t^ Survey of the County of Kiljkenny. Vt\u 



light gravel, on a limeftone bottom. Coals are very plentiful^ 

 and of excellent qualities ; and limeftoiie, on which a great breadth 

 ot the county is incumbent, may be had with facility, and on rea- 

 fonable terms. 



On the minerals of the county Mr Tighe is nnneceiTarily dif- 

 fufe, no fewer than 88 pages being taken up with this feclion. 

 An account of Caillecomer colliery will tlirow^ fome light upon 

 the coal- trade of the county. 



* In the year 1800 there were fixteen pits at work together in 

 the Caillecomer colliery : this is about the average number ; it \^ 

 many years fince twenty-four pits were worked at the fame time, 

 and the fmalleil num.ber that has been known is twelve. From a 

 pit there is ufually laifed from 20 to 30 barrels a-day of coal, in- 

 dependent of culm. The proprietors are at the expenc-e and hazard 

 of linking pits ; this is the princpal charge to them under the 

 head of contingencies, in which is alio included the purchafe of 

 timber, penfions to difabled colliers, and other articles. An ab- 

 fl:radl is returned every week of the accounts by the agent of the 

 collieries, in which, whenever the expences of finking are high, the 

 proprietors find a balance agalnft them ; this, feems, therefore the 

 principal point to be attended to ; if the nfieivs of the pits can be 

 made more extenfive, while air is communicated to a diflance un- 

 der ground, by very eafy methods, and while advantage is taken of 

 every defcent of the beds for the cheaper conveyance of loads to 

 the Ihafts ; if the finking is never undertaken but under the direc- 

 tion of experienced perfons, and conducted on fcientific principles, 

 great favings may be made in this article. It happens fometimes 

 that, coming to a fdidt, or ftriking upon it in finking, colliers 

 proceed blindly, and mifs their aim, or are obliged to abandon the 

 work, or feek for ailiilance, after having incurred unnecelTary ex- 

 pence and labour. 



' Sinkers are fometimes paid by the yard, the coH increafmg with 

 the depth ; or elfe they receive, which is more ufually the cafe, 

 from iSd. to 2cd. a-day, and mafter-finkers, who dire6l the work 

 2s. a-day. Sinking a pit will fometimes take two or three months, 

 fometimes much longer ; and on fome even a year has been em- 

 ployed : The men work night and day from ten to twelve hours at 

 a time ; forty men are fometimes required to a pit when there is 

 a great deal of water, in which cafe, there muil be aflage and two 

 fets of pullers, who keep four buckets at work ; each pair of 

 buckets demands the attention of ten men, who relieve each other. 

 If fuch a pit is deep, it will coft above 2ccl. ; the expcnce of pits 

 has varjed from 30I. to 300!. and fome have been made at a great 

 expence without any advantage. There was one lately funk whicli 



coil 

 3 



