Freestone Quarries of the Isle of Portland. 101 



III. Section of Strata measured at Fern Street Qiiarry, from 

 below the " Whit-bed " Flints, to the last Bed of the Portland 

 Building Stone. 



Total of sections 1st and 2d - 



19. A limestone, partly cretaceous, partly slightly oolitic 



20. A layer of flint - - - - 



21. Limestone - 



22. Siliceous limestone - 



23. A thin vein of grey-coloured flint 



24. 'Carff' - - - - - 



25. A layer of clay ----- - 



26. * Roach ' - - - ; # - - 



27. • Best-bed, ' or Portland building stone : this is not, as its 



name would imply, by any means so good a 

 building stone as that furnished by the 

 ' whit-bed' - - - - 5 10 



47 



28. A layer of flints lying under the ' best-bed,' is succeeded by a 

 vein of blue clay ; after which occur beds, 

 called by the workmen * rubble,' an argilla- 

 ceous freestone, containing more or less of 

 silex, closer to the Kimmeridge clay, on 

 which, as before stated, the whole isle rests. 

 The workmen are paid by what they exca- 

 vate, and seldom make more than two 

 shillings a day. The highest part of the 

 island, the head quarryman informed me, is 

 between 300 ft. and 400 ft. 



The following is a statement of the exact quantity of stone 

 excavated and shipped from the Isle of Portland, during the 

 last two years and a half, furnished to me by the keeper of 

 accounts. There are sixteen square feet to a ton. 



1833. Block or Portland stone - - - - 



* Roach ' » - 



* Rubbish,' pieces knocked off from the above while 



squaring the blocks, and afterwards col- 

 lected for roofing walls and cottages - 



Total - 



1834. Block - - - 



< Roach' ----- 



' Rubbish ' - - - - - 



Total 



1835. First six months. 



Block - - - - • - 



* Roach' » - - - - 



* Rubbish' - - - - - 



Isle of Valentia, Kerry, Ireland, Dec. 7. 1835. 



