Kjnahan — On Irish Metal Mining. 285- 



Mr. Dobbs' estimate it is profitable for a width of 400 yards, and 

 is of an average height of three feet. If every cubic yard is equal 

 to a ton of coal, we have in these portions of the channel about 

 2,500,000 tons of unwrought coal. There are outlying portions 

 of this channel still unworked, which may contain something 

 between 250,000 and 500,000 tons of coal. If the highest figure 

 is taken, which is probably above the estimate, there will be less 

 than 3,000,000 of tons of unwrought coal. 



The only other coal available is the Mobubeagh Coal. This,. 

 under the name of Towlerton Coal, Mr. Hull estimates as pro- 

 fitable, about 10,000,000 tons. This estimate, however, is evidently 

 excessive, the coal being taken as two feet high, while it rarely 

 exceeds one foot nine inches, and in places has thined to nearly 

 half that height. A foot coal would be valueless, as, on account 

 of its great depth from the surface (about 216 yards below the Old 

 Three- foot Coal), the cost of " getting " would exceed the value of 

 the coal. Whether it is of any value cannot be known until a 

 bore-hole is put down somewhere near the centre of the colliery. 

 At no time was there much profitable coal in the field. It began 

 to be mined about a century and a-half ago (1728), and now it is 

 nearly exhausted. 



The anthracite is of four classes — stone coal ; kennel, or hard 

 compact shaly coal ; culm, or friable flaky coal ; and helve, or shaly 

 earthy, impure coal. 



Yery few mineral veins have been found in the county. In 

 the valley of the Nore was the silver mine called Argetros, 

 which, according to the Annals, was worked a. m. 3817. In this 

 valley silver and lead have been found at Ballygallon, near 

 Inistioge, and Knockadrian, near Knocktopher : at the latter place, 

 recently, they were worked for some years successfully. 



King's County. 



The majority of the rocks within the limits of this very irregu- 

 lar county belong to the Carboniferous Limestone. In these are a few 

 exposures of Sandstone, and to the north of Phillipstown an intrude 

 of Whinstone. At the south-east is a portion of Slieve Bloom, 

 wherein is found an exposure of Ordovicians flanked by Carboniferous 

 Sandstones. 



