75 



Another shoi't excursion of the Chib was to the Eaclstock 

 Coal-pits. The Members under the guidance of Mr. McMurtrie 

 were shown over the " Ludlow's Pit." A rapid but smooth 

 descent was made in the iron cage to the lowest gallery, a depth 

 of 150 fathoms, and under the charge of "viewers" with lamps 

 and candles, they proceeded down a gallery for about 800 yards to 

 the " head " of the working, where a narrow seam of coal about 

 one foot two inches in thickness was being worked. The whole 

 process was kindly explained by Mr. McMurtrie, and some curious 

 wedge shaped masses of Shale intervening between narrow bands 

 of coal pointed out. Abundance of the usual coal fossils, such as 

 ferns, calamites, lepidodendra, fruits, seeds, &c., have been found, 

 but no shells or moUusca. The shaft is sunk through the New 

 Red, with an intervening band of gritstone. The galleries are in 

 some parts lofty enough to admit of horses working ; yet o-wing 

 to the great pressure it was stated that when disused for some 

 time these galleries have been known to close up entirely ; and 

 this arises by the gradual elevation of the floor, not by the sub- 

 sidence of the roof. In the " heads " the coal seam is Avorked 

 sometimes by the removal of a thin band of superincumbent 

 Shale, which allows the " seam " to become detached and upheaved 

 from below. 



On Tuesday, May Sth, Mr. Godivin, Vice-President of the 

 Bristol Architectural Society, kindly gave a Lecture to the Club, 

 at the Literary and Scientific Institution, on " Mediaeval Bristol." 

 After an admirable and clear sketch of the ancient city, its rise, 

 and progress, the Members, under Mr. God^vin's guidance, plunged 

 into the dirty holes and corners of Bristol, and were amply 

 rewarded by the sight of many an architectural gem, ecclesiastical 

 and domestic, which was pointed out and described by their 

 able guide. 



The Box Tunnel and the stone quarry of Kandall and Saunders 

 at Corsham, were objects for another day's walk. Mr. Amor, the 

 contractor, took charge of the Members in their walk through 



