MtNTiliAL BASOl^. 333 



h Glafhorganshire and Carmarthehshire have not reached Mineral basoa 

 this county, by reason of the bason not being of sufficient in SouthWales 

 depth and width to hold them. 



y. The strata of coal at the east end of the bason running 

 from Pontypool to Blaenafon and Clydach and on the north* 

 side from thence to Nanty Glo, Ebbw, Beaufort, Sirhowy, 

 Tredegar, Remney, Do\vlais,Penderryn, Plymouth, Cyfarthfa, 

 Abernant, Aberdare and Hurwain Furnaces and Iron Worksj 

 are of a cokeing quality, and from thence the whole strata of 

 coal to St. Brides Bay alter in their quality, to what is called 

 Stone Coal, (the large of which has hitherto been used for 

 the purposes of drying malt and hops, and the small, which 

 is called Culm, for burning of limestone) j the several strata 

 of coal from Pontypool. on the south side of the bason ^ 

 through Risca, Llantrissent, Margam, and Cline Wood, to 

 Burry River, Llanelly, and the south side of Pembrey Hill, are 

 princ'pally of a bituminous or binding quality, 



8. Notwithstanding the principal strata of coal in Glamor-' 

 ganshire.; lie from 5 fathoms to 6 or 700 fathoms deep, still 

 it has not been necessary to pursue these strata deeper than 

 about 80 fathoms. 



9. The veins of coal and iron ore, in the vicinity of most 

 of the iron works in Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire 

 are drained and worked by levels or horizontal drifts, which 

 opportunity is given by the deep valleys which generally run 

 in a north and south direction, intersecting the range of coal 

 and iron ore, which run in an cast and west direction, under 

 the high mountains, and thereby serving as main drains, so 

 that the collier or miner here gets at the treasures of the 

 earth, without going to the expence and labour of sinking 

 deep pits, and erecting powerful fire-engines. However, 

 in prodess of time, in situations where the coal and iron ore 

 that are above the level of these natural drains, become ex- 

 hausted, it will be found necessary to sink shallow pits, and 

 erect fire-engines for the draining and working of the coal 

 and iron ore, and at a future period, pits of greater depths, 

 must be sunk for the same purposes. 



10. There are 12 veins or strata of coal in this mineral 

 depository, from 3 feet to 9 feet thick each, which together 

 make 7of feet : and there are 11 more, from 18 inches to 3 



3 feet. 



