* STATISTICAL SURVEY 



Within two miles of Drumquin, in the barony of 

 Omagh, there appear llrong indications of a rich coal- 

 mine, fituated, I believe, on Mr. Godfrey's eftate, ad- 

 joining fome church-land belonging to the fee of Der- 

 ry. In May 1800, I fpent fome time there on fpc- 

 culation. 



Tradition fays, that a water-fpout had, many years 

 ago, fallen on the fpot, where the coal now appears ; 

 no doubt, defigned by providence for the good of 

 mankind. Through time, and in confequence of the 

 impreffion made by the great body of water, which the 

 fpout produced, a fmall brook took place, which at 

 this time is funk upwards of one hundred feet ; fuch 

 is the yielding quality of the foil of the mountain, 

 where this phenomenon was fuppofed to have hap- 

 pened. 



It appears to me, that finking a few pits, or 

 ftiafts, backwards in the mountain, would be the 

 mod likely way to afcertain the depth of the ftra- 

 tum of coal ; and, if the thicknefs of the mine was 

 found fuffkient to be at the expence of following it, 

 inftead of finking fhafts in the ufual way, the work 

 might be carried on from the face of the bank, at 

 the furface of the ftream, where the coal appears, 

 accompanying the water, in a continued layer, from 

 nine to eighteen inches thick, ftill encreafing in thick- 

 nefs, as it advances, in a direction nearly horizontal, 

 rather rifmg , which is a good omen. 



There 



