158 EAMBLBS OP A NATTJEALIST. [Ch.-X. 



seam, called No. 1, is 4 ft. 6 in. in thickness ; the next is 

 2 ft. 9 in. ; the third, 3 ft. 9 in. ; and the fourth is the 

 thick seam of 11 ft. 4 in. Between the third and fourth 

 seams are 8 fathoms of grey shale, in which fossil shells are 

 occasionally found. I had great difficulty, however, in pro- 

 curiDg any fossUs. I could not learn that any had been 

 kept while the excavations were going on ; and only suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining two bivalves from the 8-fathom bed of 

 grey shale. 



The Labuan coal mines are worked in a way which offers 

 a striking contrast to the mode of working the Ke-lung mine 

 in Formosa. There are here two shafts at present con- 

 structed; one of these (called the Shallow Pit) enters the 

 uppermost seam, while the other penetrates to 45 fathoms 

 depth ; a third also is ia course of construction, which will 

 reach to the depth of 100 fathoms. Besides this, there are 

 seven or eight level workings. The great difficulty here is 

 to obtain labour sufficient to develop the resources of the 

 mines ; for although 600 men were on the books, iacludiag 

 Chinese, Malays, Klings, &c., with European departmental 

 superintendents, only 300 were at work at a time. At the 

 time of my visit 80 tons per diem were produced, and con- 

 veyed down a tramway which descends to the coaling pier ; 

 but, with more labour, I was assured by the manager that 

 the same machinery would produce 200 tons per diem with 

 ease ; although that, of course, is not a large quantity com- 

 pared with the diurnal supply from mines at home. 



The quality of the Labuan coal is superior to that of 

 Ke-lung'. It is a heavier, closer-grained, though not very 

 clean coal, is very free from sulphur, and forms but little 

 clinker, in this respect having a conspicuous advantage. It 

 bums, however, very fast, and generates steam very readily 



