i82 Notices respecting New Books. 



" It would be no difficult task to show in figures how vastly more 

 profitable is the application of labour in the mining and working and 

 transporting of coal than in that of the precious metals. The an- 

 nual production of all the gold and silver mines of North and South 

 America was estimated by Baron Humboldt at 9,243,000/., and at 

 present at less than 5,000,000/. Now the value of the coal produced 

 annually, in Great Britain alone, is computed at near 10,000,000/, 

 at the pit's mouth, and at from 15,000,000/. to 20,000,000/. sterling 

 at the places of consumption. At the same time, the value of the 

 iron brought into a manufactured state through the agency of this 

 coal is 17,000,000/. more. We shall enter more particularly into 

 this subject in a future page. We cannot but mark also the supe- 

 rior character and condition of the inhabitants of the coal-producing 

 and consuming countries, such as those of the northern hemisphere, 

 especially since the introduction of steam-power, to that of the 

 people of the southern and tropical latitudes, to whom coal has either 

 been wholly denied or is not applied to any use. The industry, acti- 

 vity, moral culture, and intelligence concentrated around any of the 

 great depositories of coal and iron in the temperate regions, have no 

 parallel in the countries from which such treasures have been with- 

 held." (P. xiv). 



And it is not only in these respects that the author departs from 

 a mere dry statistical detail. He justly considers every matter con- 

 nected with the history of the formation of coal, and with its most 

 important applications, to be necessary parts of the information which 

 will be desired by those who would thoroughly understand the 

 subject. Thus we find him including the iron manufacture, and the 

 extent and application of railroads and steam-vessels, as parts of his 

 subject; " so closely," he justly observes, " do all these matters seem 

 interwoven with each other." But, beyond this, a very large amount 

 of valuable and very interesting information is communicated on the 

 methods of working mines; on the casualties to which mines and 

 miners are liable ; and on the various means which have been 

 adopted in various countries for the mitigation of these casualties, 

 and for the promotion of the healthiness and security of this occu- 

 pation. Benefit societies and provident institutions, as they exist 

 in mining districts, claim a large share of the author's evidently 

 cordial and sympathetic attention. 



A very interesting and comprehensive sketch is further given of 

 fossil botany and of the organic remains found among the coal 

 measures. The author's observations on the interest of this branch 

 of his subject seem to us so just and pertinent that we transcribe 

 some of them. 



" In intimate connection with the matter of the present volume, 

 a knowledge of the forms, the botanical classification, the geological 

 arrangement, of the vegetable remains of our ancient world seems to 

 be almost indispensable. It embraces facts, at least, sufficiently 

 valuable to ensure for it, as a collateral branch of natural science, a 

 conspicuous section of this book. Independently of its usefulness, 

 there is a never-failing interest attached to such an investigation 



