Anthracite of the Calton Hill. 



The last analysis is taken from Sir Henry de la Beche and 

 Dr L. Playfair's Coal Report, the others from Hausmann's 

 Mineralogy. 



The most remarkable peculiarity of the anthracite of the 

 Calton Hill is the comparatively large quantity of sulphur 

 which it contains. By far the greater portion of this sul- 

 phur must have been in combination with the organic ele- 

 ments of anthracite ; for, even supposing the whole of the 

 ash to consist of oxide of iron, the quantity of iron would 

 still be too small to combine with all the sulphur. I am not 

 aware that attention has been drawn to the fact of sulphur 

 occurring in anthracite in organic combination ; but a little 

 consideration, I think, will shew that such a compound may 

 exist in nature, as we can prepare artificially, similar com- 

 binations. It is well known that, in preparing sulphide of 

 carbon, by passing sulphur in vapour over red-hot charcoal, 

 the charcoal which remains in the vessel in which the experi- 

 ment has been made, contains sulphur in such a state of com- 



