71 
which the Belgium and N. of France Coal Fields abound. 
(Vide Vol. vii., No. 1, p 49). 
The attendance at the afternoon meetings might be more 
encouraging to the readers of papers, the largest number being 
20 for the President’s paper. The average number has been 13, 
the total attendances during the four meetings being barely 
16 per cent. of the whole Club. 
EXCURSIONS. 
Sudbrook and Caerwent.—Tuesday, April 9tk, opened most 
unfavourably for the first excursion of the season; thirty-six 
hours of continuous rain had been falling, and it was naturally 
thought that the usual good luck of the Club in weather might be 
looked forward to, and that the succeeding twelve hours would 
prove fine. Such, however, was not the case ; down came the 
rain for another twelve, though not quite so heavily as to 
preclude the day’s programme from being carried out. The 
muster at the station was not so large as might have been 
expected from members of a Field Club, and fourteen only 
answered the secretary’s roll call, nine others who ought to have 
appeared being faint-hearted enough to prefer their own firesides 
to the healthy action of the rain, supposed to brace up the nerves 
and energies of Englishmen, and to make them the hardy and 
enduring race they once were. Those, however, who did join, 
had no reason to regret it, and the damp outlook of rolling river 
and flooded meadow-land was quite interesting when viewed from 
the interior of a comfortable saloon carriage, which through the 
kind efforts of Mr. Graham the authorities of the G.W.R. put at 
their disposal by the 8.30 a.m. train to Bristol and the Severn 
Tunnel Junction. An admirably horsed break and pair, with 
another single-horse vehicle, provided ample accommodation for 
the party as they left the train at the latter station, at 10.17, 
and rattled them through an undulating country ; passing by 
