He Sas 
To perform this kind of work the collier is neceffarily obliged 
to lay on his fide; on his knee he wears a piece of leather called 
a cap, on his thigh a piece called a pilch, and on his arm another 
piece called an elbow patch; and ufually works without any. 
other clothing than a pair of flannel drawers; and after having 
cut his coal is obliged to draw it in a bafket on a little kind of 
fledge, going on his fide feet foremott, dragging the coal after 
him to the foot of the fhaft (or pit) at which it is drawn 
to the furface by an horfe whimfey. The drawing the coal to 
the furface is contracted for at eight pence per quarter, and the 
colliers get the coal from the middle and gank feams for five 
fhillings and eleven pence per quarter, containing twenty-eight 
hoops, each hoop equal to one Winchefter bufhel, (the twenty- 
eight hoops weigh upon an average about 19C. 2qfs.) and in 
either feam the colliers can earn from two fhillings to half a 
crown, in working only fix hours. 
In places where there is a great confumption of coal and a 
proportionable price, feams of the thicknefs I have mentioned 
may be worked to advantage, provided the roof above the coal 
is good, that is, if it will ftand for a tolerable width without 
the fupport of timber; but where much timber is required 
under ground, or where from the local fituation of the colliery 
expenfive machines are neceffary to draw off the water, but little 
hopes of profit can be entertained from fuch very thin feams. 
To 
