481 



Mr. EkiN asked whether the coal fields were deposited originally 

 in basins, or horizontal!}' and then broken into basins by upheaval. 



Mr. WiNWooD said that the generally received opinion was that 

 the coal was originally deposited horizontally, and that the basins 

 had been formed by the crumpling together and upheaval of the 

 strata subsequently, which formed the anticlinals and sinclinal 

 troughs in which the coal is now won. 



Mr. Ekin — That is quite possible from Belgium to Wales, which 

 is a coniparatively limited area, but my question is with reference 

 to the statement that has been made that this same series of beds 

 stretches to Nova Scotia. Does Mr. Mc Murtrie think that the 

 coal strata were deposited horizontally and continuously throughout 

 the whole of this distance ? 



Mr. Mc Murtrie, answering Dr. Hunter's question where 

 coal was to be found in the MiUstone grit, said that a place 

 in the neighbourhood of Bristol was the only point near Bath 

 where that could be seen. The best example of the MiUstone 

 gi-it that he knew of was at Mells. The other question whether 

 there was any possibility of there being an overlooked portion 

 of Carboniferous Limestone in the eastern edge of the coal 

 basin near Bath, he thought, would be better answered by Mr. 

 Winwood, who had examined the district as thoroughly as any one 

 present. The country was so well known, however, that he hardly 

 thought an overlooked body of Carboniferous Limestone was likely 

 to be found. Then as to the thickness of the Secondary rocks, Mr. 

 Prestwich adopted Mr. Moore's estimate of 2000 feet, but if this mode 

 of estimating were adopted in reference to the district between Bath 

 and Loudon, the secondary rocks under London must be at least 

 7,150 feet in thickness. But the fact was that boriug had shown 

 them to be only 1000 feet thick. In answer to Mr. Ekin's question, 

 Mr. Mc Murtrie said that the extension of coal beds to Nova Scotia 

 was not a bond fide part of his suggestion. He should be inclined 

 to hmit it to our own countiy. 



After some remarks from the Secretary respecting the curious 

 and unique physical feature at Vobster, where the coal is worked 

 beneath a patch of Carboniferous Limestone, so that what is usually 

 the floor is there the roof of the working. 



