THE ADYA^TAGES OF COAL. 9 



most extensive and costly nature had been constructed, and 

 an outlay of 10,000 incurred, that an enterprise, hopeless 

 from the first, was at length abandoned in despair. Many 

 attempts have been made, from Somersetshire to Wales ; 

 and Sir R. Murchison * mentions numerous enterprises 

 all similarly unsuccessful. In fact, there is scarcely a 

 formation below the chalk in which researches of this kind 

 have not been attempted. One of the most recent and 

 ill-judged of these consisted in an endeavour made, a short 

 time since, at the Kingsthorpe pits, within a mile of North- 

 ampton. The author was at that time lecturing in the 

 neighbourhood, and his opinion was requested as to the pro- 

 bable success of the undertaking. The geological site of the 

 locality, which is about, the middle of the oolite formation, 

 was decisive of the futility of the enterprise, and he there- 

 fore denounced it as mistaken, and strongly protested against 

 its further prosecution. His remonstrances were disre- 

 garded, as those of a mere theorist. It appeared that a 

 person employed to sink a well near the spot, having bored 

 through a bed of clay, which bore some slight resemblance' 

 to the clunch or clay which frequently overlies the coal, had 

 advised the undertaking ; and thus, on a fact of the most 

 common geological occurrence, the similarity of one bed 

 of clay to another, and under the guidance of a workman, 

 the speculation was set on foot'; a joint-stock company 

 was organised ; a large amount of capital was subscribed ; 

 steam-engines were erected, shafts were sunk, and enormous 

 expenses incurred. This was the situation of affairs during 

 the visit of the author in 1839. The result may easily be 

 anticipated : the works, after being extensively prosecuted, 

 were finally closed, and the enterprise abandoned for want of 

 funds, after an expenditure of 20,000 ! Such was the ter- 

 mination of an attempt which an acquaintance with the first 

 principles of geology would have decided, from the first, 

 to be fruitless. It will thus be seen that the knowledge 

 which the geologist possesses, to determine the existence or 

 non-existence of coal in any given locality, may be regarded 

 as one of the most striking proofs of the importance and 

 usefulness of the science. 



* Silurian System. 



