396 CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 



was then considered to he, become so necessary and so economically essential in 

 every part of the world. 



The early history of geological mapping shows that the foundations of this 

 particular work are essentially British, and as usual these foundations were 

 laid by amateurs, often at great pecuniary sacrifice to themselves, and without 

 proper appreciation at the time. 



That geological observations were made, long before maps recorded them, 

 is obvious from various early writings. Even so long ago as 159.5 George Owen 

 of Henllys in Pembrokeshire, in a ' History of Pembrokeshire,' has a chapter 

 on 'natural helpes which in this countrey to better the lande ["lyme" being 

 the " chief est "].' In this he states 'First you shall understand, that the 

 lymestone is a vayne of stones running his course, for the most part riglit east 

 and west, although sometimes the same is found to approach to the north and 

 south. Of this lymestone there is found of ancient, two veynes, the one small 

 and of no great account, and not of breadth above a, butt length, or stones 

 cast ; and therefore whosoever seeketh southward or northward over the bredth 

 misi?eth it.' 



The course of this ' veyne ' is then traced for a considerable distance ; and 

 a tliird ' veyne of lymestone ' is referred to. We then read that ' For the 

 veyne of coales which is found between these two vaynes of lymestone, as a 

 benefit of ^Nature, without which the profit of the lymestone were neiare lost ; 

 between^, the sayd two vaynes from the beginning to the ending, there is a 

 vayne (if not several raynes) of coles, that followeth those of lymestone. This 

 vayne of coal in some partes joineth close to the first lymestone vayne, as in 

 Pembrokeshire, and Carmarthenshire ; and in some partes it is found close by 

 the other vayne of lymestone, as in Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Somersetshire. 

 Therefore whether I shall say that there are two vaynes of coles to be found 

 between these two vaynes of lymestone, or to imagine that the cole should 

 wreathe or tnrne itself in some places to one, in other places to the other; or 

 to think that all the land betweene these two vaynes should be stored with 

 coles, I leave to the judgement of the skilfull miners, or to those which with 

 deep knowledge have entered into these hidden secrettes.' 



A comparison between these observations and a recent geological map will 

 show that Owen's observations were quite reliable, although made over three 

 centuries ago. 



Later, but still long ago, Dr. Martin Lister in March 1683-1684 read a paper to 

 the Royal Society entitled ' An Ingenious proposal for a new sort of Maps of 

 Countrys, together with Tables of Sands and Clays, such chiefly as are found 

 in the north of England.' The author commences : 'We shall be better able to 

 judge of the make of the earth, and of many phenomena belonging thereto, 

 when we have well and duly examined it, as far as human art can possibly 

 reach, beginning from the outside downwards. As for the most inward and 

 central parts thereof, I think we shall never be able to confute Gilbert's opinion, 

 who will, not without reason, have it altogether iron.' 



' And for this purpose it were advisable that a soile or mineral map, as I 

 may call it, were devised. The .same map of England may, for want of a 

 better at present serve the turn. It might be distinguished into countries, with 

 the rivers and some of the noted towns put in. The soils might either be 

 coloured, or otherwise distinguished by variety of lines or etchings; but the 

 great care must be. very exactly, to note on the map, where such and such soiles 

 are bounded. As for example, in Yorkshire, (1) The Woolds : chaulk, flint 

 and pyrites, &c. (2) Blackmoor : moores, sandstone, &c. (3) Holderness : 

 boggy, turf, clay, sand, &c. (4) Western Mountains : moores, sandstone, coal, 

 ironstone, lead-ore, sand, clay, &c. A^oftinghamshire : mostly gravel pebbles, 

 clay, Bandstone, hall-playster or gypsum, &c. Now if it were noted how far 

 these [soils] extended, and the limits of each soil appeared upon a map. some- 

 thing more might be comprehended from the whole and from every vart than 

 f can possibly foresee, which would make such a labour well worth the pains. 

 For, I am of opinion, such upper soils, if natural, infallihly produce such under 

 minerals, and for the most part, in such order. But I leave this to the industry 

 of future times.' 



Thus we get the first idea of preparing a map of England showing the 



