[ 274 ] 

 to explore the horrid caverns of thefe mines, 

 and found, on an attentive examination, 

 that the method of conduding the bufinefs 

 of them, was nearly as follows : 



The feams (or, in thefe mines, rather 

 veins) of coal branch divers ways, fomc are 

 above the tunnel, and fome below it ; as 

 faft as the coal is got, the fpace is cleared 

 and arched for a road, to move the coal 

 on : This is done in little four-wheel wag- 

 gons, which contain i o cwf. of coals, and 

 is pufhed along by a man fetting his head 

 and hands againft it (the road being laid 

 on purpofe for it.) The roads all lead to 

 the tunnel. When the man with the 

 waggon comes over a well (of which there 

 are feverai) that is funk from the road 

 through the arch of the tunnel, and under 

 which the boats are fixed, he ftops on a 

 frame work of wood, which turns on pi- 

 vots, and is fo contrived, that upon draw- 

 ing up a part of one end of the waggon, 

 fome of the coals drop out, and then the 

 waggon is tilted up, and all the reft fol- 

 low them, falling into the boat beneath 

 either promifcuoufly, or dired:ed through 

 a tube to fill a box at a time, at pleafure, 

 which work is performed almofi: inftanta- 



neoullyj 



