1868. | Metallurgy and Mining. 255 
a system of well devised and properly applied technical instruction 
has the merit of eliminating from amongst the intelligent working 
men the best of the class, who are fitted by the instruction they 
receive to become the agents to whom will be committed in future 
the development of the British and Colonial mines. 
We have been speaking of Boring Machines—a word on Coal- 
cutting Machines. ‘The Lancashire Coal Association offered some 
time since three prizes of 5002., 2007., and 100. for coal-cutting 
machines worked with compressed air. The conditions attached to 
the offer appear to have prevented inventors from entering their 
machines fur competition. Three machines only have been entered 
at the present time. These are by Mr. Fidler, of Wigan; Mr. 
Sturgeon, of Leeds, and Messrs. Farrar & Booth, of Barnsley. We 
shall watch with interest the reports of the trials, and duly inform 
our readers thereof. 
In the Eastern hemisphere the discovery of coal progresses, 
although much of it is far more recent than the true old coal of 
these islands. At Formosa, coal is found in depressions of the Red 
Sandstone ; it burns freely, giving out much heat, and leaving fifty 
per cent. of ash. The coal of Labuan, Borneo, has been long 
known, but Dr. Cuthbert Collingwood calls attention to it in a 
paper read before the Geological Society. Several seams crop out 
conspicuously near the coast, the lowest seam being 11 feet 4 inches 
in thickness. The quality of this coal is thus given :—“ It is 
heavy, close-grained, fast-burning, giving out considerable heat.” 
This is also a recent coal—Damara resin and leaves of recent date 
being found associated with it. The coal of Japan is described as 
a bright, clean coal, resembling that obtained in the neighbourhood 
of Sydney. All these and several other small deposits of coal in 
the Kast are destined eve long to become of importance. 
So important do the coal beds of India appear to our Govern- 
ment, that the India Board has just appomted Mr. Mark Fryar, 
who was formerly the teacher in the Mining School of Glasgow, as 
a surveyor, under Dr. Oldham. His duties are to carefully examine 
the conditions and the extent of the coal deposits, and to inspect the 
workings, with an especial view to their improvement and extension. 
Mr. Bauerman, formerly of the Geological Survey of the 
United Kingdom, with Dr. C. Le Neve Foster, who has been for 
the last two years teacher to the Miners’ Association of Cornwall 
and Devon, have started for Egypt. Those gentlemen are engaged 
by the Viceroy to make a mineral survey of several districts which 
are reported as producing minerals of commercial value. 
Deerig’s Rock-boring machine has been at work for several 
weeks in one of the levels of Tincroft mine, near Camborne, in 
Cornwall. The agent, Captain Teague, has expressed himself most 
favourably as to the results obtained by this machine; and so 
