CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 



On the topographical side, a predecessor of mine in this chair, Sir George 

 Fordham, exhibited before the British Association at the Dublin and Dundee 

 meetings in 1908 and 1912 respectively, a fine series o[ old road-books. With 

 regard to geological maps, however, which naturally follow the topographical 

 series, nothing systematic seems yet to have been accomplished, and it is extra- 

 ordinary how this most valuable source of information has been neglected — 

 even by our special geological societies. A few years ago the Geological Society 

 of London asked me to prepare a Catalogue of British Geological Maps, and 

 the work has occupied nearly all my ' spare time ' ever since, as will be under- 

 stood when I say that the Catalogue, as yet in manuscript, contains details 

 of thousands of such maps. The preparation of this, and the collecting of old 

 maps and charts, has resulted in the accumulation of facts which will, I think, 

 be of interest to the delegates of the Corresponding Societies, and, it is hoped, 

 will give them an idea of the method of obtaining, from sources which are 

 usually neglected, information relating to the physical geography and geology 

 of their respective areas. 



I possess ' Edward, Duke of Norfolk, Earle Marshall of England's ' copy of 

 Moll's ' New- Description of England and Wales,' dated 1724. It consists of 

 fifty rnaps, measuring 10 by 7^ inches. Each map is folded, and moimted in 

 the middle on guards, so that no information is lost or distorted in the binding. 

 The volume measures 7| by 8^ inches. Bound up with it is a map of ' The 

 Roads of ye South Part of Great Britain Called England and Wales,' by Herman 

 Moll, Geographer. It is dedicated to Frederick Prince of Wales (and" therefore 

 must be after 1729), and contains the following engraved upon it: 'Note: 

 This map has been copied four times very confused mid Scandaloiisly ' ! Pre- 

 sumably by other ' enterprising ' publishers. 



On the margins of each of the county maps various ' curios ' are engraved, 

 usually bearing upon the district. For example, the first map, Bedford Shire, 

 is decorated by representations of obverses and reverses of six Pioman coins, 

 in the execution of which — as in other illustrations — the artist has had very 

 fair licence. 



Besides giving evidence of changes due to coast erosion, alterations in 

 estuaries and river channels and lakes; these old maps yield much interesting 

 geological information, albeit the 'Geographer, Moll,' knew not the science of 

 geology. On the map of Cornwall, for instance, not only are the mines indi- 

 cated, and their names and depths given, but details occur of the various metals 

 obtained — tin, copper, and lead; there are ' lead mines producing much silver,' 

 and even ' ancient lead mines.' On the margin is engraved ' The Wring Cheese 

 'Stones near Rillington,' the ' Hurlers' Stones,' etc. Thus this map not only 

 indicates the extent to which mining for metals was practised precisely two 

 centuries ago, but gives evidence of mining in still earlier times. 



Black-lead mines, copper mines, and lead works are shown on the Cumber- 

 land map. That of Derbyshire is dotted over, 'to a surprising extent, with 

 triangular marks indicating lead mines : the margins being devoted to repre- 

 sentations of geological ' curios,' as well as engravings of ' Poole's Hole ' and 

 another cave named after a portion of the anatomy of the devil. These illus- 

 trate the characteristic weathering of the local Carboniferous Limestone. The 

 fossils are better engraved than described. An obvious Enompkalis is ' A 

 Petrif y'd Cockle ' ; a Productus is ' A Petrify'd Oyster ' ; a piece of encrinital 

 limestone is ' A Terrene course Fluor or Spar f ormd in the Lead Mines ' ; a 

 Silurian Brain-Coral has somehow crept in, and is ' Buf onites or Brain-stone, 

 viz. from ye Representations; it Bears to a Toad.' A chalk echinoderm— 

 which has also strayed— is ' One of the Echini Petrify'd with the Representa- 

 tions of Trees,' the 'Trees' being the lines between the plates forming the 

 test. Two sharks' teeth, suspiciously Tertiary, are ' A Glossopetra or Crow- 

 bill found in ye Lead Mines,' and ' A Glossopetra found in the like Mines both 

 in this County and Wales,' respectively. 



The Devonshire map indicates lead, tin, and copper mines, ancient lead mine, 

 and 'The Most Ancient Copper Mine.' Lead mines and 'Coal Pitts' occur 

 on the Durham map, as well as ' Hell Kettles ' and other natural features. 

 On the Essex map are two engravings labelled ' Near Tilbury are several Arti- 

 ficial spacious Caverns built with Stone in a Chalky cliff to ye height of 10 



