COAL. o^> 



abundant quantity. Further west, in Ohio and 

 Penasylvaniaj it has been discovered, and I am 

 confident that it exists in the vicinity of this canal. 

 The reasons which induce this opinion are vari- 

 ous and conclusive, and 1 shall now enumerate 

 some of them. 



Coal is composed of charcoal, or carbon, bitu- 

 men, some portion of earth, and generally a srnali 

 quantity of metalic matter. When it exists with- 

 out bitumen, it is termed anthracite or glance coal. 

 All the western coal contains bitumen, and gene- 

 rally speaking, the coal found east of the moun- 

 tains is without it. 



Coal is found in hilly situations, under strata of 

 grit, which is a compound of sand and clay, or 

 under schistus which is an indurated clay, splitting 

 into layers and forming either slate, or a substance 

 called shivers, according to its fracture. Coal 

 frequently alternates with strata of grit, stone and 

 schistus. Its roof is generally composed of shale ; 

 and aldiougli in the island of Great Britain it is 

 not intermingled with lime stone, which generally 

 forms the outlines of coal fields, yet on the conti- 

 nent they are often foiuid in company. 



Discarding the theories which have been stated 

 respecting the origin of coal, whether of mineral 

 or vegetable derivation, it is sufficient merely to 

 state facts in order to sustain the cpinion wlfich I 

 have advanced on thi? sid>ject. 



