4U SEARCH FOR COAL. [June, 



used as fuel. Further along the coast a party again 

 landed, but no traces of coal : it must therefore lie in- 

 land, and is probably brought down by the heavy streams 

 which the thaws throw down through the valleys. The 

 interval between the nearest mountain-faces and the 

 shore was covered by a thick peaty soil, in which a 

 person would sink deeply in any thaw ; the labour, 

 therefore, of transporting coal, even if it existed within 

 one mile, would be excessive. 



During the day and night previous to our departure 

 from Lievely, it had snowed heavily, and covered the 

 land generally to some depth ; but the line separating 

 this coal-bearing region was most clearly delineated by 

 the total absence of snow, doubtless clue to the gene- 

 ration of heat by the previous thaws and sun's rays act- 

 ing upon the shaly beds, charged with iron pyrites. To 

 the eye, as viewed by telescope, the hill-ridges appeared 

 to be composed of a slaty shale, or coal, cropping out oc- 

 casionally like dykes, and were in immediate association 

 with a ferruginous clay, deeply channelled by late thaws. 



The coal found was not bituminous, but more of a 

 slaty wood-coal ; burned well and retained its heat when 

 mixed with other coal, and would be admirably adapted 

 as an aid for our steamers, especially for banking up or 

 retaining low steam. 



A white fox came to inquire our reasons for visiting 

 this part of the country, but departed abruptly before he 

 came within gunshot. 



As the evening continued calm, I sent the officers on 

 shore, to shoot and amuse themselves by making further 

 researches inland towards the black formations ; this 



