COA 



COA 



according- to her tonnage. These are sup- 

 posed to be the hardest working 1 men in 

 the kingdom: they often earn six, seven, 

 or eight shillings in the day ; of which at 

 least one-third, or perhaps one half, is 

 spent in porter. By a late act coals are 

 permitted to be landed at Paddington, in 

 the parish of Mary -le -bone, not, however, 

 exceeding a specified quantity within the 

 year. These coals come by the canals 

 from the inland counties, generally in 

 large masses and free from coal-dusi. A 

 patent has been granted within these few 

 years for the formation of coal-dust into 

 balls, which are compacted by the admix- 

 ture of soft clay, tanner's bark, and various 

 other materials, all of which tend to swell 

 the mass and form a tolerable fuel : it 

 brings much rubbish to an excellent use. 

 A patent was also granted about twenty 

 years back to LordDundonald for making 

 tar from coal. This tar has been found to 

 answer many useful purposes, being an 

 admirable coating for wood or other work 

 exposed to the weather; but, on account 

 of its being peculiarly subtile, must be 

 carefully kept aw ay from articles of pro- 

 vision, to which it communicates a most 

 unpleasant, bit- minous flavour. The cin- 

 ders and ashes from coal are in much 

 estimation, as a manure for particular' 

 soils, and are highly obnoxious to worms. 

 Tl^ty arc likewise employed in the mak- 

 ing of bricks. 



There are different opinions among 

 geologists respecting- the origin of coal. 

 Some suppose this combustible substance 

 to be produced by the decomposition of 

 the soft parts of the immense quantity of 

 organized bodies, of which we find almost 

 every where the solid remains. But un- 

 fortunately this conjecture, which ap- 

 pears so natural, is liable to several strong 

 objections. One is, the presence of vege- 

 tables scarcely decomposed, which are 

 often met with in the middle of beds of 

 coal. The others, the want of direct ex- 

 periments to prove that organized bodies 

 give out bitumen during their decompo- 

 sition. Without stopping to discussthese 

 points, we shall merely give the general 

 conclusions of naturalists, as they are 

 mentioned by Brogniart. 1. That coal 

 was formed, either at the same time, or 

 after the existence of organized bodies. 



2. That this mineral when first formed was 

 liquid, and of a great degree of purity. 



3. That the cause which produces this 

 deposit is several times renewed in the 

 same place, and nearly under the same 

 circumstances. 4. That the cause, what- 



ever it may be, is nearly the same over 

 all the earth, since the beds of coal al- 

 ways exhibit nearly the same phenomena 

 in their structure and accidental circum- 

 stances. 5. That these beds have not 

 been deposited b} any violent revolu- 

 tion ; but, on the contrary, in the most 

 tranquil manner; since the organized 

 bodies that are found in them are often 

 entire, and the leaves of vegetables im- 

 pressed in the slate which covers the 

 coals are hardly ever bruised or other- 

 wise deranged. 



COASTING, that part of navigation 

 where the places assigned are not far dis- 

 tant, so that a ship mav sail in Sight of 

 land, or within soundings, betv/een.them. 

 In this there is only required a good 

 knowledge of the land, the use of the 

 compass and lead, or sounding line. 



COASTING pilot, one who, by experi- 

 ence, has became sufficiently acquainted 

 with the nature of any particular coast, 

 to conduct a ship or fleet from one part 

 of it to another. 



COAT of arms, in heraldry, a surcoat 

 reaching to the waist, open at the sides, 

 and ornamented with armorial bearings, 

 worn by the ancient knights in times of 

 war, or at tournaments, over their ar- 

 mour, being the principal characteristic 

 by which they were distinguished from 

 one another, the face being covered with 

 the helmet. During the period of five 

 centuries after the conquest, the varia- 

 tion m in the mode of exhibiting coat -ar- 

 mour was very trivial. 



The Norman in the field, being closely 

 invested in armour which exactly fitted 

 his shape, threw over it an ornamented 

 surcoat without sleeves, at first loose ; 

 but during the successive reigns of the 

 three first Edwards, it was confined to 

 the body in narrow folds. After that the 

 mixed armour (composed of mail and 

 plates) became common, and the steel 

 boddice was gilt, and otherwise orna- 

 mented. This armour did not, however, 

 long continue in fashion, but was suc- 

 ceeded by tabards of arms larger than 

 the original surcoat, and made of the 

 richest silk stuffs, sumptuously embroi- 

 dered; which afterwards became the 

 dress worn by the nobility and gentry,till 

 the commencement of the sixteenth cen- 

 tury: since that time they have been con- 

 tinued only as the state dress of the offi- 

 cers of arms. 



COATS, in a ship, are pieces of tarred 

 canvas put about the masts at the part- 

 ners, to keep out water. They are also 



