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7 acres. The walls made of local stone, 17 feet thiols: at the base, 

 are coped with Cornish Granite and will enclose the largest single 

 basin in Great Britain, containing an area of 73 acres at high 

 water. Along the N. side of this, arrangements will be made 

 for shipping the coal by a railway running from the Khondda, 

 Merthyr, and Aderdare valleys. The vast heaps of stones and 

 mud banks appearing chaotic at the first view gradually assume 

 some order and design as one wanders about the works ; and 

 the magnitude of the undertaking, employing 2,500 men, grows 

 upon one, and a wonder finds expression whether it is possible 

 for the work to be finished Avithin two years as stated. It was 

 commenced in 1884, the estimated cost being £1,520,000. 



Walking across the excavations many large trees were passed, 

 and some peat had been cut through ; this Mr. Eobinson informed 

 us had been found throughout the excavations in the Dock proper 

 but not in the Basin; its thickness at the W. end being from 6 to 



8 inches. On the N. side of the Dock it is 2 feet thick and comes 

 in about 16 feet above Dock bottom, (the latter being 20 feet 

 below ordnance datum) and rests upon Lias shale or clay. 



Time now drawing near for departure Mr. Robinson took the 

 members to his house at East Barry, where he had hospitably 

 provided tea and other much needed and welcome refreshments, 

 and then showed them a collection of Red deer antlers, bones and 

 horns, a skull of a Bos longifrons and other remains found during 

 the excavations. Amongst these may be specially mentioned 

 two bone needles and a human skull, the teeth of which were well 

 preserved. The two needles were found below a layer of sand and 

 fine gravel on top of the mud about 18 feet below the surface, and 

 10 feet above the Dock bottom on the S. side. The skeleton of the 

 man about 40 yards to the East of this, about 12 feet below the 

 surface and on the top of the layer of fine gravel about 6 feet thick 

 at this point. 



Having returned their grateful thanks to Mr. Eobinson for his 

 courtesy and hospitality, the saloon carriage and truck took the 



