JET. 18-19.] COALBROOK DALE. 31 



His father naturally did not like those descents into 

 coal-pits, and in a letter (when the young Joseph had 

 gone to Broseley, accompanied by the son of their friend 

 Mr Newton) writes : " Mr Newton, senior, has nothing 

 to communicate. On my part I have to request that 

 you would not allow his son to go into a coal-pit. I 

 do not like the exploit for yourself, and as you have 

 already descended into them you will not be accused of 

 a superficial knowledge of your subject if you make 

 your further researches by deputy." 



But Joseph Prestwich's work was never done by 

 deputy. 



For a small remuneration (for then the wages of the working 

 miners were only 2s. for a long day), I enlisted the services of 

 several working men. The overlookers were also generally 

 very willing to assist, so I returned night after night with 

 my bag full. The pits were not large, nor were they very 

 deep. From 150 to 500 feet was the general run. Descending 

 them, however, was often a rough task. Sometimes we de- 

 scended on trays ; at other times we stood on the platform ; a 

 chain loop attached to the main rope was handed to each man, 

 through which we placed one leg. At a given signal the rope 

 was drawn up a few feet, when we all (generally there were seven 

 or eight men) swung together like so many herrings at the end 

 of a bunch, and then holding on to one another we were let 

 down to the bottom. Sometimes the descent was in an up 

 shaft which would be full of smoke and like descending a 

 chimney. However, I considered myself well rewarded by the 

 sight of the strata and especially the faults, nor did I overlook 

 the surface. The one-inch ordnance map of the district was 

 just then published, the cost being 16s. a -sheet. On this I 

 laid down the surface geology, and with the aid of the pit 

 sections, which were ever here readily given to me with per- 

 mission to copy, I drew up my Memoir on Coalbrook Dale, 

 which, later on, was published in the ' Transactions of the Geo- 

 logical Society.' Sir Koderick Murchison, who was working in 



