Mr. Whifalcer's Address to the Geological Section. 467 



4 of these (Menx's, Streatbain, Riclimond, and Dover) Jurassic 

 beds separate tbose rocks from tbe Cretaceous beds ; so that there 

 are 6 in which these last rest direct on old rocks (Ware, Cheshunt, 

 Kentish Town, Crossness, Culford, and Harwich). Stutton, of 

 course, make a seventh. The Jurassic rocks occur only in the 

 southern borings, either in London or still further southward, 

 and in one case only (Dover) is there any considerable thickness 

 of these : in the other 3 they are from 38^ to 87^ feet thick. 

 As far as regards Suffolk and its borders we may therefore disregard 

 them, except in the fa,r west, near their outcrop, and we may pass 

 on to consider the older rocks that have been found. 



So far the occurrence, next beneath the Cretaceous or Jurassic 

 beds, of Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous rocks has been 

 proved, whilst in some cases we are still doubtful as to the age 

 of the old rocks found. In 5 cases distinctive fossils have been 

 found (Ware, Cheshunt, Meux's, Dover, and Harwich), but in 

 6 others they have not (Kentish Town, Crossness, Kichmond, 

 Streatham, and Culford), and it is in the latter group, too, that the 

 character of the beds leaves their age in doubt. So far another 

 must be added to these, as no fossil has yet been found in the old 

 rocks at Stutton. 



Of the above 10 deep borings in the London Basin (using that 

 term in the widest sense, as including the Chalk tract that every- 

 where surrounds the Tertiary beds) we owe 9 to endeavours to 

 get water from deep-seated rocks, and in addition to these 9 we 

 have several other deep borings, which, though not carried through 

 to the base of the Secondary rocks, yet give us much information 

 concerning those beds (at Holkbam, Norwich, Combs, Winkfield, 

 London, Loughton, Chatham, and Dover). In one case only, that 

 of Dover, has the work been done for the purpose of exploration, 

 but now, after a few years' interval, a second trial has been made 

 at Stutton. 



Now both of these borings were started for a much more definite 

 object than merely to prove the depth to older rocks, or the 

 thickness of the Cretaceous and Jurassic Series. There is one 

 particular division of those older rocks that has a distinct fascination 

 for others than geologists. We, happily, are content to find 

 anything and to increase our knowledge in any direction, but 

 naturally those who are not geologists, as well as many who are, 

 like to find something of immediate practical value. As already 

 shown, we owe much knowledge of the underground extension of 

 formations to explorations for water ; it has now become the turn 

 of geologists to help those who would like to find that much less 

 general, though nearly as needful and certainly more valuable 

 thing, coal. 



The first place to suggest itself to those geologists who had 

 worked at this question, as a good site for trial, was the neighbour- 

 hood of Dover, and for various good reasons. The trial has been 

 made, and successfully, several hundred feet of Coal-measures 

 having been found, without reaching their base, but with several 

 beds of workable coal. 



