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XL. On Mr. Bakevvell's Geological Section of the Northern 

 Counties of England. By Mr, J. H. Frveh. 



To Mr. Tillnch. 



Sir, — U PON looking over the last number of your very valuable 

 Journal, I was much surprised to see a " Sketch of the Arrange- 

 rnent of the Rocks in the Northern Counties," with the r.ame of 

 R. Bakewell, Esq. attached to it, as it bears strong niarks of 

 having lieen copied from one made by me about two vears ago. 

 Now, though I am by no means anxious about bemg thou.;ht the 

 author of so trifling a performance, yet having given copies of 

 ray sketch above twelve montlis ago to several miuerali)gical 

 gentlemen (among others, to JMr. Winch, G. B. Greenough, 

 Esq. and to the Rev. Mr. Turner, who exhibited it to his class 

 in his course of lectures on mineralogy at Newcastle in February 

 1814), I feel mvself called upon to assert jnv claim as the ori- 

 ginal author of the section, or to submit to the degrading sup- 

 position of having unfairly obtained a copy of Mr. B's, and 

 passed it off as my own. Excepting the small part marked on 

 the plate Mountains of grey wacke, &;c. (my section showing the 

 relative positions of the granite, syenite, &ic. in that part) the 

 whole of Mr. B's section is as exactly reduced from mine as 

 could be done by a pentagraph. His section is also at variance 

 with his letter ; — at page 86, he disagrees with Dr. Thomson 

 in dividing the coal formation; yet he exhibits that division iiijon 

 his section : for the part marked " coal formation" on the plate 

 is the Newcastle coal of Dr. Thomson, and the part marked 

 *' metalliferous limestone and other strata" is his independent 

 coal formation. Though I disagree with Dr. T. in nianv points, 

 vet I think the difference between th^ Newcastle coal and tiiat 

 in the metalliferous rocks is sufficiently characterized to allow 

 thf-m to be considered as separate formations, and had accord- 

 ingly so divided tliem in my section. I acknowledge that in 

 sections of a country, though made bv different persons, there 

 must be a great resemblance ; but after what I havestat .d, I leave 

 you to judge, how far ours are necessarily similar, and hovv far 

 Mr. 15. is borne out in his assertion, that his " is the first at- 

 tempt that he is acquainted with to give a geological sketch of 

 the succession of rocks across the island from the Irish channel 

 to the German ocean." 



I am, sir, 



"I'our most obedient servant, 

 l.\'\cV ii.-\il, M in.h (>i, 181.-,. J. H. Fryer. 



XLI. Pro. 



