1866. | Our Coal Supply and our Prosperity. 461 
with the permanent foundations of our imperial grandeur and 
national prosperity. 
We shall not merely content ourselves with thus passing 
judgment on the book; in the course of our inquiry some of 
Mr. Jevons’s thoughts will serve as our points of departure, 
although it will appear that they lead us to conclusions totally 
at variance with those of the author. This book may be re- 
viewed in the identical terms which he, curiously enough, applies 
to the opinions of one of the earliest writers on the subject of 
which he treats, viz. “The Reputed Quantity of Coal of Britain.” 
“‘ His remarks are highly intelligent, and prove him to be one of 
the first to appreciate the value of coal, and to foresee the conse- 
quences which must” (we should rather say “might ”) “some time 
result from its failure. This event he rather prematurely appre- 
hended.”. . . “Still his views on this subject may be read 
with profit even at the present day.” 
We propose to conduct our inquiry as follows: 
First. We shall inquire: What are the present sources of our 
coal supply in Britain ? 
Secondly. Are those sources likely to extend? May we, 
in the course of time, have greater facilities for obtaining coal 
in Britain than we at present possess ? 
Thirdly. Ave there any means by which such additional 
supplies should now be sought or encouraged ? 
Fourthly. How is our present supply consumed ? 
Fifthly. What general changes are likely to occur in the 
application of our coal resources ? 
Siathly. From the foregoing, we shall endeavour to arrive at 
some conclusion as to the probable future of Great Britain, as it is 
likely to be affected by changes in our manufacturing industry, 
consequent upon a modification of our coal supply. 
In all these inquiries our words must necessarily be few, and as 
we have derived our information from the best sources, we must 
leave it to our readers to employ the best means at their disposal 
for the rectification of our errors, if they should have difficulty in 
accepting any of our statements. 
“% First, then,—“ What are the present sources of the coal supply 
in England and Wales? ” 
From 17 coal-fields (of which 3, Anglesea, the Forest of Wyre, 
and Shrewsbury, are inconsiderable), which may be arranged under 
three groups: 1, The Eastern; 2, Western; and 3, Southern.* 
The coal-fields of Scotland, 6 in number, form another group, 
the Northern. The yield from the whole of these coal-fields was 
98,150,587 tons in 1865.t If we take the estimate of Mr. 
; * See ‘ Quarterly Journal of Science,’ No. 1. 
+ Mineral Statistics. RB. Hunt, F.R.S. 
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