117 



Grossing the tumpike-road in the village, the Club proceeded to the opening 

 of the Ashes Valley, one of those deep stream-worn dingles for which this side 

 of the Longmynd is remarkable. Passing first some charming open glades of 

 woodland, backed by the steep hill-sides, the valley became more and more 

 contracted, until at length when the enclosures were all past and the ascent 

 became more steep, scarce a footing could be found by the brook as it wound 

 round the projecting masses of hill on either side. 



Mr. Cocking, on reaching a quarry at some little distance up the dingle, 

 called the attention of the members to the rock formation befor* them. The 

 strata are almost vertical and of great thickness, indeed they were considered 

 by the officers of the Government Survey to bo of the immense thickness of 

 26,000 feet. There were some reasons for thinking that this estimate was greatly 

 exaggerated. The apparent amazing thickness, for example, might be due, as 

 has been thought, to the compressed undulations of folded strata, whose upper 

 curves had disappeared under the influence of water and the glacial action, to which 

 Mr. La Touche had just now alluded. Or, again, it might be explained by 

 supposing that at the commencement of the elevation of the strata extensive 

 longitudinal fissures were first produced, and that the forces which threw them 

 up turned the separated portions on edge in a vertical position and parallel 

 to each other, whilst the trap rock in its fluid melted state at once rushed 

 in to fill up the intermediate spaces ; the result from such a process would 

 certainly be similar to the appearaace now presented by the rocks before them. 

 Some years ago Professor Rogers, of New York, whom he had the pleasure to 

 conduct up this valley, pointed out the appearances of curvature in the strata in 

 this quarry, which seemed to support the theory of compressed undulations 

 as explaining the wonderful thickness of these rocks. These appearances have 

 however given way to the operations of the quarry -men, and the only way that 

 remains to test the correctness of this theory, is as the rocks may become exposed 

 from any cause, to note down carefully the occurrences of the purple beds and 

 trap, and ascertain whether they are ever repeated in an inverse order (applause). 



In the bed of the stream several spherical masses were observed, which, to 

 the surprise of many visitors, were found to be canon balls. They had been 

 fired from the battery at the target on the hill above, and had rolled down its 

 steep sides to their present positions. 



The day was most favourable for the excursion. A fresh breeze was 

 blowing and the pleasant variation of sunshine and shade produced the most 

 charming variety in the scenery around. At one spot, near the confluence of two 

 small mountain streams, a halt was called, that the stragglers of the party might 

 come up. Here, with the steep side of the Round Hill in full front, the beautiful 

 tints of colour from light green and yellow to the richest autumnal hues of 

 sienna and red of the Whinberry leaves, were exquisitely varied by the passing 

 gleams of light and shade. On the adjoining hills the purple tint of heather 



