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eastern portion has been clearly found to extend upwards of seven 

 miles, by the experiment of repeated boring ; whilst the western has 

 not, as yet, been traced further than two miles. The whole area, in- 

 cluding the working, from the first period to the present time, 

 amounts to ten acres. 



The Bovey Coal is now used for supplying the steam-engine, for 

 burning lime ; and, occasionally, for giving the earthen-ware its first 

 burning ; it is not now used for domestic purposes, the sulphurous 

 gas it emits being, not only extremely disagreeable, but injurious 

 to the health of the inhabitants. It has been said, that exposure 

 to the influence of the sun and atmosphere, for some months, 

 deprives it of this pernicious quality ; but this is not warranted by 

 experience ; even seven years has only lessened, but by no means 

 destroyed it intirely. It certainly undergoes considerable decom- 

 position ; the different laminae cracking and peeling off, from the 

 evaporation of the contained moisture ; it then weighing consi- 

 derably lighter. 



The coal has some peculiarities, with respect to its appearance.' 

 From this circumstance, the workmen have divided it into three 

 species or varieties, which they call stone coal, board coal, and knotty 

 coal. Some portions bear evidently the effect of fire, and resemble, 

 in every respect, as to external appearance and touch, the common 

 charcoal. 



From every observation and inquiry I have made, it does not ap- 

 pear, that any substance of a vegetable form has ever been dis- 

 covered, either in the coal strata or incumbent strata : no leaves, 

 pine-nuts, or any thing of a similar nature. 



Solid bitumen has often been met with, both in the coal and 

 argillaceous strata; and it has been remarked, that the coal, 

 taken up after this substance has been found, is always of good 

 quality. A species of spar, the spath adamantin of the French, 



^ been sometimes, though rarely, found in the middle of a por- 



