Geology of the Trinity Country, Texas. 217 



facility as charcoal. Although it has much less bitumen in its 

 composition than the Pittsburgh or cannal-coal, it will yet prove 

 valuable for nearly all purposes to which coal is applied ; such as 

 parlor use, the reduction of ore, and the generation of steam 

 power. It is however ill adapted for the manufacture of inflam- 

 able gas. 



This sort of coal is denominated broivti coal or hroion lignite 

 by mineralogists. Sometimes it is called Bovey coal, because a 

 thick bed of it has long been wrought at Bovey near Exeter in 

 England, It occurs in many parts of the world, in some places 

 in vast abundance, but generally in beds of far less extent than 

 those of the Trinity, It is worthy of remark, that iron pyrites 

 commonly so abundant and detrimental in coal, is here unusually 

 scarce. 



In estimating the value of these beds of lignite, it must be re- 

 membered, that the Trinity is a navigable stream, and almost the 

 only one in Texas, which at this time deserves to be so ranked : 

 that the city of Galveston, now with a population of 2000 and 

 rapidly increasing, is situated on an island virtually destitute of 

 timber. Hence Galveston needs fuel, and nothing is more prob- 

 able than that the Trinity country will supply her. Each steam- 

 ship plying between Galveston and New Orleans, consumes dur- 

 ing the voyage both ways near one thousand barrels of coal, which 

 at present costs them in New Orleans, an average of seventy or 

 eighty cents a barrel. During twelve months past, the steamship 

 Columbia is said to have expended $25,000 for coal alone. It is 

 by no means improbable that coal might be profitably furnished 

 to steam vessels at Galveston, from the Trinity, at one third or 

 even one fourth this cost. If the demand can be supplied, Gal- 

 veston will be one of the best coal markets in the world j for be- 

 sides the requirements of ordinary commerce, steamships of war 

 cruizing in the Gulf of Mexico, will always find it a convenient 

 place to lay in fuel. 



New Orleans, July 15, 1839. 



Vol. sxxvii, No. 2.— July-October, 1839. 28 



