Proceedings. 47 



rocks, or only about one-fourth of the entire space, and we 

 see no reason why, from what we trace above ground of the 

 axis of disturbance, the same proportion of continuity should 

 not obtain in the intervening space." 



The great east and west axis of disturbance took place 

 after the deposition of the Coal-measures, and before that of 

 the Permians. Its effects all through its range are singularly 

 alike. It is not so much a great mountain elevation as a 

 crumpling up and contortion of the strata for a breadth of 

 many miles, varying from 30 to 80 miles, and along a length 

 of above 800 miles. 



The similarity of the conditions under which Coal is found 

 in Somerset and South Wales, and in Northern Prance and 

 Belgium, and the similarity of the Coal itself, and the 

 remarkable way in which the deductions of our geologists 

 have been confirmed as to the continuity of the ridge or 

 elevated plain of old rocks through all the intermediate dis- 

 tance by the borings in and near London, and also the recent 

 discovery of Coal at Dover, a point at which Mr. Godwin 

 Austen and Prof. Prestwich, and other leading geologists all 

 placed their line of probable Coalfields on its first entering 

 England from Northern France ; all these corroborations 

 give great weight to their views as to the more central parts 

 of the line of probable Coalfields laid down by them along the 

 flanks of the elevated axis of disturbed old rocks now dis- 

 covered to exist underneath London in accordance with their 

 deductions, and their line of probable Coalfields passes in 

 Surrey rather north of the escarpment of the North Downs 

 than south of it, and somewhere underneath the Chalk 

 district of Surrey between here and Croydon ; and, I believe, 

 the question at the head of this paper will receive an answer 

 in the affirmative in the discoveries of the future. 



In the discussion which followed, Mr. Webb pointed out the 

 great cost of starting a fresh Coal-pit. He questioned if 

 workable Coal could be found in any part of Surrey, except 

 South London ; he thought it might also be obtained in North 

 Kent. He did not believe that Coal of good quality had as 

 yet been found in the Dover workings. 



