Notes on the Geology of China, with more especial Reference to the Provinces of the Lower Yangtse

Abstract

So far as I am aware, no attempt has been as yet made to classify the several geological formations of this huge empire. Isolated accounts of small sections have, indeed, appeared, but these for the most part were the productions of travellers inexperienced in the nomenclature of the science. Two exceptions, however, may be mentioned: one of these is Mr. Raphael Pumpelly, who in the years 1863-5 examined the coal-beds of the north-eastern provinces; the other, Mr. A.S. Bickmore, who in the year 1866 penetrated from Canton by Kwangsi and Hunan to Hankow in the centre of the empire. Unfortunately Mr. Pumpelly, so far as I know, has published no full statement of his researches, the only account being a short notice in Silliman's Journal in 1866, which, unluckily, I have not had the opportunity of perusing in full; while Mr. Bickmore's stay was too short, and the restrictions imposed on him during his adventurous journey too severe, to have afforded him the opportunity of forming a regular classification. I shall in the course of this paper, however, allude to some very interesting observations of his, detailed in a paper read before the North-China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and published in the volume of their Transactions for last year. My own personal observations have been made during a residence of nearly seven years, distributed between Hongkong, Canton, Shanghai, and Hankow, having had besides the advantage of occasional visits to all the open ports in the South of China