Abstract
IN the spring of 1839, R. A. C. Godwin-Austen commenced a letter to H, T. de la Beche with the following words: “I am not much in the habit of buttering my friends, but in the present instance you must not complain at being compelled to pay for a shillings-worth of that commodity”. (A shilling was the postage charge for a letter from Newton Abbot to Swansea.) The writer then described his efforts to secure a copy of de la Beche's “Report”, and continued, “I read it before dinner and after: I dipped in it with my tea, and went on devouring it until the ‘dead hour’. I was at it again this morning. …”
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
NATURE, 143, 254–5 (1939). The present note, also, is based upon manuscripts deposited in the National Museum of Wales by the late Colonel J. I. D. Nicholl of Merthyr Mawr.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
North, F. The Ordnance Geological Survey: Its First Memoir, 1839. Nature 143, 1052–1054 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/1431052a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1431052a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
