40 



We therefore find, that with the plant remains collected by Dr. 

 Bryce from the Lough Neagh ash beds, Mr. Tate has found 

 Sequoia Langsdorfi. We have the same plant occurring in the 

 leaf beds of Mull, as recorded by Sir Charles Lyell; and the ge- 

 neral character of the Bally pal lidy beds, as well as their plant re- 

 mains, are almost identical with the Lough Neagh ash beds and 

 the Isle of Mull leaf beds. Then we have the wood of the cypress 

 detected in the Ballypallidy beds by Mr. Baily, and the silicified 

 wood of Lough Neagh is declared to be the same by Dr. Macloskie. 

 Then we have the petrified wood of Lough Neagh found in con- 

 nection with the Lough Neagh Lignites, as described by Barton, 

 and the silicified wood with the basaltic Lignite at Laurencetown, 

 as now described, so that a connection is thus established between 

 the Mull and Ballypallidy beds, the Lough Neagh ash beds and 

 silicified wood, and the basaltic Lignite of the County Antrim and 

 the section at Ballypallidy, as well as the occurrence of Lignite in 

 the iron ore deposits at Broughshane and elsewhere, indicating that 

 the Lignite and the iron ore deposits are of the same age. 



Mr. Gray having referred to the question of utilising the vast 

 stores of fuel with which our bogs abound, and the efforts made 

 to convert the peat into an artificial coal, concluded by stating 

 that, although the results of the experiments already made are not 

 as favourable as should be desired, they do not exclude the hope 

 that the time is not far distant when the bogs of Ireland will prove 

 wide fields of enterprise, wherein the native industry of our people 

 may be profitably employed, and our commercial prosperity largely 

 promoted. 



On 4th December, Mr. W. H. Patterson, M.R.I. A , read a 

 p.iper on ' ; The Capture of Carrickfergus by the French under M. 

 Thurot, in February, ij 60." 



After briefly describing the political state of Europe at the close 

 of the year 1759, Mr. Patterson mentioned the various rumours 

 which were current in Great Britain as to expected invasions of 

 our shores by expeditions, which, it was known, were being 



