No Ordinary Man: George Mercer DawsonGeorge Mercer Dawson was indeed no ordinary man. Born in 1849, son of the first Principal of McGill University, Dawson defied health circumstances that would have defeated many people and went on to become one of our most exceptional Canadians. As a geologist in the British North American Boundary Commission between Canada and the U.S.A. and as Director of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1895, Dawson examined and explored every aspect of Canada's unknown territories. This collection of writings, letters, diaries and essays begins with the young George and moves through his developing years to his adult life. "He climbed, walked and rode on horseback over more of Canada than any other member of the Geological Survey of Canada at that time -- yet to look at him, one would not think him capable of a day's hard physical labour .... It was his hand that first traced upon vacant maps the geological formations of the Yukon and much of British Columbia." "To read about him is like taking a drink of water from a cool, unpolluted spring. His sense of values was so great that he once said he didn't care much for money or possessions. All he wanted was what he could hold in his canoe." |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 32
... sides by vast blue oceans ! It is difficult to contemplate such a time , and it is rather sad that this enchanted age had to come to an end . But , it was so , for men from far off lands , in their spirit of adventure and desire for ...
... side , where the Science Buildings now stand . George's adventures on stream and campus foreshadowed in minia- ture his greater experiences later , on the roaring Yukon and other great west- ern Canadian rivers . At the age of nineteen ...
... sides of geology , and , accordingly , commanded the attention and confidence of mining capitalists , mine managers and others interested in the development of mineral resources . When in the field , geology was , of course , the ...
... side at regular Distances [ many ] posts about 20 feet high with [ ... ] on the Top that look like [ ... ] - but are in fact Beacons on light houses to guide the mariner through in dark nights , when in the middle of the lake we passed ...
... side . With love to you { and } give { my } love to Agnes . Dear Grandpa May 16th [ 1857 ] I have got my seeds sown and Papa brought < yes > Miss Bell Me and Anna { to the mountain } and we got a lot of Aders tongues 13Proverbs 22 : 6 ...
Contents
Life and Exploration on the Western Frontier | 122 |
Dawson and the Yukon | 143 |
Ethnological Endeavours | 148 |
Glimpses at Georges Personal Life | 152 |
An Enduring Friend | 155 |
A Loyal Son and Sibling | 169 |
The Bering Sea Commission | 175 |
A WideRanging Mind | 182 |
43 | |
A Voyage by Sail to Great Britain | 49 |
First Year at the Royal School of Mines London 186970 | 57 |
Summer 1870 with Parents in Scotland | 69 |
Second Year at the Royal School of Mines 187071 | 71 |
A Summer of Field Work in the English Lake District | 79 |
Third Year at the Royal School of Mines 187172 | 84 |
GeologistNaturalist on the British North American Boundary Commission | 101 |
Enduring Achievements with the Geological Survey of Canada | 119 |
Selected Poems of George Mercer Dawson | 185 |
Science and Exploration in Canada | 194 |
The Lasting Legacy of George Mercer Dawson | 197 |
For Further Reading | 200 |
About the Author | 201 |
About the Editor | 202 |
Visual Credits | 203 |
Index | 204 |