Gesner, Abraham; Remarks on the Geology and Mineralogy of Nova Scotia. Halifax, Gossip and Coade, 1836. Octavo, pp. xl, 272, folded lithographed frontispiece view of Parrsboro, folded hand-colored map, and one lithographed plate with view of Cape Split.

The work is complete and in modern calf and marbled boards with gilt titles. The binding is tight and clean, x-lib. with stamp on title page and first text page. Plates and text are very clean. In very good condition.

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A Canadian geologist and chemist; Gesner (1797-1864) held the first appointment of Provincial Geologist (New Brunswick) in the British Empire. He is best known for his pioneering work in the geological mapping of the Canadian Maritime provinces and in developing the commerical use of kerosene and asphalt. His reports were to touch off a boom in mineral lands investments by speculators. Many proved to be unprofitable and led to a move to abolish Gesner's position. Gesner himself was caught up in this frenzy and was forced to recover some loses by selling his own collection of mineral and natural hisotry specimens. That collection formed the nucleus of the New Brunswick Natural History Museum in St. Johns.
Gesner's work on Nova Scotia is the first serious book on the geology and mineralogy of Nova Scotia. This work led to a major controversy with Charles Jackson in regards to Jackson and Alger's study of Nova Scotia. Gesner felt that the Jackson/Alger study was in part a plagarism of his above work and was rushed to print in an effort to take precedence over Gesner's own study.
Gesner includes both commercial subjects such as clays and coals, granites, marbles, copper and also semi-precious stones and gems. The beautifully colored map was not originally planned for. "It was not intended, when the Prospectus of this Work was written, to give a Geological Map of the Province, or any pictorial illustrations of its scenery; but from the general support the book has received, a map has been prepared, at a considerable additional expense."  Gesner divides the country into four districts and discusses each in turn, as well as providing a concise introduction to the sciences of geology and mineralogy. The plates include a: frontispiece of Farrsboro as seen from the harbor, a folding colored map of Nova Scotia, with the tipped-in explanation; a lithographed plate of Cape Split. Complete copies of the work are scarce.