Cbal Mines worled lit France. Ct^^ 



ealarly its fouthern part, may be conficlered as an immenfe 

 mafs of coals, in fome places fcarctly covered by ftrata more 

 modem than the depots of that mineral. 



The ctolorfue, in travei-fincr the interior of thefe mines, 5s 

 aftonidied at'lhe varied phsenomena exhibited by the nume- 

 rniis and fucceffive (irata of coal>i, the intlet.'-tion, curvatures, 

 <»r turns of which, in an inverfe dir^clion and paralleltfm, open 

 a va(t but difficult field for conjeftures refpeding their forma- 

 tioii, and the revolutions of the globe which muft have pro- 

 duced thefe refults: but to enter here into a confidcration of 

 thefe wonderlH.ll effeft-s, a defcription of which mult be re- 

 ferved for particular treatifes on the operations of nature, 

 would lead me too far from my prefent objecl. 



I {hall ihereiore content myfelf with giving fome idea of 

 the refources which this c(»untry furnifhes, not only to its in- 

 habitants, but to thofe of feveral other departments ; by which 

 it will be i'i:^^ how much its i)roduiftions in coal might be in- 

 ereaf<:d, and that they would befufficient to fupply for many 

 years all thofe parts of France which receive coals by fca frotu 

 foreign countries. 



• More than 3000 pits are worked in the environs of Je- 

 mappes, Mons, and Charleroi. They are far from beino 

 carried to their maximum of aftivity. The fum' of their 

 ■produfts, however, amounts, at the Icatt, to 220,000,000 my- 

 riagrammes atmnally; and this produ<Sl might eafiiy bedou-* 

 ibletl, if the confumptioii increafed in the fame proportion. • 

 In regard to the quality of thefe coals, it is exceedinolv va- 

 ■tious : thefe numerous miues furnilh coals of eVery kind, 

 and the price at the pits differs according to the quality frotii 

 -5 to 9 cents per mvriagramme. 



i The places where they are confumed are, the departments 

 *(f the^anibre and Meufe, LaDvle, the Scheldt, the Deux- 

 Nethes, and Batavia, in competition with the Englilh co<^il«. 

 The means of circulation are the river Hainc, the Scheldt, 

 the canals which communicate with thefe rivers, the Sambre 

 and the Meufe, and the large roads from Mons and Charleroi 

 lo Bruflels. n ! ' 



, , It may be readily conceived of how much import^ncjc 'h 

 'would be to this departmcot, which employs a great number 

 of hands in working its coals, and alio to thofe countries to 

 which thefe coals might be tranfported, if the oanalg and 

 'roads were kept in a ftate of better repair. ,^ 



Every degradation of the roads which retards conveyaiicc, 

 or which renders more horfes necefl'ary, multiplies cxpenre 

 aud increafes the price of the coals: which' oueht to be kept 



