jr^ A general Vievj of tli 



Rhone defcendinc towards Lyons, the South of France, and 

 particularly the lea-ports in that quarter, where the ufe of 

 this bitumen may be attended with economical advantage. 



Department of A'tfne, 



This country contains no coal mines (i) * worked at pre- 

 fent: a fubftanceknown under the name of coa/^ar/^ is com- 

 monly found in it, formiug beds of greater or lefs thicknefs, 

 and generally placed at no great depth beneath the cultivated 

 lands. It is a fort of exceedingly pyritous turf. It burns 

 badly, and cannot be employed for the fame purpofes as real 

 coal : it would be very bad for healing apartments, or for 

 working iron. A great deal of this funftance, however, is 

 dug up J it is employed by the farmers, who fpread it out, 

 either in its natural (late, or after it has been left to wafte in 

 the open air, on the fields, which it renders fitter for vege- 

 tation. 



The abundance of pyrites difperfed throughout the ftrata of 

 turf render them fufceptible, perhaps, of yielding, by proper 

 treatment, fulphate of iron (green copperas). The coal pits 

 of the northern departments will eafily furnifli coal for the 

 confumption of that of Aifne, when the junction canal be- 

 tween the Scheldt and the river Oife fliall be terminated. 



Department of AUier. 



There are coal mines worked at Noyant, (a) In the com- 

 mune of the fame name, fituated fix leagues fouth-weft of 

 Moulins, on the edge of the road from that town to Mont- 

 lugon. At the diftance of three leagues further, proceeding 

 towards the latter place, there is another coal mine novr 

 worked ; namely, that of Fins, in the commune of Cha- 

 tillon ; and a league and a half further, but on the other fide ' 

 of the road, a third, that of des Gabliers, in the commune of 

 Tronget. 



The coal hitherto extracted at Noyant is that proper for 

 ufing under boilers, and for other purpofes of a finiilar kind. 

 That furnithed by the mines of Fins and Gabliers is for the 

 mod part of an excellent quality, and proper for forges. 

 The annual produft of thefe mines is about a million of 

 mvriagrammes ; but they are far from being carried to that 

 degree of aftivity of which they feem to be fufceptible. It is 

 announced that meafures are about to be adopted in regard to 

 the mine of Fins, calculated to obta-in from it all the advan- 

 tages which the depth of the fi;rata and the valuable quality 



• Thefe numbers refer to the map, 



of 



