420 



alternations of limestone, sandstone, and shale, with thin seams of 

 coal. They commenced with a short notice of rocks and sections 

 made through this upper division, which in its range towards the 

 western coast of Cumberland, appears gradually to thin off, and lose 

 its importance. They then proceeded to describe in more detail, 

 and with many illustrative sections, a still higher coal-field ; which 

 is on the same parallel with the great Northumberland and Durham 

 coal-fields, and in the quantity of carboniferous beds subordinate to 

 it, is in no respect inferior to them. 



This field is bounded by the red sandstone of St. Bees Head ; by 

 the carbonifei'ous limestone, in a part of its range above described; 

 by the sea coast between St. Bees Head and Maryport; and by the 

 new red sandstone in its range from Maryport to Chalk Beck near 

 Rosley. The whole system appears to thin off near Rosley, and is 

 succeeded by some sterile, alternating, masses of red shale and sand- 

 stone, to which the miners, though improperly, have given the name 

 of the " great red metal dyke.'' To the east of this series of red beds 

 the rich upper coal-field never appears to have extended. From 

 many borings and workings near Whitehaven, it is inferred that the 

 upper division of this carboniferous limestone, as well as the millstone 

 grit, have almost disappeared ; and that the coal measures are 

 brought nearly into immediate contact with the lower division of the 

 limestone. In some places the whole limestone has thinned off, and 

 the coal measures seem to rest almost immediately on the Skiddaw 

 slate 



The authors commence their details, in the present paper, with an 

 account of the Whitehaven coal-field, which they separate into three 

 divisions : the southern, or How- Gill colliery ; the middle, or Town 

 field bounded by a great downcast dyke towards the north ; and the 

 northern, or Whin- Gill colliery, bounded by an anticlinal line which 

 enters the sea near Parton. The strata found in these several parts 

 of the field are described by the help of the sinkings and borings at 

 Croft Pit, and by other sinkings in various parts of the field down to 

 the limestone. A comparison is then made between this series of 

 strata and those exhibited in corresponding sections of the Harring- 

 ton and Workington fields ; and it is shown that the whole series 

 may be conveniently separated into two divisions : the upper, con- 

 taining two principal bands of coal, called the " Bannock Band,'" and 

 Whitehaven " Main Band"; the lower, containing many thin seams 

 of coal, but only one band which has been much worked near White- 

 haven. They then proceed to describe the most remarkable workings 

 in the several divisions of the Whitehaven field; the new field to be 

 approached by the Parton tunnel ; and the extension of the " Main 

 and Bannock band" to the hills S.E, of Dissington ; but these de- 

 tails, as well as an account of the works attempted in a small trian- 

 gular field bordering the sea to the north of Parton, are necessarily 

 passed over in this abstract. 



They then describe the Harrington coal-field, bounded to the 

 north and south by two enormous faults ; between which the coun- 

 try is occupied by the lower division of the coal measures. It is 



