15 
thought there was no intimation of anything of the kind ; 
for by reference to the map, it would at once be seen that 
the Thick coal, which it was now contended was on the same 
level at Handsworth and at Elsecar, would, if it had conti- 
nued in its usual course from Handsworth, have been 700 
yards deeper when on the line of " rise" opposite Elsecar; or 
if traced from Elsecar, would have been found so much 
higher than it is to the " deep" of Handsworth. 
Mr. Thorp, in reply, then said, that he should not have 
brought this subject again before the Society, had he not 
thought that our reputation as geologists would be affected 
by the imperfect state in which we left our inquiries, at the 
former meeting at Sheffield, upon the disturbances of the 
Don. Upon that occasion, it was maintained that the whole 
country on the North side of the Don, from Sheffield to 
Rotherham, had not only been horizontally drawn back five 
miles, but also elevated vertically 700 yards. He thought 
that he had now proved that neither the one movement nor 
the other had taken place. Mr. Hartop (with whom before 
was Professor Johnston) seems now to abandon as untenable 
the lateral movement, for he has said nothing upon the sub- 
ject, except that the water levels change their course at right 
angles down the line of the Don. But a change in the di- 
rection of a water level merely indicates a change in the 
" rise," or azimuthal inclination of the coal bed, a common 
occurrence in every coal field, and it is not the least evidence 
of any lateral movement. Besides, if there is a lateral 
movement at all, there are two lateral movements, one on 
each side of the river Don, drawing the Thick coal from 
Attercliffe, on the South side, back to Beighton ; and on the 
North side, the same coal to Rawmarsh ; but to suppose any 
such movements is perfectly absurd. Mr. Hartop, however, 
yet contends for the vertical elevation of one side of the Don 
over the other to the amount of 700 yards. And no doubt 
this is correct locally, or if a short North and South section 
