman from France, for a very short time became an inmate at my lodgings, 6 Lan- caster Place, Waterloo Bridge and had not been there more than three or four days before he said he 'should like to take my portrait—it would make a good picture—if I would permit.' I told him I could not afford to pay for it. 'Oh,' says he, 'artists are never paid.' Consent being given, he said, Tomorrow me at eight, you at ten '; and accordingly, in the morning at ten, I found in my room he had prepared the canvas, put on his painter's silk gown of all colours, adjusted the lights, placed Inc in one chair and himself in another, set to work without any easel ; and by four o'clock in the afternoon, with about half an hour's retouching the next morning, be produced a fine oil-painting. "I never saw a man stick so closely to his task, or handle his tools so dexte- rously. There was no time lost in idle conversation, for he could speak but few words of English, and I none of French. "It NU thus, by the skill and generosity of my much-esteemed young friend M. Fouran, I became possessed of a fine oil-painting. He requested me to write on the back of it—Portrait of Dr. William Smith, painted in London ; which I did in a strong hand." Appended to the life, is a brief notice of the progress of geology up to the time of SMITH ; showing how his great discovery of the extent and resemblance of the different strata and their fossils had been closely touched upon and all but anticipated by preceding observers. Its object is to furnish the means of truly estimating SMITH'S merits; but it may also be praised as a useful sketch of the history of the science.