VARIETIES OF COALS. 17 



pitchy or greasy lustre, and burns with a more or less smoky 

 flame; on distillation it gives oft' gas. Some coals of similar 

 chemical composition may coke, while others will not. The 

 reason for this is not properly understood ; even a coking coal 

 often loses that property on being weathered for a short time, 

 although its composition is apparently the same according to 

 analysis. This is probably due to the breaking down of cer- 

 tain hydrocarbons and a recombination of the elements. 



Free-burning or cherry coals burn freely without soften- 

 ing or fusing together. 



Splint, or splent, coal is a Scottish name, given to this 

 variety on account of its splitting or splenting up like slate, 

 but it breaks with difficulty on the cross fracture. It is a hard 

 laminated variety of bituminous coal and has a dull black color. 

 Being hard it carries well. It makes a hot fire and burns well 

 in an open grate. The so-called ''splint" coal associated with 

 New South Wales kerosene shale is more correctly a "cannel." 

 Some people are under the impression that the distinguishing 

 feature of splint coal is due to stony matter in it, but this is 

 not always the case, as proved by analysis. 



Cannel Coal, kerosene shale and oil shale are closely 

 allied and frequently confounded. They are characterised by 

 their high ratio of volatile to fixed carbon. Cannel coal 

 derives its name from the -fact that it burns with a bright flame 

 like a candle. It is also known in Scotland as "parrot coal,' r 

 because it makes a chattering or crackling noise when burnt. 

 It is compact, with little or no lustre; breaks with a con- 

 choidal fracture: kindles readily, and burns with a dense 

 smoky flame. It is rich in disposable hydrogen, and is mainly 

 used in the manufacture of gas. It consists of a preponder- 

 ance of ordinary carbonaceous and thoroughly macerated vege- 

 table matter. 



Kerosene shale, or torbanite, is brownish-black to green- 

 ish-black in color; streak, yellowish to brown; lustre, dull to 

 satiny; texture, very fine ; fracture, conchoidal, more especi- 

 ally across its plane of bedding; it is easily split. It consists 

 of a preponderance of spores, and thalli of algae. The New 

 South Wales kerosene shale excels that of all other countries 

 both in the number and extent of its deposits. The first-class 

 quality, yielding over 65-70 per cent, volatile hydrocarbon, 

 will stand the expense of export, while the seconds and dress- 

 ings are used locally. The Joadja shale yields 89.5 per cent, 

 volatile hydrocarbons, against 71.17 per cent., the highest 

 analysis shown from Torbane in Scotland. The lighter the 

 shale the better the quality. When distilled, the New South 

 Wales shale yields from 50 to 150 gallons of crude oil per ton, 

 containing over 60 per cent, refined kerosene, the remaining 

 products being gasolene, naphtha, paraffin, lubricating oil, 

 B 



