10 [proc. B.N.F.C., 



of Ducart, his superior pits and canals, or the patronage and sup- 

 port of the Irish Parliament, the enterprise and ample expenditure 

 of the Hibernian Mining Company, or the scientific knowledge 

 applied under Mr. Griffith's management. 



The members of the Field Club visited one of these shallow 

 pits — say, thirty yards deep. It was worked by a common winch, 

 such as a pump- sinker would use. The party were let down the 

 pit, one by one in a bucket, or rather they held on by the rope, 

 had one foot in a bucket and the other out, spinning round as the 

 rope descended, and dangling from side to side. Now and then the 

 bucket caught on the projections from the pit's sides and turned over 

 as if to give the visitor a quicker passage to the bottom. A little 

 care prevented such an issue, but did not prevent the bucket from 

 coming with a bump at the bottom ; then, completely turning over, 

 pitched out the visitor at a square hole, like the mouth of a sewer, 

 and, leaving him sprawling, went aloft for his companions. This 

 was a new pit in Drumglass field. The cuttings, props, and all 

 were rough, but tolerably dry and firm, although the supporting 

 timbers gave evidence in many cases of the yielding character of 

 the roof. After traversing the colliery underground , the members 

 of the club were brought to the surface up another shaft in a 

 bucket similar to that by which they were let down. 



They then visited the Creenagh colliery, where all is wrought by 

 steam-power. The large quantity of water thrown out by the pumps 

 was not an agreeable subject to contemplate by those who were 

 preparing to descend. However, several of the party entered the 

 cage, adjusted their lamps, gave the signal, and were shot down 

 some fifty yards deep. In the descent, the water from the sides of 

 the shaft increased from a pleasant spray to a perfect shower bath, 

 which fell thick at the bottom, and drove the visitors into the dark 

 chambers of the mine. The slovenly, rude, and unskilful manner 

 of working the colliery was very soon apparent. The passages 

 were small, irregular, wet, and dirty. There were no rails for the 

 coal hutches to run on, but they were dragged over the irregular 

 up-and-down floor by the unfortunate, half-naked, but merry 



