258 



From what has been already said, whilst speaking of the forma- 

 tion of bitumen, you will have perceived that, I am of opinion 

 that, in proportion as the process of bituminization approaches to 

 perfection, the substance acted upon acquires a state of fluidity. 

 With respect to coal, the formation of which may be regarded as 

 the grand and important end, for which this process has been insti- 

 tuted, it would be reasonable, d priori, to conclude, that the laws 

 of nature would decree, that the substance which is to undergo this 

 necessary change, should, in general, be so disposed, as to have 

 secured to it the full effect of the operation in every stage of the 

 process. But should the circumstance of coal having existed in a 

 state of fluidity, be supposed to be not fairly inferable from these 

 premises, some increase of the probability of the circumstance 

 may surely be derived from a view of the substance itself. For 

 whether we dwell upon the peculiar fracture of common coal, or 

 on the vegetable impressions which are frequently found on it, the 

 idea of its having existed in a fluid state must present itself to any 

 one, whose mind has not been prepossessed by some contradictory 

 hypothesis. 



From this state of fluidity would result a very important change 

 in the nature of the mass. With the vegetable matters which have 

 been supposed to have been accumulated by the waters of the de- 

 Juge, a considerable portion of mud and gross earthy particles must 

 have been blended ; these, however, when bituminization gave 

 fluidity to the mass, would, in consequence of their superior gravity, 

 settle, and form that stratum which was to become the floor of the 

 pit, leaving the pure bitumen above. 



By reverting to a circumstance mentioned whilst speaking of 

 peat, and of bituminous wood their eager retention of the water 

 in which they had been immersed, parting with it as difficultly as 

 would a sponge ; and that only on the employment of a considerable 



