130 Coal Mines of Virginia. 



properly call it ironstone. Iron pyrites are very abundant in 

 the slate, and the heaps of rubbish are white with the sulphate 

 of alumine ; yellow ochre is found among the rubbish, but I 

 could not ascertain its relative position with any precision. 

 The side of the hill at the pits is covered with quartz pebbles.; 

 some of which are as transparent and beautiful as I ever saw* 

 The country, for several miles around the pits, (i. e. as far aa 

 I have seen,) appears to be entirely destitute of rocks or peb- 

 bles, and is covered with a light sandy soil. I am unable to 

 inform you of the number of hands employed at, or of the quan- 

 tity of coal annually furnished from, these pits, as a part of nay 

 notes has, by an accident, been rendered illegible. 



Thus, sir, I have endeavoured to comply with my promise 

 of giving you an account of the coal pits.* In doing this, I 

 have only attempted to state facts as they existed ; although I 

 have no doubt that my imperfect acquaintance with geology 

 has occasioned many omissions which might have been inter- 

 esting. To the same cause must be attributed the use of lan- 

 guage not always strictly scientific, and a method less exact 

 than might have been desired. With all its imperfections, 

 however, if you can, from the mass of facts, cull any one which 

 may be useful or interesting, I shall be fully compensated by 

 the pleasure of having furnished it, for any trouble I may have 

 been at in doing so. And, if at any time I should be able to 

 furnish you with any information relative to the mineralogy or 

 geology of this part of the country, I hope you will let me 

 know it. 



« In using the word " pit," instead of " wine," I hare »ccomTnoilate4l mv 

 language to the custem of tlie country. 



