388 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



anthracite to emit a greater amount of noxious vapours during com- 

 bustion than bituminous coal, is contradicted by the daily experience 

 of those who employ the former in their apartments, and. is much 

 less objectionable on that head than bituminous coal. Our tables of 

 analyses at the end of this volume will, if doubts remain, decide 

 this matter. In fact, they show that the anthracites contain less 

 sulphur than the blazing coal." (P. 92.) 



We can speak on this matter from our own experience, having 

 ourselves used the anthracite coal for many years, both in open 

 grates and in various other ways, and having always found it pro- 

 ductive of far less trouble and of far greater comfort than any kind 

 of bituminous coal. We cannot conceive the inducement by which 

 we should be persuaded to return to the use of the smoke-giving 

 system. The matter is one of importance in other respects in this 

 country, besides those of present health, cleanliness, and comfort ; 

 for we are told by our author that '* Great Britain possesses a far 

 larger area of anthracite than exists in America or any other part 

 of the world." (P. 92.) 



Another matter, not unconnected in several respects with the last, 

 is the incredible amount of waste which takes place annually in the 

 coal after it has been actually fetched to the pit's mouth. It ap- 

 pears that nearly one-third part of the best coals are thus wasted at 

 Newcastle, — amounting to more than a million of chaldrons of coal 

 annually (p. 368). The author directs special attention to this 

 subject in a section (p. 367) on " preparediuel," in which he notices 

 the fact of clay balls — coal dust and clay mixed — having long been 

 in use in Wales and elsewhere, and being actually preferred to pure 

 lump coal, where both are at hand. He gives a sketch of several 

 attempts made to introduce the use of different compounds, by which 

 at the same time the present enormous and quite needless annual 

 waste would be saved, and a fuel provided as convenient, oeconomical 

 and useful as the best coal. 



We cannot conclude without cordially recommending this work 

 to the attention of our readers. While it will be an invaluable book 

 of reference to every future inquirer into the numerous ceconomic 

 questions connected with our most important industrial operations 

 and manufactures, and into the great social questions arising out ol 

 them, it will form an indispensable part of the library of every 

 geologist. 



LVII. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



SNOWY MOUNTAIN IN EASTERN AFRICA. 



THE Rev. Mr. Rebmann, of the Church Missionary Society's East 

 Africa Mission, has recently sent home an account of a journey 

 made by him into the interior. At about 100 miles due west from Mom- 

 bas, in 4° S. lat., he came to the foot of an elevated table-land, and 

 saw before him a lofty mountain named Kilimandjaro, the summit of 



