DR THOMSON ON THE STRATA OF BER"W1CKSHIRE. 



89 



purposes. The name of a Davy lamp is not known, except to those 

 colliers who have worked in the Newcastle mines. The workmen at 

 the j)eriod of my visit appeared healthy. The wages of men were 20s 

 6d. per week, and of boys of sixteen years, 10s. 



In order that the following table may be understood, I consider it 

 necessary to explain the terms which are used by the miners, as they 

 differ from those employed in other places ; and I can do this with 

 confidence, because I have examined the rocks to which the names 

 were applied, along with the overseer of the mine : 



Tiles — Shale, filled with shells and fossil vegetables. 



Bent — Soft slate-clay or shale, with few organic remains. 



Metal — Slate-clay. 



Freestone — Sandstone. 



Whin — Basalt. (The term Whin is applied in Berwickshire to all 

 rocks except freestone and quartz.) 



Seam — A coal bed. 



Section of Greenlaw WelW Shaft, North Durham. 



Fath. Feet. 

 1 



1 Eed gravelly clay, 



2 Blue Metal, 



3 Coal, . 



4 Limestone, 



5 Coal, . 



6 Grrey tiles, 



7 Coal, . 



8 Blue tiles, 



9 Freestone bed 



10 Coal, . 



1 1 AMiite metal, 



12 Grey freestone 



13 Blue metal, 



14 Coal, . 



15 AYhite metal, 



16 Grey freestone beds, . 



17 Coal, called Main coal not workable, 



18 Hard brown metal, slaty, 



19 Good coal, rather splinty, 



20 AVhite metal, with limestone scalji, 



21 Coal mixed with black dent, . 



22 Grey freestone mixed with charcoal, 



23 Black metal, . 



24 Coal, .... 



25 Dark brown metal, 



26 Coal, .... 



27 Limestone, very dun, 



28 Good coal, 



29 Blue metal, . 



30 Limestone with freestone scalp. 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 12 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Inch. 











2 

 10 



6 



3 



1 



7 

 10 



1 



6 



3 



4i 



3 







3 



5 







3 







3 



3 



3 



3 



3 



4 



3 



6 



7 



Carry forward, 



