. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. %$ 



mond. Near the bottom, on both the north and 

 south sides of the hill, there is an extensive bed 

 of coal, but too thin to be wrought with' advan- 

 tage. At Forthar, in the parish of Kettle, there 

 is a very valuable and extensive lime-quarry, 

 where a considerable quantity of stone has been 

 burnt annually for many years past. The lime 

 is of excellent quality, and brings a higher price, 

 I believe, than any other in the county. From this, 

 all along to the eastern boundary, great quanti- 

 ties of coal and lime rock are to be found in dif- 

 ferent places, which it is unnecessary to enu- 

 merate. But, from the irregularities of the sur- 

 face, and the frequent breaks and interruptions 

 of the strata, only a few of these are either va- 

 luable or extensive. 



From the south of Eden's vale at the bottom 

 of the high ground, over which we have just 

 now passed, northward to the River Tay, nei- 

 ther coal nor lime are to be found ; nor does 

 there appear the least vestige of those metals that 

 usually accompany coal. The want of these 

 necessary articles is a great disadvantage to the 

 inhabitants of that district, as they must be sup- 

 plied at a great expence, either by water, or by 

 a long land carriage. 



Considerable quantities of iron- stone are to be 

 found in different parts of the county. This mi- 

 neral is a constant attendant on coal : and, there- 

 fore, wherever there is coal, there iron-stone is 

 to be got. In general, however, the beds of 

 stone are so thin, or the quality so poor, or the 

 distance from a sea-port so great, that the ex- 

 pence of working it would far exceed the price 

 it would hring. 



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