104 
SECTIONS TO CONNECT THE LANCASHIRE 
Meanwhile the Geologists of Lancashire had organized a Society 
for the prosecution of the science in that county, and had their head- 
quarters in Manchester. The first q\iarterly meeting of the members 
of the Manchester Geological Society was held on the 30th January, 
1840, and in compliance with an invitation that some of the members 
of the West Riding Society would attend, Messrs. Enibleton, Morton 
and Wilson were present. On the proposition of Dr. Black, the three 
were elected honorary members of the Society. After papers had been 
read by Mr. J. Hawkshaw and Mr. J. E. Bowman a long discussion 
took place on the proposed line of sections across the Lancashire and 
Yorkshire Coal-field, and on the scale to which the sections should 
be'drawn. Eventually Mr. Hawkshaw proposed that the horizontal 
scale be four inches to the mile, and the vertical be one hundred feet 
to the inch. This was agreed to by the meeting, the representatives 
of this Society gTacefully acquiescing in the arrangement. 
Notwithstanding the apparent unanimity of opinion respecting 
the direction the proposed sections should follow, which was expressed 
at the Leeds meeting, there were individual opinions respecting the 
matter which were sufficiently important to merit attention. Mem- 
bers of the Society had paid special attention or gained greater know- 
ledge of suuie one district than another, and could see advan- 
tages in that area wdiich w^ere not apparent to others who had not the 
same thorough knowledge of it ; and the result was that the mem- 
bers combated their several views with much pertinacity, and there 
was a keen struggle before the final decision was arrived at. 
The next general meeting of the members was held at Bradford, 
on the 11th of March, 1840, at 12 o'clock. The Rev. Dr. Scoresby, 
Vicar of Bradford, occupied the chair, and gave an admirable address. 
A special effort was made by the secretary and council to have a 
thorough expression of opinion respecting the proposed sections, and 
it was decided that the evening meeting should be devoted to a 
discussion of the question. The Rev. William Thorp, of Womersley, 
read a paper on the subject in which he considered the general 
principles which should govern the minds of the members in deciding 
so important a question. The section should be made in some 
district where it would be at right angles to the ' line of strike ' of 
