SANDSTONE, SHALE, AND COAL. li? 



Many of the beds of shale contahi balls or nodules of ironstone, 

 usually arranged in layers or courses, parallel to the strata in which 

 they are imbedded. In some instances, the nodules are so niuueroiis 

 as to form nearly a continuous stratum. The ironstone is usually very 

 hard ; but in many places we find it in the form of a rich yellow, or 

 yellowish brown, ochre ; which occurs in seams as well as in balls. 

 This ochre exists in considerable quantity in the fronts of some of 

 the Cleveland hills. In the upper end of Greenhoue Burton, there is 

 a seam of red ochre, or ruddle, of a dark red colom*. Like the yel- 

 low ochre, it is of a fine grain, and soils the fingers. The farmers, 

 who collect it for marking their sheep, give the cliff where it is found 

 the name of the Rudd scar. 



Ironstone is common in the sandstone, as well as in the shale ; 

 sometimes occurring in balls or patches, sometimes in seams incrust- 

 ing the sandstone, like the ironstone between Scarborough and 

 Cloughton wyke. There is a very hard seam in the cliff at Saltwick 

 near Wliitby, remarkable for the remains of plants which abound in it. 

 The stems of the plants appear to have been converted into calc spar, 

 which has been decomposed into a fine white powder, resembling the 

 finest flour. The stone is partly argillaceous, partly calcareous, 

 with a very considerable proportion of iron. 



The coal seams appearing in the sea cliffs are all too inconsiderable 

 to be wrought with advantage. In a few instances, however, work- 

 ings have been commenced, and afterwards abandoned; particularly 

 at Cloughton wyke, as noticed above ; and at Hawsker Bottoms, near 

 Whitby. The coal at the former place is the highest seam occurring 

 in our strata, and that at the latter place is the lowest, being only a 

 few yards above the alum schist. The latter appears to have been the 

 most productive, and were it more easy of access, it might yield some 

 profit to the proprietor. 



In the interior, where the hills rise to a great height, and the 

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