Coal-Seams of Van Diemen's Land. 127 



The central or 20-inch portion of the seam is the only part 

 available for a supply of fuel. This, supposing it to extend 

 only over an area of one square mile, or 640 acres, would at 

 a moderate computation yield about 800,000 tons of Coal ; 

 and there is little doubt that this seam, and probably others, 

 exist over a much larger area between the present works and 

 Allen's Point, half a mile south of the Douglas Eiver. 



In ascending the Douglas Eiver, after passing over a 

 series of soft grey and brown sandstones, dipping from 

 (E. 20° S.) to (S. E.) 5° to 10°, for about four miles, we 

 come on the crop of a magnificent seam of Coal eight feet 

 thick, with only one six -inch parting, and apparently of first- 

 rate quality; it dips (E. 30° S.) 6°. Now, as in ascending 

 the river from its mouth there appears no evidence • of the 

 existence of any great fault or dislocation, but a regular 

 succession from higher into lower beds, the above seam 

 would, in all probability, be found to extend underneath 

 nearly the whole of the flat country from four miles south to 

 at least two miles nortb of the Douglas, including the land 

 occupied by the Douglas Eiver Coal Company. In the vici- 

 nity of Allen's Farm, or about %^ miles in a south-easterly 

 direction from the crop, supposing the seam continues to 

 dip at the same angle — viz. 6°, or 1 in 9 — we might expect 

 to find it at a depth of 1400 feet : apparently, however, the 

 beds flatten considerably in this direction, and at the mouth 

 of the river they are nearly horizontal. This would, of course, 

 throw the coal much nearer the surface. 



Prior to any deep sinking being undertaken near the coast, 

 a boring might be made higher up the river, and within half 

 or three quarters of a mile of the crop, which, if carried from 

 300 to 400 feet, would prove the continuance or otherwise 

 of the seam in the direction of the dip. 



That it is permanent over a considerable area, is evidenced 



