[ '56 ] 



Its luftre 2. common. Tranfparency o. 



Its fradure partly llaty, partly imperfedly conchoidal. Frag- 

 ments fharp. 



Its hardnefs from 5 to 8. Specific gravity 1,426 by my trials. 



It burns like the compad Cannel, but ceafes fooner to flame. 

 Does not cake ; leaves a ftony refiduum. 240 grains of it treated 

 as before mentioned leave 50 of reddifh grey afhes, equal 20,83 

 per cent. From the fmell that iffues from it during ignition I 

 am led to think it contains fome portion of fulphur. 



To alkalize 480 grains of nitre 105 grains of this coal were 

 employed. It burned like the former with a large white conti- 

 nued flame, except the laft portions. Hence this quantity con- 

 tained 50 grains of mere carbon ; and fince it alfo contained 

 20,83 of afhes, the remainder, viz. 34,15, muft have been bitu- 

 men. Then 100 parts of it contain 47,62 of carbon, 32,52 of 

 bitumen, and about 20 of afhes. Some dedudion however from 

 thefe quantities of carbon and bitumen may be made by reafon 

 of the fmall proportion of fulphur contained in it. This bitumen 

 I take to be maltha and not afphalt, for the reafons I mentioned 

 in treating of compact Cannel. 



It is from a coal of this fort that Lord Dundonald extrads his 



tar, as maltha eafily diflills ; but it is probably of a better kind, 



as this ftony kind exifts moflly in Ayrfhire. 



Br 



