COAL. 129 



Being so fuliy impressed with the importance, 

 and practicability of obtaining coal, permit me to 

 throw out a few hints, which may furnish rnateri- 

 qils, not only for observation, but for action. 



Birch, in his History of the Royal Society, ob- 

 serves, that the mines in Devonshire and Corn- 

 wall run east and west ; and this is said to be the 

 case with coal and other minerals, except lead, 

 which has not been observed to have any current 

 or declivity of the vein, but is most commonly 

 found north and south by the miners. Jllost 

 mines lie high in the west and so deepen more and 

 more the further east they run. So»far as coal has 

 been discovered in the western states, I am told it 

 runs east and west, and in the same direction with 

 gypsum, salt, lime, and sand stone ; and if it be 

 true that it descends and deepens to the east, we 

 may. easily see why more has been discovered as 

 you proceed to the west. 



I believe tliat I omitted to mention that whin- 

 stone, or basaltes, whose hardness is such tliat 

 its angular fractures will scratch glass, is found 

 in most coal mines. As basalt is a secondary 

 rock, I have no doubt but that it exists in many 

 parts of this region, although I have only sctn it 

 at the Little Falls, which ha^ to me much the 

 aspect of a coal country. Shistic and sand stones 



