BEVAN — ON THE 80UTH WALES COAL-FIELD. 



97 



at Abersychan, Yarteg, and Blanafon works. At Varteg, the coal 

 thickens out to an aggregate of fifty-one feet, the Rock- vein, which 

 is here called the " Droydeg"-vein, thinning to six feet five inches- 

 and the Meadow- vein increasing to seven feet. At Blanafon the 

 former is called the " Bydellog"-coal, a name which it keeps until we 

 enter Glamorganshire ; while the latter is the equivalent of either the 

 Pwltacea, or the old-coal, most likely of the first. 



Here we turn the corner of the basin, and proceed eastward, the 

 measures rounding the Ganerew mountain into the Clydach valley. 

 Of this beautiful dingle I need only mention that the sceneiy vriW 

 amply repay any visitor, being equal to many parts of Derbyshire. 

 Here, too, were the first specimens of the Stigmaria observed and 

 described by that intelligent old philosopher Lhwyd. Good coal- 

 plants can be easily obtained at all these works at the expense of a 

 little trouble, though it is always as well to apply first of all to the 

 underground agents, who are generally glad to afibrd information. 

 The valleys of the Ebbw ha\nng been ah'eady described in the 

 " Geologist," vol. i., p. 119-124, I need not touch upon them any 

 further, but pass at once through Nantygls, Beaufort, and Tredegan 

 into the Bhymney-valley, Along the whole of the road good 

 sections of the bottom- veins are constantly to be met with, and in 

 many of the "tips" are plenty of fish-remains and Anthracosice 

 (principally A. ag rest is). 



Above E/hymney Gate, in the bed of the river, is the most prolific 

 shell-bed that can be imagined, lying in the " Fareweir'-rock, just 

 above the millstone-grit. This is the horizon of the marine shell- 

 bed which runs from Beaufort into Camarthenshire. The principal 

 veins worked at Rhymney are — 



Elled 



Ft. in. 



. 4 0 



Equivalent to the three- ^ 



quarter coal of Nan- > Upper Four-foot 

 tygls and Ebbw-vale. ) 



Big Vein 



Equivalent to the Droy- ^ 



4 10 



3 



1 



5 



8 



Thee coals 



2 



4 



VOL. IlL 



