252 ACCOUNT OF THE MINEHAXOGY 



certain features which distinguish the Faroe Islands from afl 

 other countries I am acquainted with. 



The Faroe islands occupy a geographical extent of about 

 sixty miles by forty ; their greatest stretch being north and 

 south. Throughout the whole, there is not one atom of stra- 

 tified rock to be met with, if I may be allowed to judge from 

 the islands we visited, together with what we learned of those 

 we did not touch at. I do not consider, that even the coal of 

 Suderoe presents an exception to this general conclusion. 

 We have much reason to regret, tliat circumstances prevented 

 us from exploring this island ; as, from some remarks, both 

 of Debes and Landt, as well as from some observations of 

 Captain Born, which occur in a periodical publication of Co- 

 penhagen, devoted to natural history, Suderoe contains pecu- 

 liarities in the arrangement of some of the trap rocks, with 

 which we found nothing analogous in any of the other 

 islands. According to Landt, tlie coal was particularly exami- 

 ned by a iMj" Henckel in 1777, in obedience to the orders of 

 the directory of mines ; and by his report, the veins extend in 

 leP-gtb 12,000 feet, and, at an average, 4000 in,breadth. He 

 then goes on to calculate the quantity of fuel that an area of 

 such dimensions would produce. From this it must be suppo- 

 sed, that he has estimated in the above sum, the whole of the 

 coal to be met with in Suderoe ; consequently, as there are se- 

 veral places at which it is found, none of the seams can be of 

 lar»e extent. With respect to the quality of the coal, he as- 

 serts, that it was found to be superior to that of Airshire ; but 

 this cannot be the case, if it be all like the specimens we pro- 

 cured, which are entirely similar to that occurring imbedded in 

 the basalt, in the vicinity of Ballintoy, on the coast of Antrim. 

 It presents the same ligneous texture ; it burns with difficulty ; 



it. 



