MODE IV. LIGNITE. 5 



extended to the surturbrand of Iceland. Mr. 

 Hatchet has, with his usual acuteness and ability, 

 examined many similar substances, as the wood 

 of the submarine forest, off Sutton, on the coast 

 of Lincolnshire, which he found yielded kali, and 

 had no character of coal. An analysis of 200 

 grains of Bovey coal yielded water 60, thick 

 brown oily bitumen 21, charcoal 90, mixed 

 gaz 29. 



The presence of the substances, called by the Origin, 

 chemists extract, resin, and, fibre, are esteemed 

 to evince the original vegetable character, how- 

 ever it may be transmuted or disguised. The ex- 

 cellent experiments of Mr. Hatchet, demonstrate 

 that the extract is the first principle that disap- 

 pears, next the resin, and lastly thejibre. When 

 every mark of organisation has thus disappeared, 

 the substance becomes compact, and the con- 

 choidal fragments resemble pitch*. In this 

 new condition it is called coal, to which the lig- 

 nite of Bovey nearly approximates. In the 

 strata of this substance, Mr. Hatchet also ob- 

 served small masses approaching to the nature of 

 the lignite of Cologne, and which he called re- 

 sinasphaltum, or resinasphalt,as it contains about 

 55 of resin, and 41 of asphalt. 



s Ib. ii. 42. 



