120 
lished, all previous history has been totally eclipsed. Twenty 
years ago, our knowledge of the ''Thick Coal," in the 
vicinity of Barnsley, was almost confined to collieries 
which were directly upon, or merely skirted the outcrop 
of the seam. It was subsequently extended by the opening 
out of collieries, pursuant of the ^'dip," from the locality of 
Worsborough, to the district of "Womb well and Lund Hill. 
It remained, however, for the extraordinary stimulus, arising 
from the condition of the coal and iron trades, some two or 
three years ago, to push the "Barnsley and Silkstone seams " 
into prominent notice ; and in that brief interval, the vast 
extent of area leased, has carried the collieries by one huge 
impulse, from the practical horizon of the town of Barnsley 
to that of the Midland Railway. In this transition, it would 
not be unfair to say, that a fresh demand upon our unexplored, 
and therefore unexhausted treasur}^, has been made to 
an extent of country, measuring eight miles in length by two 
miles in breadth, or upwards of ten thousand acres ; and if 
this were regarded with reference to the Barnsley-bed alone, 
it would represent in weight, about one hundred million tons 
of coal, bespoken from our natural resources within the last 
four or five years. 
The Midland Railway, however, has also been exceeded, 
and two examples may be specially referred to, where the 
Barnsley-bed has been leased, and pits are now being sunk, 
with the view of working the Barnsley-bed to the eastward, 
and upon the " dip " from the parallel of the railway. I 
mean the Monkton Main, and the colliery which is being 
opened up at South Kirby, the latter being at least seven 
miles in the " dip " direction, from the lowest colliery estab- 
lished in the locality of Barnsley. 
We regard the prosecution of the two last mentioned 
projects with peculiar interest, as tending to increase our 
knowledge of the probable extent of our coal-field in an 
