SCHEDULE C. Arms, Accoutrements and Ordnance delivered to the several volunteer corps of Michigan Militia. No. 11. 1844. Annual Report of the State Geologist. To the Hon. Senatc OFFICE OF STATE GEOLOGIST, and House of Representatives of Michigan: I have the honor to lay before you the accompanying report of the condition of the geological and topographical surveys of our state, and the progress which has been made towards the completion of the same during the past year. A portion of the season has been devoted to connecting the work upon the upper peninsula, and completing the skeleton of the surveys of that part of our state, but by far the greater amount of work has been performed in the office, in compiling and arranging the materials for the final report upon the geology and topography, and in the completion of the maps, together with the figuring of sections and fossils illustrative of the several group of rocks of our state. The drafting of the several county maps, according to the plan directed, has mainly been performed, and excepting some slight additions, these are now ready for the engraver. Of the county maps, four have been engraved and struck off, and are now in market. Ten additional counties have been placed in the engraver's hands, and I had reason to hope that these would have been completed and ready for sale before the close of navigation. In this I have been disappointed, but now hope to be able to lay these additional ten counties, making, in all, maps of fourteen counties, together with the state map, before the public at an early day in the ensuing spring. The best interests of our state render it of much importance that the maps of those counties in which her lands now offered for sale are situated, should be published at the earliest day possible. The engraving of some of these is now in progress, but to hasten this work, it will be important that a small appropriation be made to cover the first cost of some portion of the engraving, paper and press work. An appropriation of $1,000 to $1,500, will cover all that will be required to be paid out of the treasury before a sufficient amount will be realized from sales to enable the work to progress without further demand upon the treasury, and I confidently believe that the proceeds of the sales of these maps will fully refund to the state the cost of their publication. This series of state and county maps, it is hoped and believed, will be more full and perfect than any that have heretofore been published of any equal portion of our United States, and there can be no doubt that when placed before the public, showing as they do the general character of the soil, timber, &c. &c., they will do much to aid in disseminating a knowledge of the immense capabilities of our state, and the advantages which she offers to the emigrant, and that thus they will afford efficient aid towards increasing her population. In addition to the ordinary duties of the geological survey, the extra duty required, at your last session, of furnishing the state land office with township maps, has been performed, so far as calls have been made by the commissioner, and these duties have occupied much of the time of the topographer. I have already stated that the field-work of the geological and topographical surveys of the lower peninsula is completed. The final report upon this portion of the work, together with all the maps and sections, will, I trust, be ready for the press during the coming summer. The engraving of the geological sections, fossils, &c., will occupy some time, and it is desirable, in order to prevent delay in this respect, that this portion of the work, preparatory to the final publication, should be commenced at the earliest day possible. In order to hasten this, I have made a temporary arrangement for the wood cuts, with a wood engraver who is fully competent, and who is now engaged in this duty, but in order to continue this work, some provision will be necessary. The surveys of the upper peninsula have been completed less perfectly than those of the southern or lower peninsula, and while the grand outlines have been arrived at as fully as will be required, it is very desirable that these outlines should be filled up with more minuteness than has hitherto been done. The geology and topography of that portion of our state, lying south from Lake Superior, is much more complex than that of any other portion of our state, while, at the same time, it possesses a very high degree of interest, not only in a scientific point of view, but also in consequence of the intrinsic value of its mineral resources. To develop minutely its topography, geology and mineralogy, in such a manner as its great importance makes desirable, would require a larger amount of expenditure than our state is well able to appropriate to that object, and we can only hope to accomplish it by some extraneous or indirect means. The United States linear surveys afford a fine opportunity for accomplishing this in a way which will render 'the work exceedingly perfect, and at the same time will be attended with little expense. All that would be required would be simply a permission from the commissioner of the general land office of the United States, to the geologist of Michigan, to require the deputy surveyors to make certain observations during the progress of their survey, of a character which would connect the geological survey of our state with the linear survey of the United States. I hope to perfect such an arrangement in this particular, as will enable me to produce more perfect geological and topographical maps of the upper peninsula than have ever been constructed of the same extent of territory in our United States. Of the amount of $300 appropriation placed at my disposal for the geological and topographical survey, there has been expended during the fiscal year the sum of $220.47, chiefly for rent and expenses of the topographical office, paper, postages, &c., the vouchers for which are deposited in the office of the auditor general. In addition to such provisions as you may see fit to make for the engraving of the several county maps, the wood engraving and publication of the final report, there will be required for current expenses of the survey, during the ensuing year, an amount not exceeding $400. All of which is respectfully submitted. DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, |