37 



ceous matter, like jet, were found embedded in the solid rock itself. 

 Similar beds of Lignite occur at Ballypallidy, where 'the Northern 

 Counties Railway is cut through the trap rocks. At Ballintoy and 

 Killymurris the mass of Lignite is generally so compact and partially 

 mineralised, the character of the wood composing it can only be 

 detected by microscopic observation ; but at Ballypallidy the leaves, 

 branches, and cones of fir and other trees, are commonly found in 

 the clay beds associated with the Lignite, and they are sufficient 

 to indicate the geological age of the rocks in which they are found. 

 Some good specimens may be collected at Ballintoy from the lower 

 bed of Lignite. 



The Lignite bed also occurs at the west side of the basaltic area 

 near Dungiven, in the County Deny, at the east side at Glenarm. 

 It occurs also near Carnmoney, and was exposed when the county 

 road was being made from Belfast to Crumlin. Its discovery 

 here caused no small stir. It was, as usual, supposed to be true 

 coal, and a shaft was sunk, at considerable expense, to explore the 

 mine further, but, as in all cases where speculative zeal is in ad- 

 vance of scientific knowledge, the explorers failed to realise their 

 expectations. 



For fifty years the inhabitants around Knocknagor, near Laurence- 

 town, County Down, have entertained a firm conviction that plenty 

 of Coal was to be found in that locality. This opinion was founded 

 upon the fact that in the bed of a small stream lumps of what was 

 supposed to be Coal were found. A Mr. Hamilton, who lived here 

 about forty-five years ago, had a shaft sunk, and found a bed of 

 brown coal, which he did not consider worth working, and closed 

 up the shaft. About twenty-five years ago a Scotch company 

 sunk a shaft, and abandoned it like Mr. Hamilton. Two years ago 

 another shaft was opened by Mr. Sloan, of Coalisland, and, to the 

 surprise of the people in the locality, this too was closed up until 

 recently, when the bed was opened up by the enterprise of local 

 farmers. 



The section at Ballypallidy, on the Northern Counties Railway, 

 shows the sedimentary character of the Lignite, and connects it 

 with the ochre, bole, lithomarge, and iron ore, all of which are 



