oa) a eee 
ey rr * 
ee. 
Answer to the Geological Queries of a Constant Reader. 101 
valuable seams found in the low country have basseted out be- 
fore the mountainous district is reached. The thin beds of crow 
“coal are subordinate seams in the same formation. 
_ 2.—The overlying masses and beds of basalt situated in the 
NE of Northumberland resemble those of the King’s Park at 
Edinburgh, in miniature; whereas the great whin sill of the 
Jead-mine country appears to be a wedge-shaped bed of basalt 
thickening towards the SW, and separating the more regular 
strata in the same manner as the toadstone of Derbyshire. 
_ 3.—Clay, ironstone and shale comprising muscle shells are 
met with from the shore at Holy Island to the banks of North 
and South Tyne, and in the Newcastle coal-field from the rocks 
at the mouth of Shields Harbour to Wylam Colliery—See the 
Map of Northumberland. 
4.—The calcareous red and white sandstones, shales and gyp- 
sum, over which the Tees flows from the vicinity of Croft to 
the sea, and which I conjecture is the red marl formation of some 
south country geologists, was proved to comprise thin seams of 
bad coal on the Dinsdale estate, by borings made in 1789; and 
for the fact I beg leave to refer to the sections in the port folio 
of the Geological Society—This set of strata certainly rests 
upon the magnesian limestone, and is coyered by the alum shale 
rock. 
5.—The specimens of coal which were presented me by a 
gentleman who collected them on the Lincolnshire coast are 
black as jet, though resembling brown coal in structure. I am 
aware that the bituminous shale situated immediately below the 
hard chalk, and out of which clunch these fragments of coal are 
conjectured to have been washed, does not occur on the surface 
at Louth ;—yet I cannot think the coal worked at Easingwold 
should be referred to the same repository; but, from the am- 
monites and other marine exuvie there detected, should rathe1 
refer it to the thin coal-formation which lies upon the alum- 
rock, and is covered by the oolite limestone in the neighbourhood 
of York, &c. particularly the dip of the Whitby formation being 
towards the South West. ‘ 
Should this supposition be erroneous, I hope your correspon- 
dent wil] take the trouble to set me right, 
I am, sir, 
Your most obedient servant, 
Neweastle-upon-Tyne, Feb. 10, 1816. N. 
P.S. Brown ligneous coal is met with among the basaltic 
rocks of the Giant’s Causeway, Antrim, 
G3 XXII, On 
