38 On the Stratification of Matlock in Derbyshire, 



from the small clump of firs on Riber Hill, (situated about 

 200 yards N.W. from the hamlet of that name,) to the 

 clump of firs on Masson Low, at the edge of the parish of 

 Eorsal, I have been at some pains to ascertain the extent 

 and position of the strata in this line, which fortunately 

 passes iust over the High Tor, and is sufficiently near to the 

 line which Mr. Whitehurst describes across the Tor, to 

 aelmit of a fair comparison therewith. My section, in the 

 lower part of the drawing (Plate H.) will show, that the 

 strata preserve an exact parallelism, in rising from under 

 Riber Hill to form Masson Hill ; and that the latter would 

 I>^ve been of a height unequalled by any hill in this part of 

 the country, but for the denudation which it has suffered. 

 The lime'Stone shale seeming to form the point of separa- 

 tton between the carboniferous strata and those which some 

 have denominated primitive, I have made this my point of 

 comparison, for naming the principal Derbyshire strata, and 

 have dermmlnated the lime-stones and toad- stones, the first, 

 second, third, &c., in order below this ; and the grit-stones 

 and coal shales the first, -second, third, &c., above it, in 

 the order in which they occur. The extent of the present 

 section is not sufficient towards the east, for showing the 

 first coal -shale, as the same is seen, covering the first or Mill- 

 stone-grit Rock, on the eastern slope of Riber Hill. It wilj 

 b'e perceived by the corresponding numbers and hatchings 

 in Mr. Whitehurst's and my sections, that I make the se- 

 cond lime-stone (or dun-stone as the miners call it) to co- 

 ver the eastern slope of Masson Hill in this line, except at 

 the foot of the High Tor, where the same is torn away, so 

 as to expose about 13 acres of the surface of the second 

 toadstone, surrounded and covered on every side by the se- 

 cond limc-slone, and which- in its turn is seen covered by 

 the first loadstone, and then by the first lime-stone, in pro- 

 ceeding either north or south, along the turnpike-road, from 

 off the second toadstone in front of the High Tor : a little 

 further south, the shale also crosses the river, and covers 

 the lime-stone for a short distance in a trough, or abrupt 

 break-down of the measures ; of which troughs- numerous 



instances 



