Supply of Coal ami Ironstone from the WeM of Scotland. 305 



All of these are blackbands of excellent quality, with the exception of 

 the second, which is a clay ironstone, but good of its kind. The quan- 

 tity of ironstone in these seams, within the area of the map, so far as 

 known, wUl amount to about 72,081,400 tons in the calcined state. 

 This quantity will supply all the iron-works in the district, comprising 

 nearly 100 blast furnaces, for about seventy-two years —supposing them 

 to continue in full operation, as heretofore, and to consume, as at pre- 

 sent, one million tons of calcined ii'onstone yearly. 



This gives a very satisfactory prospect for the iron trade of the dis- 

 trict, especially as many interested therein have been labouring under a 

 notion that, with the exhaustion of the celebrated Mushet band, the 

 supply of ironstone must cease, and consequently the iron-works be in 

 a great degree extinguished. 



This prediction has been in circulation for the last ten or fifteen 

 years ; but is now happily disproved by the discovery of, first, the Slaty 

 band, then of the Fossil band, and lastly, of the Govan band ironstone. 

 Before these are exhausted other discoveries may be made. 



These deposits of ironstone lie in localities easily accessible from the 

 iron- works. 



The Slaty band, which forms nearly one-half of the whole quantity, 

 lies between Airdrie on the west, Bathgate on the east, Garbet-hill on 

 the north, and Carluke on the south ; and the Monklands Railways run 

 over and command almost the whole of its workable area, and will 

 likelj' bring most of it to the works around Coatbridge. 



The locality of the Fossil band ironstone, which forms about one- 

 fourth of the whole quantity, extends north as far as Kilsyth, east as 

 far as Denny, south as far as the Garnkirk Railway, between Coat- 

 bridge and Glasgow, and west as far as Maryhill. 



From these fields there are ample means of transit to Coatbridge 

 and all the iron-works, by the canal, by the Edinburgh and Glasgow 

 Railway, by the Garnkirk Railway, and by the Monkland and Kirkin- 

 tilloch Railway. 



The position of the ironstone seam in the parish of Govan is about 

 thirty-nine fathoms under the lowest ironstone at Fossil, as shown in 

 the section, and it is likely to be found throughout the same area 

 described here as containing the Fossil band. If so, it will more than 

 double the quantity taken into account for this ironstone ; but being 

 as j'et only partially proved, I have left it out of the calculation, and 

 taken only the portion of it lying around the parish of Govan, and 

 what is proved of it in the counties of Dumbarton and Stirling, or 

 about one-sixth of the whole quantity. This ironstone can be con- 

 veniently brought to the iron-works either by canal or railway. 



