243 



to the Principal was proposed by the President, and seconded 

 by Dr. Paine, the Honorary Secretary, who took occasion to 

 acknowledge his obligations to Professor Church for the kind 

 interest he had taken in the arrangements for the day. The 

 party then adjourned to the lecture-theatre of the College, when 

 Mr. Taunton read an interesting paper on the Canal Tunnel, in 

 which he traced its history and progress from the formation of 

 the Company in 1782. Numerous old documents were produced, 

 and in particular a parchment deed signed by Messrs. Boulton 

 and Watt, by which they granted a license to use their patent ; 

 and a letter from the contractor for the work, in which he begged 

 the consideration of the Company on account of his being detained 

 at Bisley for six days owing to the bad state of the roads. The 

 paper was illustrated by two sections — one of the Railway 

 Tunnel, the other of the Canal Tunnel. Mr. Taunton explained 

 the geological features of the hill through which the tunnels 

 run, and especially the evidence which had been obtained of an 

 extensive fault, by which the Forest Marble had been thrown 

 down to the extent of 75 feet, and which he considered had 

 been overlooked in the Geological Survey. This led to a short 

 discussion, in which Dr. Wright and others took part. The 

 pleasure of the day was somewhat marred by an accident of a 

 serious nature which befell the Rev. E. R. Nussey, the Vicar of 

 Longney, who was one of the party. He slipped from the deck 

 of the barge, and in trying to save himself he thrust his right 

 hand through one of the cabin vdndows, inflicting thereby a 

 very serious wound, dividing several important vessels. Fortu- 

 nately for the reverend gentleman several of his associates were 

 able to render him valuable surgical aid, and the carriage of the 

 Rev. Mr. Dyke, of Bagendon, being opportunely at the Thames 

 Head, Mr. !N"ussey was conveyed in it with all speed to Ciren- 

 cester, where, under the surgical care of Messrs. Cripps and 

 Fowler, the bleeding vessels were secured, and the patient was 

 sufficiently recovered in the course of the evening to rejoin his 

 friends and to return home to Longney. But for the prompt 

 attention he received on the spot this accident might not 

 improbably have proved fatal. 



