118 



of these pieces of wood still retain their ligneous form, though 

 actually a vegetable coal. 



In the island of Pago, one of the islands in the Adriatic, is a large 

 internal salt water lake, on the bank of which is a mine of fossil 

 coal, which is, most probably, .similar to the Bovey Coal. It is 

 described, by the Abbe Fortis, as still preserving the distinguish- 

 able appearance of wood ; but being of so bad a quality, that no 

 use can be made of it except in a case of the greatest necessity *. 



Mr. Brand informs us, that Sir Joseph Banks, Bart, and President 

 of the Royal Society, so eminent for his knowledge in natural history, 

 favoured him with the inspection of a large specimen of fossil coal, 

 which is found in Iceland, in strata of considerable thickness, and 

 at great depths; which seemed to exhibit a substantial proof that 

 coal originally was wood. Sir Joseph has preserved several trunks 

 of it, each of which is flattened, possibly by the weight of super- 

 incumbent strata; so that instead of being cylindrical, as the body 

 or root of a tree naturally is, it is flat. Some of them are more, and 

 some less woody ; one is a fair plank of wood. As the woody ones 

 are thegreatest curiosities, they are sent in preference. The spe- 

 cimen described, appears to have been the root of a small tree, 

 with the bark still adhering and remaining on the greatest part of 

 it. In the lower part, however, the transformation had proceeded 

 further than at the top, so that it was real coal, while the top was 

 actual wood-f . 



Count Stolberg relates, that bituminous wood may be found 

 almost every where, at a certain depth, on the western part of 

 Orange Nassau ; in about 200 fathoms west of which is an immense 

 quarry of iron stone. 



A coal, resembling the Bovey Coal, has also, according tothe 



* Travels into Dalmatia, by Abbe Alberto Fortis, p. 503. 



t The History and Antiquities of the Town and County of the Town of Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne, by John Brand, M.A. H89. 



