Mr. F. Fouster's Observations on the South Welsh Coal Basin. 101 



and Kidwelly, where they enter Carmarthen Bay, they present no vari- 

 ation in quality, except at Trimsarren, where an increase in its propor- 

 tion of bitumen, materially adds to the heating powers of the Coal. 



The bar of rock which occurs in the shape of a vertical bed of Sand- 

 stone at Cwm Nant-y-Tarw, distorts the strata for a considerable 

 distance on the south side, and changes their line of dip from SW. to S. 

 Amid the confusion caused by this bar, seven or eight beds of Iron- 

 stone imbedded in Shale, may be observed cropping out in the brook 

 to the east of the line of section. The remaining six seams delineated 

 in this division are Stone Coal ; although they are imbedded in Shale, 

 and interstratified with beds of Ironstone, Sandstone begins to occur in 

 beds of considerable thickness. Assuming that the two supposed seams 

 on Mynddbach Llanedi, and Nos. 1 and 7 on Mynydd Mawr, amount 

 to 9 feet, the aggregate thickness of the workable seams of Coal, in 

 this division will be 60 feet. 



Of the beds of Iron-stone, the series which occur, under the principal 

 Coal seams on Mynydd Mawr, will alone amount to about 4 feet 3 in., 

 and calculating that the beds interstratified with the Coal seams, toge- 

 ther with those cropping out at Cwm Nant y Tarw, will amount to 40 

 inches ; the aggregate thickness of Iron-stone in this division will be 

 7i feet. 



The proportion of this abundant deposit of minerals, which may be 

 obtained by a level driven from the Llwchor River to the north, will be 

 seen, by following the line shewing the level of high water-mark, from 

 that point to the Limestone. When it is taken into consideration, that 

 this division of the section terminates in a valley, down which a line of 

 railroad might be laid to deep water in the port of Llanelly, a distance 

 of lOi miles, with a gradual descent amounting to 40 feet, there is per- 

 haps no part of the Welsh Coal Basin, so well calculated to shew the 

 important advantages to be derived from the discovery of any method, 

 by which Stone Coal might be applied as a substitute for Coke, in the 

 smelting of Iron Ore. 



Division, No. 2. commences at a point 5 miles to the westward 

 of the termination of No. 1. ; the space between, being, as nearly as 

 could be ascertained, in the water-level direction or drift of the strata. 



