CORRESPONDENCE IX FRENCH. 



227 





in tho inferior formations of tho carboniferous syst 

 \vrll as ill tin- ctia! measures. 



Tin- right, uml'-rstamliiig of tho law of superposition 

 of rocks in relation to our cuiil-licuriii^ .--:ra!a, ia of 

 valur not only to tho man of science, but to every spocu- 

 latir ;n mill. -. ami to every landed propridtor wno cares 

 to u:;.l. r- land tho mineral value of his property. Not 

 lonu r ago considerable funds wore spent at Tnlljg 



wn, in a useless search for coal. Tho adventurer 

 had set to work in black Silurian shales, their mineral 

 aspect resembling that of certain coaly strata, with which 

 he was, perhaps, familiar; but had he possessed even 

 a slight acquaintance with organic remains, he would 

 have abandoned his experiment at the commencement, 

 for (lie shales were charged with graptolites. Now 

 the scientific miner knows that rocks containing 

 graptolites, trilobites, etc., existed untold ages before 

 tin- epoch of the coal strata; so that when he meets 

 with those remains, ho concludes that money spent 

 in search of coal beneath them will be turned into 

 irredeemable dust, for they occupy, in tho irreversible 

 order of deposits, a position thousands of feet beneath the 

 coal measures. 



Lord Londonderry bored in tho old red sandstone, 

 at Mount Stewart, Co. Down, in search of coal : hero, 

 though no fossils occurred, yet tho position of the sand- 

 stone strata above the previously mentioned Silurian 

 shales, and overlaid as they are by mountain limestone, 

 proved tho impossibility of coal being found. 



In the neighbourhood of Carrickfergus are two silent 

 witnesses of the folly of sinking for coal where the geolo- 

 gical structure of the country precludes the possibility of 

 its presence, or of its occurrence at reasonable depths. 

 Trial shafts had been sunk in new red sandstone, 

 which was pierced to a depth of about 1,000 feet, when 

 the adventures were abandoned. Before coal could be 

 reached, tho Permian strata would have to be passed 

 through; and from the unconformability of the new 

 red sandstone to the Permian, and of that set of strata 

 to underlying formations in this district, it was even 

 doubtful if coal could be reached at all. 



But coal has been successfully reached by the pene- 

 tration of newer unconformable strata; thus in the 

 Somersetshire coal field, the coal shafts pass through 

 new red sandstone, the Permian strata being absent. 

 The famous Monkwearmouth pit passes through 330 feet 

 of overlying Permian rocks. 



In these and other instances that might be adduced 

 the undertakings had been commenced at the sugges- 

 tions of those who were perfectly satisfied, from an ex- 

 amination of the surrounding country, of the feasibility of 

 the venture. Yet, on the other hand, attempts have been, 

 made to reach coal from below secondary rocks, when, 

 with but a broad knowledge of the geological structure 

 of the country, the trials should have been at the outset 

 abandoned. Thus, at Kingsthorpe, near Northampton, 

 a shaft was sunk through the lower oolite and lias, at an 

 expenditure of nearly 30,000 ; the adventurers desisted 

 when they reached the new red sandstone. A similar 

 trial took place near Lyme Regis, tho lias being bored 

 for coal at an expense of several thousand pounds ; the 

 deception was fostered by the accident of passing through 

 a piece of lignite. 



(b.) Iron Ores. 



Certain ores of iron occur in lodes in primary strata, 

 but others, especially the spathic and brown haematite 

 ores, are intercalated as bands among shales and lime- 

 stones of tho carboniferous, liassic, oolitic, wealden, and 

 cretaceous strata ; but by far the largest supply is 

 obtained from the carboniferous system, the one shaft 

 often communicating with both coal and iron-stone 

 workings, and the same group of rocks furnishing lime- 

 stone 



CORRESPONDENCE IN FRENCH. V. 



17. FOB* or ADVICE o A TRAVELLER'S VIMT. 



LyonM, March 28th, 1882. 

 Messrs. Smith, Cook & Hyde, London. 



Gontlomen, We bog to inform yon that onr Mr. Robert 

 Rocho will wait upon yon to submit to your inspection sample* 

 of onr latest manufactures in Dresses and Shawls, Waistcoat- 

 ings, Cravat* and Handkerchiefs. 

 Trusting soon to be favoured with a large order, 

 We remain, Gentlemen, 



Your obedient Servants, 



LECOUTEUR, GASPARD A Co. 

 Lyon, Io 28 Man 1882. 

 Messieurs Smith, Cook A Hyde, a Londres. 



Messieurs, Nous avons 1'honnenr de vous annonoer qne notra 

 M. Robert Roche se preaentera chez vous pour vous sonmettn 

 lea t'chantillons do tontes nos nonveautec pour robes, duties, 

 etoffes pour gilets, cravates et foulards. 



Dans 1'espoir de recovoir bientdt nne bonne commando, 

 Nous vous pr& onions, Messieurs, 



noa salutations empresses 1 , 



LECOUTEUR, GABPARD A C IB . 



18. LETTER ADVISING DESPATCH OF GOODS, AND XNCLOOVO 

 INVOICE 



London, April 10th, 1882. 

 Phillip Teesdalo, Esq., Dublin: 



Dear Sir, Enclosed please find invoice of Cotton Goods 

 forwarded to-day in a case marked P T No. 5. 

 The amount of this invoice 



.450 please place to my credit. 



Awaiting your further orders, to which my best attention 

 shall always be given. I remain, dear Sir, 



Yours truly, 



A. LONSDALB. 



Londres, U 10 Avril 1882. 

 Monsieur Phillip Teesdale, a Dublin. 



Cher Monsieur, Ci-joint j'ai le plaisir do vons remettre 

 facture a des Cotonnadcs qui vous ont etc expedites ce jour dans 

 une caisse marquee P T No 5. 



Pour le montant de cette facture venillez me reconnaitre de 

 450. 



Dans 1'attente de voa ordres ulterienrs qui auront tons mas 

 soins, Je vous presente, cher Monsieur, 



Mes salutations sinceres, 

 A. LONSDALB. 



19. LETTER REQUESTING FURTHER ORDERS. 



Lyons, Dec. 30th, 1881. 

 Messrs. Dufour & Co., Paris. 



Gentlemen, It is now more than three months since we had 

 any orders from your firm ; nevertheless, we are persuaded that 

 the fault does not lie with us, or the manner in which we have 

 executed your last. 



We are more vexed than yon at the rise in velvet, and we 

 know that your sale must in consequence be hampered. If yon, 

 however, realise that throughout France and Italy cocoons have 

 fetched from 6 fr. to 6 fr. 90 o. per kilogram that is to say, 

 IS more than last year, and that consequently silk costs n* 

 more than 18% above List year's prices yon will see the 

 necessity of our raising the price of onr velvet in proportion. 



You will find in onr parcel some samples of what we have in 

 stocL, and we subjoin our price list. 



Onr Mr. Marchand will be in Paris next Tuesday, and will 

 have great pleasure in giving you further details. 

 We are, Gentlemen, 



Truly yonn, 

 JAMES MARCHAND, BRIOAUD & Co. 



I/yon, le 80 D&embre, 1881. 

 Messieurs Dnfour A C 16 , a Paris. 



Messieurs, n y a pins de troia mois qne nous n'avors re^i 

 d'ordres de votre maison ; nous ne ponvons, pourtant, imaginer 

 qne la maniere dont nous vous avons traites dans le dernier 

 envoi, ait pu diminuer la oonfianco qne vons nous ave 

 accordce. 



Nous sommes plus faohea qne vous de I'flevation de 



