32 



and New Red Sandstone in Belfast which occur above the coal at 

 Ballycastle and Dungannon, we have them at Belfast clearly resting 

 on the Silurian rocks, without any representation of the 300 feet of 

 sandstones that intervene at Ballycastle, or the sandstones, lime- 

 stone, grit, and Devonian rocks that intervene at Dungannon. He 

 agreed with Mr. Wright that one of the best places for trying for 

 coal was near Cultra ; but the best place he thought they could 

 try would be in the neighbourhood of Moira, and the trial should 

 be made as near as possible to the slope of the hill. The main 

 object should be to keep as far as possible from the Silurian rocks, 

 and as low as possible in the New Red Sandstone, where the lowest 

 sandstone beds were exposed ; and if they wanted to make an 

 experiment near Belfast, he thought the neighbourhood of the Gas- 

 Works would be the proper place. 



Note. — Since the above paper was read, Mr. Gray had the advantage of 

 seeing the "Journal of the Progress of the Mine Works of the Bangor and 

 Newtown Company,'' being a manuscript record of certain mining operations 

 carried on around Scrabo Hill and neighbourhood from the year 1780 up to 

 the year 1784. This journal gives a detailed account of several shafts sunk 

 in search for coal, some of the shafts being 240 feet deep. The result of these 

 experiments is embodied in a report by Mr. Joseph Jackson, dated 23rd 

 March, 1786. The journal states that "Mr. Joseph Jackson came from 

 Dublin to view the mines, &c, by desire of the Company, and made his report 

 thereon." 



In this report Mr. Jackson describes the several trials made, giving the 

 position and depths of the shafts, and the strata met with, together with such 

 information as he obtained by inquiry in the locality, and then describing the 

 geology of the district, he concludes as follows : — "I shall now consider how 

 far these appearances tend to discovering whether or not there may be seams or 

 bands of coal contained in this district. We find, by quarries that are opened, 

 as well as the borings, that the red freestone is incumbent on the white ; we 

 find also that the white freestone is incumbent on the primitive rock all round 

 the Mountain of Scrabo ; we find also that the freestone is incumbent on the 

 primitive at Anderson's Hill, at Bowleren, at Killarn Glen, and Kirkdonnie 

 Glen, and in James Chambers' land, as proved by the boring ; wc also find 

 that the horizontal freestone beds rise towards the Mountain of Scrabo, and 

 towards the primitive rock in the other places, which appearances are sufficient 

 proofs, in my opinion, that there are no seams or bands of coal contained 

 within the district described. 



