156 Dr. Betlger on the Geological Features 



2. The collieries of Ballycastle occupy an extent of less than one 

 English mile along the coast. They have been long wrought, and 

 were once in a more flourishing state than they are now : they 

 formerly used to send from ten to fifteen thousand tons of coal to 

 the market yearly, whereas the gi'ound bailiff with whom I con- 

 versed several times, assured me that the quantity now exported 

 did not amount to more than fifteen hundred or two thousand tons. 

 Owing to prejudice, I believe, rather than to greater expence, 

 the country people prefer burning turf rather than coaJs, and even 

 the inhabitants of the Isle of Rathlin, who have but a very spare 

 quantity of that combustible, come to the Main to carry it 

 over instead of coals, though ultimately it must be more expensive 

 and surely more troublesome. 



The Ballycastle coals are therefore sent to Dublin, chiefly on 

 board the numerous trading vessels bound to that port from 

 Londonderry, which thus instead of going thither in ballast, 

 take a freight of coal on their passage. The Irish coals in Dublin 

 receive a bounty equal to the duty laid upon the English coals. 



There are but four coal works now wrought out of twelve 

 which were formerly opened near Ballycastle : Gob colliery is the 

 most extensive and advantageous. 



As the beds of coal crop out a few feet above the level of the 

 sea, there is no occasion for sinking shafts, but some of the 

 horizontal galleries are of great extent ; that of Gob colliery into 

 which I went, is not less than eight hundred and twenty yards : 

 they have a considerable quantity of water, and, which is worse, 

 they suffer so much from foul air that the colliers cannot stay 

 more than eight hours out of twenty-four in the mine. The beds 

 dip to the south-east about one foot in nine. 



I should apprehend that this partial and broken formation is 

 mostly exhausted. 



