404 ROWLEY: DEVELOPMENT OF YORKSHIRE COAL FIELD. 
which are to be found in the vicinity of Doncaster With 
a willing and liberal proprietary, I think it possible that enter- 
prising capitalists can be found to develop such vast resources." 
In my opinion Doncaster is unequalled in its geographical 
position by any colliery district in the kingdom. 
I think it well to mention that, according to the section 
mentioned in that paper, I estimated the depth of the Barnsley 
Bed at a maximum of 700 yards, with a total thickness of 
10 feet 2 inches. Therefore you will see that I have not been 
very much out in the depth and thickness in my estimate of 
that date. Undoubtedly, although the Doncaster neighbour- 
hood has taken some considerable time to develop, it will be in 
the future one of the greatest mining districts in Great Britain. 
I do not particularly refer to the number of collieries, but to 
the size of the shafts that are being put down and the output 
that will be obtained. 
Bentley will soon be in a position to draw a large tonnage 
of coal per day, and we have also Brodsworth in the district. 
At Cantley a bore hole is being put down, which will 
doubtless mean in the course of another 3 or 4 years coal 
being drawn from this part, while south of Doncaster we 
have another site taken up by Staveley Company, where I 
understand that operations will soon be commenced ; and 
north of Bentley, at Carcroft, there is a sinking in progress 
known as Markham's, and the mining district of Malt by is 
rapidly extending to the historic castle and royal manor of 
Tickhill, owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. 
You will therefore see that Doncaster will, before long, 
realise fully what I prophesied of it in 1870, and is becoming 
the centre of a coalfield upon which future generations will 
have to a certain extent to depend for their supplies, it 
being the largest, not fully developed, coalfield in Great Britain. 
