WITH THE YORKSHIRE COAL-FIELD. 
105 
the different beds. After considering the general formation of the 
coal-field, its basin-shaped form, and the varying dip of its rocks and 
coals, Mr. Thorp proceeded to recommend a line through Rotherham, 
commencing with the red-rock near that town, over the coal district 
on the south side of the Don, over the roadstone near Tidswell, and 
the mountain limestone near Buxton ; this line would embrace four- 
teen workable seams of coal. He ridiculed the line suggested by- 
Mr. Morton through Barnsley and Penistone, in which there were 
only six beds of coal worked, the total thickness of which was about 
24 feet. He remarks ''Surely the Lancashire gentleman would 
exclaim upon an inspection of the completed section, that we must 
have made a mistake ! That while they had fifty worked beds, 
amounting to 150 feet of solid coal, we had only six diminutive, 
forsooth riding coals, amounting to 24 feet ; they would say that 
their great coal-field can certainly have no relationship with that of 
Yorkshire, at least if it has, that of Yorkshire is only the fag end of 
it." The direction suggested by the Manchester Geological Society 
to take a line from the central axis near Saltersbrooke to Mottram, 
and then to diverge into two lines so as to embrace the whole coal- 
field of Lancashire, Mr. Thorp pointed out several reasons why this 
suggested line on the Lancashire side should not be adopted, amongst 
others, that it omitted the higher strata of the seams in the Oldham 
district ; there was also a section of the Dukinfield district which had 
been already published by Mr. Elias Hall, which was very correct and 
and of great merit ; and Mr. Heywood was preparing for publication 
in the Literary and Philosophical transactions of Manchester some 
sections in the same district. The section towards Derbyshire would 
have the advantage of obtaining details of the mountain limestone 
series of that county, which would make it valuable not only to the 
two societies but to all who study the science. " Again there is a 
system of transverse and longitudinal valleys in the Yorkshire coal- 
field, to which none other in the British Islands are exactly analogous ; 
a study of these valleys, with their relation to the Derbyshire axis, 
the passage of large bodies of water from the west, and the diluvium 
which they severally contain, would well repay the labour bestowed, 
for if a true theory of the formation of these valleys could be made, 
K 
